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History of St. Augustine

History of Parish of St. Augustine, St. Augustine, Pa. 21

 

already well educated in Latin, Greek, Russian and other European languages as well as in military science.

Prince Gallitzin Becomes a Priest - the First Person to Receive Full Orders in the United States.

     On March 18, 1795, Prince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, having completed his theological course, was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Carroll, to him belonging the great distinction of having been the first in the United States upon whom the full Orders of the priesthood were conferred, the Rev. Shephen Badin, who had been previously ordained by Bishop Carroll, having received minor orders before coming to America.

     Of Father Gallitzin, the writer in his report of the Loretto Centenary to the Johnstown Tribune, wrote: "Kings, tired of the cares of state, some doubtless through remorse, but nearly all of them disgusted with perplexities, have laid down the scepter and entered monasteries; but it is doubtless if there is another instance of a man on the threshold of life surrendering such "flattering prospects of the world" to follow the dictates of his conscience, and immure himself for a lifetime in the solitudes of an almost inaccessible wilderness."

Father Gallitzin Gathers About Him a Colony of Catholics Encircling the McGuire Settlement.

     Father Gallitzin, until 1808, generally known as Rev. Mr. Smith, the anglicised form of his mother's surname, Schmettau, to prevent pecuniary complications by reason of his change of religion, not that he was personally afraid of them, but in order that he might not be deprived of his *bare of the income from the patrimony of his father's estates in the province of Moscow, Russia, which income he desired to use to plant his proposed colony, after having built his church, already noted, and a log "house, 14x16 feet with a kitchen," bethought himself of laying out a town for those who desired to live near the church.

The Founding of the Town of Loretto.

     With the aforesaid purpose in view he, in 1799, had the site of a town which he named Loretto, from the town of Loreto in Italy, with three streets - St. John's, the principal street; St. Mary's and St. Joseph's and various cross-streets all bearing, if the writer mistakes not, the names of saints. The lots were large and were sold for a small


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Lynne Canterbury, Diann Olsen and contributors