The First Mass said in Paterson.—Interesting Anecdotes Concerning Father Bulger.—Prejudice against the Catholics. The Old Church on Congress and Mill streets.—Origin of St. John's Congregation.

The first priest who placed his foot within what are at present the corporate limits of the City of Paterson was Father Philip Larrissy, a Franciscan monk who came here from New York. Just what year he came here is not positively known but it seems to be tolerably well established that he was here for some years previous to Father Langton. The first mass in Paterson was celebrated in the residence of Michael Gillespie, which stood in Market street on the site of the present Godwin homestead. Father Larrissy was a missionary priest who travelled between New York and Philadelphia and visited Paterson every few weeks. He generally arrived on Saturday evening and as soon as he reached Mr. Gillespie's house a messenger was sent to notify the Catholics that mass would be celebrated the following morning. Up to that time Catholics were compelled to go to New York, frequently performing the journey on foot, in order to attend divine service.

Father Langton was the second priest who celebrated mass in Paterson. The Gillespies had removed to Belleville and so a room for the holding of divine service was fitted up in the residence of Barney McNamee on the corner of Broadway and Mulberry street. Here the Catholics attended mass for several years. Father Langton was also a missionary priest, going from New York to Paterson, to Macoupin, Bottle Hill and other places; then returning to Paterson, which was a more important Catholic settlement than any in this part of the State. On his return to New York from Paterson Father Langton stopped at the residence of Mr. Gillespie at Belleville and after celebrating mass there proceeded to Newark, where there were very few Catholics, and from thence to New York. This seems to have been the route taken by the earlier Catholic clergymen, for even Father Bulger, who was not ordained until 1815, said mass in the residence of Mr. Gillespie.

Father Richard Bulger was educated at Kilkenny College, Ireland, and was ordained a priest in 1815 by Bishop Connolly. He was for some time the assistant pastor of the Cathedral in New York but spent most of his nine years of priesthood in administering spiritual consolation to the Catholics in Paterson and vicinity and continuing the work in which Fathers Larrissy and Langton had preceded him. It was he who in 1820 erected the first building used exclusively for divine service by Catholics in Paterson and he was the first parish priest in this city. Previous to this time he followed in the footsteps of his predecessors in journeying from place to place, preaching the Word of God by the way and saying mass and administering the rites of the Church whenever opportunity afforded. In 1821 Mr. Roswell L. Colt in behalf of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures offered to all the various denominations in Paterson ground on which to erect houses of worship. This generous offer was accepted by the Catholics and in this way they came into possession of a piece of property situated on the southwest corner of Congress (now Market) and Mill streets. The deed was given to the Catholics "for the purpose of erecting, maintaining and keeping a building or house for the public worship of God," a clause in the deed providing for reversion of the property to the donor as soon as the property was used for any other purpose than that of divine worship. There were at that time only twelve Catholic families in Paterson, but the prejudice against the Catholic Church which characterized its earlier history in this country had subsided, and the Catholics received aid from persons of other denominations. This, added to their own generous gifts of money and labor, produced a building 25×30 feet in size and one story high. The room was furnished with a plain altar and a number of wooden benches without backs, which served as pews, and the attendance on Sundays did not exceed 50, unless there was an influx of Catholics from some village not supplied with a church. Mass was celebrated every Sunday morning and vespers in the afternoon. The church was named after St. John, the Baptist, and the building still stands where it was erected in 1821, although it has been considerably altered. Father Bulger was taken sick in 1824, while assistant pastor at the Cathedral in New York, where he died in November of that year. He was buried in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Although Father Bulger's years as a priest were few they were devoted to the cause of the Lord with an energy and faithfulness which made him so prominent a figure in the early history of the church in Paterson. Many are the anecdotes told concerning him, some of which are illustrative of his character, and among these the following appear of more than ordinary interest:

Archbishop Bayley's book on the History of the Catholic Church contains the following: "The Rev. Mr. Bulger was first sent on the mission to Paterson, in New Jersey, where he labored with great fidelity. During his missionary expeditions through various parts of the State, he was often exposed to insults, and underwent many hardships, which his ardent zeal and buoyant spirits enabled him to bear, not only with patience, but cheerfulness. A large stone was thrown at him through the window of his bedchamber, which nearly cost him his life. On this occasion he published a letter addressed to the inhabitants of Paterson, which excited a great deal of attention, and made him many friends even amongst those who had been most opposed to him."

