THE FOUNDATION AND FASCINATING EARLY HISTORY OF ST. PHILIP NERI PARISH

Beginnings:
St. Philip Neri Parish is situated in the oldest part of Philadelphia which had been settled before the advent of William Penn. This area was settled by Swedes in the 1600's and named "Wicaco," the Lenni Lanape tribe’s word for "peaceful place." It’s name has changed twice since then. William Penn called the area "Southwark" after a similarly situated neighborhood on the south bank of the Thames in London. In the late 1970's it was renamed "Queen Village" after Queen Christina of Sweden, to recognize her role in promoting the original settlements. (Interestingly enough, Queen Christina abdicated her throne in 1654 because of her conversion to Catholicism, which was illegal in Sweden. She moved to Rome, became the friend of four consecutive popes and is buried in a tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica!)

The need for a parish to serve the Catholic people in the Old Philadelphia District of Southwark was evident for years before St. Philip Neri Parish was ever established. Catholics living in Southwark attended St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s Churches, but overcrowding and distance to church made the people desire a Catholic church in their own neighborhood. By the early 1830's there was a sufficient number of Catholics in Southwark, a district that extended from South Street to Passyunk Avenue, Broad Street to the Delaware River, to warrant the building of a new Catholic Church.

In 1836, a property on the east side of Fifth St., between German St. and Plum St., now Fitzwater St. and Monroe St., was purchased for a new church. The property was purchased with money left for this purpose by Mr. Andrew Steel who had been an early benefactor of St. Joseph’s Church. However, because of difficult economic times and other considerations, Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, then Coadjuter Bishop of Philadelphia and administrator of the diocese for the elderly and ailing Bishop Henry Conwell, did not organize the parish until the summer of 1840.

In the summer of 1840, Bishop Kenrick appointed Reverend John B. Dunn, Assistant Pastor of St. Mary’s, to be the founding pastor of the new Southwark parish. (Bishop Kenrick later succeeded Bishop Conwell in 1842 as the third Bishop of Philadelphia.) Shortly after the appointment of Father Dunn as the first pastor, the original site for the new church was sold and the current site of the church, on the south side of Queen St., between Second and Third, was purchased. This second site was chosen as a better location because it was central to the population.

Foundation
Father Dunn secured the services of the then well known architect, Mr. Eugene Napoleon Le Brun to design the church. (Le Brun later designed the Academy of Music and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.) Le Brun designed the Church to be twelve feet above street level so that a chapel and two large rooms for school purposes could be placed on the ground floor.

The cornerstone of the new church was blessed on July 31, 1840 by Bishop John Hughes, a native priest of Philadelphia and Coadjutor Bishop of New York. A little over nine months later, on May 9, 1841, the building was dedicated by Bishop Kenrick. Father Dunn celebrated the First Mass in the church on that same day. Father Dunn announced that St. Philip’s was to be a "free" church, with no pew rentals or annual fees. With confidence that the Catholic people would contribute voluntarily according to their means and with faith that "God will provide," this concept inaugurated at St. Philip’s became the model for other churches in the Diocese. Later that same year, Father Dunn opened the parish school in two ample rooms in the church basement. The school was the first "free" school in the Diocese of Philadelphia and a pioneer of our modern parochial schools.

The church building, although opened for services, was still in an unfinished condition. It was un-plastered and not properly furnished. The fund-raising efforts of Father Dunn and Bishop Kenrick, which continued during the summer of 1841, were responded to most generously by the people of the parish. On August 25, 1841, Bishop Kenrick announced that the church would be closed while the plastering and other interior work was completed. For ten weeks the parishioners attended 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s. On Sunday, October 24, 1841, the church was reopened and the homily at the Mass was preached by Bishop Kenrick.

The new parish took in all the area between Broad Street and the Delaware River south of South Street. Father Dunn served the parish alone until January of 1844 when Reverend Nicholas Cantwell became his first assistant. A majority of the parishioners were employed on the nearby wharves of the Delaware which was a prosperous outlet for foreign trade. This was a period of intense immigration from Ireland to the United States and many immigrants from the "Emerald Isle" chose to settle in Southwark. Although the parish had a large Irish population, its proximity to the seaport led people of other nationalities to also make their home in St. Philip’s Parish. .

