Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1987 Volume 25 Number 2, Pages 67–73

St. Monica's Parish

Thomas G. Cavanagh and Dorothy Way

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[Note: This article is taken from a history of St. Monica's parish in Berwyn, originally written for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of St. Monica's as a separate parish and brought up-to-date on the occasion of its 90th anniversary in January of this year. A history of the first three-score years of the parish, written by Ann and John Hanft, appeared earlier in the Quarterly, in the October 1957 issue (Volume IX, Number 4.)]

The small cluster of churches in the center of Berwyn marks the area as the religious as well as the geographical center of the town. The grouping of churches today is a reminder of the early days of the community when Catholics, Methodists and Baptists would assemble at different times in the same building to celebrate their Sunday liturgies.

The newly built Hall, erected in 1877, served as the religious center for Catholics of the area until December 24, 1889 when Mass was celebrated in the basement of their uncompleted church.

Prior to 1873, Catholics of the Berwyn area had to make an eight-mile trip to the chapel of Villanova College to fulfill their Sunday obligation. The alternative was to go 14 miles to the west to Downingtown. Then in 1873, a mission chapel served by the priests from Downingtown was established in Exton, but Villanova, on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was still more convenient for the people of Berwyn.

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In 1876 the Reverend John Fedigan, O.S.A., pastor of Villanova, was asked by a boyhood friend, James Kelley, to attend a meeting to discuss the needs of his fellow Catholics in Berwyn. As a result of this meeting, the first Mass in Berwyn was celebrated on January 12, 1879 in Mr. Kelley's home, which was to serve as the area's Catholic religious center until the Town Hall was rented shortly afterwards. For the next ten years the Catholic community was ministered to on alternate Sundays by the Augustine priests of Villanova. On the other Sundays, Berwyn Catholics made the trip to the Villanova chapel.

From time to time the West Chester Daily Local News made mention of the Catholics' use of the Hall. On April 14, 1879 it was noted "The hall at Berwyn which has been rented as a Missionary Station for the Roman Catholic services by priests supplied by Villa Nova was packed to capacity. The hall was handsomely decorated with flowers and much interest was manifested by the audience." On May 14, 1879 the Daily Local reported "The pastor of Villa Nova Catholic Church makes weekly pilgrimages to the village (pop. 150) and reinspires those of his followers by masses, prayers, and good works such as seldom fall on barren soil. They too worship in the borough hall, that building being a place wherein the several creeds are expounded with that unity and harmony which tradition accords to the time of building of King Solomon's Temple." The April 19, 1881 issue remarked that "The Catholic congregation which has been worshipping in the public hall at Berwyn is increasing and every Sabbath the hall is well filled."

In May 1886 Berwyn was reported to be filled with rumors that the Catholics had purchased a site with the intention of erecting a church during the summer. This turned out to be idle speculation, and nothing was to develop along these lines until a year and a half later.

On October 28, 1887 Philadelphia church authorities granted permission for the erection of a church in Berwyn, and two months later it became known that land had been purchased recently for that purpose. Strong opposition was voiced by residents of the town who feared that a cemetery would also be included in the Catholics' plan, and that this would cause a sharp devaluation of surrounding property values.

On December 24, 1887 the Philadelphia Record reported that three acres of land in Berwyn had been sold to Charles Jones of Paoli who, it was revealed, was acting as an agent for the Roman Catholic Church in Villanova. Later the West Chester Daily Local reported that, following this discovery, legal proceedings were being contemplated to have the sale nullified and the land returned to its former owner. The land (now the site of the Berwyn fire house) was evidently relinquished by the church authorities, since the July 6, 1888 issue of the West Chester Daily Local reported that George Tobler had sold a lot of approximately 2-1/2 acres on Main Street to the Catholic church, and that construction of a church and parsonage would begin immediately.

