| St. Michael's |
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Questions about the
parish history are welcome and will be
answered when possible, but genealogy
requests must be directed to the Parish Office.
History of St. Michael's Parish
At the turn of the century Lithuanian people began
to move to the Easton area. Like
most immigrants of that time they sought a priest and
parish where they could feel at
home in their language and customs. Saint Bernard's,
the parish for the City of Easton,
did not have a priest who could speak Lithuanian. The
people occasionally took the
streetcar to Alpha, New Jersey, where the pastor was
fluent in the many languages
of Eastern Europe.
As the number of those of Lithuanian heritage
grew, they longed for a "Church of their
own", and petitioned the Archbishop of Philadelphia to
establish a parish. He assigned
Rev. Gudaitis, pastor of Saint Peter and Paul, Tamaqua,
to help the people form a parish.
Early church records indicate many meetings and hard
work to raise funds and find a site.
Finally on May 30, 1916, the former Heptosoph
Hall and Brainerd's Church on Spring
Garden Street was purchased and the Parish of Saint Michael's
officially began.
Parishioners helped to remodel the interior by
donating their labor and pledging their
financial support. Old pews were purchased from Trinity
Episcopal just across the street,
an altar was ordered, and the men of the parish built
the altar rail and predella. Just over
a year later on August 5th, the Church was dedicated
by Rev. Msgr. Peter Masson, V.F.,
former rector of Louvain University, at a solemn high
Mass in honor of Saint Michael.
Rev. Rastutis, assistant to Rev. Gudaitis, was appointed
first resident pastor and rented
a house to serve as his Rectory at 103 Spring Garden
Street.
In 1918 a permanent Rectory was purchased at 114
Spring Garden Street. The Parish
continued to grow and decided to make additional renovations
to the interior of the Church.
New side altars were added, statues of many saints were
put in place and honored, and
ceiling murals were painted. In 1929 the first pipe organ
was installed to assist the sacred
singing of the Mass. Later, stained glass windows reflecting
the "art deco" look of the times
were installed. A parish cemetery, Saint Mary Magdalene,
was started in 1934 on land
donated by Martin Lynchus in Williams Township.
Father Guadinskas, assigned as administrator in
1950, began a general refurbishing of the
Church in 1950. The Wicks Organ company installed a new
pipe organ reusing some of the
pipes from the old organ and it was dedicated at a special
concert. New pews and lighting
were put in place and the exterior of the Church was
repointed and stuccoed. When the
former Episcopal manse next to the Church became available
in 1954 it was purchased
for use as a rectory and a new sacristy was built to
connect the two buildings. When the
steeple was destroyed by lightning, architect Hugh Moore,
Jr., of Easton, designed a new
bronze fleche to replace it in 1958.
In 1964 Rev. Gaudinskas was named Pastor of Saint
Bernard's Church and Administrator
of Saint Michael's, the parish no longer had a resident
priest. Rev. Francis Connolly was
assigned in 1966. He converted the Rectory into a Convent
for the Sisters of Saint Joseph
and simplified the church interior. His relationship
with the other downtown pastors
resulted in an ecumenical service held with Trinity Episcopal
Church, a first for the Easton
area.
Father Thomas Benestad arrived in 1980 and began
renovations to emphasize the
historical character of the Church. After the departure
of the sisters the former Rectory
became Holy Family Residence, a home for the Elderly.
1991 saw the celebration of the
75th Anniversary Year. Masses, an ecumenical service,
and dinners were held to celebrate
the history and ethnic heritage of the parish.
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A Church of Their Own
The turn of the last century saw another of those great waves of immigration
that enriched
our country with the hard work and ethnic heritage of people “yearning to
breathe free”.
Lithuanians were among those coming to the United States and settling
in Easton to seek
the opportunity to build a new and better life.
Although the Mass was celebrated in Latin the people expected to hear
the sermon and
confess their sins in their native tongue. There was no priest in Easton
fluent in the
Lithuanian language to help nourish their faith and preserve their
traditions. Some took the
trolley to the new parish of Saint Mary’s (1902) in Alpha, New Jersey.
The pastor,
Rev. Charles Policsek, was fluent in the many languages of Eastern
Europe and could
minister to them. In August 1907 Rev. Kaulakis of Philadelphia was
charged with the
care of the Lithuanians and Poles in the Easton area. Mass was said at St.
Bernard’s and
later at St. Joseph’s and St. Anthony’s. Occasionally too, Rev. Vincent
Dragis, Minersville,
Rev. Anthony Milukas, Shenandoah, and Rev. Albinus J. Kaminski,
Reading, would come
to Easton.