Riot
During the early 1800's, central Philadelphia was inhabited mainly by native American Protestants and its industrial suburbs was inhabited by an increasing number of immigrant Catholic workers. The waves of Irish Catholic immigrants, in particular, came to be viewed as a threat to "native" working-class people. The Irish were viewed as foreign, clannish and drunkards. The fact that many were willing to work for low pay was seen as a cause of driving down wages for all. Many Protestants believed that the pope had a plan to take over America, using the Irish as the troops led by the "wily Jesuits."

In the 1820's and 1830's, native Protestants and Catholic immigrants often clashed in election riots, fights between volunteer fire companies, and ethnic and religious quarrels. A new "nativist" political party in Philadelphia, the American Republicans, sought to limit Irish immigration and fanned the fires of intolerance. In the 1840's the use of the Protestant version of the Bible in public schools became a source of contention. When Bishop Kenrick persuaded the school authorities to allow the Catholic version of the Bible as well, many Protestants were incensed.

In 1844 in the suburb of Kensington, the Protestant Nativist group, American Republicans, announced that they would hold a meeting in the Third Ward, an Irish stronghold. On May 3rd and again on May 6th the Irish, with fists and bricks, repelled their unwanted visitors. After the second incident, in which gunfire broke out and an eighteen year old Protestant man was killed, the city was in an uproar. Street speakers denounced Catholics and one Nativist journal announced: "The bloody hand of the Pope has stretched itself forth to our destruction," and urged Protestants to arm themselves.

On May 7th, a Protestant mob shrieking: "Kill them. Blood for Blood!" Marched to the Irish section. On that day and the next, they burned down over thirty homes and tenements. St. Michael Church and a convent were set ablaze and, as the steeple of St. Michael’s fell, the crowd cheered. On the way back to Kensington, the mob attacked and burned to the ground St. Augustine Church, along with its monastery and splendid library. Firemen were kept away and when the mayor pleaded for calm, he was struck in the head with a stone and knocked unconscious. At least fourteen people were killed or injured.

During the following days numerous attempts were made to burn St. John’s, St. Mary’s and St. Philip’s. Threats were made against priests and fear paralyzed the community. Martial law was declared and the militia took charge. Bishop Kenrick pleaded for peace and suspended all Catholic religious services.

Philadelphia licked its wounds after the May 1844 Nativist riots and though public opinion in the middle and upper classes turned against them, the Nativists continued their verbal attacks on the foreign born, especially Catholic foreign born. The Nativists blamed Catholics for the riots and a Philadelphia grand jury report of June 18th bought into the Nativist propaganda. It blamed the riots on imperfect law enforcement, on alleged attempts by Catholics to ban the Bible from public schools, and disruption of legitimate meetings by recent immigrants. Catholics and others disputed the findings of the grand jury.

More trouble was expected when Nativists planned to hold a huge parade on July 4th. The anticipation of violence indirectly led to the final and most bloody flare-up, this time in Southwark. Father Dunn had received a note warning of a possible attack on St. Philip’s. As a precautionary measure, parishioners received permission from the governor to draw rifles from the arsenal to guard the church. On July 3rd, Father Dunn himself trained more than 100 men in the church aisles using broomsticks for rifles.

On July 4th, a huge procession of Nativists marched in military manner through the city with the widows and children of the Protestant dead from the May riots. This display of power emboldened the Nativists and blotted out their memories of the May tragedies. They proclaimed their assaults against Catholics acts of patriotism.

On July 5th, when approximately two dozen rifles arrived at St. Philip’s, Protestants saw them being taken into the church and concluded they were to be used for reprisal attacks. An angry, threatening crowd of several thousand quickly gathered outside the church. The sheriff arrived and to placate the crowd he agreed to remove any armaments from the building. Although some of the guns were surrendered, the mob was not satisfied. The sheriff, badly outnumbered and fearing for the safety of the buildings, agreed to remove the Catholic guards and replace them with men of his choosing. However, the mob still did not disperse, even after additional guns were handed over.

