Questions about the parish history are welcome and will be answered when possible,
but genealogy requests must be directed to the Parish Office.

A Brief History of St. Bernard's Church
At the beginning of the 1800's Rev. John Fitzpatrick traveled on horseback from Milton to Easton
to minister to the Catholics of the Lehigh Valley (Catholics and priests not being great in number in
those times). In 1829, after conferring with Bishop Kenrick of Philadelphia, Rev. Fitzpatrick purchased
land for a church on South Fifth Street and the parish of Saint Bernard's was founded.
Seven years later the Church was constructed, dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, and assigned its first
resident pastor, Rev. James Maloney. Father Maloney and his successors not only cared for the faithful
Catholics of Easton, but also those in Carbon, Schuylkill, and Bucks counties as well as Phillipsburg,
Belvidere, and Lambertville, New Jersey. Saint Bernard's was certainly the "Mother Church" of
Catholicism in the Lehigh Valley.
In 1847, Father Thomas Reardon was assigned to be pastor of Saint Bernard's; he served for thirty-five
years. He oversaw a growing parish - a rectory was constructed next to the church, improvements were
made to the church interior (a choir loft, stained glass windows, and a melodeon), and a school was
begun in the basement. Father also decided to expand the size of the church, but on April 9, 1867, a
workman's torch ignited the new tower and reduced the church to burned stone walls and charred
framework. With faith and perseverance the church was rebuilt and was re-dedicated on June 14, 1868.
Father James McGeveran was assigned as Saint Bernard's sixth pastor in 1887. He continued to care
for the people of the parish while improving its physical structure. The church was again enlarged; new
marble altars, stained glass windows (these are the windows still in the church), and pews were installed
in 1898. Following this the rectory was enlarged, the church hall was remodeled, a third cemetery
(Gethsemane) was purchased, and a new school building was purchased on South Sixth Street. Father
McGeveran's health broke under the strain of work and finances.

In 1914 Father John McCann arrived and set about righting the finances; he also purchased a building
for use as Easton Catholic High School. Many church societies were revived under his care and annual
social events that were to last until World War II were begun. No event was said to be more splendid
than the consecration of the church and dedication of the high school by His Eminence, Dennis Cardinal
Dougherty of Philadelphia on November 24, 1921. The Cardinal proposed for Saint Bernard's the motto
"ad altiora", "onward to higher things".
The years between the wars are remembered with fondness by many parishioners. A number of pastors
served the parish but annual events like the pre-Lenten card party and Saint Patrick's celebration helped
to hold the people together as a community. Father Holahan began the Catholic Women's Education
Association, now the Council of Catholic Women, in 1933, and the ladies of the parish have generously
given of their time ever since. In 1957, Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem Township was opened,
serving the parishes of the Easton area. This ended Saint Bernard's 41 years of providing a Catholic
high school education to the children of the area.
The first Bishop of Allentown, the Most Reverend Joseph McShea, determined in 1964 that
Saint Michael's, the Lithuanian parish in Easton, would be placed under the care of Saint Bernard's.
Rev. Joseph Gaudinskas, Saint Michael's pastor, became the pastor of Saint Bernard's and Administrator
of the parish he had guided for 14 years. The two parishes have shared in their mission ever since.
The next pastor, Rev. Francis Connolly, arrived as the changes of Vatican II were implemented in the
Church. The sacraments were celebrated in English, lay people participated in roles once reserved to the
ordained, and the interior of Saint Bernard's was simplified. The outreach of the parish expanded - Father
Connolly was one of the founders of ProJeCt, an ecumenical organization that provided social services to
the people of Easton. Saint Bernard's was revitalized. In recognition of his service, Father Connolly
became the second pastor to be named a monsignor.
In 1980 Father Thomas J. Benestad arrived and set about restoring the historic nature of both parishes.
A painting of the Crucifixion by noted local artist Dana Van Horn was installed in the apse. Old items,
like the altar rail, were adapted to new uses, and the exterior of all buildings were painted to blend with
historic Easton. The next pastor, Father Stephen Flynn, instituted a Pastoral Council and conceived the
idea for a Parish Center to be shared by both churches.