In the same work appears the following: "He was accustomed to tell many laughable stories of his adventures. Trudging along one day on foot, carrying a bundle, containing his vestments and breviary, under his arm, he was overtaken by a farmer and his wife in a wagon. The farmer invited Mr. Bulger to ride; but it having come out in the course of the conversation that he was a priest, the wife declared that he should not remain in the wagon, and he was consequently obliged to get out and resume his journey on foot. It should be added, that the farmer afterwards applied to Father Bulger for instruction, and was received into the Catholic Church."

This same story is corroborated by persons still living, and was told to the author of this work with more details. It was a very cold day in winter and there were several feet of snow on the ground. Father Bulger was walking from Hohokus, whither he had gone on a pastoral errand. He was in delicate health and so, when about half way between Hohokus and Paterson, he felt considerably relieved at hearing a wagon approach behind him. It was the wagon of a farmer residing in Paterson. Father Bulger was asked to ride but immediately after he had taken his seat the farmer and his wife suspected that he was a Catholic priest. They plied him with numerous questions to which Father Bulger gave evasive answers, for he was sick and fatigued and anxious to reach Paterson. They asked whether he was married and had children and he replied in the affirmative, adding that he had numerous children. The suspicions of the farmer and his wife increased and Father Bulger was finally asked whether he was not a Catholic and a priest. Rather than deny his faith Father Bulger would have faced death and he replied in the affirmative. He was compelled to leave the wagon and walk to Paterson. When he arrived here he told of his adventure; the brutal treatment he had been subjected to so incensed a number of Catholics and others who were employed in a quarry that they resolved to thrash the inhuman farmer. Father Bulger heard of this project and it was due to his entreaties that it was not carried out. This heroic conduct on the part of Father Bulger was reported to the farmer, who concluded that a religion, whose priests so faithfully carried out the Christ-given doctrine of "Return good for evil," could not deserve the opprobium heaped upon it by Protestants; he applied to Father Bulger for instruction and became a convert to the Catholic religion.

The first number of the Sacred Heart Union published at Newark in March, 1881, contains some interesting reminiscences of an early settler near Macopin and among these is the following: "Our next priest was Father Bulger, a native of Ireland, a tall, handsome man, but with a beardless face. He was ordained by 'little Bishop Connolly,' as he was called, and came to us about 1820. Mr. Littell had been notified to expect a priest, and vainly looked among the passengers of the mail-coach for his Reverence. The driver told him that a passenger had booked for Macopin the night before, but had failed to put in an appearance. Late that afternoon a stranger drove up to the shop on horseback and thus addressed Mr. Littell:

"'Did you expect a visitor, sir?'

"'I did, sir.'

"'How did you expect him?'

"'By the mail.'

"'Might I ask whom you expected?'

"'Well,' said Mr. Littell, somewhat nettled by this cross-examination, 'I expect a Catholic priest.'

"'Well, suppose you take me for a Catholic priest.'

"Surveying the beardless youth from top to bottom, Mr. Littell tartly replied:

"'Go back to your wooden college, sir, and get more beard on your upper lip before you come to palm yourself off on me as a Catholic priest.'

"'Well,' said the stranger, 'beard or no beard, you must take me for a priest.'

"'Perhaps,' thought Mr. Littell, 'I may after all be mistaken; he may be a priest,' and giving him another searching look he inquired:

"'Am I talking to Father Bulger?'

"'You are,' said the young Father, smilingly; and his laughter drowned the apologies and put to flight the discomfiture of good Mr. Littell.

"Father Bulger was a regular apostle; he travelled through Hudson, Passaic and Sussex counties. I remember he was once invited to preach in Newton, and the Presbyterian Church was offered to him. But when the day came for the lecture, the bluelights feared to admit the papist into their sanctuary. To the dismay of the most prominent member of the congregation—an Irishman—they gave a point blank refusal to allow him to preach in their church. Chagrined but undaunted, the Irishman went to the judge who was then presiding over the Sussex Circuit, related to him all the circumstances, and asked him to adjourn the Court so that the priest might give his lecture. Court was adjourned; the judge and a host of legal fledglings, who have since arisen to fame and honor, listened to the young priest's masterly handling of the doctrine of the Real Presence.