The next day, July 6th, the sheriff returned with his posse and was only partly successful in clearing the streets. Eventually seven militia units, under the leadership of General George Cadwalader, arrived and restored order. On July 7th most of the crowd had dispersed and the militia departed except for three units left in charge of the church. When it was discovered that one of the units was an Irish Catholic unit, the Hibernia Greens, the Nativist mob assembled again, now reinforced with canons commandeered from the nearby docks. The mob fired shots at the church from 16 pound and 4 pound cannons, but with little effect.

The Nativists were intent on destroying the church and the militia in it, but were restrained from doing so by some of their own leaders. An agreement was worked out with the Nativists and the defending soldiers to let the militia leave unharmed if a group chosen by the Nativist leaders could take charge of the church. However when the militia left, the mob broke the agreement. They severely beat some of the militiamen, ransacked the Church and tried to set fire to it.

Shortly after this, General Cadwalader, with the backing of the governor, returned with a strong force and evicted the Nativist approved group from the church. Cadwalader had orders to treat any who opposed him as "open enemies of the state." The general announced that if the mob did not disperse immediately his men would fire. Bloodshed began when elements of the mob attacked one of his men. Cadwalader’s men fired on them and a battle began which continued off and on through the night, with musket fire, bricks, stones, knives and cannon fire.

Preliminary reports by the military the next day listed 14 dead, including two soldiers, and about 50 wounded, but the final death toll was probably much higher. Virtually all the casualties were Protestant. This time the mob was foiled, St. Philip’s was saved and it’s facade still appears much as it did in July 1844.

Aftermath
After the events in Southwark in July of 1844, Nativism, or Know-Nothingism, did not die out but became less violent. A grand jury again blamed Catholics for providing the flash-point for the riots, but also fully supported the military suppression of the riot and the arming of the men of St. Philip’s.

Although the Nativist riots covered a span of three months, some of the implications remain to this day.

Following the riots, Bishop Kenrick abandoned his efforts to influence the public schools and instead laid the groundwork for the Catholic school system. Public school systems gradually became less mainstream Protestant in orientation. After the riots, pressure increased for consolidation of Philadelphia City and County, which was accomplished a decade later. It included a unified police force and a paid fire department better able to respond to emergencies.

Father John Dunn, first Pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish, whose arming of the men of the parish was lawful but perhaps unwise, was sent out of town by a displeased Bishop Kenrick until things settled down. After his return, he took an extended vacation to his native Ireland, then transferred to Charleston, South Carolina. In 1853 he returned to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He died as Pastor of St. John’s Parish in 1869.

Father Nicholas Cantwell, Father Dunn’s assistant, became the second Pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish. Appointed pastor in 1845, he continued as pastor until his death, 54 years later. During his pastorship, the church building was throughly renovated and redecorated. While the boys continued to attend classes taught by lay teachers in the church basement, a new convent and school building was built for girls at 778 South Front Street. The Sisters of St. Joseph came to teach in this first girl’s parochial school in1852 replacing the Sisters of the Good Shepherd who had taught there for a brief period.

Forty Hours Devotion
At the Fourth Synod of the Philadelphia Diocese, held April 20 and 21, 1853, it was resolved to establish the Forty Hours’ Devotion in the Diocese as a diocesan institution. It initially met with significant opposition. Some priests thought that the time was not ripe, that the rage of Know-Nothing Nativism of the 1840's and 1850's would leave the church’s empty and expose the Blessed Sacrament to profanation. However, the misgivings of some priests did not deter Bishop Neumann. Fittingly, the Eucharistic Devotion was solemnly opened for the first time in the United States on the Feast of Corpus Christi, May 26, 1853 at St. Philip Neri Church, named after the saint who had introduced the Forty Hours Devotion in Europe three centuries before.

Bishop John Neumann (now Saint John Neumann) opened and directed the solemnity. Bishop Neumann stayed at the parish during the Devotion. It has been recorded that he scarcely left the church during the three days. The clergy and laity were deeply edified by this saintly bishop’s example and evident love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It was an experience that those present never forgot and even now it is announced with pride on the front wall of our church that "Bishop Neumann spent three days in prayer here as he opened the Forty Hours Devotion in the United States."

Growth, Fire, and Rebirth
In 1869, the Sisters of St. Joseph moved to a new convent at 412 Christian Street, but continued to teach the girls in the Front Street school which by now had been altered to accommodate more students. A new girl’s school was built at 408 and 410 Christian Street in 1880 and the boys were transferred from the church basement to the Front Street school building. The basement church was then renovated as a chapel for weekday services.

