St Mary of the Mount High School - St Mary Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 37 text:

On September 1, 1873, Father Cosgrave purchased two lots on the corner of Beloilda (at that time called Bedford Street) and Kearsarge Streets. Here, the first chtirch of St. Mary of the Mount was erected. The cornerstone was laid October 20, 1873 and the chiuxh was dedicated October 18, 1874. An unpretentious frame building, 70 feet in length and 30 feet wide, it served the needs of the parish from 1874 to 1897. Efforts to start a school in the basement of the church had to be aban- doned because of the financial diffictilties of the congregation, difficulties that were the result of the panic of 1873. St. Mary of the Motmt Church was considered a mission from St. Malachy ' s until 1877. Assisting Father Cosgrave in his administrative duties were Father J. Tobin, Father Thomas Neville, Father Peter McMahon, and Father Kiernan. Then, in October, 1877, Bishop Michael Domenec appointed Father Peter McMahon first resi- dent pastor of St. Mary of the Mount. Originally, the parish extended from Grand- view Avenue to Warrington Avenue and included what is now St. Justin ' s Parish. Successive pastors to Father McMahon were Father Edward Brennan, 1878-1881, Father Thomas Devlin, 1881-1883, Father J. F. Tobin, 1883-1891, and Father Kier- nan, February, 1891 to April 5, 1891. Father Tobin spent himself in his work at St. Mary of the Mount. An epidemic in 1891 took, its toll among the clergy of the diocese and Father Tobin sticcumbed to the disease on February 11, 1891 in the thirty-ninth year of his age and the six- teenth year of his holy priesthood. He was buried in St. Mary ' s Cemetery. Following the death of Father Tobin, Father Kiernan assumed the direction of the parish, but for a very short time. Two months after his appointment to St. Mary of the Mount, Father Kiernan was assigned to St. Patrick ' s Parish in Noblesto vn with St. Alphonsus ' Parish in McDonald as a mission. In April, 1891, Father John W. O ' Connell was appointed pastor of St. Mary of ihe Motmt and he labored zealously here for twelve years. Dtuing Father O ' Connell ' s l)astorate the present church was erected on the site which he purchased on the corner of Grandview Avenue and Ulysses Street. The building stands on a high point of Grandview Aventie and overlooks the lower city. It is Gothic in architecttire and was erected at the cost of seventy thousand dollars. The dedication of the new St. Mary of the Motmt Chtirch took place on Sunday, December 19, 1897. The Right Reverend Bishop Phelan, being unable to officiate because of illness, appointed Reverend Regis Canevin, Rector of St. Paul ' s Cathedral, to act in his stead. Father James Cosgrave was the celebrant of the Solemn High Mass and the deacon and stib-deacon Tvere Father Schram and Father Burns respectively. The sermon -was preached by Reverend John T. Murphy, C.S.Sp., president of Pitts- btngh College of the Holy Ghost (now Duquesne University) vho chose for his sub-

Page 36 text:

Jjishops of zL itisbalgk Since the CstaUiskment of St. 3ialy of the 3iount S alisli Most Rev. Michael Domenec, CM 1860-1876 Most Rev. John F. Regis Canevin 1904-I92I Most Rev. John Tuigc 1876-1889 Most Ri . Rkhard Phelan 1889-1904 Most Rev. John F. Dearden, S.T.D. 1950- Most Rev. Hugh C. Boyle 1921-1950

Page 38 text:

ject The Church. Both priest and people rejoiced that now, after years of untiring efforts, they had succeeded in building an edifice Avhere they could fittingly offer adoration to the Most High. Father O ' Connell and his people were justifiably proud of the interior of their new church. The tinted walls, the very lovely altar railing, the pews and confessionals of the finest quality wood, all are the best they could provide and the overall effect is conducive to prayer and devotion. Particularly striking are the beautiful stained glass windows. The scenes depicted in the ten windows are not a random selection of incidents from Scripture. Rather, they are a pictorial view of the life of Christ — five repre- senting the private life of Christ and five His public life. Each window presents a fimd of material for meditation. The first window to the left of the sanctuary portrays the birth of Christ. This is a copy of Fenerstein ' s beavuiful painting, Holy Night. Hoffman ' s The Coming of the Magi is beautifully copied in glass in the second ■ivindow. Then, in proper se- quence come The Presentation, The Flight into Egypt, and Christ in the Tem- ple. The latter is also a faithful reproduction of Hoffman ' s famous painting. Equally beautiful and meditative are the five windows on the opposite wall. Be- ginning with the first window to the right of the sanctuary is a vivid illustration of The Sermon on the Mount. Then foUo vs the appealing scene, Christ Blessing Little Children. Hoffman is represented here, too, by a copy of one of his master- pieces, The Repentant Magdalen. The next window arouses us to compunction as we look upon the calm, benign face of Christ before Pilate. Lastly, a glorious and most fitting ending to this ever awe-inspiring story of love is The Resurrection from Hildebrand. Over the main entrance to the church is an immense window rep- resenting the Ascension. The light coming through the stained glass of this win- dow sheds a deep, ruddy glow over the entire gallery. For six years Father O ' Connell enjoyed the fruits of his labors at St. Mary of the Mount. In October, 1903, he was appointed irremovable rector of St. Peter ' s Parish on the North Side where he had previously labored for nine years, shortly after his ordination on December 7, 1881. After a life spent wholly for souls. Father O ' Connell died in Mercy Hospital on September 22, 1922, at the age of sixty-five. He was laid to rest with his brother priests in St. Mary ' s Cemetery on September 25, 1922. FATHER GRIFFIN When Father O ' Connell assumed the pastorate of St. Peter ' s Parish, the Right Reverend Bishop Richard Phelan appointed Very Reverend Edward P. Griffin rector