"'I did not believe,' said an ex-United States Senator, still living among us, 'that the Catholics had such solid proofs for their doctrines.'"

Father John Shanahan succeeded Father Bulger. Father Shanahan had been educated at Mount St. Mary's College and had been ordained in 1823 by Bishop Connolly. He remained but a short time and left Paterson to take charge of a mission in Utica, New York, and from thence he went in 1850 on a mission to California. He subsequently returned to New York, where he died in St. Peter's parish.

Father Charles Brennan came next. He had been educated in Kilkenny College, Ireland, and had been ordained by Bishop Connolly in 1822. He conceived the idea of erecting a new church, as the Catholics were rapidly increasing in numbers, and proceeded to carry his design into execution. He made a number of tours through the surrounding country soliciting subscriptions and it was while thus engaged that he was taken sick. He went to New York, where he died in March, 1826, and his remains were interred by the side of Father Bulger.

While Father Brennan was lying sick in New York Father John Conroy—uncle of the late Bishop John J. Conroy of Albany—was sent to Paterson to look after the welfare of St. John's congregation. Father Conroy was educated in Mount St. Mary's College and was ordained by Bishop Connolly in 1825. He was subsequently assistant at the Cathedral in New York and assistant at St. Lawrence's Church in Eighty-fourth street, New York. He died when chaplain of Cavalry Cemetery, New York.

Father Francis O'Donoghue was the next priest. He took up the work left unfinished by Father Shanahan and collected money for the new church. The construction of the Morris Canal at this time brought to Paterson a large number of Catholic Irishmen and it was found that the congregation of St. John's received such numerous accessions that it was necessary to construct a gallery in the church building on Congress and Mill streets. Mr. Colt, on behalf of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, showed a disposition not to extend to the Catholic Church any favors he had not shown to congregations of other denominations and at first refused to give the church any more property or permit the sale of the real estate on which the church was situated. Rt. Rev. Bishop Du Bois then came to Paterson and he and Father O'Donoghue called to see Mr. Colt. After a conference Mr. Colt was induced to withdraw his objections to the sale of the Mill street property and the congregation obtained from him the tract of land on Oliver street on which stands the church in which St. John's congregation worshipped nearly a third of a century.

The consideration mentioned in the deed from the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures to the Trustees of St. John's Chapel is $2,000, but this amount is charged to Roswell L. Colt on the Society's journal, folio 153, so that the Oliver street property was a gift from Mr. Colt himself. There is a clause in the will of Mr. Colt by which his executors are directed to donate to charities one-tenth of his estate unless it shall appear that he during his lifetime had already disposed of one-tenth of his estate in this manner.

Father O'Donoghue was greatly assisted in his work by a young man named Ambrose Manahan, who boarded at Mr. Hugh Brady's house and who received his instructions for the priesthood from Father O'Donoghue. Mr. Manahan was a young man of brilliant genius; he subsequently went to the Propaganda at Rome, where he was ordained a priest on August 29th, 1841, by Cardinal Franconi and made a doctor of divinity; he subsequently returned to this country, where he became President of St. John's College and pastor of St. Joseph's Church in New York. His remains lie buried in New York.

The following inscription is found in the Visitors' Book of the Passaic Falls, dated July 25th, 1828:

THOMAS IOANNES O'PHLAEGLI.

Ioatros kai cheirurgos en enianpto tes chagilos, 1828. F. Frankiskos O'Donogue, Iereus tes ekklesias tes Romes, os oikei ente polei tes Patterson kai episatei ente ekklesia epikalumen tes agiou Ioannou.

Reverendus Franciscus O'Donoghue, sacerdos EcclesiÆ RomanÆ, atque Thomas Joannes O'Flagherty, M. D., venerunt visum, videruntque cum maxima attonitu ingentem flumenis Passaici defluxum, vigesimo quinto mensis Julii, anno Salutis HumanÆ 1828. Vivat America, quamdiu sub auspiciis aquilae ReipublicanÆ auram vitalem carpit.