In 1892, Father Cantwell purchased St. Ann’s Widow’s Asylum. This building had been a former Protestant church and was located on Moyamensing Avenue below Chrictian Father Cantwell had the building renovated to provide four classrooms for the boys on the second floor with a hall on the first floor. The boys continued to be taught by lay teachers until 1900, when the Sisters of St. Joseph took charge of the boy’s school.

Due to old age and increasing infirmity, Father Cantwell resigned the active work of the parish in March of 1892 and his assistant, the Reverend James Trainor, was appointed the acting Rector. Father Trainor immediately, with the full cooperation of the parishioners, began to bring new life to the parish. However, on October 14, 1897, a calamity rocked the parish. A fire almost totally destroyed the church. What was not burned by fire was damaged by water.

Father Trainor immediately drew up plans and specifications and work was begun on rebuilding the church. In a brief fifteen months the church was rebuilt and was solemnly dedicated on January 29, 1899, by Archbishop Patrick John Ryan, the Archbishop of Philadelphia. Much of the church’s current interior, with its beautiful stained glass windows, marble altars and handsome stations of the cross, date from this period.

At Monsignor Cantwell’s death in November of 1899, Father Trainor was appointed Pastor. The very first thing Father Trainor did as pastor was to purchase ground east of the church for a new rectory. The rectory was built to be solid, substantial and "homelike", and was ready for occupancy in the spring of 1903. The need for a new rectory had been recognized for many years and it replaced a pastoral residence which was located on the west side of the church.

In 1904, Father Trainor sold the school property on Christian Street and began construction of a new and imposing larger school building with adjacent convent on Moyamensing Avenue, below Christian Street. The new school building and convent opened in the Fall of 1905 to better serve the needs of the students and sisters. Under succeeding pastors improvements on the school and convent were made and the school gained a reputation for excellence.

The parish and its school prospered for many decades. With the construction of Interstate 95 in the 1970's and 1980's, the population of the parish was altered. Many blocks of homes were demolished and approximately one hundred Catholic families were forced to move from the parish. The parish school began to experience serious decline in the 1980's due to continuing population shifts. St. Philip Neri School eventually closed in 1991 because of low enrollment.

The dedication and service of countless women religious, especially Sisters of St. Joseph, the Christian Brothers, and lay teachers who taught generations of students at St. Philip Neri School is of inestimable value. Their contribution to our parish will never be forgotten. We know that God will richly bless them for their untiring efforts on behalf of the children of St. Philip Neri Parish.

From its founding in 1840 until the present, ninety-five priests have been assigned to service at St. Philip Neri Parish. These priests zealously and faithfully served our parish. There have been eighteen pastors, including our current pastor, Father Vincent F. Welsh. We are grateful to each of them for their many contributions to our parish and pray for them that they may receive a rich reward for their labors.

Pastors

Rev. John P. Dunn
Rev. Monsignor Nicholas Cantwell, V.G.
Rev. Monsignor James F. Trainor, V.G.
Rev. James Hogan
Rev. John Rooney
Rev. William Lallou
Rev. Monsignor George T. Montague
Rev. Thomas Ryan
Rev. John W. Diamond
Rev. Joseph Kenny
Rev. Sylvester McCarthy
Rev. Joseph Smith
Rev. Thomas Wassel
Rev. Joseph Sikora
Rev. Robert E. Brennan
Rev. W. Frederick Kindon
Rev. Monsignor James J. Fitzpatrick
Rev. Vincent F. Welsh

Present and Future
"Secure in our historic past, the people of St. Philip Neri Parish enter a new century as a Catholic Community dedicated and committed to speaking and acting in Christ’s name through fervent prayer and service." St. Philip Neri Parish has had a very vibrant and challenging history. Our parish, the people with their pastor, continues to adapt to the needs of our ever changing community. All of our parishioners, the "Two Streeters" of Southwark with their deep roots in this parish and the new young professionals of "Queen Village," are committed to working and growing together to build an ever more vibrant Catholic community in this oldest section of Philadelphia settled before the advent of William Penn.