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HISTORY OF ST. MATTHEW IN THE WOODS PARISH
1860 – 2005
(Taken from “The History of St. Matthew in the Woods Roman Catholic Church” by Nicholas C. Felice. A thesis written for Mercyhurst College. Also, “History of St. Matthew in the Woods” as remembered by Charles Mangold)
St. Matthew in the Woods Roman Catholic Church of Summit Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania is presently situated two miles west of route ninety-seven on Townhall Road. The church, founded during the 1860’s by Irish immigrants, has since grown to encompass many nationalities. Its expansion was a direct result of the combined efforts of its many pastors, societies, and social events they organized. Throughout its history two Catholic parishes that greatly influenced St. Matthew’s were Saint Boniface of Hammett, Pennsylvania, and Saint Francis Xavier of McKean. Saint Matthew’s was considered a mission church and was under the jurisdiction of Saint Boniface from 1864 until 1889. Later control of the Summit church was transferred to Saint Francis until 1966.
During the 1850’s, a small group of Erie businessmen combined their resources and organized the construction of a railroad line extending from Erie to Sunbury, Pennsylvania. This corporation, the Sunbury and Erie Railroad, was to connect with the mainline to Philadelphia. The original plans called for the tracks to run in a southerly direction from Erie to Waterford, and continue to the east passing through such small communities as Union City, Corry, Warren, and Renova before it met with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Sunbury.
Many small villages had been established as a result of the construction of the Sunbury and Erie; among them was Jackson’s Station. This settlement, which was located six miles south of Erie, was founded by Irish immigrants employed by the railroad to build the section of track from Erie to Waterford. The hamlet was named after its first postmaster, James C. Jackson, who established a mail stop there in 1863. Since railroad laborers were not expected to stay in one area long, the company only provided temporary shanties.
Some thirty families decided to take up permanent residence in the area after the work was completed. These immigrants had a strong desire to keep the faith of their forefathers alive, so they began to gather every Sunday for services in someone’s home or barn. Lacking a priest who could conduct mass, they asked Bishop Young, of the Erie Diocese, to provide a pastor for their congregation. In 1864, he placed the small group under the direction of the pastor at Saint Boniface Church in Hammett.
The priest who assumed these duties was Reverend Joseph Anthony Oberhofer, born on March 21, 1818, in Wolfegg, Germany. He received his seminary training and was ordained in his homeland on June 20, 1848. Having served his native diocese for eight years, he decided to come to America. After arriving on October 29, 1856, he began looking for a diocese that would need and accept him. Discovering that there were many German settlements in northwestern Pennsylvania, Oberhofer came to Erie in anticipation of working with his countrymen. His knowledge of the German language was a great asset in dealing with the people of this area.
Initially, Oberhofer was assigned as assistant pastor of Saint Mary’s in Erie. After a few months of service, Bishop Young transferred him to Saint Boniface. There, Father Joseph oversaw three separate congregations which included the Hammett church and two missions, Saint Matthew and Saint Francis of McKean. On Sundays he traveled to these parishes to conduct mass after holding an early service at Saint Boniface. Fortunately, he was a rugged man capable of making the weekly trip over rough terrain.
Following the death of Bishop Young, in September of 1866, Oberhofer was transferred to a parish in Centerville, Elk County. His replacement was Reverend Francis P. Maloney, who, as pastor during the summer of 1867, helped organize a social event which was held to benefit the Saint Matthew’s congregation. The following newspaper advertisement described the event.
“Picnic at Jackson’s Station: Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., a special train will leave the union depot for Jackson’s Station on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad where a picnic will be held for the benefit of the Catholic Church of Summit Township. Trains will leave Jackson’s Station at 3:20 and 6:20 p.m. Carriages will be at the station to convey visitors to the picnic grounds. Full preparations for sport have been made, a string band has been engaged, and in the evening there will be a hop at the home of Mr. Joseph Cummings, the entertainment concluding with a free supper. Foot races, sack races, wheelbarrow races are among the amusements to be given. A good time is expected.”
Following his apparent success, Father Maloney’s stay at Saint Boniface ended in tragedy. On Friday, October 11, 1867, fire leveled all the buildings which had been erected at St. Boniface by Father Oberhofer. (Reconstruction of the history as a page is missing here in the original manuscript.) The source of the fire was suspicious and still a mystery to this day. A serious of unfortunate events surrounding the fire caused a rift between the German and Irish parishioners. The Germans blamed Father Maloney, an Irishman, for the fire and the Irish accused the Germans of setting the fire. In 1868 Maloney was transferred due to the escalating pressures from the fire and at the same time trying to keep the missions in operation. Father John Vollmeyer, a German, a then appointed pastor.
(The history continues according to Felice)
The German/Irish dispute was so involved that both nationalities began constructing separate churches on parish property. The Germans induced Vollmeyer to support them and began to rebuild Saint Boniface on the original foundations. This enraged the Irish, who began construction of their own church, Saint Peter’s, just a short distance away. The battle between the two continued until the Irish erected a fence to split the parish property and cemetery in half. As a result of these problems, Bishop Tobias Mullen removed Vollmeyer from his duties and assigned him to Saint Francis Mission.
Knowing the severity of the situation, Bishop Mullen wisely reappointed Reverend Oberhofer in late April of 1870, who tried to serve both sides equally. After the groups had completed their respective churches, he performed separate masses for each; this approach appeared to sooth the communities’ bitter feelings.
On July 1, 1873, Reverend Melchoir Appel relieved the weary Oberhofer. Appel, a German native, came to the United States with his parents in 1847 and settled in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he received his primary and secondary education. After teaching in Mercer and Westmoreland counties, he entered the seminary of Saint Joseph’s College, Teutopolis, Illinois. He was later transferred to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and was ordained December 21, 1872, by Bishop Mullen.
Unlike his predecessors, with the exception of Oberhofer, the young priest had charge of four churches, Saint Boniface, Saint Matthew, Saint Francis, and Saint Peter, which was the Irish factions church in Hammett. When dealing with the two Hammett factions, Appel followed Oberhofer’s idea of separate but equal treatment, which resulted in a truce between the Germans and the Irish. Appel was successful in dealing with the missions where he oversaw the construction of a church for each location.
Until this point, neither of the parishes had a formal place to worship. Saint Matthew, in the interim, secured the use of a stone school in the vicinity of the future site for the Townhall Road Church.
In the spring of 1874, Appel organized the construction of Saint Matthew on land sold to the Bishop by a local farmer, George Reynolds. This site was ideal since it was centrally located in Summit Township. Built by parish volunteers, the church was completed and dedicated in the fall of 1874.
The new church in Summit Township, this county, near Jackson Station, on the P& E Railroad, was dedicated last Sunday under the patronage of St. Matthew. The number of families is about twenty and is constantly increasing. The completion of the building was mainly due to the efforts of Rev. M. Appel of Green Township, who has charge of the congregation.
Appel’s supervision of the construction of both the Summit and McKean churches was his major accomplishment. On August 1, 1878, he was transferred to Saint Agatha in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The next clergyman to lead Saint Boniface and missions was Reverend Edward Hasse. Born in Germany on March 30, 1854, he received his training and ordination in Hanover and came to the United States in April 1877. His first assignment was assistant pastor of Saint Joseph Church, under Reverend Oberhofer. This veteran priest taught Hasse church management, and the apprenticeship prepared him for his future administration of the Hammett church.
