HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1970-12-24, Page 10resided in Goderldh, but had
• charge of thi s Irishtown church
and the one in Stratford. It is
told that at Christmas three
masses were said by him.He
started at midnight In Stratford,
then traveled to Irishtown, and
arrived in Goderich in time to
say his third mass for Christ-
mas Day.
Father Schneider was pop-
ular among people of all relig-
ions. He had fought in Napol-
eon's Army at the Peninsula
and Waterloo; could speak
French, German, Latin and also
broken English. In Ireland he
had been a doctor before he was
ordained as a priest, and often
in the homes he visited, he min-
istered to the physical as well
as the spiritual needs of his
parishioners. He was known to
all as "The Apostle of the Huron
Tract."
In 1865 Rev. Dean James
Murphy followed Father Schnei-
der in this parent church at
Irishtown, where he had as his
assistants Rev. James Lamont
and Rev. William Fogarty.Under
Rev. Murphy's supervision
churches were founded and built
in the parishes of Wingham,
Blyth, Brussels, Zurich, Drys-
dale and Seaforth. The first
mass said around Seaforth,
nearer than St. Columban, was
in the home of Michael Donovan,
a short distance from Egmond-
ville.
It was in 1869, the spacious
and dignified white brick St.
James' Roman Catholic Church,
still standing, was built on
Victoria Street under Father
Murphy's supervision, on a lot
bought by him from Dr. T. T.
Coleman. The cost represented
an outlay closely approaching
$20,000, the payment of which
must have meant much sacri-
fice on the part of the parishion-
ers in those pioneer days. The
dedication service was conducted
by Rt. Rev. Bishop Walsh on
July 17, 1870.
From 1870 till 1880 the parish
was attended by Rev. Dean Mur-
phy, or one of his many valued
assistants, till the first resident
priest was appointed on January
29, 1880. He was Rev.Father P.
O'Shea. Others who followed
and served faithfully were Father
Cooke,Father Kennedy, Father
McCabe, Father P. Corcoran,
Father E. F. Goetz, Father T.
P.Hussey, Father E.P,Weber,
Father C. E, Sullivan and your
present pastor, Father H. J.
Laragh.
Until a pastor's residence was
secured, Father O'Shea boarded
in a local hotel. In July 1880, it
was planned to build a residence
on a lot at the rear of the church.
Ildwever, in September that same
year, the large frame home of
Thomas Coventry was purchased.
The price paid was $2,600. This
was the home of the priests till
the present white brick was built
by 1900, during the pastorate of
Father McCabe. The first rec-
tory is now the home of Mrs.
Scott Habkirk.
On August 12, 1893, Father
Joseph Kennedy purchased two
and a quarter acres of land for
$600 from Edward Devereaux for
Of St. Nicholas
Long before Santa trav-
eled by sleigh, St. Nicholas,
special guardian of chil-
dren, set forth on foot, or
rode by horse or donkey, to
bring gifts to European
homes.
The good saint's day is
December 6th, and "on the
eve of his festival day,"
writes an Encyclopedia
Americana authority, "St.
Nicholas makes his tour,
visiting palace and cottage.
'The children place re-
ceptacles for the gifts, which
St. Nicholas is expected to
let fall down the chimney.
. . Sometimes shoes are
neatly polished for the pur-
pose, at other times plates,
or baskets, or stockings, or
specially made shoes of
porcelain.
"St. Nicholas' steed . . is
not forgotten. For him 'the
children put water and hay,
or carrot or potato peeling,
or a piece of bread in the
shoe, or basket, or stocking.
"In the morning from the
tipped-over chairs and gen-
eral disarray in the room it
is evident that St. Nicholas
has been present.
"Replacing the oats, or
hay, or carrot are found
sweets and playthings for
children who have been
good. For bad children, rods
are left, and the fodder is
untouched."
And Other "Santas'
Though Santa Claus is to-
day's most popular Christmas-
season gifts giver, he still has
plenty of help.
In Northern Europe, many
children await the arrival of
St. Nicholas, on the Eve of De-
cember 5th. In Spain and Lat-
in America, the "Three Kings"
traditionally bring gifts on
Epiphany Eve, January 5th.
Hark the
Herald
Angels Sing
Beloved carols tell
once more the joy
of Christmas. May
that joy be yours.
FANFARE
BOOKS
159 Ontario St.
STRATFORD
Phone 273-1010
Phone 527-1222 Seaforth
Throughout the land, the season
spreads its warmth and happiness
with our message of sincere gratitude.
HABKIRK TRANSIT LTD.
