The Redemptorists celebrate their hundredth year here in Ephrata, on Sunday, September 14, 2014, with a Concelebrated Mass at Noon. All former members who have ministered here, have been invited to join our Provincial, Fr. Kevin Moley, and our parishioners, in giving thanks to God for His many blessings during that time. “With Him is plentiful redemption”

To better appreciate what we will be celebrating, we will present the history of the last hundred years. Many Redemptorists and parishioners and have worked together, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to bring us to this point. Looking back, we can see how the Spirit has accomplished much through many people.

The Place: Ephrata, Pennsylvania

In 1914 the population of the Town of Ephrata was a bit over 4,000. Its railroad station was a convenient passenger station of the Reading Railroad. Today, the station is closed but even without the railroad, Ephrata has grown. Despite this growth, it has managed to retain much of the charm that greeted the Redemptorists as they stepped off the train at Main and State Streets back in August of 1914. Many of the men who served here over the last hundred years, came from large cities like Baltimore, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, so for them the country life of Lancaster County was a new experience. The traveling missionaries of the monastery were especially appreciative of the idyllic surroundings when they returned from their gritty train and buggy rides through the coal mine towns of the Alleghenies, and the noisy factory and mill towns of the Susquehanna Valley

   

During the first decade of the 20th Century (1900-1910), the pride and joy of Ephrata was the Willson Estate (Clare Point Farm). What “The Cloister” was to the religious world, the Clair Point Farm was to the world of horse breeding and racing. The Willson Estate was known far and wide. Thomas A. Willson, the owner, was a successful manufacturer of optical goods. His place of business and residence was in Reading, Pennsylvania. He vacationed at Mountain Springs Hotel in Ephrata, where he found the springs and the climate were so beneficial to his failing health that he decided to make Ephrata his permanent home. In 1896 he purchased about 80 acres on the Cocalico Creek and West Pine Street and gave full reign to his hobby of raising and training horses. His estate, called the Claire Point Stock Farm, soon acquired a national reputation among wealthy horse fanciers.

A writer in the magazine, The Horse World, had this to say about the Willson Estate: “Clare Point Stock Farm is in every sense a wealthy gentleman's private country home - his castle. To begin with, the half mile race track on the farm is probably the best and most expensive in the United States.”

The track was directly in front of the Willson mansion built in 1901. From the porch, Tommy (as he was affectionately called) and his frequent guests could take delight in watching the training of the young horses. In addition to this half-mile open track, a special attraction for the lover of horses was the covered quarter- mile training track and ring barn, which in the testimony of the same writer in The Horse World, was “beyond question the finest thing of its character in the world.” Over 30 hired workers - trainers, jockeys, farm hands, and domestic servants were employed on the estate and mansion.

Horse Track as Seen From Porch of Wilson Mansion..

                                                                                                                                                                                   The Wilson Mansion 

Mrs. Clare Willson and her niece lived in the large mansion, too spacious for their needs. Mrs. Willson consulted George P. Wilson in Lancaster, who was a personal friend of the Rev. Anthony Kaul, pastor of St Anthony’s parish there. Mrs. Willson thought that some religious community might be interested in the property and use it for educational purposes. The Holy Cross Fathers, who oversee Notre Dame University at South Bend, Indiana, the Passionist Fathers and the Benedictines were approached. They considered the property admirably suited to their purpose but did not purchase it.

In March 1914, two Redemptorists Missionaries, Father Albert Stern and Father Aloysius Willinger were conducting a two week mission at St. Anthony’s in Lancaster. Father Kaul, the pastor, spoke to them about the Willson Estate in Ephrata and asked if the

Redemptorists would be interested. Father Stern referred the matter to his superiors in New York. The Provincial, the Very Rev. Joseph Schneider, sent Father Michael Sheehan and Father Augustine Dooper to Ephrata to investigate.

In April of that year the Catholic Bishop of Harrisburg, the Most Rev. J.W. Shanahan DD, wrote to Father Schneider as follows: “I would be very pleased to have your Fathers locate at Ephrata in this diocese. They would do much good here and I think that such a foundation would be mutually advantageous.” On April 7, 1914 the Provincial, Father Schneider, wrote to his Superiors in Rome asking permission to buy the land. The Superior General, the Most Rev. Patrick Murray, answered the letter on April 21, 1914 granting permission to buy the Ephrata property.

