by Shawn Weldon     

Now batting for Ascension of Our Lord, Babe Ruth

                  Baseball today seems more like a business than a sport. Americans look to the past as a simpler time when baseball was played for fun, not profit. These thoughts may just be nostalgic longing for a time that never really existed. But there are stories that illustrate there once were simpler times. One of these stories took place in a Catholic parish in Philadelphia and involved the greatest baseball player of his time. 

                During the 1920s, Ascension of Our Lord Parish in the city’s Kensington section sponsored one of the many independent semi-professional baseball teams in Philadelphia. In 1923 the Ascension Catholic Club was in serious financial trouble. The club had built a new field at I and Tioga Sts. and was deeply in debt. Father William Casey, pastor of Ascension, was desperately seeking some way to defray the cost.  

                An avid baseball fan, Father Casey was the unofficial chaplain of the Athletics and knew many of the ballplayers personally. He hit upon an idea that seems ridiculous today. Perhaps Father Casey could persuade Babe Ruth to take part in a charity baseball game to raise money to pay off the field. Father Casey met with Ruth and Yankees manager Miller Huggins to discuss the idea. Ruth’s only question was whether children would be involved. Ruth had spent most of his early life in St. Mary’s Industrial School, a Catholic institution in Baltimore. Ruth would play.  

Rev. William J. Casey

                The game was set for Tuesday, September 4. The opponent would be the squad sponsored by Lit Brothers department store. But Father Casey had another problem. The Yankees had a game scheduled against the Athletics the same day, and Ascension’s field had no lights. The game had to be played early enough to take advantage of the light but late enough that Ruth could make the game. The Ascension game was scheduled for 6 p.m. which was cutting things close since the Yankees-Athletics game was scheduled for 3:15.  

The day of the game, Father Casey sat anxiously in the stands at Shibe Park as the Yankees and A’s faced off during the afternoon. The priest trusted that things would go right and he was not disappointed. He also received an unexpected treat: Yankees pitcher “Sad” Sam Jones pitched the first no-hitter of the 1923 season that afternoon. The Yankees downed the A’s 2-0. The game was over in less than 90 minutes.  

After the game, Ruth and Father Casey jumped into a waiting car and raced to Ascension. Arriving at the parish, Ruth changed into an Ascension uniform made especially for the occasion. At the field he was greeted by 10,000 spectators, the largest crowd ever to witness an independent baseball game in Philadelphia up to that time. The grandstands were overflowing. Hundreds of spectators jammed the field and the enclosures. Crowds packed the hills by the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. Uncounted numbers stood on rooftops and hung out of factory windows.  

Longest double ever hit  

                When Ascension took the field, the crowd was surprised to see Ruth take his position at first base instead of his usual spot in the outfield. Ruth played his position flawlessly. Unable to play casually even in a charity game, he went diving for a line drive in the second inning, badly dirtying his uniform.  

                But the fans were not there to see Ruth field. They were there to see him hit. Before his first at-bat, Father Casey and the Ascension team gathered around Ruth at the batter’s box and presented him with a diamond stick-pin as a token of thanks. The Babe was genuinely touched by the gift. Perhaps the scene affected him, because he popped out.    

Father William Casey presents Babe Ruth, left, with a diamond stickpin prior to the Yankee's first at bat

               In the fourth inning, Ruth gave the crowd what they came for. Stepping to the plate, he hit a towering line drive to deep right field. It was easily the longest ball ever hit at Ascension Field. Newspaper reporters said it would be a certain home run at Shibe Park. Some fans said it was the longest ball ever hit. Estimates ran as high as 600 feet. Ruth was stunned when the umpire stopped him as he rounded second base. Because of the short right field fence at Ascension Field, the gargantuan blast was ruled a ground-rule double. This was certainly the longest double Ruth ever hit.  