PROCLAMATION !
TOWN OF SEAFORTH
By resolution of the Council, I hereby
proclaim
A PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Saturday, Dec. 26th
— BOXING DAY —.
and respectfully request the Citizens
and Businessmen to observe the same
F. C. 3. SILLS
Mayor
"GOD SAVE THE QUEEN"
•
•
•
His White Beard,
Red Suit Are
Recent Garb
Genial, jovial, red-cheeked
and white-bearded. As any
child can tell you, that's how
Santa Claus looks.
But the benevolent giver of
presents has not always been
pictured like this, nor has he
always traveled by sleigh or
brought his gifts on Christmas
Eve. In fact, he has not always
been named Santa Claus!
"Santa Claus" is in truth a
child's euphonic way of ex-
pressing the Dutch "Saint
Nlkolaas," or St. Nicholas, says
The Encyclopedia Americana.
St. Nicholas, a fourth-cen-
tury bishop, was later honored,
in Europe, as a friend to chil-
dren. Legend finds him mak-
ing his rounds on December
5th, the eve of St. Nicholas
Day, with gifts to reward chil-
dren for good behavior.
Instead of a jolly red suit, St.
Nicholas wore a robe, or tab-
ard, and for that reason he
really didn't need a sleigh, or
even a horse. His robe enabled
him to travel from place to
place, instantly.
In Holland, however, he was
said to use a horse for his
journey at night over the roofs.
Dutch settlers brought St.
Nicholas to the New World,
where he gradually changed
his name to Santa Claus and
traded his horse and robe for
reindeer and a red suit.
It was Clement C, Moore, in
his poem "A Visit from St.
Nicholas," who made Santa
into a jolly elf "Saint Nick,"
who rides "in a miniature
sleigh drawn by eight tiny
reindeer."
fn more recent years, St.
Nicholas in his new guise as
Santa Claus has journeyed
to many parts of the world,
heeditilhe the most widely
known of gift givers.
ST. NICHOLAS, who preceded
Santa as a Christmas gift giver,
was pictured on an 1870 greeting
card as a monk-like figure.
FATHER CHRISTMAS, a rather
stern resident of the North Pole,
appears on this turn-of-the-cen-
tory greeting card.
METAMORPHOSIS OF SANTA CLAUS, FROM St. Nicholas in a
monk's blue robe, to jolly Fig, Nick in a bright red suit, can he
traced in the history of Christmas grectipg cards — witness this
1909 card. The gift giver here, who looks's ttttt ewhat like the mod-
. teigtMA$ .a ern Santa Claus, wears a red jacket, but his trousers, like St. Nicht)-
. • las' robe, are still blue, and he is mounted on II hobby horse rather
than as reindeer-drawn sleigh — the historical result of the intro.
&teflon into American folklore, by early Dwelt settlers, of Si.
Nicholas on a horse. The 1909 Santa carries his gifts in a straw
basket, which later became the Christmas sack of toys. Cards shown
are from the Noreross Historical Collection.
• 4,A.A.Wra,4T,,.+4..
J
C
1
St. James Roman Catholic
Church in Seaforth shortly will
begin a new century of service
in the community.
The Church erected In 1869
was dedicated on July 17, 1870.
The history of St. James was
recalled recently by Miss Belle
Campbell, well known area writer
In an address to the Catholic
Women's League, excerpts from
which are reproduced herunder:
The history of St. James'
Parish is closely linked with that
of St. Columban, or Irishtown as
it was known in the early days.
It was in Arthur McCann's
tavern on Lot 29, Concession I,
flibbert Township, the lot now
owned by Angus Kennedy and also
a little later in Dennis Downey's
home, almost across the road in
McKillop Township, that the first
public masses were said in this
community, before a church was
built.
There is record that the
Roman Catholic Episcopal Cor-
poration purchased a lot in Har-
purhey from James Dickson at
an early date , but for what pur-
pose we do not know. This lot
was sold in 1878. There is also
record that when Dr. William
Chalk arrived in Harpurhey in
1834 he lived, for a short time, in
a log cabin, which had formerly
bee n used by Catholic traveling
missionaries. This cabin could
possibly have been on the lot
the Catholics owned in Harpurhey
but of this we are not certain.
These traveling missionaries, no
doubt, had several "stopping
places", along the Ickiely trail
through the almost unbroken
forest.
Catholic missionaries visited
this district from as early as
1883, and one of them was Rev.
Father J. B. Wearett, a German
priest, who ministered to those
of his faith all the way from
Waterloo to Goderich.