Race Track with Mansion in the distance.

The REDEMPTORISTS

On Wednesday, August 5, 1914 the Redemptorists took possession of the Willson mansion and estate. Father Thomas Jones was the first local Superior. The first Mass was offered the next day in what was formerly the Willson dining room. The following Sunday August 9, the first Mass was offered for the public. According to the domestic annals, 13 persons were present.

The Willson mansion received a new name. It was placed under the patronage of St Clement Mary Hofbauer and was used as a center from which the priests were sent to different parishes, chiefly in the Harrisburg and Lancaster areas, to conduct missions and various other spiritual exercises. They were also invited to other places outside the diocese. Because the main purpose was giving missions, the foundation was called, “St Clement’s Mission House.”    

      

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer
The Wilson property consisted of 80 acres. That much property was not necessary for a mission house. But it was the condition of the sale: “Take all or nothing.” In 1917 Father Schneider wrote for and received permission to sell 50 or 60 acres. At the time the Redemptorists came to Ephrata there was a great deal of local criticism because Catholics were getting so much land. Earlier, Mrs Willson had difficulty in selling it and evidently, the Redemptorists also were unable to find buyers in 1917. It was provident that they were unable to sell because years later, in 1939, ground was needed for a church, then a school, and then a parish center.




Dedication of the 1st Redemptorist residence.

Controversy

As noted above, some of the citizens were upset over the loss of jobs and the loss of favorable publicity which Clare Point Farm had brought to Ephrata. More disturbing, however, was a lingering fear and distrust of Catholics which had its roots in the 19th Century “Know-nothing Movement,” the nativist “America First” associations, and the K.K.K. The question of the loss of farm land to other uses was a topic that caused much discussion. Thus, when these “unknown strangers” bought 80 acres of the old stock farm, tongues began to wag as to what would become of Tommy’s showcase when the papists took over.

Over the years it became known that the Redemptorists residents were a friendly, indeed a brotherly group of neighbors. These days, Catholics along with the Redemptorists are seen as good citizens of Ephrata, and good American patriots

Bishop John W Shanahan and The Harrisburg Diocese

When the Redemptorist Provincial Joseph Schneider, signed the legal documents of the purchase, it was clearly understood by all concerned that the principal purpose, as far as the Order was concerned, was the establishment of a “Mission House,” that is, a residential center for traveling preachers. One might call it an evangelical center. There was no thought at the time of building a parish church, a school, or social center.

However, the Bishop of Harrisburg in 1914 was a shrewd Irishman named Shanahan, and only a few weeks after the Redemptorists moved in, he made it quite clear that he expected them to give pastoral care to the few Catholics who then lived in Ephrata and the surrounding 11 townships of Warwick, Penn, Elizabeth, Clay, East Cocalico, West Cocalico, Brecknock, Caenarvon, Earl, West Earl and East Earl. Even before the Bishop’s mandate arrived Father Kaul had already hinted that the Fathers would be expected to give spiritual assistance to all Catholics “in Lancaster, Reading, Lebanon and Columbia.”

At first reading this sounds quite impressive and imposing. But taken in the context of the official census of 1914, the apostolic burden of care for the locals was in reality not an imposing burden at all. At the time there were only 5 Catholic families in the whole area and only one in Ephrata - all totaling 28 people. It still left the majority of the Redemptorist community free to work as traveling mission-preachers.

From 1914 till 1925, the tiny chapel which the Fathers used for their own daily devotions, also served as the site of Sunday and weekday services for the equally tiny number of neighbors. We’ve already seen that on Sunday after the Fathers arrived, the first public Mass celebrated on August 9, 1914, had just thirteen people.

Eleven years later, in 1925, the year in which the new red brick mission house was built with its larger house chapel, the number of Catholics attending Mass on Palm Sunday in Ephrata was still a meager 17 people. In the early years, a few Catholic families came on horseback or by buggy from Lititz, New Holland, Akron and Denver for Sunday Mass. Eventually New Holland and Lititz would become parishes.

