Allegany County MD Archives News.....St. Mary’s Catholic Church Erected in 1862, But War Halted Its Progress July 3, 1937
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Shawn McGreevy shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com and Shawn McGreevy shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com May 11, 2008, 12:48 pm

The Cumberland Daily News Souvenir Edition Lonaconing, Md. Home Coming And Centennial July 3, 1937
Excavation of Foundation Done by Miners after Days Work in Mines
	The first priests to visit Lonaconing were the Redemptorists from 
Cumberland.  They came here as early as 1840, and attended to the spiritual 
needs of the people in this region until 1866.  In those days, the stage coach 
was the ordinary means or conveyance.  From Cumberland to Fristburg (sic) the 
priests travelled by coach over the old National turnpike and from Frostburg 
to Lonaconing by saddle horse.
	Amongst the most illustrious Redemptorist priests, who visited 
Lonaconing during this period was Rev. John Neumann.  He afterwards was made 
Bishop of Philadelphia.  Efforts are being made at present for his 
canonization.  He was here in 1843.
	There was no church building in those days.  People assembled to hear 
mass at what is still known as the “stone house” in “Knapp’s Meadow”. It 
belonged at first to Mr. Hezzle.  It later passed into the possession of Henry 
Knapp.
	Towards the end of 1862, the Catholics of Lonaconing were numerous and 
prosperous enough to begin the erection of their new church.  The Rev. 
Eberhardt, one of the Cumberland Redemptorists, took charge of the work.  The 
ground was leased from the George’s Creek Coal and Iron Company.  Willing 
hands began the excavation for the foundation.  Many of the miners did this 
work after their hard day’s toil, and often used their lamps when darkness 
came on.  The walls were well underway, when the dark clouds of the Civil War 
were drawing near to Lonaconing.  General Mulligan’s men were encamped at New 
Creek (now Keyser).  Work on the new church came to a halt.  The names of some 
of the pioneers who worked on the church are John O’Connor, Simon Nolan, Peter 
Phillips, August Ricker and Patrick Barry.  Others who were closely associated 
with the early days of the parish were Peter Nolan, John Ryan, Leopold 
Berkenbaugh, Michael Wynn, Edward Brennan, Owen Flynn, John Joyce, Thomas 
Rowan and John Meyers.
Church Completed in 1865
	When Archibald Spaulding succeeded Archbishop Kenrick in 1864, he 
visited Western Maryland.  He was satisfied with the location of the church, 
and ordered the Rev. Weist to complete the work.  He, it seems, was the 
principal architect.  He believed in good solid walls.  They were three feet 
thick.  The architecture is what is known as “Romanesque”.  The cruciform, 
which the church has at present, was not contemplated in the original design.  
This was done when the congregation increased.  One wing is still called the 
Ocean Wing, because it was built for the people from Ocean.  
	The Rev. Gross came to Lonaconing a short time before Christmas 1865.  
He hastened the work of completing the church.  He was able to have the first 
mass in it at Christmas.  The first funeral from the church was that of 
Frederick Ricker.  The first marriage was that of Thomas Rowan and Mary Knapp, 
December 31, 1865.  Rev. Gross afterwards was made bishop of Savannah, 
Georgia, and was promoted later to Archbishop of Oregon.  Up to the time of 
his death, he remembered with affection the coal miners of George’s Creek.
	The Redemptorists left Cumberland and during the years 1837 to 1868 
the Carmelite priests of SS Peter and Paul’s church, Cumberland, attended the 
parish.  In 1869, diocesan priests from St. Patrick’s, Cumberland, and from 
Frostburg, took care of the parish.  The Rev. Edward Brennan, Rev. Valentine 
Schmidt and the poetic genius Rev. James P. Carey and Rev. De Wulf were also 
among the priests officiating.
	During the years just referred to, prominent church workers were: 
Patrick Carroll, Michael Broderick, Daniel Harnett, John O’Hanley, Hugh 
McGinn, Cornelius Murphy and Daniel Rowan.
	The church records attract attention to the Stakem family, of Wicklow, 
Ireland.  In the early days of the parish honors for numbers were divided 
between the Stakems and the Cavanaughs.  Now the Stakems lead by a big 