It is known that on November
14, 1835, Father Wearett stopped
at the Downey home on his way
to Goderich, and with him at this
time was young William Cashin,
from Stratford, who had volun-
teered to carry the sacred vest-
ments which Father Wearett, at
the start of his journey, had car-
ried on his back. On his return
to the Downey home two days
later he was greeted by a group
of Roman Catholics from this
community, and he remained with
them here for two days. These
were among the first religious
services attended by these early
settlers.
From 183'7 till 1842 Rev.
Father Thomas Gibney,of Guelph,
visited the mission periodically
and pre achedin the homes of the
Irishtown settlers till their first
church, a substantial log one,
was built on the McKillop side
on Lot 9, Concession 1, on land
donated by Dennis Downey. A
room was furnished in this church
for the visiting priests, who at
that time first made the trip on
foot, but later on horseback, from
Stratford to Goderich. Father
Peter Schneider, who followed
Father Gibney used a white horse
to make his trip along this route.
Father Schneider, at this time
Cards Have Clue
To History Of
Gift Giver
Greeting card history offers
a clue to Santa evolution as a
holiday symbol.
The theme of Santa Claus
was conspicuously absent from
most nineteenth century
Christmas cards, points out
Miss Esther Mooney, curator
of the Norcross Historical Col-
lection, Early cards frequently
favored children and flowers.
When Santa did appear oc-
casionally on a greeting card,
it was generally in the form
of a dour, rather sad-faced
Father Christmas, robed in a
monk's blue garb and long
gray beard, or as "Saint San-
ta," a semi-religious figure de-
veloped from St. Nicholas.
These were a far cry from
the rotund, red-checked San-
ta depicted on Christmas
greeting cards of today.
The modern Santa, fat and
friendly, began to emerge at
the turn of the century, and
about 1909 he appears on a
Christmas card. Here he is
shown mounted on a hobby
horse, rather than a reindeer-
drawn sleigh.
The card shows him wearing
the now-familiar red jacket,
but his trousers still were blue.
His stern expression, however,
has given way to a alight
whimsical smile, brightening
his white-bearded, cherub-
like face.
The concept of the reindeer
sleigh was a still later addition
in greeting card history, The
early Santa walked with a
wheelbarrow or carried his
toys in a straw basket attach-
ed to his back, or rode a horse.
Today, a jolly Santa Claus,
his originally blue robe chang-
ed to red, and riding his now
traditional• reindeer sleigh, is
a dominating Christmas card
theme.
a cemetery. This cemetery is
located on the McKillop side of
No. 8 Highway, just east of the
town limits.
The first burial from St.
James' parish was that of John
Duncan, father of W. J. Duncan
on November 18, 1893. Before
that all burials took place in
what is now known as St.
Columban Cemetery.
From 1864, when the first
school system was organized in
Seaforth, both Catholic and
Protestant pupils attended the
public school till 1902.
A Separate School Board was
organized on October 31, 1901,
when Rev. P. Corcoran was
parish priest, The first business
of the Board was to arrange for
the building of a school. Within
a feW weeks a two-storey white
brick was erected on land owned
by the parish on the corner of
Goderich and Chalk Street, and
was ready for occupancy by the
beginning of the new year. How-
ever, the dedication by Rt. Rev.
Bishop F. P. McEvay, of London,
assisted by Rev. P. Corcoran and
Rev. G. R. Northgraves, Seaforth,
did not take place till May 4,
1902. The name chosen was St.
James' Separate School. It was
opened in January with two teat
ers and 82 pupils. The princip
was Miss Lu Shance.
After Father Corcoran bought
Duncan McMillan's borne in 1912
to be used as a convent, he brought
the Sisters of St. Joseph to teach
in the school and also to teach
music in the Convent.
By 1959 the old school building
was taxed to capacity. In the
summer of 1960 contractor Frank
Kling built a new modern red
brick one-storey building just
south of the old one. The other
was wrecked in January, 1961.
Again, early in 1967 it was
felt there was a need for more
accommodation. Instead of en-
larging the present building, the
board purchased Egmondville
Public School at an auction sale
on April 8, 1967 and this build-
ing has been in use for certain
grades since the opening of the
fall term that year.
Every week more and more
people discover what mighty jobs
are accomplished by low cost
Expositor Want Ads. Dial 527-
0240.
n—THE HURON EXPOSITOR. SEAM:MTH, ONT., DEC. 24, 1970
StJames Church Begins New Century
FROM SAINT NICHOLAS TO ST. NICK
How Santa Looks, Travels Shows Change
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