Mercer County PAGenWeb


Greenville 

St. Michael's Church


FIRSTS

Before we conclude this history of our parish we wish to record for the future, and as a point of interest to our present-day parishioners, the names in our parochial registers. 

The date of the first baptismal records is August 11, 1850, and four children were on that day incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ: John Gallagher, child of Patrick Gallagher and Rebecca Livermore, a non-Catholic, with godparents: John Smyth and Elizabeth Gallagher; John Keating, child of John Keating and Helen Desmond with Patrick McGrath and Catherine Garr as god-parents; Catherine Sowers, child of Leonard Sowers and Margaret Ludwich, a non-Catholic, with godparents: Peter Labouvie and Catherine Kirch; Rachel Marie McCoy, child of John McCoy and Catherine Kech with godparents: Patrick Doyle and Anna Collins.

The first to pledge themselves to each other in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony were James Keenan and Hannah Gillespie. Miss Gillespie was a convert and had been baptized and received into the Church just prior to her marriage on the same day, September 8, 1850. Witnesses to this first-recorded marriage were: William Dunlavey and Mary Doherty.

The first body to be interred in Saint Michael’s original cemetery plot of which we have a record, was that of William Doyle who died on March 20th and was buried March 21, 1856.

Both the baptismal and marriage records listed above were signed by Father M. J. Mitchell. The record of death and burial was signed by Father Arthur McConnell.

This, then is the history of Saint Michael’s Parish and of its Mission, Saint Bridget’s of Jamestown. Further research may well reveal other interesting highlights and facts of our existence as a parish. If so, someone will, we are sure, include them in some future anniversary brochure.

 

From the 100th anniversary booklet on the church, 1950. 

Submitted by Linda Doyle-Genik.

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