                Ruth grounded out to second his next time up. In the ninth he hit a pop fly so high that the Lit’s outfielder dropped it for a two-base error. The next Ascension batter, Charlie White, walked. Ruth and White then tried a double steal. While White was caught in a run-down between first and second, Ruth stole home, sliding across the plate to score Ascension’s only run of the day. Despite the presence of the great Babe Ruth, Ascension lost to Lits, 2 to 1. Lit’s pitcher, Charlie Gransbach, pitched a masterful game, holding Ruth to one hit in four at bats.  

                During the game Ruth threw several balls over the outfield fence to his young fans gathered there. In the ninth inning he hit several more balls over the fence. Hundreds of spectators went scrambling after the trophies. He also autographed several dozen balls during the game. These were sold at $5 apiece, with the proceeds helping to pay off the field. After the game, the Babe was mobbed at home plate by fans clamoring for this autograph.  

Erased a debt; etched a memory  

                It is nearly impossible to imagine a similar event occurring today. The Yankees were in first place, driving for a pennant. Ruth was hitting .390 and battling Harry Heilmann for the batting title. But Ruth realized his talent and popularity brought tremendous responsibility. He was always willing to do what he could for charity. Not only did he pull the Ascension Club out of debt, but he gave the parishioners of the parish and the surrounding neighborhood a memory that would last forever.

Commodore John Barry, father of the American Navy. George Meade, grandfather of Civil War hero General George Meade. Katrina, Philadelphia servant. Katrina?

What does a servant girl have in common with these decorated war heroes and well-known patriots? They share a final resting place in Old St. Mary’s Cemetery where the famous and the ordinary lie side by side.

Old St. Mary's Churchyard, engraving, n.d.

The cemetery lies in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district at 4^th and Spruce Streets. The earliest tombstone inscription bears the date 1760. Before the establishment of the cemetery, Catholics were buried in a tiny plot adjoining Old St. Joseph Church (est. 1733) as well as in the Catholic section of the public burial ground at Washington  Square.   

In the latter part of the 18^th century, the German congregation of Holy Trinity acquired a strip of land from St. Mary’s to be used specifically for burials of their members.  The two parishes continued to share the burial ground for the next century.

Early meetings of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees, which are documented in the parish’s Minute Books, discuss resolutions concerning the burial ground, including who had permission to be buried there and the costs required. A meeting of the Board on May 4, 1789 states, “For every Pewholder or any of their Families (except Apprentices or Servants) above the age of Fifteen-Twelve Shillings & 6d-between fifteen and five-Seven Shillings & 6d. & all under Five years Five Shillings. ‘For’ Strangers and others not being Pewholders he shall demand double the above sums according to their Ages. The Poor shall be buried Gratis-…”  

Minute Book of Old St. Mary, May 4, 1789

John Barry

 Perhaps the most famous grave in Old St. Mary’s is that of Commodore John Barry. A native of County Wexford, Ireland, Barry served with distinction during the War for Independence, and was the first Commander- in- Chief of the United States Navy. 

Bishop Egan, the first Bishop of Philadelphia, was initially interred in Old St. Mary’s. In 1869, his remains were removed to the vault beneath the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.

During the American Revolution, a French general who fought at the Battle of Brandywine drowned in the Schuylkill River. General Philippe C. Ducoudray was crossing the river on the Market Street Ferry when his horse leaped over the side, with the general on its back. The general was buried at Old St. Mary’s, although the exact location of his grave is not known. One of the last acts of the Continental Congress before the British occupation of Philadelphia was to attend General Ducourday’s burial.

Hundreds of ordinary Catholics lie in unmarked graves alongside these famous burials. One that bears mention is Katrina, a poor servant whose last name was never recorded.

According to Catholic historian and journalist Martin I.J. Griffin, Katrina moved to Philadelphia from Lancaster to receive the ministry of the Jesuit Father Ferdinand Farmer. She worked as a servant of an innkeeper in Philadelphia. Katrina survived the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged the city in 1793.

