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The influence of Pennsylvania's
strong ethnic presence within the Catholic Church is evident
in the very interesting history which found two Barnesboro pastors,
located just five blocks from one another, both seeking sisters
the same year for identical ministries in their parishes. Reverend
Charles Smyth, TOR, presided over a mainly Italian parish, Mount
Carmel; Reverend Michael Brett described St. Edward's as "a
Congregation of some two hundred families, and in this community
of five Catholic Churches, is better known as the Irish Congregation.''
(114) The latter had, in fact, a goodly number of people of
Slovak, Polish, and Hungarian heritage, (115) but was probably
somewhat conditioned by the pastor’s own Irish background
and that of his two priest-brothers, also resident at Mount
Carmel, to view the scene through "Irish" eyes.
It appears that Mount Carmel Parish had taken the lead in responding
to Bishop Guilfoyle's plan for providing religious education
for Catholic children who could not, because of great distances
involved, attend a Catholic school. The people of Mount Carmel
Parish were supportive of the efforts of their zealous pastor.
Because the parish could not provide a convent, Father Smyth
arranged for two sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to
reside at Spangler and commute to provide religious instructions
daily to the youngsters of his parish from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. Sisters Willemyn Gambrill and Dolores Ryan were appointed
for this work. This arrangement continued from September until
June 1937. The pastor and people of Mount Carmel were anxious
to have "their own" sisters in residence, so a dwelling
was finally secured and they set to work to furnish and equip
it before the arrival of the sisters. Meanwhile, the pastor
of St. Edward's, Reverend Michael Brett, had requested two sisters,
thus bringing to four the total needed for the two parishes.
The original four who set out from Scranton by train for Altoona,
and thence to Barnesboro on August 28, 1938, included: Sister
Thomasina Gallagher, superior, Sister Willemyn Gambril, Sister
Servula Healy and Sister Margaretta Mullin. The latter two were
appointed to serve at St. Edward's; the pastors had agreed that
all four would reside at the Mount Carmel Convent. Much excitement
and concern clouded their arrival, as Sister Servula was stricken
with a heart attack that evening. Barnesboro must have seemed
like the end of the earth as the little group gathered their
strength and assessed their situation. Mother Josepha was contacted
and she responded by sending Sister Vera Nallin to assist at
Mount Carmel. Meanwhile, Sister Willemyn was sent with Sister
Margaretta to St. Edward's where the work had gotten off to
a much-delayed beginning. After her hospitalization, Sister
Servula remained at Mount Carmel until her recuperation was
complete, but was then transferred. (116)
A contract of sorts for both parishes carried a detailed description
of the expected activities of the sisters on seven days of the
week and several evenings: daily religious instructions and
extensive secretarial work, care for the altar linens and decoration
of the church, keeping records of parish weekly collections,
looking after bingo or card party tickets and receipts, addressing
and mailing out Christmas, Easter and other feast day greetings
to parishioners and friends, in addition to instructing the
children in singing, training altar boys, visitation of parish
families, and training the children for at least two entertainments
per year. (117) "There was nothing left in the St. Gregory
hymnal to teach them," commented Sister Willemyn, of the
intensity of their endeavors. Subsequently, because of Father
Smyth’s request that a parish census be taken, Sister
Marie Louise Langan, who had facility in the Italian language,
was added to the Mount Carmel community. And all of this for
thirty dollars per month per sister was quite a bargain, even
in 1938!
For twelve years these arrangements continued with much strain
on both pastors and sisters in trying to meet the growing needs
of the two parishes. At one point it was proposed by the Congregation
that three sisters be shared, as a unit, to conduct the programs
at the two parishes, but the pastor of Mount Carmel would not
consent to not having "his own” Sisters. (118)
With the shortage of sisters it became necessary in 1950 to
withdraw from Barnesboro. (119)
References:
114. Letter of Reverend Michael Brett to Mother Josepha, May
3, 1938, Archives, IHM Generalate.
115. Notes of Sister Immaculata Gillespie, 1947, Archives, IHM
Generalate
116. Conversation with Sr. Willemyn Gambrill, IHM, May 11,1987.
117. Notes of Sr. Immaculata Gillespie, Archives, IHM Generalate.
118. Letter from Reverend John P. McEntire to Mother Marcella,
February 10, 1950, Archives, IHM Generalate.
119. Letters from Mother Marcella Gill, Superior General, to
Reverend Charles Smyth, TOR, Pastor of Mount Carmel Parish,
March 24, 1950 to Rev. John P. McEntire, Pastor, St. Edward's
and Bishop Richard T. Guilfoyle of the Altoona Diocese. Archives,
IHM Generalate.
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