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

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Workers — Wednesday Evening Parties Left to Right: John K. Keenan, James Wallace, Albert J. Brusco, James M. Curley, and Francis J. McMahon. Missing from picture are: Joseph Cataro, Andrew Dowd, Joseph Sharkey, Daniel McCann, Frank Dorio, Walter Richardson, and Arthur Reynolds. Four year after the official organization of the Apostolate, the Missionary Con- fraternity of Christian Doctrine was organized with Father Griffin as its director. The Apostolate Hotise also became the headquarters for the Confraternity. Many parishioners took an active part in the Confraternity work, either through donating their time and service in the teaching of catechism in the outlying districts or through their contributions to help defray expenses. Seeing that the pressure of his parish work, together with the work of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, was beginning to take its toll from Father Griffin, Bishop Canevin relieved him of his directorship of the Confraternity in 1916. With St. Mary of the Mount remaining as headquarters, Father Timothy Shea became the new director of the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Within a year Father Shea died and Father Lawless replaced him as director. Eight years later when Father Lawless became pastor of St . Mary of Mercy Church on

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Third Avenue and Ferry Street, St. Mary of Mercy became Head(|uarters for the Confraternity and remains as such today. Thotigh no longer director of the Ccnfraternity. Father Griffin remained vitally interested in its work and gave it his loyal support and his loving cooperation. The love and esteem in which Father Griffin was held by all Confraternity workers from their director. Father La less, down to the newest lay recruit teacher vas beautifully expressed by Father La less on the death of Father Griffin. The following account appeared in the Pittsburgh Catholic of December, 1930: Father GrifFin, a noble, priestly character, a man of God, a real friend and booster of our great lay apostolate of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, has breathed his last. Bodily, he is no more. But his deeds and accomplishments will continue to live on. The history of our organization shows that our success in the beginning- was due mostly to the great interest shown by Father GrifFin in the efforts of the few lay workers who volunteered their time for religious instructions in the mining camps. It was in June, 1908, that the first class was opened in Cecil by an individual who little thought that that action was the seed or foundation of the present wonderful and noble Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Several men and women joined in the movement and within a short time a number of classes were being conducted. After this humble start, without direction or authority, God led this small band of lay missionaries to Father Griffin, then Superior of the Pittsburgh Apostolate, in order that every action woidd be under the guidance of Holy Mother Church, through his advice. For some time the only name given to the organization was the Lay Apostolate, but later when the work and accomplishments were brought to the attention of Bishop Canevin by Father Griffin, the work was not only officially approved biU the name of Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine was given by Bishop Canevin. Under Father Griffin ' s guidance those first laborers were blessed with a most earnest and zealous spirit: the number of missions increased to aboiu thirty-five, while the number of workers was around seventy at the end of 1916. In all these years the greatest problem to be solved was diat of finances. For soine years, practically the only support of the organization was the money which the few teachers collected and the contributions of the members of St. Mary of the Mount parish, who had formed in bands of ten or more and woidd contribute ten cents or twenty-five cents per month. In 1916 when Bishop Canevin saw fit to appoint a regular director of the organization. Father Griffin never lost sight of the doings of the great diocesan Lay Apostolate. Every year quite a number of lay workers from St. Mary of the Mount Parish are represented in oin- organization doing their share in the mining camps for the cause of Christ. May his soul rest in peace. Of the 42 years of Father Griffin ' s priestly life, 27 of them vere spent at St. Mary of the Mount. Under his ' ise and kindly guidance the parish gre v both spiritually