Fear of the fever was so great that survivors sought protection even from the dead. For sanitary reasons, over 2,600 loads of earth were spread over the surface of Old St. Mary’s Cemetery, raising the burial ground. Katrina, in order to secure a free burial, offered to spread one hundred loads of earth by hand. She died several years later after sustaining crippling injuries in a fire. True to her wishes, Katrina was buried in Old St. Mary’s Cemetery beneath the soil she helped spread. Her unmarked resting place remains unknown.

Time and weather have taken their toll on this cemetery, rendering many tombstones unreadable. In 1891, the American Catholic Historical Society published a list of the inscriptions of those tombstones that were still legible to document the deteriorating written record.

Sketch of Old. St. Mary's burial ground at Spruce St. between 4th and 5th Streets, ca. 1891

Fitting memorials mark many of the graves in the cemetery. Other graves contain the remains of the not-so-famous faithful, who labored to build the Church in Philadelphia.

More information about Old St. Mary and its cemetery(ies) can be found in the Records and Researches of the American Catholic Historical Society. Along with other materials relating to Old St. Mary, PAHRC has the parish’s Minute Books from 1788-1899.

The name of Mother Katharine Drexel is familiar to many Catholics both within and outside the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. However, her sister, Louise Drexel Morrel is little remembered. Only the Morrel Park section of Northeast Philadelphia, which occupies the former site of her family estate “San Jose”, as well as Morrel Avenue in the same area, bears memory to her name. Yet, until her death on November 5, 1945, Louise Drexel Morrel was one of the leading Catholic philanthropists of her time.  

Photograph from The Francis A. Drexel Family by Sister M. Dolores

 Louise Drexel Morrel was the youngest of the three Drexel sisters. Elizabeth, born August 27, 1855 and Katharine, born November 26, 1858, were the daughters of prominent Philadelphia banker Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Longstreth Drexel. Hannah died in December 1858 from complications resulting from Katherine’s birth. Francis later married Emma Mary Bouvier in April 1860 and Louise was born on October 2, 1863.  

The Drexels were one of the richest families in Philadelphia and the three sisters were raised in a style suitable to such wealth. They enjoyed private tutors and trips to Europe. However, their parents also gave them a deep spirituality and a sense of responsibility for those less fortunate.  Anthony Drexel was a leading contributor to a host of Catholic organizations and activities. Emma Bouvier Drexel was known as the “Lady Bountiful” of Philadelphia due to her charitable activities including distributing food and clothing to the poor from her Walnut Street home.   

Francis A. Drexel

When Anthony Drexel died in 1885 he left an estate worth over 15 million dollars, a staggering total at that time. One tenth of this was to be distributed to various Catholic institutions. The remainder was divided between the three sisters. According to the provisions of the will, if any of the sisters died without children, her share of the inheritance would go to the survivors. When Elizabeth Drexel Smith and her premature baby died during childbirth in 1890, her share was divided between Katharine and Louise.  

Katharine used her inheritance to found and support the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Louise Morrel donated millions of dollars to various educational, religious and charitable organizations throughout her lifetime. However, there were several institutions which received her special attention.  

In 1888, Elizabeth Drexel Smith established St. Francis’ Industrial School for Boys in Eddington. When Elizabeth died in 1890, Louise took over as the major financial supporter of the school. In 1892, as an offshoot of St. Joseph’s, Louise established the Drexmoor on South 9th Street as a home for boys who had graduated from St. Joseph’s and were working in the city. In 1914, the Drexmoor was given to the Salesian’s of Don Bosco. Louise then became the major financial sponsor of the Don Bosco Institute which provided social services to Italian children.  

St. Francis' Industrial School, n.d.

 In 1895, Louise and her husband Edward Morrel founded St. Emma’s Agricultural and Industrial School in Virginia to provide young African-American men with secular and religious education. The plight of African-Americans was an area of intense concern for Louise. She was one of the early supporters of the Catholic Interracial Movement.  