First Chapel in the “Mission” in the Willson dining room, 1919

Fr. William White C.Ss.R.  ]

Much of the growth of Catholicism in Ephrata was due to the zeal and good example of those few pioneer families:

the Thomas Wrights of Ephrata, the Conlins of Akron, the Dengates, Seabers, Klunks and Guineys of Lititz and the Wilers, Storbs, Snaders, and McWilliams families of New Holland. But most of all, it was the great Redemptorist Father named William White, who held the little pioneer community together and nourished its growth with his sweat and shoe leather.

In the year 1915, Father White was the first Redemptorist priest to be assigned to Ephrata explicitly for the pastoral care of the locals. While the other missionaries stationed here did the more glamorous work of preaching to congregations of hundreds and in some cases thousands, proclaiming the Word of God from romanesque and gothic cathedral pulpits, Father White rode his horse and buggy in summer and his horse drawn sleigh in winter through the back roads of the 12 townships searching out the few Catholics who might be there.

When we try to visualize what Fr. White did and how he traveled, we are astonished at what he accomplished and how he must have fought against discouragement. He went as far as Lititz on the one side, and New Holland on the other. At first he went alone by horse and buggy, then Father Ebner accompanied him and later Father Daul chugged along in his old Model T Ford.

In 1917, Father White started the out-mission in Lititz and in 1919 he added the out-mission in New Holland. He planted the mustard seed in each of these places.

Very much like Jesus and St Alphonsus, the founder of the Redemptorists, Father White preferred to spend most of his time with the poor and simple folk of the countryside. Such work was his first love. After a short illness, he died on February 5th, 1923 in the Lancaster Hospital.

 

The new St. Clements 1925

New Holland and Lititz

Father Phil Holtman was also a zealous priest. He was most instrumental in moving the two out-missions of Lititz and New Holland in the direction of independent chapels and eventually independent parishes. These towns have their own inspirational stories of Redemptorist ministry.

St. Gerard Hall: Brothers Formation

   
St. Gerard Magella    

St. Gerard was a contemporary of St. Alphonsus and a young man of strong faith. The Redemptorist are an institute of both priests and brothers. Equal to the priests, these religious brothers serve the church and the apostolate in all things, except those which pertain to the ordained priesthood. Redemptorist brothers had their training in the Willson mansion, renamed St. Gerard’s Hall, beginning in 1929 and intermittently to September 1969, when it was dissolved due to lack of candidates.

The first period at St. Gerard’s Hall was a training school. In the second period the training school was united with the novitiate. In the third period the training school was kept at St. Gerard’s Hall, but the novitiate went back to Ilchester, Maryland. For 25 years the Willson mansion was used as a preparatory school for young men desirous of becoming brothers.

The new mission residence, built in 1925, was named St. Clements’s Mission House after St Clement Hofbauer C.Ss.R. a priest, missionary, and co-patron of Vienna, Austria. The Redemptorists built the new monastery adjacent to the mansion and reserved the mansion for the brothers, but during the second period, the top floor of St. Clement’s had to accommodate an influx of brother novices, and some fathers were re-assigned, so as to accommodate the brothers’ formation.

Other events and people

These narrated events give us some idea of the faith and energy of the early generations, and inspire us with their faith. They have handed on a great legacy, from which came churches, schools and parish centers. We pray we may be faithful to God’s work, as they were faithful in handing on so much on to us. 

After 25 years of using St Clement’s Mission Chapel, the people of Ephrata built a church for their own services. Ground for a church was broken on May 2, 1940.

The first Mass celebrated in their new church was Christmas Mass in 1940. The formal dedication took place Sunday, April

20,1941. Bishop Leech officiated. On the same day in April, the newly erected church in New Holland, Our Lady of Lourdes, was also dedicated.

On June 5, 1960 the first class graduated from OMPH with Fr. Francis Newell CSSR

Our Mother of Perpetual help School

By the late forties, a clear consensus had developed among the majority of Catholics of the area that a parochial school should be constructed. Parents wished to provide a quality Catholic education for their children in the three parishes located in Ephrata, Lititz and New Holland.

The school opened its doors in September 1957, under the direction of the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. From its beginning it has been a school of excellence, but more importantly a place to grow in faith and the love of God and neighbor.

The New Parish Center

In 1975 a Parish Center was built to accommodate the Parishioners for Sunday Masses and serve as a Social Hall at other times. It was dedicated on July 25, 1976. It was an all-purpose building which provided a sport facility for the school and meeting areas, as well as serving as a banquet hall for parish activities.