During his term Hasse paid the debts of the main church while keeping the missions running smoothly; so well, in fact, that Saint Francis of McKean was given parish status in the fall of 1885. The church in Summit also prospered when Hasse had it remodeled at a cost of eight hundred dollars which he paid himself. Because of its apparent good standing, in 1889 the church and congregation of Saint Matthew was put under the jurisdiction of Father Joseph Sieverding, the recently appointed pastor of Saint Francis; Saint Matthew was no longer a mission of Saint Boniface.
Sieverding was a New York City native, born on December 7, 1865, and ordained by Bishop Mullen, June 23, 1889. Being an urbanite, Sieverding was never comfortable with the country people of Saint Matthew. He preferred a metropolitan setting and his stay at the parish was only two years.
In 1891, another change in administration took place at the church in McKean. Father Francis Wagner, born and raised in Erie County, was assigned to Saint Francis in June 1891. His knowledge and familiarity with that part of the county heavily influenced his appointment. With most of the maintenance performed in these churches, Reverend Wagner devoted his time to the spiritual needs of the people.
From August of 1894 to January 1921, after Father Wagner’s departure, a succession of nine priests served both congregations. (F.P. Aaron 1894-1903, Lawrence McBride April 1903-August 1903, John Craig 1903-1904, John Mark Gannon June 1904- October 1904, J. O’Hern 1904-1907, Michael Flood 1907-1913, P.J. Dwyer 1913-1919, and Joseph Wherle1919-1921) In that twenty-seven year period, no major maintenance or construction work was undertaken. In late January, 1921, Patrick McNally became the spiritual head of the two churches for the next fourteen years. Born, September 15, 1887, in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, he attended the public school system and later enrolled in Saint Bonaventure College and Seminary. On May 17, 1913 he was ordained by Bishop Charles Colton of the Buffalo Diocese. Prior to the McKean assignment, McNally had served as a pastor and four times as an assistant.
Very formal while conducting his priestly duties, he insisted that the parishioners be reverent when attending services. A reprimand was forthcoming for any worshipper who did not bless himself, genuflect, or appear for service on time. However, out of vestments, he was considered to be the life of the party, thoroughly enjoying any and all affairs sponsored by either church.
McNally was an enthusiast when it came to raising funds and initiated numerous social events which helped the churches raise needed operating capital. Although he liked the dances, picnics, and parties, he never forgot his duties. Whether at work or at play, he had the ability to get the people involved in parish activities.
In 1922 Saint Matthew, again, needed remodeling. McNally took some of the profits from past social events and pew rents and renovated the church. A year later he sent a letter to Bishop John Mark Gannon, asking permission to have new seating installed at a cost of five hundred and fifty dollars. He also indicated that the Summit church had four hundred dollars on hand which would help defer the cost. Two days later permission for the work was granted.
In May 1935, Father Alois Duering replaced McNally who was sent to Holy Rosary, in Erie. Tragic events in Duering’s life played a large part in his decision to become a priest. He was married with a family prior to the outbreak of World War I. Shortly after being drafted into the German Army, his wife and children were killed. He fought furiously to repay the enemy for what they had done. Realizing that feelings of hatred were tearing him apart, he decided to become a priest.
Born in Saxony, Germany, Duering was ordained at Breslaw on June 23, 1916. He came to the United States in September 1923, and served the Erie Diocese at the Boy’s Protectory before accepting duties at Saint Francis.
While at Saint Matthew, this priest organized the construction of a stone surface around Saint Matthew’s wooden frame. In 1936, Michael and Philip Orlando were hired to do the masonry work. The pastor wanted something solid yet inexpensive and decided to use fieldstone. Gathered from local farms, parishioners used ox carts and trucks to move the boulders around the building site. The two masons, with the help of volunteers, split and mounted the stones.
After the walls had reached a height of four feet, the workers found it easier to load prepared stones onto the back of a pick-up truck, back the truck up to the unfinished portion of the clerestory and roll each one off the bed onto the wall by hand. The Orlando’s skillfully maneuvered the boulders into place and filled the gaps with mortar. The pace accelerated when a parishioner, who owned a construction firm, donated the services of a piece of heavy equipment. The bulldozer quickly moved the boulders around the building site, and the use of the blade eased the placement of the heavy stones.
While this construction was underway, Duering decided to erect fourteen stone Stations of the Cross in the wooded area across the road. These stations were also constructed by the Orlando’s, and after their completion the bulldozer was used to cut and access path through the woods.
In late June, rededication ceremonies were held, even though the church still lacked a roof. It was on this day that Father Duering renamed the church “Saint Matthew in the Woods.” The completed structure was declared by many to the most original church ever to be constructed and adding to its beauty were the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
Saint Matthew was now in debt, and money was so tight that Duering refused to give to the Bishop’s annual appeal. In a letter to Bishop Gannon, Duering apologized for not contributing to the cause and mentioned that the church could not meet its own bills. It was then that the leaders of the congregation initiated a policy of organizing monthly fund raisers to defray the costs of reconstruction.
The people of the parish all participated in organizing and working these events. Refreshments were donated by church members, and Summit Township’s many picnic groves and dance halls were also used. However, most of the events were held in the homes of parishioners. Local farmers provided chickens for barbecues, while homemakers volunteered in the kitchen. The good food and friendly atmosphere at these affairs became famous countrywide, and people flocked to these events.
Each year on a Saturday night during the fall from 1936 to 1938, the Biebel family of Donation Road held a party on their farm to benefit the church. Those who came paid two dollars for the privilege of eating and drinking all the hot dogs and beer they wanted. These parties usually netted a minimum of one hundred dollars for the parish.
The social events proved to be very successful, and the church was debt free by 1945. Duering’s tenure was also prosperous, and in July 1942 he submitted a progress report to the Bishop.
The church holds one hundred and eighty people and it is necessary to have two services on Sunday. There are eighty three Roman Catholic children attending the public school located fifty yards up the road. Catechism classes are held three times a week in our new thirty by forty foot fire proof building, which was constructed last year.
Duering’s letter spoke critically of the actions of Father Donavan, pastor of neighboring Saint George, concerning a boundary dispute. Apparently, this pastor told Summit residents who lived near his parish that they should be attending his church, and their children enrolled in its school. Duering charged that the families who changed parishes would be diminishing their children’s religious education since Catechism was only taught on Sundays at Saint George but was offered three times a week at Saint Matthew. In addition, such a migration to Saint George would hurt the finances of this church.
I feel that all Catholics living in Summit should go to Saint Matthew even thought Saint George may be closer for some of the families. Besides, all roads leading to our church are paved and open for traffic all year round.
He closed by indicating that all the disruption was unnecessary and that he wanted the Bishop to do something about the situation.
The dispute persisted for more than seven years. In the midst of the problem, a fire damaged the interior of Saint Matthew on February 21, 1943. The cause of the blaze was never determined, and fortunately most of the damage was smoke related. The building was covered by the Rhode Island Insurance Company which paid a claim of $1,611.77 to Bishop Gannon. He later forwarded the check to Reverend Duering who replied that the amount was sufficient to cover the loss. The pastor also restored the Stations of the Cross which had been defaced by vandals earlier that year.
Now that the church was repaired, the parish returned to its normal routine. Duering, however, was still concerned with losing parishioners to Saint George. His dissatisfaction prompted another letter to Bishop Gannon demanding action. In his response, the Bishop appointed a three man commission (consisting of Auxiliary Bishop McManaman, Monsignor Robert McDonald and himself) to study the appropriateness of boundary lines between the two parishes. Its report in late April 1949 set forth seven guidelines for the establishment of the boundary.