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But excavation for the new structure did not begin until January 16, 1889 and the cornerstone was not laid until the following June. The West Chester Daily Local for June 27, 1889 gave a description of the future church: "The lot is on an elevated site in the central portion of the town. The frame building measures 42' by 90' and will have a tower entrance over 70' high with a seating capacity for about 500 persons."

The cornerstone laying turned out to be a gala event. A special train left Broad Street Station bringing a "large number of Catholics from the city as well as from intermediate places." Since the parish was being administered by the Augustinians, the main officers for the ceremony were priests from Villanova, along with diocesan officials from St. Charles Seminary. According to the local press, the following articles were placed in the cornerstone: papers giving details of the ceremony, a list of subscribers, a Sacred Heart badge, an Immaculate Conception medal, a Children of Mary medal, a silver mounted crucifix of pearl, various coins, and a fragment of rock from the sanctuary at Lourdes, France.

A series of church fairs was planned to finance the building. The first fair, held in November 1889, netted $1700. "At the Catholic Fair at St. Monica's last week," according to a contemporary report, "John Nugent and T.F. Maguire contested a horse. The former collected $370 and the latter $350. Rather a high price for a horse."

On Christmas Eve, 1889, the first Mass was celebrated in the basement of the structure. The church was not to be completed until April 1893. The price of the lot on which the church was being built was reported as $2800 in July 1890. On completion of the church, the building was revealed to have cost $15,000. The parish was substantially clear of debt, however, due to the various fund raising events which had been held during the construction of the church.

During the building period the Reverend Edward Daily, O.S.A., served as the guiding force for the new religious center. On May 28, 1893, the church, built of wood and Avondale stone, was dedicated by the Very Reverend J. B. Fitzsimmons of St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook in the presence of Archbishop Ryan. In June 1893, the Augustinian fathers found it necessary to turn over the staffing of the parish to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, ending their association with the parish they had been instrumental in founding.

From June 1893 until January 1897 St. Monica's was a mission church served by Fathers Hand and Ward of St. Katherine's parish in Wayne. On January 11, 1897, St. Monica's received its first resident pastor, the Reverend Hugh J. Dugan, and thus was accorded full parish status by the Archdiocese.

During his tenure Father Dugan purchased the land in Daylesford for the cemetery, built the present rectory, and initiated classes in Christian Doctrine for the children of the parish. The Saturday afternoon classes held in the church basement were conducted by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, from West Chester, thus beginning a long and fruitful relationship between the children of St. Monica's and the Immaculate Heart of Mary nuns.

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Annual bazaars held in St. Monica's basement helped to clear the parish of its debt, and by the time Father Dugan was reassigned to a parish in Philadelphia, the church was completely debt free. In June 1906 the Reverend John Carey was appointed successor to Father Dugan. He had served at parishes in Tremont and Norristown, at our Lady of Mercy, St. Stephen's, St. Thomas', St. James' and the Cathedral parishes in Philadelphia before coming to St. Monica's.

The parish progressed rapidly during the 33 years of Father Carey's pastorate. The parish school was built in 1916-1917, a nearby house was purchased and remodeled to serve as a convent, and the main altar of marble, the railings and brass gates were installed. (The new marble altar replaced the wooden one which the Sisters of St. Joseph in Chestnut Hill had donated in 1891.) The main entrance was enlarged and a side entrance was added; the wooden front steps were replaced with concrete ones, and the wooden exterior was stuccoed.

In 1917 the old horse sheds were taken down, having outlived their usefulness. (The Chester County Historical Society still preserves bills, receipted by Father Carey, for $6.00 for rent of horse stables to Mr. W. W. Hoopes", dated April 16, 1914.)

On September 8, 1916 the parish "school" was opened, staffed by Sisters M. Donata Kane, M. Adele McCrickard, and M. Salvator Shield. The Immaculate Heart of Mary nuns made a daily trip between St. Monica's and Immaculata College until the convent was provided. Classes were conducted in the church basement until the school building was completed on March 19, 1917. Nine years later the sisters took up residence in their newly refurbished convent adjacent to the school. A parishioner, William Gallagher, sold a small piece of land next to the convent for the use of the school children as a play area. The price was one dollar.