St. Francis' Industrial School, ca. 1897

 Although extremely wealthy and socially prominent, Louise Morrell preferred a life of simplicity and hard work. Her former secretary, Emanuel Friedmen, relates that Louise considered useful work a blessing from God and would spend her days answering correspondence from the large number of charities she helped support and overseeing the affairs of St. Joseph’s and St. Emma’s Industrial Schools. When not working she would toil in her greenhouse or walk the grounds of her estate. During the depression she distributed food and clothing to the needy and funded a soup kitchen.                                    

St. Michael Chapel, Shrine of the True Cross

Louise was also deeply religious. She considered her most satisfying accomplishment to be the erection of the Shrine of St. Michael of the True Cross on the grounds of the old Drexel estate at St. Michel, now the site of Frankford Hospital’s Torresdale Division. The Shrine served as a pilgrimage church and a retreat house. It later included a mission center for the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.  

Perhaps Louise’s greatest, yet least apparent accomplishment, lies in her relationship with her sister, Mother Katherine Drexel. In her book The Francis A. Drexel Family, Sister M. Dolores conveys the deep attachment between the two sisters. Louise served as a source of emotional and psychological support for Katherine during her arduous labors to establish and maintain the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. As they grew older, Mother Katharine referred to Louise as “My God’s Blessing to Me”.   

Katharine Drexel

Mother Katharine Drexel is deservedly a prominent figure in the history of Catholic Philadelphia. Her sister, Louise Drexel Morrel, deserves her own place in that history.

Louise Drexel Morrell

 A large dimension of the Protestant revival that began in the late 1820s included militant attacks against the Catholic Church which claimed that the Catholic religion was threatening to America’s Protestant culture. Nativists and evangelicals characterized Catholicism as an authoritative religion incompatible with republicanism. Viewed as submissive and unquestioning followers, those of Catholic faith were seen as lacking the individuality and free thinking required of democratic citizens. Moreover, the Catholic immigrant, whose allegiance was to a foreign ruler, was seen as disloyal to America.               

 Anti-Catholic sentiments led to violence in the summer of 1834. Sparked by rumors that nuns were being kept against their will, a mob attacked and burnt to the ground an Ursuline convent and school (attended mostly by the daughters of wealthy Protestants) in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Fortunately, no one was killed.        

Philadelphia became one of the centers of anti-Catholic protest, second only to Hartford Connecticut in the amount of anti-Catholic materials published. The trustee problems that plagued Philadelphia beginning in the 1820s played a significant role, badly damaging the reputation of Catholics and left Philadelphians suspicious of the motives of the Catholic hierarchy.    

In this pamphlet published in Philadelphia in 1833, Samuel Smith, a former priest, discusses what he sees as significant problems with the Catholic Church

  

  

Trusteeism involved the practice of Catholic laity assuming control of the administration of churches, even to the point of hiring and firing pastors. This practice began in colonial times when laymen raised money, purchased land, and built churches themselves due to the decentralized structure of the early Church. Bishops’ rejection of such lay involvement caused frequent confrontations and denunciations that often led to the interdiction of churches. The trustees’ presentation of themselves as defenders of democratic rights against autocratic authority of the bishop bolstered Protestant beliefs that the Catholic Church was incompatible with American values.      

In 1842, the American Protestant Association was formed in Philadelphia by more than 50 Protestant clergymen from every denomination. The APA’s objective was to alert the public, through lectures, publications, and revivals, to the dangers of popery, or “romanism.” The association gained attention through a series of popular lectures, especially those by the ex-priest Reverend William Hogan, who spread incredible lies about the Catholic Church after leaving it.     

  

  

  

Heated debates between Catholic and Protestant clergymen occurred in Philadelphia during the 1830s. One of the most well-known were the exchanges between John Breckinridge, secretary and general agent of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church and John Hughes, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, who later gained notoriety as bishop of New York.         