1. St. Matthew in the Woods Parish, Summit Township, according to the Pastor’s reports, is rapidly expanding; with a population now of 336 souls and with 21 baptisms in the year 1948.
2. As St. Matthew in the Woods stands today, it is better than some established parishes and as good as others, both in income and in population; viz., St. Columbkille, Stoneboro, St. Basil, Coalport, et al.
3. That the people of St. Matthew in the Woods, Summit, have in no way expressed a desire for redefinition of parish lines and/or divorce from St. Francis Church, McKean, and/or inclusion in St. George Church, Kearsarge. But that moreover, per a statement from the above Father Reilly, there is among some of the parishioners of St. Matthew in the Woods a definite antipathy toward a change.
4. That St. Francis Church, McKean, has presently in its treasury substantial ($29,489) monies ear-marked for a parochial school; that there are 96 elementary school children in St. Francis, McKean, and 88 children in St. Matthew Parish, Summit, making a total of 184 prospective elementary pupils.
5. Per statement of the above named Father Reilly, it would be impossible for McKean to maintain a parish school without the financial assistance of its mission church, St. Matthew in the Woods.
6. That there exists presently a spirit of harmony, cooperation, and unity between the parishioners of St. Francis Church, McKean, and St. Matthew in the Woods, Summit; e.g., last Sunday 315 men and boys, from both parishes, participated in a Communion Breakfast at the parent parish in McKean. It was the joint efforts of both groups which built the church now known as St. Matthew in the Woods.
7.nbsp; That the spiritual needs of the adults and children in the parish of St. Matthew are adequately cared for: Two Masses are supplied each Sunday; four nuns and a priest give religious instruction each Friday from 2:15 till 3:30 and for seven solid weeks in the summer time in the vacation school.
The commission felt that the status quo should not be disturbed and indicated such in the report by recommending that the township line dividing Millcreek and Summit should be the parish boundary. It further suggested that all Catholics living in Summit should attend Saint Matthew.
Reverend Duering, who had been ill for the past few years, died at 6:00AM on March 24, 1949, just one month prior to the release of the report. He was succeeded by his colleague, Robert J. Reilly; until Bishop Gannon appointed the assistant of Saint Andrew, Reverend Thomas Crowell. He had twelve years of administrative experience and was a professor at Villa Maria College.
The Bishop made Crowell aware of the possibility of independence for Saint Matthew. During this administrative changeover, Reilly stayed to help the new pastor by familiarizing him with the late pastor’s methods. On June 6, Reilly took his leave from the McKean church, became pastor of Saint Bernard at Fall’s Creek, and shortly after, assumed the position of headmaster of Dubois Christian High School.
Thomas Crowell’s tenure in McKean was uneventful. In May 1955, he was replaced by Reverend Raymond O. Meier, a Sharon native, ordained on May 21, 1936, and the last priest to undertake construction at the Saint Matthew Mission.
On April 13, 1958, a meeting of the Committee of Laymen for the church discussed construction of a Catechetical Center. After an architectural presentation at the committee’s meeting, the project was approved. The decision was made to keep the costs below one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, $40,000 of which was on hand in the building fund. In response to the petition which was presented to him, Bishop Gannon granted Saint Matthew permission to negotiate a loan to build the center.
Later that year, Meier wrote the Bishop that in his pursuit of the loan, he discovered that all local lending institutions were willing to advance the money if repayment was made within five years. Auxiliary Bishop McManaman suggested that Meier contact Howard Roughen, a representative of the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, who offered a loan for $150,000 to be repaid within fifteen years at five and three quarters percent interest. This sum would also cover costs of repair and remodeling work needed at St. Francis. The company insisted on Bishop Gannon’s approval and stipulated that both churches’ improvements be included in the mortgage.
Assuming that the Bishop would give his permission Meier advertised for bids. After signing contracts with six companies, the pastor sent a letter to the Bishop informing him that the Laymen’s Committee had adopted a resolution to borrow the funds needed to complete the project. He also indicated that contracts had been signed with low bidders. In closing, he stated the committee wished to quickly handle the loan through private sources or with the insurance company.
In the Bishop’s reply, Saint Matthew was granted permission to borrow the amount needed to build. Thus on February 18, 1960, a mortgage was signed with the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. The amount to be given was $150,000 at an interest rate of five and three quarters percent over a fifteen year period. As trustee, Bishop Gannon signed the agreement and old the institution where it should send the funds to ensure proper distribution. In March of that year, Bishop Gannon received a letter from his attorney which contained copies of the mortgage and of the bond contracts. After receiving the documents, the Bishop informed Meier of the terms of the lending institutions and instructed Saint Matthew not to incur any more debt. Meier, respecting the Bishop’s wishes, decided to cut costs by having parishioners do the interior work. One member donated a teacher’s desk for each classroom while the congregation purchased inexpensive student seating.
While construction was proceeding on the Center during the midsummer of 1960, Meier learned that five acres of land abutting the church property was for sale. The land’s location, adjacent to present church holdings, could prevent undesirable establishments from moving in and would provide a baseball field to bring the youth of the area together. After discussing the issue with the Committee of Laymen, a petition was sent asking the Bishop for permission to purchase the land at a cost of $1,000. Five days later, Bishop Gannon gave authorization to acquire the land.
By late summer, the new Center was near completion. However, the interior work took longer than expected because people who had offered their services often did not keep their commitments. The Catechetical Center was completed and dedicated in the fall. On October 23, Bishop Gannon honored the occasion with his presence at the dedication dinner. He was so impressed with the affair that he later sent a letter of thanks and a gift of $100 to the church’s general fund.
Much consideration was given to the independence of Saint Matthew mission from the McKean Church, and in the winter of 1961, Meier sent a letter to Auxiliary Bishop E.P. McManaman recommending the separation. McManaman responded that he did not feel it wise to bring the issue before the Bishop until both churches were free from debt.
Meier’s main accomplishment was seeing to the completion of a building which would be used for religious education and social functions. He also assisted the Summit congregation in realizing that they were ready for independence.
On June 4, 1966 Saint Matthew in the Woods was granted independent parish status under the first resident pastor, Robert E. Hannon, who was also responsible for the newly formed mission church, Saint Cyprian of Waterford. In preparation for the new priest, a group of parish volunteers transformed a small cement block festival kitchen into a rectory for their pastor.
This priest saved the parish much expense by performing all custodial duties himself. However, what started as simple maintenance turned into very taxing work which kept him from fulfilling the spiritual needs of the people. Some of this work load was reduced in 1976 when Hannon received a letter from Bishop Alfred M. Watson which indicated that he had been relieved of all pastoral duties at Saint Cyprian. Reverend Bruce Allison assumed those duties, and all records dealing with the mission were moved to the Waterford parish.
In 1979 Hannon was transferred from Summit to the Honolulu Diocese. The position was filled by Reverend John Murray who took over in that same year. The former Cathedral Prep teacher served the parish until 1985.
Reverend Jerome Simmons was named pastor of Saint Matthew in the Woods in 1985 and served the parish until 1988. After years of focusing on buildings, Fr. Simmons dedicated himself to the spiritual renewal of the individuals and of the parish as a whole.
