Establishment of the
Parish
The
following is an account of the establishment of the Catholic congregation at
Since
a long time the numerous Catholics living at
Complying
with that pious requests, the Right Rev. Guy Ignatius Chabrat, Bishop Coadjutor
of Bardstown the sixteenth of July of this year, eighteen hundred and
thirty–nine, has erected Portland into a congregation, and has written to
Rev. M. Perche, Superior of the Diocesan Seminary of St. Thomas, to go and take
care of the congregation of Portland, and there to administer Sacraments, and
discharge of pastoral duties. On
the fourteenth of August following, the Rev. M. Perche, has come down to
Portland, presented his credentials to Misters Maquaire, Perrot and Banon,
appointed by Fr. Banon members of a provisional committee of management; he has
taken possession of the congregation, and the day following,
Assumption–Day, he has begun the exercise of his functions by performing
the Divine Service. The first care
of the new pastor, agreeably to the intention of the Bishop, has been to
determine with the Rev. Mr. Coomes, temporary pastor of
The
Rev. M. Perche has hastened also to entreat the Bishop to ratify the nomination
of the members of the provisional committee of management, and to appoint a
fourth one, in conformity to the regulations, in order that they could begin
the regular course of their proceedings.
By a letter in answer to that request, at the date of the eighteenth of
August, eighteen hundred and thirty–nine, Bishop Chabrat has appointed
members of the Committee of Management of Portland’s Congregation Misters
Maquaire, Perrot, Banon and Fausset (Fosse).
This
account of the erection of
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Parish Boundary
At
the time of the establishment of the parish, there were only two Catholic
churches in
First
Meeting, August 25, 1839
The
twenty–fifth of August, eighteen hundred and thirty–nine, the
trustees of
The first object of the committee has been to vote
thanks to Rev. Fr. Badin, for the indefatigable and disinterested zeal with
which he has devoted himself to the spiritual welfare of the Catholics of
Portland. The committee is certain
to be in this occasion by a faithful interpreter of the sentiments of the whole
population.
By
a second determination the committee has resolved that all their acts as well
as the records of baptisms, marriages and burials, should be written in English
and French, in order that nobody could be ignorant of them.
The
committee has afterwards proceeded to the election of a secretary, a treasurer,
and church wardens. The Rev. M.
Perche has been entreated to discharge the duties of the secretary. Mr. Maquaire has been elected treasurer,
and Misters Banon and Fausset (Fosse) have been appointed church wardens.
The
committee has afterwards deliberated on the salary to be given to the pastor of
the congregation, and on the means of providing for the expenses of the
church. A voluntary subscription
having been already opened, and having produced good results, the committee
relying on the goodwill of all the Catholics who compose the congregation has
deemed that means of providing for all expenses sufficient until the church
would be able to supply all its wants in any other way.
The
committee having offered to the Rev. M. Perche Either to give him $300 per
annum, on condition of providing altogether with this sum for all his expenses,
or to give him $150 the year, and to board him, that is to supply him with
lodging, table, fire and candle, and to keep his horse. M. Perche has accepted this last
proposal. Consequently, for this
year the committee oblige themselves to pay M. Perche the sum of $150, which
will be paid by quarters. Mr. Banon
agrees to keep his horse, and Mr. Maquaire to give him the table. The produce of the subscription, after
the salary of the pastor being paid, will be spent to pay for his lodging, fire
and candle. These regulations are
made only for one year, beginning on the fifteenth of August, 1839. Nevertheless if before the end of the
year and the difficulties, which are not foreseen, would occur about the
boarding and lodging, the Rev. M. Perche, in accord with the committee, would
take other determinations.
The
members of the committee have appointed for their next meeting the first of
September next.
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Establishment of Committee of
Management records – July 16, 1939
French & English
(above text) Record of the acts and
proceedings of the committee of management of the Catholic congregation,
established at Portland, Louisville, Kentucky, the sixteenth day of July of the
year eighteen hundred and thirty–nine, by the authority of the Right
Reverend Guy Ignatius Chabrat, Bishop coadjutor of Bardstown.
Establishment
of bilingual records – August 25, 1839
Meeting of September 1, 1839
The
committee has deemed it proper to prepare for the congregation a room
exclusively used for the exercise of Catholic worship until they can build up a
church. Misters Maquaire and Perrot
have been commissioned to search a proper place for that purpose. The committee, in the name of the
congregation, take this opportunity to express their thankfulness to Misters Maquaire
and Perot, who in several occasions have given a room in their houses for the
celebration of the Divine Service.
The
members of the committee have appointed for their next meeting the eighth of
September.
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Meeting of
September 8, 1839
According
to the determination taken in the preceding meeting, Mr. McQuaire and Perot
have proposed to the committee to choose for the church an upper room, which can
be kept for $3 the month, in the house called Cedar Grove. This choice has been approved of. The committee has determined that the
room would be directly prepared in the proper manner in order that it could be
held as soon as possible, and that expenses necessary to put it in order would
be paid with the subscription, as well as the rent of the room.
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Meeting of
October 2, 1839
The
members having been regularly convoked, the Rev. M. Perche has made known to
the committee some expenses already made to fix in a proper manner the room
rented for the church, which has been opened to Catholic worship the
twenty–second of September last, and will continue open indefinitely. The committee has moreover authorized M.