Bishop John Hughes, circa 1861

As a way to present his side of the argument, Hughes started The Catholic Herald, the first long lived diocesan paper in Philadelphia. The newspaper would become the mouthpiece for Bishop Kenrick’s campaign to end Protestant proselytizing in public schools. 

  

First issue of The Catholic Herald, January 3, 1833

  

The nativist riots that occurred in the city of Philadelphia in the spring and summer of 1844 were the culmination of anti-Catholic sentiments and the growing nativist movement in the city. Sparked by the fiercely-contested issue of the presence of the Bible in public schools, the riots resulted in at least 20 deaths and more than 100 injuries. The Irish neighborhood of Kensington was practically destroyed and two churches and a convent were burnt to the ground.     

Engraving of the "Rioters in Kensington" from A Full and Complete Account of the Late Awful Riots in Philadelphia Philadelphia: John B. Perry, 1844

  

One of the numerous broadsides Bishop Kenrick had posted throughout the city on May 7, 1844 warning Catholics to stay indoors.

  

  

The 1844 riots shaped both the growth and development of the city of Philadelphia as well as Catholicism in Philadelphia. They led to the consolidation of the city and county of Philadelphia and the establishment of an organized police force. Moreover, the riots resulted in the creation of a distinct Catholic subculture in which the Catholic population would establish its own network of parishes, schools, and social service institutions as a haven from a hostile Protestant culture.      

  

   

Philadelphia’s first Bishop, the Irish-born Franciscan Michael Egan, was appointed a full century after the American colonists began the practice of their Catholic Faith in the New World.

Bishop Michael Egan, n.d.

The colony of Pennsylvania, chartered in 1681 with William Penn as proprietor, offered the safety of religious tolerance, but 50 years passed before great numbers of Catholics settled in the colony.

The English-born Jesuit, Reverend Joseph Greaton, lived in Maryland as early as 1720, and traveled to Philadelphia to offer Mass and administer the sacraments.  By 1729, Father Greaton had taken up residence in Philadelphia, discreetly celebrating Mass in private homes.  In 1733 he established the first parish in Philadelphia, Saint Joseph’s Church, in a secluded alley near 4th and Walnut Streets.

By the eve of the American Revolution, Philadelphia was the largest city in North America.  While under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London, attempts were made to create a diocese with a resident bishop, but colonial priests discouraged this effort.  Fearful of re-igniting fierce anti-Catholic sentiment, and concerned about the public duties required of a bishop, American colonial priests declined all offers to establish an episcopate, or to allow a bishop to visit the colonies.

The first American diocese was established in Baltimore in 1789, under the leadership of Bishop John Carroll.  The boundaries of this singular diocese encompassed the entire United States.

Between 1790 and 1820, one-quarter-million immigrants arrived in the United States.  By 1810, the city and county of Philadelphia had over 100,000 inhabitants.

As the number of Catholics in the United States grew, Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore suggested that his immense diocese be divided, and in 1808 the Dioceses of Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Bardstown, Kentucky were established.

The newly formed Diocese of Philadelphia encompassed all of Pennsylvania and Delaware, and the southern half of New Jersey. Just two years later, the Diocese of Philadelphia had approximately 11 priests, 16 churches and 30,000 Catholics.

Archbishop Carroll nominated Reverend Michael Egan as the first bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Philadelphia. Carroll described Egan in his letter of nomination as “truly pious, learned, religious, remarkable for his great humility, but deficient perhaps, in firmness and without great experience in the direction of affairs.”  This description would prove prophetic, as Egan’s episcopate was marred by administrative disputes with lay trustees.

Egan was born in 1761 in Limerick, Ireland.  As a young man he joined the Order of Friars Minor, and studied at Louvain and Prague, where he was probably ordained.  Several members of Bishop Egan’s family came to the United States during his tenure, and settled in Philadelphia.

