1st Sunday of Lent ~
Father Gregory Ashe was the founding pastor of St.
Patrick’s parish, beginning in 1921 and serving until 1925 when he was
replaced by Father Thomas Healy, the parish’s second pastor, and first
Augustinian. Father Ashe eventually returned to Buffalo, New York to
serve in parish work. He died there in 1934. Father Healy served as
pastor of St. Patrick’s for a year and a half, after which he returned
to Pennsylvania. He died a short time later in January 1927 at the age
of 54. Both Fathers Ashe and Healy were born in Ireland. The 1920s were good to San Diego and the community
of North Park. Businesses were thriving, new arrivals spurred
development, and optimism was high. Under Father Daley’s guidance, the
parish decided to commit to the construction of a magnificent structure,
Romanesque in style, using the best architecture and artistry
available. Frank Hope was contracted as the architect and the M.H.
Golden company did the construction. The contract was signed on October
15th, 1928, and work began almost immediately. Amazingly,
the church, the present structure, was finished by Easter Sunday, 1929,
in just about six months, but it wasn’t dedicated until September 1929.
The cost of the structure was $37,000, and with all the interior
additions the cost of the project was around $60,000. Father Daley and
the parishioners of St. Patrick’s were justifiably proud of their
accomplishments. The next step would be the construction of a school,
and it probably would have gone forward but for one obstacle: the stock
market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
.png){kind=tracking}
No comments:
Post a Comment