In 1988, the Reverend Charles Drexler was appointed pastor of Saint Matthew in the Woods while continuing his job as Director of the Secretariat of Pastoral Life and Ministry for the Diocese of Erie. Fr. Drexler was a professor at Gannon University and Asst. Director of Student Services at Gannon before coming to Saint Matthew in the Woods. During his time as pastor, Fr. Drexler was able to purchase the Drohn property at 1290 Townhall Road which was to become the rectory for the pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods. With the help of parishioners, this house was transformed by putting on a new roof, new windows, new carpeting, and finishing off the attic to provide the pastor with living quarters and office space in the same house.
During his time as pastor Fr. Drexler was given charge of a Continuum Student (a seminarian who was completing his preparation for the diaconate and priesthood), Brian Vossler. This gave the parish a new experience of helping to form a young man for ministry as a priest in Diocese of Erie. Brian was ordained a deacon in 1990.
Fr. Drexler was reassigned in 1990, and Reverend John Fischer was named the pastor of both St. Matthew in the Woods and St. Cyprian in Waterford. Shortly after this, in 1991, deacon Vossler was ordained a priest. He served with Fr. Fischer for one more year and then Fr. Paul DeSante, a professor at Gannon University was assigned as a weekend assistant. Fr. DeSante served both parishes on alternate weekends until December of 1999.
The pastorate of Fr. John Fischer will always be remembered as one in which the Stone Church underwent a controversial renovation. For a more complete understanding of this event I will take from Dr. Michael E. DeSanctis’ Book, “Building from Belief.”
“The weeks surrounding Easter 1993 will likely never be forgotten by Rev. John Fischer, former pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods parish in Summit Township, Pennsylvania. Months earlier, Fischer had initiated a project to update the interior of a small, free-standing chapel central to the history of his parish, and, as Easter neared, he looked forward to the project’s timely completion. On the eve of the last Sunday in Lent, however, literally minutes before he was to preside at an anticipatory Mass, Fischer’s dream of a swift, efficient, and uneventful renovation procedure came to an end. As the priest tells it, he was preparing to celebrate the Eucharist when a member of the parish approached him, clipboard in hand, requesting permission to circulate a petition against the renovation. Startled by the interruption of his pre-Mass preparations and preoccupied with the many tasks at hand, Fischer summarily dismissed the parishioner and denied his request. This served only to incite a group of like-minded parish members who hoped to turn local opinion against any plans of tampering with the sixty year old structure.
Throughout the week that followed, popular opposition to the project intensified, prompting Fr. Fischer to call emergency meetings of the renovation committee on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. The committee members were unanimous in their decision to see the project through to completion but feared that opponents might grow more militant. These fears were realized on the evening of Easter Monday, when anonymous threats against the pastor were telephoned to the rectory and a contractual meeting involving the project architect and contractor was disrupted by a contingent of angry parishioners. Events took their strangest turn, however, when renovation opponents mounted a campaign through local news media and radio talk shows to embarrass the pastor publicly. Fischer, whose work had gone on quietly and without opposition for the better part of a year, now found himself embroiled in a public debate that extended beyond parochial boundaries and painted him as either saint or scoundrel.
At the center of the controversy was a quaint, stone chapel erected in 1936 by St. Matthew parishioners themselves on the site of an existing frame building. Known locally as the “Stone Church,” the chapel stands on the edge of a semi-rural, wooded parcel and is a popular attraction to religious pilgrims, sightseers, and wedding parties. Bus-loads of out-of-town shoppers, straight from excursions to a number of nearby shopping malls, regularly visit the chapel as well. For the people of St. Matthew parish, the structure provides a setting for weekday liturgies and for two services each weekend. Because of the chapel’s modest seating capacity (it accommodates only 115 worshippers, even after renovation) it is perceived as ancillary to the parish’s primary worship place, a large, multifunction hall. Nevertheless, the chapel and its contents hold important associations for parishioners that are at once religious, historical, and familial.
Fr. Fischer’s reasons for wanting to change so revered a building are not beyond understanding. Years of unchecked eclecticism had left the Stone Church’s interior volume crowded with an incongruous array of liturgical and devotional fixtures. No less than a third of the floor plan was consumed by a chancel and polygonal apse, leaving the nave somewhat cramped and unconducive to the ritual movement of its users. So narrow was the processional aisle, in fact, that communicants at funerals found it difficult to pass by the casket on their way to receiving Holy Eucharist. the circulation of Communion processions was frustrated further by a poorly proportioned chancel arch that sprung from points well within the building’s side aisles. (It was not uncommon for taller parishioners to strike their heads on the underside of this element when returning to their pews after receiving Communion.) Pews and floor tiles were worn and dangerous, as was the electrical system. Overall, the church’s once rustic charm had given way to a shabbiness that paint alone could not mask. Through renovation, Fischer hoped to improve the physical conditions for worship and dispel a spirit of negativity that had pervaded the parish for years.
With considerable support from the local chancery, Fr. Fischer proceeded with his plan and saw the renovated church rededicated in the autumn of 1994. “I’m not usually and emotional guy,” he confesses, “but in this place I become one.” Indeed, Fischer recalls numerous incidents in which he and other worshipers have been deeply affected by the chapel’s modified design. “A visitor came up to me and told me that this was the first church he’d bee in that seemed to encourage him to sing, that encouraged him to participate in the Mass. Well, this guy was responding to the sense of intimacy and focus that this place generates.” Fischer adds that he has noticed greater participation in liturgy among the people of the parish themselves since completion of the chapel renovation.
St. Matthew’s original, bicameral interior has been transformed by reconfiguration into a tidy, unified whole. Reorientation of the liturgical plan has put the altar, ambo, and presidential chair along one of the building’s side walls. These are bracketed by movable chairs that have been ganged together to form several sections. A major, processional pathway has been retained on the plans longitudinal axis, and is terminated by a tabernacle island. The chapel’s handsome scissor trusses and matrix of rafters and purlins are accented by a lighting scheme that illuminates the ceiling, while the floor of the building enjoys a new, slate surface.
Several St. Matthew families have chosen to leave the parish rather than accept the chapel’s renovated state, a fact that Fr. Fischer laments. He remains convinced, nonetheless, that his actions were pastorally sound and guided by a concern for the liturgical life of the entire community. Perhaps most disappointing to the priest is his realization that parishioners did not avail themselves in great numbers of the education and discussion sessions that prefigured actual renovation of the Stone Church. Some of the loudest criticism of the project in fact came from persons who had chosen not to attend public presentations made by the pastor, architect, and liturgical consultant. “Y’know,” Fischer concludes, “some Catholics just don’t want to learn more about the changes to our worship. But, if I had just one suggestion to give to others pastors in my situation, it would be simply this: Educate! Educate! Educate!”
Fr. Richard Powers took over as pastor from Fr. Fischer in 1996. Fr. Powers had been a long time Gannon University Math Professor. This was his first experience of being a pastor of a parish. His health problems led him to retire in 1999.
On June, 1, 1999, Reverend Thomas Whitman was appointed as pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods and St. Cyprian parishes. Fr. Whitman had been an associate at St. Joseph parish in Warren, PA and at St. Jude in Erie. Fr. Whitman also taught at Cathedral Prep for two years while providing weekend assistance at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Girard. This would be Fr. Whitman’s first experience as pastor of a parish. Fr. Whitman is the current pastor of the combined parish of All Saints and was recently re-appointed as pastor of All Saints with his term to expire in 2011.