Finally Rev. Peter Gudaitis, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul, Tamaqua,
was assigned by
Archbishop Prendergast of Philadelphia to organize a Lithuanian parish
in Easton. On
7 August 1912 a meeting was held and officers were chosen: Anthony
Usas, president,
Joseph Kriksciuskas, secretary, and Peter Maskauskas, treasurer. Dues
were established
at $15 for two years and could be paid 50 cents a month. $12.16 was
collected at that first
meeting toward the goal of a Church.
Over the next three years many meetings were held to discuss parish
matters, to find a suitable
site for a church, and to plan for the spiritual needs of the Lithuanian
as well as the Polish families
who were now moving to Easton. Names like Gostis, Ubavicius, Ruigis
Songaila, Talaka,
Rauktis, and Zansaitis are mentioned in the minutes. Father Gudaitis
continued his trips from
Tamaqua to oversee the growing group and for monthly Mass and confessions.
At one point the committee wanted to buy property on Lehigh Street
in what was then Palmer
Township (now Wilson Boro). The Archdiocese did not approve and no
explanation is given
in the record. A few years later the new parish of St. Jane’s was formed a
block away. Although
there must have been discouragement the people continued to maintain
their faith and work hard
at raising funds.
On May 31, 1916 the Committee purchased Heptosoph Hall at Spring Garden
and Sitgreaves
Streets for a sum of $18,000. This building was originally constructed
in 1853 as Brainerd
Presbyterian Church and in 1896 became a Civil War veteran’s mutual aid and
social club, the
Imperial Order of Heptasophs. A wrought iron fence similar to the one
across the street at Trinity
Church surrounded the property.
The parishioners set about remodeling the building to suit the needs
of Catholic worship. Father
Gudaitis ordered an altar from a Pittsburgh firm for $425 and purchased
Trinity’s old pews for $50.
The men of the parish constructed the predella and altar rail. The
original side altars were to the
Virgin Mary and the Infant of Prague.
Despite having a Church there was still no resident pastor for the
parish; Father Gudaitis was still
making his monthly visits. In January 1917 the people petitioned the
Vicar Forane, Msgr. Peter
Masson, to ask the Archbishop for a permanent priest. Rev. Joseph Rasztutis,
assistant to
Rev. Gudaitis, was appointed first resident pastor and rented a house
to serve as his Rectory
at 103 Spring Garden Street.
On 6 August 1917, the Church was dedicated by Msgr. Masson, pastor
of Sacred Heart Church,
Allentown, and former rector of Louvain University. He then celebrated
a solemn High Mass in
honor of Saint Michael. A homily was given in Lithuanian by Rev. Rasztutis
and one in Polish by
Rev. Wladislaus Rakowski. Rev. Michael Bosco and Rev. Francis Fasig
served as Deacon and
Subdeacon. Rev. John McCann and Rev. Charles Carmen of St. Bernard’s were
present as well.
The people finally had their Church.
Information is taken from the Golden Jubilee Anniversary booklet
of St. Michael Church
(1965) and the files of the Marx History Room at the Easton Library.
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Saint Michael's Pipe Organ
Wicks Pipe Organ Company, Opus 3125
Saint Michael's original organ was an 8 rank pipe
organ that was installed in 1929 by the
Radzevicz Organ Company of Washington, New Jersey. Chimes
were added through the
bequest of Martin and Magdalene Lynchus.
In 1951 this organ was replaced by the current
2 manual, 4 rank pipe organ, Wicks Opus 3125.
Retained from the original were the pipes of the 8' Vox
Humana and a 21 note chime. The
other ranks included an 8' Diapason with a 16' Sub-bass,
an 8' Flute, and an 8' Soft Salicional.
The dedication of the organ was held on 23 September
1951 and included a recital by Professor
Carl Bugsen, organist of Sacred Heart Church, Allentown.
Featured were soloist Mary Nagy
accompanied by Saint Michael's organist, Professor Joseph
Parkansky. Among the works
presented were Bach's Arioso, Haydn's Musical Clocks,
Yon's Toccata on Creator Alme Siderum,
and Boellmann's Suite Gothique.
Recently the reservoir was rebuilt, the swell
shades restored, and the action of the chimes replaced.
Through the generosity of Ray Ehrie of St. Bernard's
another rank of pipes, an 8' Oboe (Fagotto),
was added to the organ.
