The banners and signs with large green sham¬rocks dot the lawns of modest homes in the neighborhood. They announce a celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of St. James, one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the St. Louis area.
It is a parish that has its own St. Patrick's Day parade - on the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland - and that has been a largely Irish enclave since its establishment shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War.
The anniversary festivities started with a pa¬rade on the feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. It will reach a climax Sunday with the celebra¬tion of Mass at the church.
Archbishop John L. May, along with present and past parish priests, will celebrate the Mass at noon. A reception and buffet will follow in the parish gymnasium and cafeteria.
The parish began in 1860 as a mission of the now-defunct St. Malachy's Church at Clark and Ewing streets in St. Louis. The dedication of the first church of St. James, a wooden structure on the east side of Tamm at Wade Avenue, took place on Jan. 1, 1861.
Rev. John O'Sullivan, the first of more than a half dozen colorful, Irish-born pastors of St. James, was an outspoken secessionist who feared abolition of slavery would bring on civil war. But as a result of O'Sullivan's views, he came in conflict with military authorities and was removed as pastor by Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick.
In 1861, the Rev. Michael Welby succeeded O'Sullivan. He established St. James' first school, which closed after a short time for lack of mon-ey. When Welby left for another assignment in 1867, St. James again became a mission of St. Malachy's. .
In 1869, it again became an. independent parish. Another native of Ireland, the Rev. Henry Kelly, took over as pastor in 1870. During his' eight-year stewardship, a frame rectory was built and the parish's second school was estab¬lished in a four-room brick building attached to the rectory. The school served all youngsters, Catholic and not, in the village. But a depression following the Civil War further impoverished a poor area and the school was forced to close.
Kelly was succeeded as pastor in 1878 by Irish-born Rev. Thomas A. Butler, a supporter of Irish independence. His bishop had ordered him
(the final part from page 25 was not among with the article in our archives)
By Ken Walk Journal Staff Writer
Every 50 or so years, the members of St. James the Greater Church, 6401 Wade Ave., celebrate the founding of the parish. They skip the 100th, but now are marking the 125th anniversary of the church.
"They had a gigantic celebration on the 75th anniversary," said Father Thomas Flynn, St. James' pastor for the last 19 years. .
"Because of the gigantic celebration that Father Patrick J. O'Connor had, Father (Henry) Lambert didn't want to have anything of the same magnitude (on the 100th)," Father Flynn said.
Father O'Connor had the longest tenure of any pastor at St. James, serving from 1916 until 1952.
THIS YEAR'S 125th anniversary observation started with a parade on St. Patrick's Day and will end Nov. 8 with a Mass for the deceased of the parish, celebrated by Father Lawrence Schieber, former parishioner.
In between, there have been other events. The most recent was a Sept. 21 Mass, celebrated by Archbishop John L. May and for¬mer pastors, followed by a recep¬ Banners along Tamm Avenue announce the 125th anniversary of St. James the Greater parish. The banners were designed by parishioner Joseph Cuccia. The church, at right, is located at 6401 Wade Ave.
St. James Parishioners Mark 125th Anniversary celetration for current and former pa¬rishioners.
About 500 people attended the Mass and another 100 or so people took part in the recep¬tion.
"It was an outstanding event in my priesthood," Father Flynn said. The oldest former parishioner to attend, nonagenarian Bess Gallaher, came from Belleville, Ill.
A special Mass will be celebrated for the children of the par ish on Oct. 7 by another forme parishioner, Father John Keane.
The new generation is part of , parish that has changed in 12, years, Father Flynn said.
"WE'RE COSMOPOLITAN now; but in the early days, many of the residents of the parish were born in Ireland," he said.
Most worked at the Scullin Steel plant and in the clay mines that flourished throughout the aree during the 1930s and 1940s.The parish flourished, too, and peaked in the 1950s, Flynn said.
"There were many large families then and the school had 80( children," he said, adding that there were about 4,000 families it the parish.
Today the parish has about 1,101 families and 300 children in the parish elementary school.
Former Pastors, Religious And Priest From St. James
St. James' Pastors
| HOME | DOGTOWN |
| Bibliography | Oral history | Recorded history | Photos |
| YOUR page | External links | Walking Tour |