A Thing of Beauty
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following story of the July 30, 1899 dedication of the
present St. Patrick's Church building appeared in the September 1st issue
CHURCH CALENDAR the official publication of the diocese of Wheeling at that
time.
On Sunday, July 30, 1899, there occurred at this place the most important
event in the annals of the Catholic Church in Southern West Virginia. The
handsome new church just completed was dedicated with all the ceremony and
beauty of ritual peculiar to our holy faith. The Church is a brick structure
with solid and massive granite foundations. It is 36 feet by 66, with slate
roof, tower, and tall spire crowned with a gilded cross. The large basement
room is not yet quite completed.
In the interior the walls are of while sand-finish plaster, and all the
wood-work, except the altar, is of polished oak. The latter itself is a
beautiful work of art, elaborately carved and finished in white and gold. It
is the work of Mr. Phillips of Huntington who also made the card altar
railing. The sanctuary and aisles are covered with rich red velvet carpet,
and the whole interior, with its arched windows, sanctuary and choir, make
it the finest church in town. To us Catholics it is truly "a thing of beauty
and a joy forever."
The dedication services brought together the largest concourse ever seen in
Hinton. One excursion from Russell, KY, and intermediate point was made up
of some eight hundred people. There were fully twelve hundred strangers in
town. Yet there was one great drawback in the morning services. Rt. Rev.
Bishop Donahue, who was to have arrived on Saturday evening at 11, was held
up on the ridge arriving only at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The dedication proper took place at 10:30 a.m., Sunday and in the absence of
the Bishop was conducted by Very Rev. Jos. W. Stenger, R.D. of Charleston,
WV. The music was in charge of the Huntington choir, reinforced by Mr. A,
Wilson of Hinton, violinist, and by Mr. J. Rembusch of Cincinnati, leading
tenor. No such magnificent rendering of the Mass was ever before heard in
this section. We enjoyed greatly the privilege of assisting at the first
Solemn High Mass ever celebrated here. Rev. Chas. Donahue of Newport News
was celebrant, Rev. John Reynolds of Montgomery, Deacon, and Rev. John
Werninger of Hinton, Sub deacon. The Acolytes were Jas. McCarthy, and Edw.
Flaherty of Huntington and James Garretson, James Shaw, Dennis Kirby and
Carl Fredeking of Hinton. Rev. Father Stenger preached the sermon which was
a most interesting and eloquent defense of Catholic faith.
At 3:30 p.m., the Rt. Rev. Bishop preached and administered the Holy
Sacrament of Confirmation. The church was crowded to its utmost capacity.
Many were per force turned away and lingered outside to catch what they
could of the sermon and ceremonies.
The Sacrament of Confirmation was then administered, followed by the Papal
Blessing and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, which closed a day which
will long live in the memories of the Catholics of Hinton.
Our people can never be too grateful to our beloved Pastor, Rev. J. W.
Werninger, for his untiring zeal and self-sacrifice in the work of building
our church and administering to the spiritual needs of our congregation.
Many a day, after celebrating the holy mysteries, he went down to the quarry
and helped to hew out the granite which serves as the lasting foundation of
our little church. It is with sad hearts that we see him return to his own
parish in Huntington, and our grateful prayers will follow him wheresoever
he may be.
The names of those confirmed are: Bernard Rusk, John McFadden, John
Fredeking, Charles Fredeking, John McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Henry T.
Corker, Bernard Corker, Joseph A. Foc, Edgar Fox, Samuel Gwinn, James
Fitzsimmons, James Garretson, Frank Garretson, and John Shaw of Hinton; John
D. O'Connor, Charles O'Connor, and Patrick O'Connor of New Richmond;
Terrance L. Conway, Patrick J. Conway and James H. Conway of Sewell; John A.
Brown of Ansted. The Sponsors for the boys were Dennis Meredith and F..
Kirby.
The names of the girls and ladies confirmed are: Annie L. Fredeking, Maggie
Fitzpatrick, Ellen Rusk, Cecilia B. Mannix, rose Malone, Mrs. Frances
Carson, Mrs. Mary E. Carson, and Mrs. Sarah Richmond, of Hinton; Rebecca F.
Garvey and Elizabeth G. Garvey, of Sock Yards; Terosa L. Conway of Sewell.
The Sponsors were Mrs. F.M. Kirby and Mrs. C. W. Russell. Five of these are
converts of our holy faith.