Father John J. Grabish oversaw the construction of the Parish Center and improvements to both
church buildings. He built up the Hispanic community within the parish and developed the outreach of the
parish to the City of Easton. Parishioners volunteered at the local homeless shelter, the prison, Meals on
wheels; wherever there was a need. Assigned as Saint Bernard's twenty-fourth pastor in 2001 was
Monsignor John S. Campbell.
(This article is based in part on material researched many years ago by Reverend John McCann,
pastor of Saint Bernard's, Monsignor Leo Fink, V.F., pastor of Sacred Heart Allentown, and more
recently by Chris Satullo and Eileen Kenna for the 150th Anniversary of Saint Bernard's in 1979.)
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Saint Bernard's - Mother Church of the Lehigh Valley
Our Daughter Parishes
Father John Baptist deRitter, S.J., of Goshenhoppen baptized Anna Mary Rose in the house of
Nicholas Hucki near “Ostonia” in 1768. Along with her parents and her sponsors these 6 people begin
the story of the Catholic faith in Easton. For the next 40 years missionaries included Easton on their
circuit. After the creation of the Philadelphia Diocese in 1808 and the establishment of parish
boundaries, Father John Fitzpatrick was traveling on horseback from Milton to
minister to the Easton area.
By 1829 there were about 100 Catholics living near Easton. After conferring with Bishop Kenrick,
Father Fitzpatrick purchased land for a church on South Fifth Street and the parish of Saint Bernard
was founded. Father Henry Herzog of Haycock was appointed pastor of the parish and charged with
the care of all of Bucks and Northampton Counties.  At that time the county also included present
day Lehigh, Carbon and (part of) Schuylkill Counties - almost 600 square miles.
In those early years the pastor did not sit in an office but traveled by horseback and by carriage. He
had a regular route to visit Catholics from Lambertville to Belvidere, New Jersey and from Beaver
Meadows to Allentown. As the years went by and more priests were ordained, other parishes were
formed, reducing the area that the pastor of St. Bernard had to travel.
The parish history of Saint Patrick, Belvidere, credits Father Reardon with the first Mass in 1851.
The founding of Immaculate Conception Parish, Allentown, in 1859 and of Saint Phillip and James,
Phillipsburg, in 1860 freed the pastor from certain travels, but even into the 1920’s there was a
missionary spirit. A newspaper article records the pastor of Saint Bernard serving at Our Lady of
Mount Carmel in Roseto.
In Easton other parishes were formed to care for the particular needs of various ethnic groups. Some
of the German families of Saint Bernard left to start Saint Joseph in 1852 (they celebrated their 150th
year on October 3rd).  Saint Anthony for Italians was founded in 1909 and our own Saint Michael
in 1916 (although Lithuanians had begun to plan a parish 10 years earlier).
On January 24, 1920 the Easton Express announced the creation of the last daughter parish to be
divided from Saint Bernard. “St. Jane Frances de Chantal, comprising West Easton, Palmer and
Wilson townships and a portion of the West Ward west of Twelfth street” was formed. Father
