Andrew Gredt and the Blessing from Pope Benedict XIV

Andrew Gredt from Lotharingia, presently in Rome, and going home shortly humbly prays your holiness to kindly grant him and his blood relatives and in-law to the third degree incl., and also to twenty-five other persons whom he is free to name, the plenary indulgence, provided they are penitent and have confessed and received Holy Communion, and with sorrow speak the Holy name of Jesus at least in their hearts.

Observations

1. The names of the "other twenty-five person" who Andrew Gredt (Grett) included in the Papal blessing upon the occasion of his pilgrimage, are signed personally in their own hand writing and are a part of this document.
2. Our records [the Church's] indicate Andrew Gredt married a Magdalen... and had a number of children. Andrew Gredt was born in Lotharingia (Alsace-Lorraine) in December 26, 1720, died January 5, 1811 age 90 years, 1 week and 3 days, and was buried in the graveyard near the Church, January 8, 1811. [Were his remains and tombstone one of those moved to the 'upper cemetery on the hill across from the Church' or is his gravesite one of those in the rear of the present Church and whose tombstone lays about in pieces outside the perimeter of the cemetery behind the Church?] His wife, Magdalen died February 4, 1806 age 86 years.
3. The reign of Pope Benedict XIV was from 1740-1758.
4. Among the children of Andrew Gredt and Magdalen was an Andrew Gredt Jr. born July 17, 1755 and who died October 4, 1811, age 56 years, 2 months and 15 days. [Another source says he died on 02 Oct 1811 with burial on the 4th in the St. Paul's Chapel of Goshenhoppen, Balley, Berks Co PA.] Andrew Jr. married Elizabeth Henrich in the Chapel of St. Paul 1777. [Per "The Goshenhoppen Registers, 1741-1818," Reprint from Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, indexed by Elizabeth P. Bentley, Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc, Baltimore, 1984; page 109: "Grett - Henrich: November 17, 1777, during Mass at Christian Henrich's house at Asperum Collem, Andrew Grett, single, to Elizabeth Henrich, Widow Riffel. No witnesses named." The Henrich house was not the St. Paul's Chapel. Christian Henrich was Elizabeth's father.] Another Andrew Gredt, probably a grandson, married Margaret Obold in 1816 in the Chapel of St. Paul.
5. The Chapel of St. Paul is now part of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church, and "Churchville" is now called "Bally" after Father Bally who was pastor here from 1837-1881.
6. Some of the other [Grett] children listed are Michael who married a Catharine Hartman in 1774; John who married an Elizabeth Seiffert in 1776; Andrew who married Elizabeth Henrich in 1777, November 17th in the Chapel of Churchville. [See submitter's note in #4.]

Submitter's notes

This transcription is made from an original typed translation, done by an unknown person and not dated, of an elaborately handwritten document, a Certificate requesting the Blessing of Pope Benedict XIV of Rome, Italy, for Andrew Gredt and his relatives plus twenty-five other persons who were soon to be "going home." The original translation is located just below the original Certificate. Both the original Certificate and the translation are housed behind glass in a display case in the museum of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Bally, PA. If you wish to visit the Church and museum, please contact the Church for an appointment because the museum is not open. The submitter believes the original Certificate is written in the Latin language. The individual names listed on this Certificate are scribed in their own handwriting and are written in "old German" script. This submitter does not know if the handwritten names have been translated. What a wonderful gift it would be to have those names.

The Most Blessed Sacrament Church was formerly known as St. Paul's Chapel of Goshenhoppen. The original Chapel still stands today in Washington Township in Berks Co PA. This church is believed to be the oldest Catholic Church in PA and the fourth oldest structure of Colonial America. This church also houses what appears to be the oldest surviving Catholic sacramental registers in the United States of America.

Per a booklet from the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Bally, PA there is a reference to this Certificate. It reads, "Apostolic blessing upon Andrew Greth and the group of Catholics from Bally who made the pilgrimage to Rome in 1756 for an audience with Pope Benedict XIV". This submitter does not know if the Certificate is dated or not. Grett/Greth family researchers have established that Andreas Grett and others immigrated to America in 1749 on the Ship Phoenix. This submitter, a Grett/Greth family researcher, questions the date of 1756 for the date of this Certificate. Is it reasonable to consider that Andrew Grett/Greth/Gredt and a group of persons numbering twenty-five plus, all Catholics from Bally, traveled back across the ocean after only seven years in America to obtain the blessing of the Pope? If Andrew did cross the ocean again, why would the Certificate not read "Andrew Gredt recently from America, formally from Lotharingia" instead of "Andrew Gredt from Lotharingia"? This submitter proposes that this Certificate was obtained just prior to Andrew' s immigration to America in 1749 as a "letter of reference" and a "clear and visible sign" of his devout belief in Catholicism, as well as a Holy Blessing from the Pope for himself and his immediate family including "blood relatives and in-laws to the third degree" plus twenty-five other persons. This submitter welcomes discussion. In the "Observations" section above, the comments in brackets ([]) are those of the submitter.

Submitted by: Suzzette Greth Yandle.