The names of the members of the Huntington choir, who came one hundred and
fifty miles to do honor to the occasion, are: Miss Louise Hafner, organist;
Miss Hessie Stewart, directress and first soprano; Mr. J. Remsbusch, leading
tenor, Rev. J.G. Formley, P. Rutledge, P. Steifer, W.S. Verlander, Chas.
Hatcher, and Misses B. Foley, H. Hatcher, M. Shern, A. Weiss, amd Bertha
McCarthy, assisted by Mr. A. Wilson of Hinton, violinist. In an account of
the dedication the names of the trustees mst not be overlooked. Messers J.S.
McCarthy, Secretary, F.M. Kerby, Treasurer; S.B. Garretson, Timothy
Fitzpatrick, C.H. Fredking, T.J. Fitzsimmons, who did noble service in all
the labors culminating in this day's high festival, and their spirit of
self-sacrifice and faith will long remain an inspiration to the Catholics of
this town. After resting from his labors awhile the Right Rev. Bishop took
up his route for the dedication of the Church at Springdale.
He was accompanied by Revs. John Werninger and Charles A. Donahue of Newport
News, also by the members of the Hinton choir, the whole party, including a
photographer and several acolytes, made up about fifteen. The conveyance was
a large stage coach drawn by four white horses, and on Tuesday morning they
proceeded on their way over the seventeen miles on mountain road to the
remote settlement in the forest. The day was perfect.
Many a sacred hymn and secular ditty enlivened the way, and the rest of the
Blue Sulphur Spring was a most grateful one, but the point, hungry from the
keen mountain air, alighted beneath the greatful shade of the trees that
encircled an old fashioned mill, with its purling stream and cool reaches of
crystal water and producing baskets heavily laden with chicken, ham, and
other delicacies, fell to with a will. A reconnoitering party discovered
plenty of buttermilk, and sweet milk at a neighboring farm house and this,
added to the solids, made a feast worthy of the gods. Then up and away again
up the ever-increasing grades and winding mountain roads, till, through the
woods in the flush of the slanting sunlight, the little church was seen
standing like an expectant bride in her white freshness and beauty. No need
of rocking or of sleep inducing opiates that night when the members of the
party were apportioned to their respective houses of the neighbors! They had
been traveling some nine hours through the incense breathing pines and along
breezy uplands, and they slept the sleep of the just!
Bright and early next day the people swarmed to the church like an army of
occupation. Every road seemed to lead there, and every species of conveyance
was brought into requisition. Hundreds came on horseback; from twenty and
even thirty miles around they appeared and all conceded that it was the
biggest gathering ever seen at Springdale. Soon it became apparent that if
the sermon was preached in the church nine tenths of the throng would be
deprived of the gratification of hearing. Accordingly a platform was
improvised and the Bishop, surrounded on all sides by eager listeners of
every denomination braving the intense heat of the sun, preached for an hour
on the spiritual meaning of the ceremony of dedication. That strange sight
with the illimitable forest for a background seemed for a moment to
reproduce the days of old.
In the afternoon the ceremony of confirmation was begun, preceded, however,
by a public examination of the candidates in the church. This examination,
which lasted an hour, seemed to interest the spectators more than any other
feature of the day. All passed successfully. Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament followed, thus ending a day forever memorable in the annals of
Springdale. The little church is modest in its appointments, but roomy and
tasteful and a great advance on the log structure standing alongside of it
and which it is to replace. The altar especially is a marvel of quiet taste
and beauty. The names of those confirmed at Springdale are as follows: John
Hurley, David S. Twohig, James E. Quinn, Jerimah A. Hurley, Dennis S. Twohig,
Daniel A. Griffin, Girls: Mary E. Griffin, Joanna A. Griffin, Ellen T.
Hurley, Julia S. Twohig, Nora F. Hurley, Martha E. Goheen, Julia A. Twohig,
Catherine T. Griffin, Julia R. Hurley. The sponsors were Michael Goheen and
Mrs. O'Leary. Concone's Mass in F was sung after dedication exercises, the
Veni Creator during the ceremony of confirmation. At the close Rev. Chas. A.
Donahue rendered the Alma Redemptoris in beautiful style. The return of the
party to Hinton was through golden Summer weather with the mountain, woods,
and lanes at their best. The country people in the sparsely settled region
rushed to their doors when they heard the choir on wheels waking the echoes
with the "Magnificat", the "Ave Maris Stella" and many another sweet hymn.