By 1939 Father Carey's health had begun to fail, and the Reverend Doctor Adrian Kilker was apointed administrator of the parish. On November 6, 1939, two days after his 75th birthday, Father Carey died. Before his death he had installed an electric organ in the church, had the interior redecorated, and added the paintings to the walls of the dome above the altar.

Father Kilker was appointed pastor of St. Monica's in January 1940. The Reverend Gerald W. Chambers, and then the Reverend Robert E. Carr, served as his assistants.

In January 1944 death ended Father Kilker's short term as pastor. He was succeeded by the Reverend John L. Gallagher, who came to St. Monica's following assignments as chaplain at Philadelphia General Hospital and assistant pastor at St. Stephan's parish in Philadelphia. Serving as his assistants were Father Carr, and then later on the Reverends Thomas D. Graham and Charles B. Convery.

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But soon the wartime shortage of priests left St. Monica's without a curate. When Father Gallagher became ill, the Reverend John A. Barron was appointed administrator of the parish and the Reverend Daniel J. Dunne was appointed his curate. In 1954 Father Barron redecorated the church interior and made other improvements.

Father Gallagher resumed his pastoral duties the following year, but on November 25, 1966 he died at the age of 57.

In January 1957 the Reverend John Driscoll was appointed pastor, coming to St. Monica's from the faculty of St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook, where he had been Professor of Fundamental Dogmatic Theology and History of Philosophy. He had been a student at St. Bonaventure's parochial school and at St. Joseph's Preparatory School before entering the seminary. While at the seminary his outstanding scholarship won him a place at the Pontifical Major Roman Seminary at the Lateran.

After ordination in Rome in 1930, he returned to Philadelphia with a doctorate in theology and was appointed to the seminary faculty. He assisted at the Apostolic Delegation in Washington, D.C., served on the board of directors for the American Catholic Historical Society, and helped launch the Catholic Evidence Board.

Serving under Father Driscoll as assistants were Father Dunne and the Reverends Walter J. Daly, Nelson Curran, Peter Funk and William J. Becker.

In 1956 the new parish of St. Norbert's in Paoli was formed, carved for the most part out of St. Monica's parish, to relieve crowded conditions and to provide greater spiritual care for those people residing between St. Monica's and the mission parish in Exton. The children of St. Norbert's continued to use the school facilities of St. Monica's until their own school building was completed in early 1958. The first mass of St. Norbert's parish was celebrated on June 18, 1956 in the Paoli Fire House.

Under the leadership of Father Driscoll, the parish adopted a parish in Suzano, Brazil, and a "sister" parish, St. Ignatius', in Philadelphia. He also formed a laymen's organization in the parish -- now called the Board of Parish Consultors -- one of the first to be formed in the Archdiocese and a model for many of the councils later formed in other parishes. He also spearheaded the formation of the Nocturnal Adoration Society in the parish.

Father Driscoll twice enlarged the parish school and classroom attendance averaged about 37 pupils per room. During his administration the study of foreign languages was introduced in the school, and the Mothers Club of the parish formed a school library which is considered one of the best in the Archdiocese. Under the guidance of Mother Margaret Regina, I.H.M. and through the dedication of its teachers, the school reached a distinguished level in elementary education.

During his tenure Father Driscoll built a new convent, the old one having been torn down to enlarge the school, and refurbished the church and the rectory.

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In the late 1950s St. Monica's grew rapidly. At the kickoff of the first school expansion drive in March 1958, Father Driscoll said, "Rapid expansion of school facilities has been made necessary by the doubling of the parish population in the past five years, with an even greater increase in the proportion of children to adults. Thus overnight, so to speak, we have changed from a growing country parish to one of 'suburbia' with a new personality. Our parishioners are now predominantly composed of younger people with larger families than those of a generation ago."