Michael Bennett, who had been an assistant pastor of Saint Bernard during the years 1910 to 1912,
was named the first pastor.
Father Bennett, with the approval of the Archbishop selected the name for the parish. In reading
between the lines several assumptions are likely. Saint Bernard was French so it is only fitting that
the daughter parish would be named after another French saint. Father Bennett was so proud of
his service as a chaplain in France that he celebrated the first Masses wearing his service vestments.
Finally the newly founded Wilson Borough was considering a name change to the “Borough of Lorraine”
in honor of the French province where much action took place in World War I.
For “Old Saint Bernard” there has been since that time rumors of moving and in 1955 even the
purchase of land for a chapel on College Hill, but the parish remains as it was. After almost 175 years
St. Bernard parish no longer covers a huge area, it is now “12 blocks wide by 12 miles long” (to quote
an old saying). It leaves an impressive legacy of over 60 parishes in the territory it once served and a
community of faith that gathers each week in the original church on Gallows Hill.
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St. Bernard' School and Convent 1852-1990
Although a school is documented as being started in 1852 in the basement of Saint Bernard's Church
much of that history has yet to be researched. The modern beginning of Saint Bernard's school occurred
when the Pastor, Rev. James McGeveren purchased a grand mansion and property on South Sixth
Street from J. P. Correll in 1908. Converted to a convent and school, the September 13, 1909 edition
of the Easton Express records the dedication of the building on the previous day.
Over 1000 parishioners and friends including Monsignor Nevin Fisher and Rev. R. McDevitt,
Superintendent of Parochial Schools of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, were in attendance as well as the
first sisters who were to staff the school. The opening of the school was heralded as another link in a
strong chain of Catholic schools in the Lehigh Valley, which included South Easton, Phillipsburg,
Nazareth, South Bethlehem and Allentown. According to the Express approximately 200 pupils were to
start class on the next day. Assigned to the school were the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. The superior of the first community was Mother Mary Anastasia Phelan and included
Sister Mary Cyrilla Bradley, Sister Mary Matthew Sculley, and Sister Mary Bertha Tobin. The day of
dedication was the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary.
The Community served both St. Bernard's Elementary School and beginning in 1921 the new Easton
Catholic High School which opened in the house next to the grammar school. The high school was moved
and became Notre Dame High School in 1957, having graduated over 750 students. The grammar school
was merged with Saint Joseph's and then Saint Anthony's into Easton Catholic Elementary School in 1971.
St. Bernard's Convent on South Sixth Street closed in 1990 after 80 years as a residence for the Sisters.
Over 120 Sisters contributed tirelessly to the academic and spiritual education of the local children.

