ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH, PARISH OF ARMAGH,

About four miles south of where Pacific now stands, the first St. Patrick's Church was erected about 1844 on the right bank of the Meramec River in Franklin County, under the direction of Father Donnely.

The site chosen for the first church is an elevated plot of level ground overlooking the Meramec, near the Priest’s Ford. The walls of the church were built of hewn logs, and it was covered with a clapboard roof. Although over a hundred years have passed since this church was built, its ruins may still be seen, that is, the stones the building stood on, but most of those who attended the first services within those walls now slumber beneath their silent shadows. A few weather-beaten marble headstones, bearing images of The Crucifixion, or ones of a similar nature, as well as the two stone posts with the crosses mounted atop and the gate still remain to tell the passerby that the silent tenants of this sacred, though secluded spot, were Catholics Mrs. John Withington donated this gate and it was erected by Dr. Jesse Sargent.

Father Donnely remained but a few years in the country after the building of St. Patricks. He was called into St. Louis by the Most Rev. Archbishop and made assistant at The Old Cathedral about 1848. His name will always be affectionately remembered by the Catholics of the parish of Armagh - It seems that from 1848 to 1853, there was no resident priest in Armagh and the parish was attended by various priests. The priest would come from Richwoods, or often a good father would ride on horseback all the way from Kirkwood or St. Louis to celebrate mass at St  Patricks.

Among those attending the early missions were the late Canon OHanlan Father O’Regan, Father Stehle, Father Ward, Father Fox, Father HamilI and Father Fleming. Canon O’Hanlan of Sandymount, Dublin. recounts his experience while attending the mission on the banks of the Meramec River, in Franklin County, Missouri, in his book entitled “Memoirs of the Early Missions.’ In this connection he says: “In those early days there was no parochial residence. The priest, while attending the mission was lodged in the home of one of the Catholic parishioners. It was nothing unusual, after a long day’s ride, to have ones slumber disturbed in the middle of the night by the squalling of a chicken, the squealing of a young pig, or the bleating of a lamb, which some ravenous wolf was carrying away in triumph to the wild LaBarque Hills,’ For some reason with which we are not acquainted. Father O’Hanlan went back to Ireland. Besides faithfully fulfilling the duties of the Catholic priest, Father John O’Hanlan became a writer of great celebrity. He spent the later years of his life in Sandymount, Dublin. where he died in 1904. Several years prior to his death, he had been raised to the dignity of Canon by his ecclesiastical superiors.

About the year 1850, St. Columbkille’s Church was built. The site chosen was a beautiful knoll about one mile west of where the little village of Byrnesville is now situated. Like St. Patrick’s Church, St. Columbkille’s was just a plain log structure with a clapboard roof. About the same time, probably earlier, St. Bridget’s Church was built. This church was not erected where the present St. Bridget’s stands in the city of Pacific, but about two miles north of Pacific, near what is now known as Ridenauer’s Grove.

To provide for the needs of the rapidly increasing Catholic population due to the building of the Missouri Pacific Railroad through Franklin County in the early fifties. Father Grace, who was appointed resident Pastor, took the initiatory steps toward erecting more commodious church buildings. As the old St. Patrick’s Church was no longer in the center of the parish, another site was chosen on which to build the new church.  

Twenty acres of land including the proposed site, and upon which the present St. Patrick’s Church stands  was donated to the parish by Mr. P. McBrearty. This is about three miles south of where the old church stood.

Father Grace set to work at once to raise the necessary funds for building the new church. He traveled all along the railroad from St. Louis to St. Joseph, Missouri soliciting contributions for this purpose from Catholics. These responded very generously to his appeals, and the amount collected in this way, together with what was subscribed by the parish, enabled him to commence work on the foundations. This was about the year 1857. The corner-stone was laid, and Rev. D. S. Phelan of St. Louis who was then a young priest, preached the sermon  on the occasion.

As the new building was being constructed of cut stone, work progressed slowly. Father Grace’s health began to fail and before the walls were built ten feet above the ground, he was called to his reward in the year 1859, having attained the age of only thirty-five years. The loss of this good and saintly priest was deeply felt by his parishioners; during his pastorate in Armagh, a rude log house served as his residence; he reposes within the walls of St. Patrick’s Church, which he had labored so faithfully to build.

A sad accident which occured in the parish of Arrnagh on the fifth of February, 1856, was the death of Father McCaffery. While Father Grace was away, Father Mccaffery, who was pastor of Richwoods, Washington County, Missouri, was called to visit some sick person living north of the Meramec River. In attempting to cross the river at a point known as  “The Withington Ford,” his horse shied, he was thrown into the water and drowned. Some few days later his body was found and conveyed to Old Mines Washington, County, Missouri, and interred in the cemetery at that place.