Perche and Mr. Maquaire to make yet some other expenses thought necessary to
make that room altogether decent.
The
committee has afterwards deliberated on the means of paying to M. Perche the
first quarter of his salary. In order
to supply for all those expenses, the committee has resolved that they would
begin as soon as possible to raise the money of the subscription. In consequence of it, conformably to the
regulations, Misters Maquaire and Fausset (Fosse) have been appointed
collectors for the French and German, and Misters Maquaire and Banon for the
Americans and Irish. The collectors
will complete as much as possible the list of the subscribers of presenting the
subscription to those who have not yet heard of it, and will collect the sum
for which everyone has subscribed.
They will keep a list on which they will exactly inscribe when they
receive, and will return the money to the treasure as soon as possible.
In
order to give more facility to everyone to pay their subscription, it was
determined by the committee that it would be collected by quarters, but
everyone is at liberty to pay all at once for the whole year. As much as possible every quarter will
be collected in advance.
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
The Upper Room
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Cica 1840s |
Today |
Blessed
Upper Room! The first
Many
of the older members of the parish remember hearing their parents described the
frame structure called the Tavern which
stood in the center of the present Cedar Grove Court, and they have heard them
tell, too, how later, when the Sisters of Loretto took over Cedar Grove, and
built to the front of this building facing toward the Church of Our Lady, the
tavern became their community room.
The ‘Upper Room’ was made as fitting as
possible and the first Holy Mass was offered September 22, 1839.
The
first baptism was performed on September 28, 1839:
On the twenty–eighth, I undersigned have administered
baptism to William, seven months old, son of Archibald Fain (or Frain) and
Elizabeth Roberts, his wife.
Godmother Helen Lees. The
child died about an hour afterwards.
The
first funeral is quaintly recorded on November 2, 1839:
On the second, I undersigned buried Frances Xavier
Marchand, deceased on the preceding day.
Thirty–two years old.
In
this ‘Upper Room’, God, through the ministry of His Priest, blessed
the first marriage on May 30, 1840:
On the thirtieth, I undersigned have joined together
in marriage, John Ohlen and Mary Ann Ohlen, both Catholics.
To
the Catholic heart there is no more touching scene than children receiving
First Holy Communion, so we can readily imagine the feelings of these good
people as a witness their children receiving their Lord and their God for the
first time, as their spiritual food and strength. Truly they must have placed themselves
in spirit with the Apostles on the first Holy Thursday in the first Upper Room.
First Holy
Communion Class, June 18, 1840
Boys
Gilles Joseph Lambermont Louis
Michael Chamagne John
Louis Fosse
Michael Augustus Reynaud Claudius
Joseph Cordier Gustave
Vantrat
Girls
Victoria Barbara Bary Julia
Gilardin Ann
Mary Hubery
Louisa Clara Chamagne Mary
Portman
All
those names written above have been confirmed on this day, excepting Gustave
Vantrat, besides those whose names follow:
Sigisbert Reynaud Henry
Joseph Hubert Francis
Bary
John Francis Gilardin Gabriel
Bary James
Novier
Ann Compagnon Mary
Lambermont Mary
Magdalene Fosse
Francisca Josephine Cordier
Meeting of
October 10, 1839
The
committee has been assembled in order to give to the gentleman appointed
collectors an “authentique” by which they would be authorized to
present themselves to all Catholics who compose the congregation of Portland,
in order to propose to them a subscription, and receive what they would
subscribe for. The authorization,
of which a copy signed by all the members has been delivered to the collectors,
is expressed as follows: [list of subscribers]
The
Rev. M. Perche, having been appointed by Right Rev. Bishop Chabrat, Coadjutor
of Bardstown, pastor of the Catholic congregation established at Portland, and
Misters Maquaire, Perrot, Banon and Fausset (Fosse), having been appointed by
the same Bishop members of the committee of management of the foresaid
congregation – these five gentlemen, assembled conformably to the
regulations published for the Catholic Churches of Kentucky, have resolved in
their meeting of the twenty–fifth of August, eighteen hundred and
thirty–nine, that a voluntary subscription should be opened, in order to
provide for the supporting of a priest, and the exercise of Catholic worship.
In
another meeting of the second of October, Misters Maquaire and Fausset (Fosse)
have been appointed collectors for French and Germans, and Misters Maquaire and
Banon for Americans and Irish.
Consequently these gentlemen are authorized to present themselves to all
Catholics included within the limits of the congregation of
At
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Meeting of
January 5, 1840
The
members, regularly convoked, have determined that in order to disburden Mr.
Maquaire from a part of the functions he has to fulfill Mr. Clancy will be
joined to Mr. Banon as collector for Americans an Irish. Misters Maquaire and Fosse will continue
being collectors for the French and German.
The
committee has determined afterwards, on the request of M. Perche, that he would
supply for all his expenses, and would receive $65 the quarter, in all $260 per
annum. Mr. Banon will continue for
his subscription to keep Mr. Perche’s horse.
C. Maquaire
Eugene
Perrot
Louis Fosse
William
Banon
N. J.
Perche, priest
Little
is known of Thomas Clancy mentioned in the meeting of the fifth of January,
save that his wife was Jane Carney and they have a child, Ann Catherine, who
was born October 31, 1839. No doubt
the Clancy family moved from
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