Following are the graduates of St. Bernard's and/or Easton Catholic High School who
became nuns:
Sister M. Clare Cody                                  Sister M. Loyola Schlert
Sister Mary Bertin Collins                         Sister Frances de Chantel Siebler
Sister Marie Novatus Curnan                    Sister M. Alphonsus Tobin
Sister Joan Curran                                      Sister M. Bernardus Tone
Sister M. Veronica Mary                           Sister Santa Elena Warner
Sister M. Adria McIntosh                          Sister M. Janice Wood
Sister Maria deMonte                                Sister M. Veronica Zwald
Sister M. St. Eloise Nothelfer
If anyone knows of any other names which should appear on this list please contact the Parish office.
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Consecration of Saint Bernard's Church
The Reception of a Prince of the Church
Hundreds of men, women, and children lined lower South Main Street and Union Square in Phillipsburg,
New Jersey on a November evening in 1921. They were awaiting the arrival of a Pennsylvania R.R. train
en route from Philadelphia. At 6:00 p.m. the train drew to a stop and the crowd held up lanterns and
pointed flashlights covered with red cellophane at the evening sky; small American flags were everywhere.
A loud cheer arose as Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, Archbishop of Philadelphia, stepped from the coach.
Father John McCann, pastor of St. Bernard’s Church, escorted the Cardinal to a waiting car where they
sat and reviewed a parade of honor. Marchers included St. Bernard’s Boy Scout troop, Easton policemen,
Easton’s Italian Societies, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Knights of Columbus. Accompanied
by several bands and followed by a convoy of cars the groups crossed the Northampton Street Bridge and
marched to 6th Street. As the car carrying Cardinal Dougherty passed, applause erupted, and flags and red
lights were waved by the thousands of people lining the sidewalks.
The entourage then drove by St. Bernard’s School and the new Easton Catholic High School where all the
parish children were assembled to welcome the Cardinal with more flags and red lights. Finally returning to
the Hay School of Music at South Sixth and Ferry Streets the Cardinal entered the auditorium and was
greeted with song. A throne had been prepared and covered in cardinal red. What followed was an
ecumenical evening, somewhat notable in those days.
Father McCann gave the welcoming address where he referred to the Cardinal’s personal kindness and
learning and his ongoing concern. He also mentioned the motto Cardinal Dougherty proposed for Saint
Bernard’s: ad altiora - onward to higher things - and joked that most think St. Bernard’s is already too
high. Father finally closed by speaking of the religious tolerance that now prevailed in Easton as opposed to
the “narrowness of earlier times”.
Mayor S. S. Horn of Easton, who was not Catholic, spoke next, also alluding to “principles of brotherly
love and Christianity”. He declared that “no warmer hearts beat than those of the people of Easton.”
Cheers and applause followed as the Mayor and the Cardinal exchanged a hearty handshake. Mr. H. J.
Haytock then welcomed the Cardinal on behalf of the Catholic men and Miss Patricia Curnan, the Catholic
women.
Next came a remarkable speech by the Honorable Russell C. Stewart, President Judge of the Northampton
County Courts. In his address he traced a line of courage, learning, and skill through the lives of several recent
Cardinals, including the honored guest. As a jurist he naturally spoke too of the links between law and religion
and their place in a civilized society. “Law and religion ever should go hand in hand, and happy is that people
that obeys and honors them.” He ended with his thanks that he, a non-Catholic, was invited to welcome the
Cardinal.
Cardinal Dougherty then replied to this evening of praise by telling a story from his days in the Philippines
(he was Bishop of Jaro from 1908 to 1915) which emphasized the point that he was just a parish priest at
heart. He then spoke about a fund raising campaign and thanked the people for their generosity. He compared
the hills of Easton to the Seven Hills of Rome and described the people of Easton as combining the qualities
of the two main industries of the time, silk and steel. He praised the gathering by saying, “…that not one has
ever surpassed the outpouring and cooperation of citizens of all colors, creed, races, and religions, which I
have witnessed here tonight.” “You have won my heart and I am afraid that I will leave my heart behind me…
if it were not for my position which necessitates my residence in Philadelphia I would like to make my home
here in Easton among you.”
The program ended with the singing of America and the crowd passed out of the hall. At about 8:30 p.m.
that evening at St. Bernard’s began the formal Rite of Consecration with the procession of the relics of the
martyred Saints Victorian and Boniface from the Rectory into the Church.