Egan’s permanent residence in the United States began in 1802, although he may have been in the U.S. briefly in the summer of 1798.  He arrived in Albany, New York, but since he was not needed there, traveled to Saint Mary’s Church in Lancaster to work with Father Louis de Barth.  (Father de Barth, a life-long friend of Bishop Egan, would eventually succeed Egan as administrator of the Philadelphia Diocese until its second bishop, Henry Conwell, was appointed in 1820.)

Father Egan’s excellent reputation for preaching greatly appealed to the prestigious congregation of Saint Mary’s in Philadelphia.  The lay trustees elected him as one of the pastors in 1803, and Father Egan moved from Lancaster to Philadelphia.  After Egan’s appointment as bishop, Saint Mary’s became the diocesan procathedral (an existing parish church used as a cathedral).

Engraving of Old St. Mary, n.d.

Michael Egan was named the first bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia in April 1808, although political conditions in Europe and slow communications from Rome contributed to the delay of his consecration.  The ceremony finally took place in Baltimore in St. Peter’s procathedral on October 28, 1810, more than two years after his official appointment.

The newly appointed Bishop Egan soon found himself embroiled in disputes with lay trustees, and swayed by the dominant personality of his fellow priest, Reverend William Harold.   Bishop Egan suffered ill health for many years, with symptoms suggesting tuberculosis.  His poor health was exacerbated by the almost yearly outbreaks of yellow fever in Philadelphia.  During these outbreaks, over half the city residents fled to the country, and churches and gathering places were nearly empty.  Streets were piled high with coffins awaiting burial, and cries of “bring out your dead” echoed through the city.

Bishop Egan’s weakened physical state may have contributed to some of the administrative problems he encountered during his years in Philadelphia.  The growing debt at Saint Mary’s prompted the lay trustees to suggest decreasing the number of priests serving the congregation, as well as reducing the salaries of the remaining priests.  Egan found himself embroiled in conflicts with a radical faction of forceful lay trustees, who challenged the authority and jurisdiction of priests and bishops.

Draft of Trustees' report (April 13, 1812) suggesting layoffs or a decrease in clergy salary to combat the church's growing debt, page 1

Trustees' report, page 2

Egan vowed to be more assertive and tried to amicably resolve disputes, but his mild nature restricted his authority.  Divisions within the Philadelphia church remained, and tensions grew among the clergy based on issues of trusteeism and the extremely public nature of the conflict.  This upheaval in the Philadelphia church persisted even after the death of Philadelphia’s first bishop on July 22, 1814, at age 53.  The See remained vacant for the next six years, until Philadelphia’s second bishop, Henry Conwell, was appointed.

Bishop Egan was buried in the cemetery adjoining Old Saint Mary’s Church.  His remains were moved in 1869, along with those of Bishop Conwell, to the specially constructed crypt for the bishops of Philadelphia beneath the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

Two collections that relate to this topic include St. Mary’s Church (MC-41) and the Bishop Michael Egan Papers (MC-70).  Information about Bishop Egan, St. Mary’s Church, and the issue of trusteeism can also be found within the Records of the American Catholic Historical Society in PAHRC’s collection.

In the wake of the potato famine in Ireland in the mid 1840′s, thousands of Irish-Catholic immigrants poured into the city of Philadelphia. Although looked at with suspicion by the native population, these immigrants met the needs of a rapidly growing city looking for a pool of ready labor.

Irishmen filled the manufacturing and construction jobs of an expanding industrial city. Irish women served as domestic servants, an occupation that was becoming an essential part of the lifestyle of the middle and upper classes.

Although life was not easy, many of these workers were able to save some money with the hope of purchasing a home or opening their own business. One problem facing these workers was the safekeeping of their hard earned pay. Many took advantage of the savings institutions which existed in the city at this time. Many others did not trust their savings with a private institution. Perhaps their unfamiliarity with a new environment or the anti-Catholic prejudice they encountered made them distrustful.