HISTORY OF ST. MATTHEW IN THE WOODS PARISH
1860 – 2005
(Taken from “The History of St. Matthew in the Woods Roman Catholic Church” by Nicholas C. Felice. A thesis written for Mercyhurst College. Also, “History of St. Matthew in the Woods” as remembered by Charles Mangold)St. Matthew in the Woods Roman Catholic Church of Summit Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania is presently situated two miles west of route ninety-seven on Townhall Road. The church, founded during the 1860’s by Irish immigrants, has since grown to encompass many nationalities. Its expansion was a direct result of the combined efforts of its many pastors, societies, and social events they organized. Throughout its history two Catholic parishes that greatly influenced St. Matthew’s were Saint Boniface of Hammett, Pennsylvania, and Saint Francis Xavier of McKean. Saint Matthew’s was considered a mission church and was under the jurisdiction of Saint Boniface from 1864 until 1889. Later control of the Summit church was transferred to Saint Francis until 1966.
During the 1850’s, a small group of Erie businessmen combined their resources and organized the construction of a railroad line extending from Erie to Sunbury, Pennsylvania. This corporation, the Sunbury and Erie Railroad, was to connect with the mainline to Philadelphia. The original plans called for the tracks to run in a southerly direction from Erie to Waterford, and continue to the east passing through such small communities as Union City, Corry, Warren, and Renova before it met with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Sunbury.
Many small villages had been established as a result of the construction of the Sunbury and Erie; among them was Jackson’s Station. This settlement, which was located six miles south of Erie, was founded by Irish immigrants employed by the railroad to build the section of track from Erie to Waterford. The hamlet was named after its first postmaster, James C. Jackson, who established a mail stop there in 1863. Since railroad laborers were not expected to stay in one area long, the company only provided temporary shanties.
Some thirty families decided to take up permanent residence in the area after the work was completed. These immigrants had a strong desire to keep the faith of their forefathers alive, so they began to gather every Sunday for services in someone’s home or barn. Lacking a priest who could conduct mass, they asked Bishop Young, of the Erie Diocese, to provide a pastor for their congregation. In 1864, he placed the small group under the direction of the pastor at Saint Boniface Church in Hammett.
The priest who assumed these duties was Reverend Joseph Anthony Oberhofer, born on March 21, 1818, in Wolfegg, Germany. He received his seminary training and was ordained in his homeland on June 20, 1848. Having served his native diocese for eight years, he decided to come to America. After arriving on October 29, 1856, he began looking for a diocese that would need and accept him. Discovering that there were many German settlements in northwestern Pennsylvania, Oberhofer came to Erie in anticipation of working with his countrymen. His knowledge of the German language was a great asset in dealing with the people of this area.
Initially, Oberhofer was assigned as assistant pastor of Saint Mary’s in Erie. After a few months of service, Bishop Young transferred him to Saint Boniface. There, Father Joseph oversaw three separate congregations which included the Hammett church and two missions, Saint Matthew and Saint Francis of McKean. On Sundays he traveled to these parishes to conduct mass after holding an early service at Saint Boniface. Fortunately, he was a rugged man capable of making the weekly trip over rough terrain.
Following the death of Bishop Young, in September of 1866, Oberhofer was transferred to a parish in Centerville, Elk County. His replacement was Reverend Francis P. Maloney, who, as pastor during the summer of 1867, helped organize a social event which was held to benefit the Saint Matthew’s congregation. The following newspaper advertisement described the event.
“Picnic at Jackson’s Station: Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., a special train will leave the union depot for Jackson’s Station on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad where a picnic will be held for the benefit of the Catholic Church of Summit Township. Trains will leave Jackson’s Station at 3:20 and 6:20 p.m. Carriages will be at the station to convey visitors to the picnic grounds. Full preparations for sport have been made, a string band has been engaged, and in the evening there will be a hop at the home of Mr. Joseph Cummings, the entertainment concluding with a free supper. Foot races, sack races, wheelbarrow races are among the amusements to be given. A good time is expected.”
Following his apparent success, Father Maloney’s stay at Saint Boniface ended in tragedy. On Friday, October 11, 1867, fire leveled all the buildings which had been erected at St. Boniface by Father Oberhofer. (Reconstruction of the history as a page is missing here in the original manuscript.) The source of the fire was suspicious and still a mystery to this day. A serious of unfortunate events surrounding the fire caused a rift between the German and Irish parishioners. The Germans blamed Father Maloney, an Irishman, for the fire and the Irish accused the Germans of setting the fire. In 1868 Maloney was transferred due to the escalating pressures from the fire and at the same time trying to keep the missions in operation. Father John Vollmeyer, a German, a then appointed pastor.
(The history continues according to Felice)
The German/Irish dispute was so involved that both nationalities began constructing separate churches on parish property. The Germans induced Vollmeyer to support them and began to rebuild Saint Boniface on the original foundations. This enraged the Irish, who began construction of their own church, Saint Peter’s, just a short distance away. The battle between the two continued until the Irish erected a fence to split the parish property and cemetery in half. As a result of these problems, Bishop Tobias Mullen removed Vollmeyer from his duties and assigned him to Saint Francis Mission.
Knowing the severity of the situation, Bishop Mullen wisely reappointed Reverend Oberhofer in late April of 1870, who tried to serve both sides equally. After the groups had completed their respective churches, he performed separate masses for each; this approach appeared to sooth the communities’ bitter feelings.
On July 1, 1873, Reverend Melchoir Appel relieved the weary Oberhofer. Appel, a German native, came to the United States with his parents in 1847 and settled in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he received his primary and secondary education. After teaching in Mercer and Westmoreland counties, he entered the seminary of Saint Joseph’s College, Teutopolis, Illinois. He was later transferred to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and was ordained December 21, 1872, by Bishop Mullen.
Unlike his predecessors, with the exception of Oberhofer, the young priest had charge of four churches, Saint Boniface, Saint Matthew, Saint Francis, and Saint Peter, which was the Irish factions church in Hammett. When dealing with the two Hammett factions, Appel followed Oberhofer’s idea of separate but equal treatment, which resulted in a truce between the Germans and the Irish. Appel was successful in dealing with the missions where he oversaw the construction of a church for each location.
Until this point, neither of the parishes had a formal place to worship. Saint Matthew, in the interim, secured the use of a stone school in the vicinity of the future site for the Townhall Road Church.
In the spring of 1874, Appel organized the construction of Saint Matthew on land sold to the Bishop by a local farmer, George Reynolds. This site was ideal since it was centrally located in Summit Township. Built by parish volunteers, the church was completed and dedicated in the fall of 1874.
The new church in Summit Township, this county, near Jackson Station, on the P& E Railroad, was dedicated last Sunday under the patronage of St. Matthew. The number of families is about twenty and is constantly increasing. The completion of the building was mainly due to the efforts of Rev. M. Appel of Green Township, who has charge of the congregation.
Appel’s supervision of the construction of both the Summit and McKean churches was his major accomplishment. On August 1, 1878, he was transferred to Saint Agatha in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The next clergyman to lead Saint Boniface and missions was Reverend Edward Hasse. Born in Germany on March 30, 1854, he received his training and ordination in Hanover and came to the United States in April 1877. His first assignment was assistant pastor of Saint Joseph Church, under Reverend Oberhofer. This veteran priest taught Hasse church management, and the apprenticeship prepared him for his future administration of the Hammett church.