The Consecration of the Church and dedication of the new High School
What had been an already remarkable evening to welcome Dennis Cardinal Dougherty to Easton continued
with the formal Rite of Consecration for Saint Bernard’s Church. This was Cardinal Dougherty’s first public
function since his elevation to the Sacred College and the first church he consecrated outside of the city of
Philadelphia. At least 15 priests from Phillipsburg and Woodstown, N.J., Philadelphia, Allentown, Bethlehem,
and Wilson including Rev. Dr. Hugh Lamb, future bishop, were present. The relics of Saints Boniface and
Victorian, martyrs, were carried in solemn procession from the Rectory into the Church. The Cardinal, flanked
on either side by altar boys carrying red lamps, placed the relics on a red draped table and ascended to a throne
prepared for the occasion. Then Matins and Lauds from the divine office of the Martyrs was chanted, one of the
cantors being a boy of the parish. Msgr. Gerald Coughlin of Philadelphia presided. The various visiting priests
recited the lessons. Finally the relics were tied with red ribbon, sealed with wax, marked with the Cardinal’s
ring, processed out and secured for the night.
At 6:30 Thanksgiving morning the Church and Rectory were surrounded by members and friends of the parish.
The Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus formed an honor guard. The Cardinal, accompanied by the many
priests and altar servers, again carried the relics into the Church but the laity couldn’t enter until certain of the
rites were complete. Then the procession reemerged and made three circuits of the cemetery and Church,
sprinkling the exterior with holy water.
The procession then returned to the Church and the interior walls and floors were blessed with holy water.
Ashes were strewn in the main aisle in the shape of St. Andrew’s cross and the Cardinal traced the letters of
the Greek and Latin alphabets in them. The priests present formed a schola and sang the psalms while this was
being done.
Again a procession was formed and moved to the outside of the Church. The laity joined in to make one circuit
of the outside of the Church. At the doors, the Cardinal anointed the two crosses carved into the stucco and all
entered.
The altars were washed, the indentations for the relics anointed, and the relics put in their resting places. Then
each altar was incensed, washed, dried, and anointed with holy chrism. The three altars were dedicated to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary (south), the Sacred Heart (north), and St. Bernard (main). During this time the
priests continued to chant prayers and psalms.
The twelve permanent crosses on the church walls had candles burning in front of them since the ceremonies
began. The Cardinal anointed each of these and also placed tapers with grains of incense on each of the altars.
The chalices and other implements necessary for the Mass were blessed and with a final incessation the
ceremony was completed. The Cardinal then celebrated a low Mass.
A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Msgr. W. I. McGarvey of Holy Infancy was the
celebrant, with Rev. Elmer Stapleton, Deacon, and Rev. Michael Bennett, the pastor of the new St. Jane’s,
Subdeacon.  Saint Bernard’s choir sang and Miss Virginia Rafferty was organist.
During the Mass the Cardinal addressed the congregation outlining the history of the Catholic faith in the
United States. The sermon was given by Msgr. Coughlin who was an assistant to then pastor Father Reardon
forty-four years previously. After explaining the history, rules, and Rite of Consecration he continued,
“It is only right and just that this church of St. Bernard should be consecrated; for it is the Mother Church to
all the churches in the valley. . . St. Bernard’s is a type of the Universal Church of Christ. It is like a city built
on a mountain top that cannot be concealed. Here it has stood for the greater part of a century, holding aloft
the banner of Faith to guide the faithful of the church on the way to their true home in heaven. Many a poor
hard handed son of toil has raised his wearied eyes to that banner and received new strength and courage from
that sign of hope and immortality.”
At 4:00 p.m. Thanksgiving afternoon the Cardinal solemnly dedicated, under the patronage of St. Bernard,
the new Easton Catholic High School. Father John E. Flood, LLD, Archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools,
delivered an open-air address to the gathered crowd.
(All quotes are taken from the Easton Express, November 23 & 25, 1921)