Listing of Stops
Great Organ
Swell Organ
Pedal Organ
16' Bourdon
16' Bourdon
16' Sub Bass
8' Diapason
8' Diapason
8' Gedeckt
8' Flute
8' Quintadena
4' Octave
8' Viola
8' Stopped Flute
8' Oboe
4' Octave
8' Oboe
------------
4' Flute D'Amour
8' Echo Salicional Chimes
4' Dulcet
4' Flute
Tremolo
8' Oboe
2 2/3' Nazard
Crescendo Pedal
2' Piccolo (Salicional) Swell Pedal
8' Vox Humana
Top of Page
History of Saint Michael's Church
Buildings
Church and Rectory
The block bounded by 2nd and 3rd Streets
and Spring Garden and Bushkill Streets contained
the Colonial-era home and gardens of Judge Samuel
Sitgreaves. Upon his death this area was
subdivided into building lots. One lot was purchased
by the newly formed congregation of
Brainerd Presbyterian Church. The lot next to
it already contained the home of Rev. Dr.
Daniel Veech McLean, president of Lafayette College.
This house, built about 1850, was sold in 1862
to Colonel Theodore Sitgreaves, Samuel’s
nephew. He remodeled the house to its present
appearance. The newly fashionable Second
Empire style was used – the mansard roof, the corner
quoins, and heavy window hoods became
popular about 1860. Inside the doorways and windows
are outlined with heavy moldings and can
be closed with paneled doors and shutters. The
marble fireplaces are crowned with 10 foot
overmantel mirrors that reflect the elaborate
gaslight chandeliers with their gilt statues. This rather
exuberant interior decoration was soon derided as
“steamboat gothic”.
Meanwhile on the lot next to the house
the 36 families who left the First Presbyterian Church
constructed their new church. Named in honor
of David Brainerd, a famous local missionary, the
Gothic style structure was built of ashlar and
brick with a facade of "Trenton" brownstone. The
steeple, which became a local landmark, was topped
by a spire and was 175 feet in height. The
dedication took place on 7 October 1854.
From the vestibule two sets of graceful
winding stairs led to a nave which contained 78 pews.
Two of the original windows can be seen high
in the peak over the altar. The ground floor contained
a Sunday school lecture room and the parish office.
The cost for this impressive structure was $32,000.
In 1893 the members decided to merge with the
nearby Second Presbyterian Church which eventually
reunited with the Mother Church, now located
at 333 Spring Garden Street.
In 1896 the Grant Conclave of the Imperial
Order of Heptasophs, a mutual aid society of Civil War
veterans, purchased the vacant church and soon
remodeled it as a “gentlemen’s” club. It is most likely
during this time that the original stained glass
windows, pews, and steeple were removed. The lecture
room now featured billiard and pool tables as
well as two bowling alleys, the floors of which still remain.
The parish offices became a reading room, pantry,
and kitchen. One of the two stairways to the nave
was removed to make way for a smoking room and
a ladies lounge. The nave itself was used as an
auditorium for concerts, public speakers, and
political debates. Within 20 years however, the Heptasophs,
like many other post-Civil War fraternal societies,
became simply an insurance company, their social and
civic functions ended.
On May 31, 1916 the four-year old congregation
of Saint Michael's Church purchased the building and
remodeled it to suit the needs of Catholic worship.
Three altars with statuary of the patron saint and other
saints and ceiling murals in High Victorian style
were fitted into place. The church was dedicated the
following year. Soon to follow were pews from
nearby Trinity Episcopal Church, art deco stained-glass
windows, and an elaborate chandelier.
In the 1950's a general renovation was
undertaken with a new organ, pews, lighting, and a
fleche. The
outside of the building was repaired and the
brick covered with stucco. In 1961 Virginia Williams
Bentley wrote, “If a church could be called ‘cozy’
this is,… It gives one a feeling of reverence just to
step into to it. It seems removed from the world,
safe, enfolding, secret and holy.”
Unfortunately times and tastes change.
In 1971 the church was stripped to its present simplicity. In
1985 renovations were begun to re-emphasize the
historic character of the church and in 1992 an antique
oak altar from Saint Joseph's lower church was
put in place with new sanctuary furnishings. The interior
was recently repainted.
The house next to the church was eventually
willed by Colonel Sitgreaves to Trinity Episcopal Church
which used it as a vicarage from 1893 to 1954.
In 1926 this rather large building was subdivided into 3
apartments with the vicar having the entire 1st
floor. Father Joseph Gaudinskas, the administrator of
St. Michael’s purchased the home in 1954 for use as a
rectory. He built the connecting link containing
the sacristy and stairs. Few people see the stained
glass window of St. Michael that is there.
When Father moved to St. Bernard’s Rectory in
1964 the house was empty until it became a Convent
for the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1966. After
the sisters left Holy Family Manor used the house for
Assisted Living from 1983 until 1992. Eventually
the parish sold the house.
The quote can be found in the Sesquicentennial
Story of the First Presbyterian Church,
Easton, Pennsylvania, 1811-1961.