During his term Hasse paid the debts of the main church while keeping the missions running smoothly; so well, in fact, that Saint Francis of McKean was given parish status in the fall of 1885. The church in Summit also prospered when Hasse had it remodeled at a cost of eight hundred dollars which he paid himself. Because of its apparent good standing, in 1889 the church and congregation of Saint Matthew was put under the jurisdiction of Father Joseph Sieverding, the recently appointed pastor of Saint Francis; Saint Matthew was no longer a mission of Saint Boniface.
Sieverding was a New York City native, born on December 7, 1865, and ordained by Bishop Mullen, June 23, 1889. Being an urbanite, Sieverding was never comfortable with the country people of Saint Matthew. He preferred a metropolitan setting and his stay at the parish was only two years.
In 1891, another change in administration took place at the church in McKean. Father Francis Wagner, born and raised in Erie County, was assigned to Saint Francis in June 1891. His knowledge and familiarity with that part of the county heavily influenced his appointment. With most of the maintenance performed in these churches, Reverend Wagner devoted his time to the spiritual needs of the people.
From August of 1894 to January 1921, after Father Wagner’s departure, a succession of nine priests served both congregations. (F.P. Aaron 1894-1903, Lawrence McBride April 1903-August 1903, John Craig 1903-1904, John Mark Gannon June 1904- October 1904, J. O’Hern 1904-1907, Michael Flood 1907-1913, P.J. Dwyer 1913-1919, and Joseph Wherle1919-1921) In that twenty-seven year period, no major maintenance or construction work was undertaken. In late January, 1921, Patrick McNally became the spiritual head of the two churches for the next fourteen years. Born, September 15, 1887, in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, he attended the public school system and later enrolled in Saint Bonaventure College and Seminary. On May 17, 1913 he was ordained by Bishop Charles Colton of the Buffalo Diocese. Prior to the McKean assignment, McNally had served as a pastor and four times as an assistant.
Very formal while conducting his priestly duties, he insisted that the parishioners be reverent when attending services. A reprimand was forthcoming for any worshipper who did not bless himself, genuflect, or appear for service on time. However, out of vestments, he was considered to be the life of the party, thoroughly enjoying any and all affairs sponsored by either church.
McNally was an enthusiast when it came to raising funds and initiated numerous social events which helped the churches raise needed operating capital. Although he liked the dances, picnics, and parties, he never forgot his duties. Whether at work or at play, he had the ability to get the people involved in parish activities.
In 1922 Saint Matthew, again, needed remodeling. McNally took some of the profits from past social events and pew rents and renovated the church. A year later he sent a letter to Bishop John Mark Gannon, asking permission to have new seating installed at a cost of five hundred and fifty dollars. He also indicated that the Summit church had four hundred dollars on hand which would help defer the cost. Two days later permission for the work was granted.
In May 1935, Father Alois Duering replaced McNally who was sent to Holy Rosary, in Erie. Tragic events in Duering’s life played a large part in his decision to become a priest. He was married with a family prior to the outbreak of World War I. Shortly after being drafted into the German Army, his wife and children were killed. He fought furiously to repay the enemy for what they had done. Realizing that feelings of hatred were tearing him apart, he decided to become a priest.
Born in Saxony, Germany, Duering was ordained at Breslaw on June 23, 1916. He came to the United States in September 1923, and served the Erie Diocese at the Boy’s Protectory before accepting duties at Saint Francis.
While at Saint Matthew, this priest organized the construction of a stone surface around Saint Matthew’s wooden frame. In 1936, Michael and Philip Orlando were hired to do the masonry work. The pastor wanted something solid yet inexpensive and decided to use fieldstone. Gathered from local farms, parishioners used ox carts and trucks to move the boulders around the building site. The two masons, with the help of volunteers, split and mounted the stones.
After the walls had reached a height of four feet, the workers found it easier to load prepared stones onto the back of a pick-up truck, back the truck up to the unfinished portion of the clerestory and roll each one off the bed onto the wall by hand. The Orlando’s skillfully maneuvered the boulders into place and filled the gaps with mortar. The pace accelerated when a parishioner, who owned a construction firm, donated the services of a piece of heavy equipment. The bulldozer quickly moved the boulders around the building site, and the use of the blade eased the placement of the heavy stones.
While this construction was underway, Duering decided to erect fourteen stone Stations of the Cross in the wooded area across the road. These stations were also constructed by the Orlando’s, and after their completion the bulldozer was used to cut and access path through the woods.
In late June, rededication ceremonies were held, even though the church still lacked a roof. It was on this day that Father Duering renamed the church “Saint Matthew in the Woods.” The completed structure was declared by many to the most original church ever to be constructed and adding to its beauty were the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
Saint Matthew was now in debt, and money was so tight that Duering refused to give to the Bishop’s annual appeal. In a letter to Bishop Gannon, Duering apologized for not contributing to the cause and mentioned that the church could not meet its own bills. It was then that the leaders of the congregation initiated a policy of organizing monthly fund raisers to defray the costs of reconstruction.
The people of the parish all participated in organizing and working these events. Refreshments were donated by church members, and Summit Township’s many picnic groves and dance halls were also used. However, most of the events were held in the homes of parishioners. Local farmers provided chickens for barbecues, while homemakers volunteered in the kitchen. The good food and friendly atmosphere at these affairs became famous countrywide, and people flocked to these events.
Each year on a Saturday night during the fall from 1936 to 1938, the Biebel family of Donation Road held a party on their farm to benefit the church. Those who came paid two dollars for the privilege of eating and drinking all the hot dogs and beer they wanted. These parties usually netted a minimum of one hundred dollars for the parish.
The social events proved to be very successful, and the church was debt free by 1945. Duering’s tenure was also prosperous, and in July 1942 he submitted a progress report to the Bishop.
The church holds one hundred and eighty people and it is necessary to have two services on Sunday. There are eighty three Roman Catholic children attending the public school located fifty yards up the road. Catechism classes are held three times a week in our new thirty by forty foot fire proof building, which was constructed last year.
Duering’s letter spoke critically of the actions of Father Donavan, pastor of neighboring Saint George, concerning a boundary dispute. Apparently, this pastor told Summit residents who lived near his parish that they should be attending his church, and their children enrolled in its school. Duering charged that the families who changed parishes would be diminishing their children’s religious education since Catechism was only taught on Sundays at Saint George but was offered three times a week at Saint Matthew. In addition, such a migration to Saint George would hurt the finances of this church.
I feel that all Catholics living in Summit should go to Saint Matthew even thought Saint George may be closer for some of the families. Besides, all roads leading to our church are paved and open for traffic all year round.
He closed by indicating that all the disruption was unnecessary and that he wanted the Bishop to do something about the situation.
The dispute persisted for more than seven years. In the midst of the problem, a fire damaged the interior of Saint Matthew on February 21, 1943. The cause of the blaze was never determined, and fortunately most of the damage was smoke related. The building was covered by the Rhode Island Insurance Company which paid a claim of $1,611.77 to Bishop Gannon. He later forwarded the check to Reverend Duering who replied that the amount was sufficient to cover the loss. The pastor also restored the Stations of the Cross which had been defaced by vandals earlier that year.
Now that the church was repaired, the parish returned to its normal routine. Duering, however, was still concerned with losing parishioners to Saint George. His dissatisfaction prompted another letter to Bishop Gannon demanding action. In his response, the Bishop appointed a three man commission (consisting of Auxiliary Bishop McManaman, Monsignor Robert McDonald and himself) to study the appropriateness of boundary lines between the two parishes. Its report in late April 1949 set forth seven guidelines for the establishment of the boundary.