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Father John Dillon - Priest, Pastor, Friend
Twenty-four pastors have served Saint Bernard’s Church through the years. While many certainly left
their mark on the Parish only one is buried in the cemetery next to the Church.
John R. Dillon was born in Albany, NY, in 1850. His family then moved to Philadelphia where he
attended St. Michael’s school. He entered Saint Charles Seminary and was ordained 15 March 1874.
He served as assistant pastor until 1878 at St. Charles Church, Philadelphia; temporary pastor,
St. Aloysius, Pottstown, 1878; and then assistant at Saint Malachi Church, Philadelphia, from 1878 to 1883.
On 15 March 1883, at the age of 32, he was appointed the 7th pastor of Saint Bernard’s Church.
Father Dillon followed the 36-year pastorate of Father Thomas Reardon, who had recently retired to
Ireland due to ill health, the burden of many of our pastors.
The young priest, however, was not lacking in gifts. “His kindly, genial disposition and cheerfulness were
qualities that were always present with him on every occasion which endeared him to his flock.” He was
known as “a devoted lover of art, music and literature.” Soon after his arrival Father Dillon had installed
the Church’s first pipe organ, built by Henry Erben. Just over two years later this organ was used to
assist the sacred rites of the Requiem Mass of a now beloved pastor. At 4:15 PM on September 8, 1885,
Father Dillon passed to eternal life.
Among his final words were these, “Tell my people of the duties I had to perform; …tell them that my
whole body and soul was dedicated to my work; tell them that in the handling of these sincere duties that
I was human and that I may have been wanting in some things.”
On September 11 the entire body of the church was draped in black and white. The altar was covered
in black velvet with a white gothic cross. Behind the altar was white crepe studded with gold stars and
framed by black draperies with silver fringe, all bordered in heavy white lace. The casket was under a pall
of black satin and 4 candelabra stood at the corners. Father’s remains were dressed in purple vestments
and a chalice was in his hands.
The Church was filled to capacity as 66 priests entered and chanted the Divine Office for the dead. A
requiem Mass followed. Then Father Ward of Bristol preached and talked about Father Dillon over the
sounds of “subdued sobbing”.
“On coming into the parish he first set himself on becoming acquainted with you, and once becoming
acquainted he, like the Good Shepherd, went in search of souls, and when he found one sore and afflicted
he extended the words of love and consolation…This devotion to his parish changed his entire nature.”
Following the closing of the coffin all processed outside, the last rites were performed, and the body let
down into the grave. It was the love of the parishioners for their pastor that dictated the location – next to
the Church and under the branches of a weeping willow.
(All quotes were taken from the Easton Daily Express, 9 and 11 September 1885.)
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The Crucifixion, Saint Bernard’s Church
The Sanctuary of Saint Bernard’s Church has seen many changes during its 166 years. We
have no record of what it looked like when it was built in 1836. It is quite likely that it was
stenciled with “Gothic” designs.
When the Church was rebuilt after the fire of 1867 a stained glass window was placed in the
east wall over the altar. We don’t know what the window represented. Pictures and photos of
the church don’t show enough detail to discern the design. In style it would have looked very
much like the Good Shepherd window, the only window that remains from that time.
Father McGeveran removed the window in 1898 and replaced it with the apse. A painting by
Ferdinand Baraldi of Philadelphia of the risen Christ was placed on the wall above the new altar.
A newspaper article indicates the Church was repainted in 1915 and that Mr. Baraldi touched up
his previous work. Sometime before 1940 a Crucifixion painting by another artist replaced the
Resurrection.
The major remodeling of 1971 saw the removal of all the paintings in the Church. A wooden cross
with a carved Christ the King was placed above the presider’s chair. It now hangs on the rear wall
above the choir loft.
Donald Keller, a life long parishioner and 1943 Easton Catholic High School graduate passed away
in February 1982. One of his hobbies was painting and he left a bequest to beautify the Church. The
pastor, Father Thomas Benestad, used these funds to commission local artist Dana Van Horn to
create a painting. Mr. Van Horn later painted the murals in Holy Ghost Church, Bethlehem, and the
Cathedral of Saint Catharine, Allentown.
On 25 November 1984 Bishop Joseph McShea of Allentown dedicated the Crucifixion painting.
The Crucifixion is presented in a dramatic as well as symbolic manner. Those who are to be saved
are on Christ’s right hand and those who will not are on Christ’s left. The light and darkness also
divide the picture following the gaze of Christ.
To show the nature of community those who are for Christ are all linked together by holding on to
each other. This represents how faith flows from Jesus through Mary (who also stands for the Church)
to the apostles (ancestors of our priests and bishops) and then the people. To keep us away from Christ
and faith the pagan centurion uses his lance.  St. Longinus, the other centurion, looks with faith at Christ.
His is not a complete faith – on his breastplate is the image of a Roman God.
The models for the figures are all people from this area, which is a noted feature of Mr. Van Horn’s
work. A mother and her son from Martins Creek posed for Mary and Jesus. Father Joseph DeSantis,
who was in residence, is the model for Saint John the Evangelist. On the ladder is an Easton carpenter,
John Stark, and in the corner is his toolbox, filled with a workman’s tools of the time. Mr. Stark crafted
the frame of the painting.
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A Special Journey
A journey began in Modena, Italy, in 1866, when Ferdinand Baraldi was born. He became a painter,
an artist, really, and came to the United States with an Italian contractor for a project at the U.S. Capitol.
There he worked on the decorative painting of the newly expanded building and carried forth the labor of
patriotic fervor begun by Constantino Brumidi, whose great panorama encircles the Dome.