Bishop Francis P. Kenrick recognized the problem these workers faced. In May of 1848 he opened a bank to receive, and pay interest on, the deposits of working Catholics who did not want to use the private savings institutions. Popularly known as the “Bishop’s Bank”, it was managed by Mark Antony Frenaye, a Philadelphia Catholic businessman who served for many years as the financier and treasurer of the Diocese of Philadelphia.

Mark Antony Frenaye, n.d.

The rules of the bank for conducting business are written in the front of the bank’s first ledger book in Frenaye’s own hand. They illustrate that the Diocese ran that bank according to sound business practices. Customer relations and secure investments were the guiding principles of the Bishop’s bank.

According to Frenaye’s rules office hours were to be posted on the door and adhered to punctually. Depositors were always to be treated politely. Impatience should never be shown. Payment should never be made in “uncurrent” money (a constant concern during this period) but should be in gold or city notes. Concerning disagreements over money owed he wrote, “With depositors never contend on small matters; if you cannot mildly convince them, pay; it is better to lose a few dollars, than to send abroad a discontented trumpet!”

Bishop's Bank Rules, 1848

Regarding investments Frenaye was adamant. The rules state, “Bear in mind that investments must always be made in stock of ready sale: City, or State of Pennsylvania. No other; City is the best. County stock is good, but of slow sale. Never purchase any other stock. Beware of Banks, Canals, railroads, other States of the Union, and all kinds of fancy stocks. Some of them may be good, but they are liable to ruinous fluctuations: Safety and quick sale, when needed, and not speculation, must always be the rule”.

The story of the Bishop’s Bank is not just the history of an institution but also of its individual depositors. The Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center holds the ledgers and journals of the Bishop’s bank. The ledger books contain the individual accounts for each depositor, and serve as a rich source of historical information.

In addition to account information, they include notations on the depositors. Most of these notations are brief and contain only age and place of origin or residence. Although the bank was intended to serve the needs of all Catholics in the diocese, the majority of depositors were Irish. This is evident from the large number of Irish surnames and the notations listing the various counties in Ireland as the place of origin.

Other notations are more lengthy. They might include personal information about the depositor or instructions on distributing money. They provide a brief but fascinating glimpse of the life of the depositor.

The notation for Johanna Reilly, who opened an account in 1852, reads “42 years old, St. Paul’s Parish: a tall woman, pockmarked”. This kind of description is not unusual at this time. If a person was illiterate and unable to write their name, a physical description or personal information was the only way to prove identification.

Other notations, though brief, offer insights into the personal life of the depositor. Mary Reynold’s opened an account in 1848. Her notation reads, “wife of John Masterson. She does not want him to know of this deposit”. John Strain also opened an account in 1848. His notation reads only “45 years in 1846″. A later notation has been added which reads in bold letters, “he drinks, pay his wife only”.

Some notations show how public events and private life overlap, sometimes with tragic results. John Hughes opened his account in April 1864. The first notation reads, “69th Reg. Pa. Vols. In case of death in the army he desires this money to be donated to St. John’s Orphan Asylum, W. Phi.” Written underneath is, “The depositor is dead. John McCue, his brother-in-law, is appointed guardian of Hughes daughter Ann-14 years”.

John Hughes' entry in Bishop's Bank Ledger, 1864

Mark Frenaye managed the bank until September 23, 1857, when Bishop Wood, who had been a bank clerk before entering the priesthood, took over management. When a similar bank in Cincinnati failed, Archbishop Wood decided to liquidate the Bishop’s Bank. However, confidence in the bank was so great that depositors refused to withdraw their money, even after Wood ordered that no interest be paid.

The bank continued in this way until Archbishop Ryan ordered that no more money be received. The bank lingered on until all deposits were returned. By the end of 1889 the Bishop’s Bank no longer existed.