1. St. Matthew in the Woods Parish, Summit Township, according to the Pastor’s reports, is rapidly expanding; with a population now of 336 souls and with 21 baptisms in the year 1948.
2. As St. Matthew in the Woods stands today, it is better than some established parishes and as good as others, both in income and in population; viz., St. Columbkille, Stoneboro, St. Basil, Coalport, et al.
3. That the people of St. Matthew in the Woods, Summit, have in no way expressed a desire for redefinition of parish lines and/or divorce from St. Francis Church, McKean, and/or inclusion in St. George Church, Kearsarge. But that moreover, per a statement from the above Father Reilly, there is among some of the parishioners of St. Matthew in the Woods a definite antipathy toward a change.
4. That St. Francis Church, McKean, has presently in its treasury substantial ($29,489) monies ear-marked for a parochial school; that there are 96 elementary school children in St. Francis, McKean, and 88 children in St. Matthew Parish, Summit, making a total of 184 prospective elementary pupils.
5. Per statement of the above named Father Reilly, it would be impossible for McKean to maintain a parish school without the financial assistance of its mission church, St. Matthew in the Woods.
6. That there exists presently a spirit of harmony, cooperation, and unity between the parishioners of St. Francis Church, McKean, and St. Matthew in the Woods, Summit; e.g., last Sunday 315 men and boys, from both parishes, participated in a Communion Breakfast at the parent parish in McKean. It was the joint efforts of both groups which built the church now known as St. Matthew in the Woods.
7.nbsp; That the spiritual needs of the adults and children in the parish of St. Matthew are adequately cared for: Two Masses are supplied each Sunday; four nuns and a priest give religious instruction each Friday from 2:15 till 3:30 and for seven solid weeks in the summer time in the vacation school.
The commission felt that the status quo should not be disturbed and indicated such in the report by recommending that the township line dividing Millcreek and Summit should be the parish boundary. It further suggested that all Catholics living in Summit should attend Saint Matthew.
Reverend Duering, who had been ill for the past few years, died at 6:00AM on March 24, 1949, just one month prior to the release of the report. He was succeeded by his colleague, Robert J. Reilly; until Bishop Gannon appointed the assistant of Saint Andrew, Reverend Thomas Crowell. He had twelve years of administrative experience and was a professor at Villa Maria College.
The Bishop made Crowell aware of the possibility of independence for Saint Matthew. During this administrative changeover, Reilly stayed to help the new pastor by familiarizing him with the late pastor’s methods. On June 6, Reilly took his leave from the McKean church, became pastor of Saint Bernard at Fall’s Creek, and shortly after, assumed the position of headmaster of Dubois Christian High School.
Thomas Crowell’s tenure in McKean was uneventful. In May 1955, he was replaced by Reverend Raymond O. Meier, a Sharon native, ordained on May 21, 1936, and the last priest to undertake construction at the Saint Matthew Mission.
On April 13, 1958, a meeting of the Committee of Laymen for the church discussed construction of a Catechetical Center. After an architectural presentation at the committee’s meeting, the project was approved. The decision was made to keep the costs below one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, $40,000 of which was on hand in the building fund. In response to the petition which was presented to him, Bishop Gannon granted Saint Matthew permission to negotiate a loan to build the center.
Later that year, Meier wrote the Bishop that in his pursuit of the loan, he discovered that all local lending institutions were willing to advance the money if repayment was made within five years. Auxiliary Bishop McManaman suggested that Meier contact Howard Roughen, a representative of the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, who offered a loan for $150,000 to be repaid within fifteen years at five and three quarters percent interest. This sum would also cover costs of repair and remodeling work needed at St. Francis. The company insisted on Bishop Gannon’s approval and stipulated that both churches’ improvements be included in the mortgage.
Assuming that the Bishop would give his permission Meier advertised for bids. After signing contracts with six companies, the pastor sent a letter to the Bishop informing him that the Laymen’s Committee had adopted a resolution to borrow the funds needed to complete the project. He also indicated that contracts had been signed with low bidders. In closing, he stated the committee wished to quickly handle the loan through private sources or with the insurance company.
In the Bishop’s reply, Saint Matthew was granted permission to borrow the amount needed to build. Thus on February 18, 1960, a mortgage was signed with the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. The amount to be given was $150,000 at an interest rate of five and three quarters percent over a fifteen year period. As trustee, Bishop Gannon signed the agreement and old the institution where it should send the funds to ensure proper distribution. In March of that year, Bishop Gannon received a letter from his attorney which contained copies of the mortgage and of the bond contracts. After receiving the documents, the Bishop informed Meier of the terms of the lending institutions and instructed Saint Matthew not to incur any more debt. Meier, respecting the Bishop’s wishes, decided to cut costs by having parishioners do the interior work. One member donated a teacher’s desk for each classroom while the congregation purchased inexpensive student seating.
While construction was proceeding on the Center during the midsummer of 1960, Meier learned that five acres of land abutting the church property was for sale. The land’s location, adjacent to present church holdings, could prevent undesirable establishments from moving in and would provide a baseball field to bring the youth of the area together. After discussing the issue with the Committee of Laymen, a petition was sent asking the Bishop for permission to purchase the land at a cost of $1,000. Five days later, Bishop Gannon gave authorization to acquire the land.
By late summer, the new Center was near completion. However, the interior work took longer than expected because people who had offered their services often did not keep their commitments. The Catechetical Center was completed and dedicated in the fall. On October 23, Bishop Gannon honored the occasion with his presence at the dedication dinner. He was so impressed with the affair that he later sent a letter of thanks and a gift of $100 to the church’s general fund.
Much consideration was given to the independence of Saint Matthew mission from the McKean Church, and in the winter of 1961, Meier sent a letter to Auxiliary Bishop E.P. McManaman recommending the separation. McManaman responded that he did not feel it wise to bring the issue before the Bishop until both churches were free from debt.
Meier’s main accomplishment was seeing to the completion of a building which would be used for religious education and social functions. He also assisted the Summit congregation in realizing that they were ready for independence.
On June 4, 1966 Saint Matthew in the Woods was granted independent parish status under the first resident pastor, Robert E. Hannon, who was also responsible for the newly formed mission church, Saint Cyprian of Waterford. In preparation for the new priest, a group of parish volunteers transformed a small cement block festival kitchen into a rectory for their pastor.
This priest saved the parish much expense by performing all custodial duties himself. However, what started as simple maintenance turned into very taxing work which kept him from fulfilling the spiritual needs of the people. Some of this work load was reduced in 1976 when Hannon received a letter from Bishop Alfred M. Watson which indicated that he had been relieved of all pastoral duties at Saint Cyprian. Reverend Bruce Allison assumed those duties, and all records dealing with the mission were moved to the Waterford parish.
In 1979 Hannon was transferred from Summit to the Honolulu Diocese. The position was filled by Reverend John Murray who took over in that same year. The former Cathedral Prep teacher served the parish until 1985.
Reverend Jerome Simmons was named pastor of Saint Matthew in the Woods in 1985 and served the parish until 1988. After years of focusing on buildings, Fr. Simmons dedicated himself to the spiritual renewal of the individuals and of the parish as a whole.