In Baltimore, awaiting his ship home, Baraldi agreed to fix a damaged statue of the Virgin at a church. He
needed a model for the hands and he found one in Ellen O’Leary from County Cork, also awaiting her ship
home. They became husband and wife and settled in Philadelphia. From there Baraldi journeyed to New
Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland, using his talent to render in paint the Gospel message in
many churches.

In 1898 Baraldi came to Easton at the request of Father John McGeveran to paint the interior of Saint
Bernard’s Church. He created 5 large canvases and 13 smaller pictures. He placed over the main altar of
St. Bernard the Ascension, the Sacred Heart altar was crowned with the Nativity, and Mary’s altar with
the prophecy of Anna. The Assumption of Mary was within the sanctuary on the sacristy wall and Mary,
the Immaculate Conception was on the cemetery wall.

Above the arch of the apse St. Bernard looked over his Church. From above the Choir loft St. Cecelia
presided at the organ. Over each window were roundels with Saints Peter, Paul, Luke, John, Matthew,
Mark, Aloysius, Patrick, Agnes, and Rose of Lima. There was also a painting of Saint Joseph cradling
the infant Jesus.

Decorative stenciling covered the ceiling panels and surrounded the paintings. Baraldi completed his work
by outlining the arch with the words of the angels, “Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax homnibus.”

In 1908, Baraldi was commissioned by Father Maurice Bric to paint the interior of Sacred Heart Church
in Camden, New Jersey. He created 17 canvases and decorated the entire church for a payment of $2,900.
Later, in 1915, Father John McCann recalled Baraldi to Easton to “touch-up” his paintings and change
some of the decoration. A newspaper article suggests that this was due to the change in taste from deeper
Victorian tones to “Colonial” revival lightness.

A journey began in one of the poorest counties of Ireland when Michael Doyle heard the call to become a
priest. He earned a Master’s Degree in Education, was assigned to a parish and became wealthier than he
felt he had a right to be. Coming to the United States he sought out the poor and found himself at
St. Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral in Camden. His participation in the 1971 raid on the Camden Draft Board by
a group known as the Camden 28 resulted in his being placed on leave by the Bishop. He was re-instated
and assigned to St. George’s Church in Camden.

The trial that soon followed was unusual in that the defendants, who acted as their own attorneys, were
allowed to call witnesses including residents of South Vietnam and leaders of the anti-war movement.
Father Doyle showed photographs comparing burned-out Camden neighborhoods to bombed and
devastated areas of the war zone. Introduced as evidence were poems and songs, all of which served to
put the Vietnam War itself on trial.

When the jury announced their verdict the entire courtroom rose and sang “Amazing Grace”. The
Camden 28 were acquitted in what became an historic federal trial. The jury's decision was a reflection
of the change in public opinion about the war.

After the trial Father Doyle was assigned to be pastor of Sacred Heart Church in South Camden. He
was an advocate for justice and the poor, but he also saw the need for the uplift provided by beauty,
both spiritual and material. He writes, “And so, I suppose, it is the job of every generation to peel the
grime off time and reveal the beauty beneath. Especially the beauty of stories which save the lives of the
people they enshrine.”

Another journey began in Graz, Austria, when five-year-old Othmar Carli was taught woodworking
skills by a neighbor who was a pattern maker. Instead of playing ball after school he went to the local
museum to look at Renaissance paintings. Eventually the Museum Director invited Carli to go “behind
the scenes” and he learned his craft from the conservators and restorers.

His talent in restoration became his life’s work, taking him to places like Calcutta, India, where he
restored a part of a palace built in 1690 that is India’s oldest building. The United Nations honored him
for that work. He has conserved the murals at the Simon Mansion on North Third Street in Easton and
church paintings near his native town.

In 1992 Carli came to Camden to begin the process of restoring Sacred Heart Church. Incense smoke,
candle soot, and water leaks had obscured and damaged the paintings. The changes in the liturgy also
required some reconfiguration of the sanctuary and its furniture. He began a process that is now 90%
complete. Don Harle, an employee of the parish, assisted Carli in cleaning the Baraldi paintings,
creating new stencils, and repairing wood and plaster.

Carli, who now lives in York, teaches one day a week in order to share his knowledge of art
conservation with young minds. "I do it for free. It's payback. Other people have done that for me in
my youth." Some of those young people have helped with various aspects of the restoration.

On June 25th, 2003, yet another journey began. For the first time in 30 years I traveled to Camden.
Before that I had been to Camden from two to twelve times a year. Then it was shabby, now it is
almost indescribable.