majority.  The records contain the names of five generations of Stakems.
	Special note also is given the Meyers family, whose members for thirty 
years were devout in their care of the altar at St. Mary’s and all the 
pertains to it.
	The Rev. Jeremiah Sullivan had charge of the parish in 1869.  He was a 
great champion of temperance in those days, when according to reports people 
drank well but wisely.  During his administration the rectory was built and 
the school.  He afterwards was made pastor of St. Peter’s, Washington, D.C.  
He died as Bishop of Mobile, Alabama, in 1896.
First Resident Pastor
	The first resident pastor was the Rev. James O’Brien, who was here for 
thirteen years.  During his pastorate, the parish school house was rented to 
the public school board.  Catholic teachers taught in the school, and the 
pastor was granted the right to teach catechism in the school after school 
hours.
	During Rev. O’Brien’s pastorate, the outstanding church workers were 
John P. Cavanaugh, Martin Geary, James Dooley, the Woods family, also the 
Mooneys, Nolans and Rowans.  In the year 1871, the church receipts were 
$3,344.53.  At the beginning of 1884 the parish was free of debt, and could 
boast a balance of $1,079.86.  Rev. O’Brien afterwards became pastor of St. 
Peter’s, Washington, and died in 1928.
	Among pew-holders at this time were Ambrose Bevans, James Howard, 
Patrick Hogan, Andrew Connolly, Peter O’Rourke, Bernard Walsh, Edward Welsh, 
Dennis Doolan, John McGeady, Terrence Woods, Bernard Woods, Henry Devlin, John 
Donohoe, Thomas McHugh, James Quinn, Bernard Keating, John Douglas, George 
Bowers, Joseph Bowers, John Atkinson, and others.
	Early in 1884, the Rev. Peter Manning was made pastor of St. Mary’s.  
He came here from Barton.  He brought to the parish the Sisters of St. Joseph 
from Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.  They opened a parochial school in the 
autumn of 1885.  The convent was blessed in that year by Bishop O’Sullivan, 
former pastor of St. Mary’s.  The school was a success from the beginning.  
The first names enrolled were Mary Walsh and Eliza Bevans, John McGuire and 
Joseph Nolan.
Organized Hibernians
	During his pastorate he organized the Ancient Order of Hibernians in 
Lonaconing.  The parish has the honor of possessing Division one, A.O.H. of 
Allegany County.  He also was instrumental in procuring a Catholic cemetery.
	In May 1892, Midland opened a church of its own, and the people of 
that region no longer came to St. Mary’s.
	Rev. Manning was succeeded by the Rev. Stanton in 1892.  In 1893, St. 
Mary’s was honored by a visit from Cardinal Gibbons, who confirmed 100 
children.  On this occasion the congregation received Hid Eminence with a 
torch light procession, in which all the societies of the parish took part, 
accompanied by two bands.  
	In September of this same year, a great event took place, the 
ordination of Lonaconing’s first priest in the person of the Rev. Michael 
Ryan.  He sang his first mass in St. Mary’s, September 30.  He is now pastor 
of Ellicott City.  Other native sons in the priesthood were, the Rev, John 
Brady, Joseph Nolan and William Hogan.  Rev. McVeigh and Rev. Thomas Lennan at 
present an army chaplain, attended the parochial school here.  Their homes 
were in Midland.
	The Rev. Stanton had as assistant the Rev. James Quinn, the first and 
only assistant of St. Mary’s, now the pastor of St. Patrick’s, Cumberland.
	Rev. Stanton was succeeded for a few years by Rev. Conway.  In 1909, 
Rev. Joseph P. Nolan, a native, son, took charge of St. Mary’s and remained as 
pastor until 1926.  He died in 1936 as pastor of St. Michael’s, Frostburg.  He 
was succeeded by Rev. Bradley, who did excellent work in the parish until 
promoted to the pastorate of St. Michael’s, Frostburg, in 1936.
	The present pastor is the Rev. James C. Murphy, who came here from St. 
Peter’s, Washington, last year.


Additional Comments:
I transcribed this article from a newspaper that my mom had saved from her 
childhood. It has lots of 'Coney and Midland names in it.  My mother told me 
that my great grandfather, Patrick Barry had helped to build the church and 
this article confirms it.  She said that the miners went up to the church 
after working in the coal mines all day and they would warm bricks in the fire 
to use to warm their feet.

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