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From
the History of Mercer County, 1877--
The Roman Catholic Church.—Prior
to 1840, the few Catholics of this section, had but rarely an
opportunity of attending religious services. They were, at irregular
intervals, visited by priests from Pittsburgh and Erie; the
log-dwelling of that period, serving the purposes of a church, and the
congregation being frequently composed, in part, of members whose homes
lay at a distance of twenty miles, and upward. About the year
above-mentioned, the Catholics of Delaware Grove completed their
church, when, for the first time, it became possible for those of this
neighborhood to assist, regularly, at divine service, by traveling
about twelve miles, over a very indifferent road. This trouble was
spared them, in 1844, from which year, to 1848, services were held at
the house of Ferdinand Smith,
who then resided, and still resides [1877], in this borough. In 1848,
the present edifice was erected, by Father
Mitchell; this mission then comprising not only the
Catholics, of the immediate neighborhood, but, also, those of
Jamestown, Kinsman, Ohio, and other places.
In 1873, a neat and substantial church was erected, at Jamestown, by
the Catholics, of that place, and another is contemplated, at Kinsman.
The Greenville congregation is now composed of the
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Catholics,
of this vicinity, only; and yet, the present [1877] structure is scarce
large enough to contain their increasing numbers. A larger one, of
brick, is now contemplated. The following clergymen have attended this
place, in the order named, since Father
Mitchell; mentioned above: Rev.
T. A. Smith, Rev. P. M. Garvey, Rev. Arthur McConnell, Rev. J. J.
Gallagher, Rev. Andrew Schweiger, Rev. F. J. Hartman, Rev. J. H.
O’Keefe, Rev. K. O’Brannigan, and Rev.
T. Tracy. Rev Mr. Tracy resigned this charge, and removed
to St. Vincent’s, Westmoreland county, to join the Benedictine Order,
who have a Monastery, in that locality. He was succeeded by Rev. B. Donohoe, in July, 1876.
The communicants number in the neighborhood of 400.
Rev.
[Bernard] Donohoe also holds services, at Orangeville,
once a month, in a private house. The Sunday-school, of the Greenville
Church, has about sixty scholars. The pastor attends to the teaching
himself. The Rev. Father Donohoe
has charge of all the country, in various directions, around
Greenville—towards Meadville, Stoneboro, Mercer, and Sharpsville.
History
of Mercer County, 1877, page 99.
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