The growth in the parish was also reflected in the increase in the number of Sunday masses. To the four scheduled masses in 1958 an additional five had been added by 1968. Additional parking space became necessary, and the land purchased from William Gallagher disappeared under asphalt in 1967. Once again the Augustinian priests from Villanova came to the weekend aid of the parish, and the Norbertine fathers from Daylesford Priory lent their assistance.

During the later years of his term as pastor Father Driscoll suffered ill health, and on September 6, 1968 he died at the age of 63.

In November of 1968 the Reverend Charles McAleer was named pastor of St. Monica's, following a distinguished career as a member of the faculty at St. Thomas More High School and as dean of St. John's Night School in Philadelphia. In March 1969 the Reverend Gaetano Cucullo was assigned as assistant to Father McAleer, succeeding Father Becker when he was appointed pastor of St. Andrew's parish in Newtown.

On September 20, 1969 Father McAleer was killed in a tragic accident. He was succeeded as pastor by the Right Reverend Monsignor John McFadden. Serious illness, however, made necessary the Monsignor's transfer nine months later, in June of 1970.

On June 3, 1970 a new pastor, the Reverend John Carroll, and assistant pastor, the Reverend Joseph Dawson, came to St. Monica's. In the same month St. Isaac Jogues parish in Wayne was formed, again to serve the needs of a swellinq community and to take pressure off St. Monica's. Since the new church did not establish its own parish school, however, St. Monica's continued to provide a religious education for the children from St. Jogues.

In a relatively short time, under Father Carroll's direction, a new altar and sanctuary were provided, and a complete renovation of St. Monica's was made in time for the 75th anniversary of the parish in 1972. Parishioners rejoiced that the Crucifixion scene over the altar, painted in 1902, was preserved, but mourned the loss on either side of the paintings of adoring angels.

Father Carroll's health began to fail, and in January 1974 he suffered a debilitating stroke. Death followed in March 1975.

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Father Joseph Dawson, the assistant pastor, was appointed pastor in June 1975, and was joined by the Reverend Thomas Wisniewski, and later by the Reverend John Dinda, as assistants. During this period, the convent was repainted and recarpeted, the church basement rooms were freshened, the rectory office was enlarged, and the dining room and second floor of the rectory spruced up.

Computers were added to the school curriculum. A large classroom became an office for the coordinator of religious education, a post first filled by Father Carroll, to facilitate the work of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The Nocturnal Adoration Society was strengthened with the admission of parish women and the addition of an evening Mass. Father Dawson, who had long espoused the cause of the Sisters of Jesus Crucified, enlisted the aid of his parishioners to support their work at Regina Mundi Priory in Devon.

Once again illness shortened the active ministry of yet another pastor. In January 1982 the Reverend George 6. Hagenbach was named administrator for the ailing Father Dawson, who died at the age of 62 in June of that years. The Reverend Harry E. McCreedy succeeded Father Dinda as assistant pastor. Father Hagenbach was appointed pastor in June 1983.

As the people of St. Monica's celebrate its 90th anniversary, they themselves have been revitalized by a series of parish renewals, and their cherished church by loving maintenance. Inside, apart from her timeless white marble altars, the church has a new look and a new color. The Augustinians and the Norbertines still assist the parish priests every Sunday.

The parochial school remains a source of pride. Through the efforts of Sister Joseph Marion, I.H.M., a former principal, it received accreditation in June 1983 by the Middle States Association. It was accomplished by the Association's three-year plan for St. Monica's, and all the recommendations were carried out successfully under the direction of the current principal, Sister Andrew Kathleen, who was congratulated in October 1986 as the school became fully accredited.

When a small group gathered in James Kelley's home in 1873 to first discuss the possibilities of having religious services in Berwyn, little could it have been dreamed where the idea would lead. From that nucleus of 25 people, St. Monica's has grown to include more than 900 families who look to the church in the center of Berwyn as their religious and spiritual home.