History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J.: with an Account of the Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Establishment of St. John's ChurchShriner, Charles A. (Charles Anthony)
History
History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J.: with an Account of the Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Establishment of St. John's Church
Shriner, Charles A. (Charles Anthony)
Catholic Church -- New Jersey -- Paterson; Paterson (N.J.) -- Church history; St. John's Church (Paterson, N.J.)
The first choir of St. John's church consisted of the Bradley
sisters--elsewhere referred to--who sang in the old church on Market and
Mill streets; their brother played the flute and at times James Powers
assisted on the clarionet. A Professor Wedell was organist in the Oliver
street church in 1853 and he remained until 1856, although for about a
year of this time Professor Anthony Davis, a brother of the present
organist, presided at the organ. Professors Burke and Becker came
afterwards and in the first part of 1868 Professor Frank Huber played
the organist. He was succeeded in October, 1868, by Professor William
Davis, who is still in charge. Miss Ellen O'Neill also frequently
presided at the organ in the absence of the regular organists. At the
time Professor Davis took charge the choir consisted of Misses Howard,
Murphy, Bowen, and Esther O'Neill, who sang soprano and Henry Hensler,
who sang bass. Masses in two voices were rendered, until 1869, when, by
the addition to the choir of Daniel Sheehan, tenor, the choir was
enabled to sing masses in three voices; Misses Maggie O'Neill and Julia
Graham, soprano, were also added to the choir. This state of affairs
lasted only about one year when some of the choir withdrew and the vocal
music for St. John's congregation was furnished for about six years by a
quartette consisting of Misses Maggie O'Neill and Frances Lawless and
Louis Schmerber and Henry Hensler. The latter died and Frank Hart was
put in his place. About six months after this Professor Davis began to
form a larger choir and of the original selection a number still remain.
Among those who have left are Emil Legay, the present choir master in
St. Joseph's church, and John Stafford, who is studying in Rome for the
priesthood.
The present choir of St. John's Church consists of the following:
Organist and Director.--Professor William Davis.
Soprano.--Minnie Coniffe, Mary E. Drury, Minnie Dynan, Nora Gannon,
Maggie Doyle, Lizzie Lavery, Lizzie Fitzpatrick, Nellie Clark, Mary
Stafford, Maggie McCormack, Mary McLean, Ellen Odell.--12.
Alto.--Martha Drury, Frances Lawless, Alice Fitzgerald, Nellie Reed,
Lizzie Constantine, Maria Hogan, Annie Beresford, Mary McAlonan, Nellie
Dunphy.--9.
Tenor.--William Stafford, Thomas Canning, Edward Cavanagh, John Carlon,
John Van Houten.--5.
Bass.--John Best, John Anderson, James Anderson, James Fitzpatrick,
William Burns, Thomas Sheeron, Charles Lavery, David Forbes, Alexander
Doyle, Philip Bender.--10. Total, 36.
The following are the societies attached to St. John's Church:
Benevolent Society of United Sons of Erin. This society was founded in
1846 and incorporated in 1859. It has about 100 members and its objects
are the relief of the sick and assistance for distressed members, for
which purpose it expends about $1,500 per year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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