Recent Years

The parish continues to grow stronger. Many parish organizations flourish because there is an awareness of their Baptismal call to bring the Good News of Jesus into every human situation, seeking to transform individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel. The Lord sends his people out to evangelize, not so much by words, as by their lives. Among these organizations is the Benevolent Society which cares for families experiencing difficult times. You can see their efforts on any Wednesday afternoon with the long line of people waiting for assistance. Masses on weekends give parishioners the opportunity to bring canned goods and food stuffs to help with this ministry.

During the winter of 1994, after a heavy snow storm on January afternoon, the roof of the Parish Center came crashing down. No one was hurt, but from such a lamentable tragedy, God brought about a new beginning. With the insurance money, a new church and four new classrooms would be built. No longer would Mass be celebrated in the “gym,” but in a new and impressive church. December of the following year the new church was dedicated.

With the dedication of the new church, the old stone brick church, which had seen many weddings, baptisms, confirmations, graduations and funerals was turned into a Great Hall. Some of its windows were incorporated into the new sanctuary. Downstairs in the “Father Kuhn Hall” parish organizations meet and socialize. There also, the parish helps ease a family’s burden with an after- funeral and burial luncheon.

An era came to an end when the Bernardine Sisters, because of dwindling numbers of vocations, had to leave the care of the school. They had accomplished much, they are remembered with great affection. Their students have gone on to be responsible men and women in every walk of life.They are missed.The prayers of Redemptorists and parishioners are with them.

During the next decade, the Redemptorists made major renovations to their buildings. The first work was completed in the summer of 1997. An elegant renovation to the Willson Mansion which now would serve as a guest house and retreat center for their ministry. And in August of 2009, after living in the mansion for more than a year, during the renovation of St. Clement’s, the community moved back into the Mission House. The building had been completely remodeled to serve as assisted living for retired Redemptorists. They were blessed by the care and service of the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict who had come with them from Saratoga, NY. The Sisters were founded in 1917 by Mother Hedwig Kulesza under the rule of St Benedict “that in all things God may be glorified.”

OMPH Catholic Church
Redemptorists Cherished Memories

Down through the one hundred years of the Redemptorist presence in Ephrata, every priest and brother has left his blessing on the people. Their stories and works are known only to God, and maybe a few “old timers” whose lives were touched by their ministry. However, some are still vividly remembered: big Brother Liguori who prepared meals for the community, and was so zealous for the care of spiritual matters. Who could forget Fr. Jerry Kuhn, and his hundreds of visits to bring the Sacraments to the sick and dying? He also knew when a new mother needed some time for herself. He would pull up unannounced, and babysit while the grateful mother would go out shopping, or just have some time for herself. Then there were the inseparable Frs. Daughan and McDonough. Their friendship was evident, as they ministered to the people. Together, and at times with parishioners, they enjoyed a good game of golf. There was the hard-of-hearing Fr. Heminghaus with his impish smile, cigar and quick wit. Fr. Ed Jackson’s funeral homily would bring back to life all the recently departed. He would paint a verbal picture of their happy reunion in heaven, usually with a drink in their hands. This gave great comfort to the bereaved. Fr. Jack Dorff is known for his remarkable tenderness, and Fr. Pierce Kenny for his exuberant parties and ceramics. Both were cherished and loved.

And certainly remembered is Fr. Bill Geiger, a cigar in hand and wearing a railroad cap, he enjoyed showing his elaborate set of trains in the basement of St Clements. He was a very pastoral priest. One of his ministries was to write personal letters to jailed prisoners. In fact, an unfinished letter was found on his desk after his death. Among all the Redemptorists who came to Ephrata, and served with zeal, some died and are buried in our cemetery.

The Parish Now

The focus of the parish is on Jesus present in the tabernacle. Many of our people are deepening their love and knowledge of the Lord, spending time, not only at Sunday Mass, but also at various times during the week. They come into the darkened church, the flickering sanctuary candle reminding them of his real presence among us. “The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”Evangelii Gaudium

Thanks & Blessings

The number of preached Missions, Forty Hours, Spiritual Retreats, and many other Ministries of the Redemptorists Fathers and Brothers cannot be calculated. Only hymns of praise to God can be raised for His mercy and plenteous redemption.In all this grace and ministry, you our people, have been our support, and for this we are eternally grateful.