Imagine if the West Ward of Easton had at least one lot at each corner vacant and that two out of
five homes were torn down while every other one was boarded up. The few businesses that are
left are corner stores. Looming over all are highway ramps, a regional sewage plant, and old factories.
Even the main streets are roughly patched and potholed, sidewalks in disrepair – not a tree anywhere.
Young men sit on stoops simply because there is nothing for them. What a city of despair!

A street is blocked so I hesitantly stop to ask for directions. A pleasant exchange and we are on our
way. My friend travelling with me comments, “Don’t be surprised if we get stopped by the police.”
“Why?” “Suspicion of dealing drugs – what else would white guys in a suburban SUV with out-of-state
plates be doing pulled over at the curb in Camden?”

We turn a corner and there is this island of beauty and God’s grace. A church sits surrounded by a
school, a rectory, and some outbuildings with trees and grass and wrought iron fences, an outdoor
gathering space of pavers and shade. All is perfectly in scale with the few small row homes that
surround it.

The staff that greets us is gracious and welcoming; one would think they would be afraid to answer
the door. It is Father’s day off, but we are expected and told to make ourselves at home. We walk
through the Rectory kitchen, go outside and then up a flight of steps. We enter the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel, some switches are flipped, we are ushered through another door and we find ourselves in the
sanctuary. What a revelation!

Color surrounds us. The smell of real flowers and candles is borne on the warm summer air. It is the
kind of church we remember; the way Saint Bernard’s looked years ago. It would take many words
to describe the art, the stenciling, the marble altars, and the pipe organ. One can easily picture it all
superimposed on the bare church back in Easton. We speak with Othmar Carli and Don Harle about
their work. Their pride of craftsmanship and respect for the past and the church interior is obvious.

A painting of the peacemakers by Carli adorns a wall behind the baptismal font. Katherine Drexel,
Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, and five others keep watch over each new member of the faith. There
is a blank spot in the painting where the parents with their newborn stand for pictures. They become
part of a community that reaches back to the ascended Lord, painted on the ceiling high above them.

The last image we see is of “Christ driving the moneylenders from the Temple” placed over the entry
to the church - a certain irony in that. After two hours of conversation and exploration it is time to leave.
It is difficult to part from this place of peace and beauty. In ten minutes we are in the suburbs and in
thirty more Camden is far away, but the images are clear and present.

Ferdinand Baraldi’s journey ended in 1921 at his home in Philadelphia after a life devoted to using his
talents in God’s service. His work is long gone in Easton, destroyed by successive pastors. It is being
appreciated and restored in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the United States.

Othmar Carli continues his work at Sacred Heart and will soon consult on the restoration of the
Golden Temple in India. Carli’s wife says that he has always been a dreamer. He counters, "If you're
not a dreamer, then you don't go out on a limb to create something."

Father Doyle, with the help of his parishioners, continues the work of providing education, medical
services, and housing to the people of Camden. Sacred Heart Church provides an anchor of peace
and spirituality in the middle of such desolation. As the restoration moves in small steps toward
completion, Father Doyle quotes Dostoyevsky, “beauty will save the world.”

I continue the discovery of our past, meeting many people and marveling on how God does act in
our lives. History and art can be dead languages unless we choose to learn from them.

“The dull mind rises to truth through that which is material
And, in seeing this light, is resurrected from its former submersion.”
                                                                Abbot Suger of St. Denis

I thank Sacred Heart Parish for their hospitality and I am indebted to Rev. Michael Doyle
for his research on Ferdinand Baraldi. Those interested in the parish or its social concern
programs can write to 1739 Ferry Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104.Other material for this
article came from many sources including these web sites:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/2971135.htm
http://www.camden28.org/
http://www.progressive.org/July%202002/zinn0702.html
http://www.sacredplaces.org/PSP-InfoClearingHouse/articles/The%20%20Value%20of%20Landmarks2.htm
Also - The Easton Express of 31 October 1898 and 9 September 1915, and Central PA
magazine for background on Mr. Carli.

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