In 1988, the Reverend Charles Drexler was appointed pastor of Saint Matthew in the Woods while continuing his job as Director of the Secretariat of Pastoral Life and Ministry for the Diocese of Erie. Fr. Drexler was a professor at Gannon University and Asst. Director of Student Services at Gannon before coming to Saint Matthew in the Woods. During his time as pastor, Fr. Drexler was able to purchase the Drohn property at 1290 Townhall Road which was to become the rectory for the pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods. With the help of parishioners, this house was transformed by putting on a new roof, new windows, new carpeting, and finishing off the attic to provide the pastor with living quarters and office space in the same house.
During his time as pastor Fr. Drexler was given charge of a Continuum Student (a seminarian who was completing his preparation for the diaconate and priesthood), Brian Vossler. This gave the parish a new experience of helping to form a young man for ministry as a priest in Diocese of Erie. Brian was ordained a deacon in 1990.
Fr. Drexler was reassigned in 1990, and Reverend John Fischer was named the pastor of both St. Matthew in the Woods and St. Cyprian in Waterford. Shortly after this, in 1991, deacon Vossler was ordained a priest. He served with Fr. Fischer for one more year and then Fr. Paul DeSante, a professor at Gannon University was assigned as a weekend assistant. Fr. DeSante served both parishes on alternate weekends until December of 1999.
The pastorate of Fr. John Fischer will always be remembered as one in which the Stone Church underwent a controversial renovation. For a more complete understanding of this event I will take from Dr. Michael E. DeSanctis’ Book, “Building from Belief.”
“The weeks surrounding Easter 1993 will likely never be forgotten by Rev. John Fischer, former pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods parish in Summit Township, Pennsylvania. Months earlier, Fischer had initiated a project to update the interior of a small, free-standing chapel central to the history of his parish, and, as Easter neared, he looked forward to the project’s timely completion. On the eve of the last Sunday in Lent, however, literally minutes before he was to preside at an anticipatory Mass, Fischer’s dream of a swift, efficient, and uneventful renovation procedure came to an end. As the priest tells it, he was preparing to celebrate the Eucharist when a member of the parish approached him, clipboard in hand, requesting permission to circulate a petition against the renovation. Startled by the interruption of his pre-Mass preparations and preoccupied with the many tasks at hand, Fischer summarily dismissed the parishioner and denied his request. This served only to incite a group of like-minded parish members who hoped to turn local opinion against any plans of tampering with the sixty year old structure.
Throughout the week that followed, popular opposition to the project intensified, prompting Fr. Fischer to call emergency meetings of the renovation committee on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. The committee members were unanimous in their decision to see the project through to completion but feared that opponents might grow more militant. These fears were realized on the evening of Easter Monday, when anonymous threats against the pastor were telephoned to the rectory and a contractual meeting involving the project architect and contractor was disrupted by a contingent of angry parishioners. Events took their strangest turn, however, when renovation opponents mounted a campaign through local news media and radio talk shows to embarrass the pastor publicly. Fischer, whose work had gone on quietly and without opposition for the better part of a year, now found himself embroiled in a public debate that extended beyond parochial boundaries and painted him as either saint or scoundrel.
At the center of the controversy was a quaint, stone chapel erected in 1936 by St. Matthew parishioners themselves on the site of an existing frame building. Known locally as the “Stone Church,” the chapel stands on the edge of a semi-rural, wooded parcel and is a popular attraction to religious pilgrims, sightseers, and wedding parties. Bus-loads of out-of-town shoppers, straight from excursions to a number of nearby shopping malls, regularly visit the chapel as well. For the people of St. Matthew parish, the structure provides a setting for weekday liturgies and for two services each weekend. Because of the chapel’s modest seating capacity (it accommodates only 115 worshippers, even after renovation) it is perceived as ancillary to the parish’s primary worship place, a large, multifunction hall. Nevertheless, the chapel and its contents hold important associations for parishioners that are at once religious, historical, and familial.
Fr. Fischer’s reasons for wanting to change so revered a building are not beyond understanding. Years of unchecked eclecticism had left the Stone Church’s interior volume crowded with an incongruous array of liturgical and devotional fixtures. No less than a third of the floor plan was consumed by a chancel and polygonal apse, leaving the nave somewhat cramped and unconducive to the ritual movement of its users. So narrow was the processional aisle, in fact, that communicants at funerals found it difficult to pass by the casket on their way to receiving Holy Eucharist. the circulation of Communion processions was frustrated further by a poorly proportioned chancel arch that sprung from points well within the building’s side aisles. (It was not uncommon for taller parishioners to strike their heads on the underside of this element when returning to their pews after receiving Communion.) Pews and floor tiles were worn and dangerous, as was the electrical system. Overall, the church’s once rustic charm had given way to a shabbiness that paint alone could not mask. Through renovation, Fischer hoped to improve the physical conditions for worship and dispel a spirit of negativity that had pervaded the parish for years.
With considerable support from the local chancery, Fr. Fischer proceeded with his plan and saw the renovated church rededicated in the autumn of 1994. “I’m not usually and emotional guy,” he confesses, “but in this place I become one.” Indeed, Fischer recalls numerous incidents in which he and other worshipers have been deeply affected by the chapel’s modified design. “A visitor came up to me and told me that this was the first church he’d bee in that seemed to encourage him to sing, that encouraged him to participate in the Mass. Well, this guy was responding to the sense of intimacy and focus that this place generates.” Fischer adds that he has noticed greater participation in liturgy among the people of the parish themselves since completion of the chapel renovation.
St. Matthew’s original, bicameral interior has been transformed by reconfiguration into a tidy, unified whole. Reorientation of the liturgical plan has put the altar, ambo, and presidential chair along one of the building’s side walls. These are bracketed by movable chairs that have been ganged together to form several sections. A major, processional pathway has been retained on the plans longitudinal axis, and is terminated by a tabernacle island. The chapel’s handsome scissor trusses and matrix of rafters and purlins are accented by a lighting scheme that illuminates the ceiling, while the floor of the building enjoys a new, slate surface.
Several St. Matthew families have chosen to leave the parish rather than accept the chapel’s renovated state, a fact that Fr. Fischer laments. He remains convinced, nonetheless, that his actions were pastorally sound and guided by a concern for the liturgical life of the entire community. Perhaps most disappointing to the priest is his realization that parishioners did not avail themselves in great numbers of the education and discussion sessions that prefigured actual renovation of the Stone Church. Some of the loudest criticism of the project in fact came from persons who had chosen not to attend public presentations made by the pastor, architect, and liturgical consultant. “Y’know,” Fischer concludes, “some Catholics just don’t want to learn more about the changes to our worship. But, if I had just one suggestion to give to others pastors in my situation, it would be simply this: Educate! Educate! Educate!”
Fr. Richard Powers took over as pastor from Fr. Fischer in 1996. Fr. Powers had been a long time Gannon University Math Professor. This was his first experience of being a pastor of a parish. His health problems led him to retire in 1999.
On June, 1, 1999, Reverend Thomas Whitman was appointed as pastor of St. Matthew in the Woods and St. Cyprian parishes. Fr. Whitman had been an associate at St. Joseph parish in Warren, PA and at St. Jude in Erie. Fr. Whitman also taught at Cathedral Prep for two years while providing weekend assistance at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Girard. This would be Fr. Whitman’s first experience as pastor of a parish. Fr. Whitman is the current pastor of the combined parish of All Saints and was recently re-appointed as pastor of All Saints with his term to expire in 2011.