In 1859, Father Grace was succeeded by Father Gallagher, who in turn was succeeded by Father Flannery. Father Edward Berry was successor to Father Flannery.

In 1864 Father Berry was appointed pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, Parish of Armagh, Franklin County, Missouri; in addition to this he was given charge of St. Bridget’s Church Parish of Downpatrick, Franklin County, and of St. Columbkille’s Church Parish of Jefferson County, Missouri. The territory embraced in these three parishes was in the form of a circle about twenty miles in diameter. It extended as far north of Pacific as the State Road (Highway 100), to far beyond Maddox Mill (now known as Cedar Hill) on the south, and from Calvey (now Robertsville) in Franklin County, on The west, to House Springs and High Ridge in Jefferson County, on the east. It included also a considerable portion of St. Louis County.

The building of the St. Bridget’s Church in Pacific had been retarded; the brick and other material had been purchased and hauled to the ground as early as 1861, but nothing more was done toward its construction till 1867. The humble log structure which had hitherto served as St. Columbkille’s was no longer large enough to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners. It may be seen that the work that lay before Father Berry was the completion of St. Patrick’s church and the building of new churches at Pacific and Big River.

Within a few years after 1864 the new St. Patrick’s Church was completed. At the foot of the Big Sand Hill in Pacific the substantial brick building, St. Bridget’s was erected, and a beautiful brick structure similar to that of St. Bridget’s replaced the old St. Columbkille’s Church in Big River Parish. By his advice, the St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society was organized in 1865. This society was in active existence from 1865 to 1901. Father Berry was president of the society during this entire period.  

Owing to the fact that so many spiritual children were under his care, and these scattered over a wide territory Father Berry spent a considerable part of his time attending the sick; on these occasions he usually rode horseback. As he had a kind word for everyone, he became known by every person, and every Catholic and non-Catholic alike in each of the three parishes became his friend. There was that indescribable something in his personality that set the visitor or caller at ease, for, being a good conversationalist and possessing a peculiar readiness in seeing the humorous side of the most commonplace events he could without the least apparent effort entertain his guests.

During the night following Good Friday, 1885, the fire broke out in the parochial residence adjoining St. Patrick’s Church. How it originated no one knows. Before it was discovered it had made considerable headway. An alarm was sounded by ringing the bell in the belfry. Nearby farmers hurried to the scene of the conflagration, but all to no avail. The flames had already spread to the church, igniting the dry shingle rood. Soon both church and residence were enveloped in flames. The priest’s investments, the altar linens, the pictures representing “The Stations of the Cross,” the crucifix that surmounted the tabernacle, and the large oil painting of St. Patrick were saved from the flames. All else, including a fine pipe organ that had been purchased a few years previously, was burned.

Coming in his declining years, this unexpected; calamity was a hard blow to Father Berry. At this juncture, Mr. W. L. Dickinson a kind neighbor, invited him to come and make his home with him until arrangements could be made for rebuilding the parochial residence. The large Library Half was temporarily used for a church.

On the Sunday following Easter, subscriptions were taken up in St. Patrick’s Library Hall and the sum realized for a new church was very encouraging. Then the parishioners of St. Columbkille’s generously came forward and presented him with a well-filled purse. The money thus obtained was applied to the building of the parochial residence. Later the people of St. Bridget’s Parish, St. Louis, presented him with a liberal sum.

Mr. John Leitch and son Archie Leitch came from St. Louis to help rebuild the church. While working on the church they boarded with Catherine and Fedilius Hill. (The Hills were the grand parents of Rev. Hilbert Schmelz). The stone for the building was quaried just southwest of the church site on the Hill property.

In less than a year’s time both church and residence were completed. On Easter Sunday, 1886 holy mass was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church once more. The years of steadfast devotion to duty were beginning to tell on him. It was during the months of May and June 1901, he conducted the Jubilee of the year. The weather being unusually dry, the farmers had difficulty getting in their crops, so it was extended. On the Sunday preceding July 25, 1901 the thermometer registered upwards of 100 degrees. The following Tuesday he took a walk out to a field nearby where some men were making hay. The temperature by this time being up to 106 degrees; by this intense heat he was overcome. By the next evening he became very ill and could no longer speak, Before a priest could be called, and before medical assistance could be procured, Father Berry had gone to receive the reward of a well spent life. The funeral services were held in St. Patrick’s Church, on July 27th, 1901. Father Berry was laid to rest in the priest’s lot under the shadow of St. Patrick’s Church.

Rev. E. T. Gallagher’s remains were also laid to rest in the priests’ lot in the church cemetery.