|
of his long and successful pastorate at St. Augustine, and the esteem and affection in which he is held by those of the parish who knew and revered him as their spiritual father and those of the younger people who know him by tradition handed down to them by their ancestors, he has been invited by the rector, Rev. Father Joseph H. Farran, to preach the sermon at the Solemn Pontifical Mass at the opening of the Diamond Jubilee, which invitation he has kindly accepted and will undoubtedly be accorded a grand ovation by both pastor and parishioners.
Rectorate of Rt. Rev. M's'g'r T. P. Smith, V. G.
Rt. Rev. M's'g'r T. P. Smith, now Rector of Sacred Heart church, Altoona, and Vicar General of the Altoona Diocese, was born in Gallitzin, and was ordained July 6, 1882. He became pro tempore rector of the St. Augustine parish in July, 1883, and continued in this position until October of the same year, during the absence in Europe of M's'g'r Ryan. He was for several years rector of the Holy Name church, Ebensburg, and was afterwards stationed at St. John's, Altoona, until sent by Bishop Phelan to organize the Sacred Heart parish on Twentieth street, Altoona, where he built a fine brick church, brick rectory, convent and sisters' schools. Almost, if not entirely from the founding of the parish, all improvements have been financed without resort to euchres, socials, bazaars or fairs. He was for years Chancellor and Vicar Foraine of the Altoona Diocese; and upon the resignation of the late M's'g'r John Boyle, rector of St. John Gaulbert's, Johnstown, from the position of Vicar-General of the diocese, a position he had held by appointment of the late Rt. Rev. E. A. Garvey soon after he took charge of the diocese, Very Rev. T. P. Smith, then Chancellor of the diocese and Vicar Foraine, was appointed to the vacated position. About the same time, in recognition of his many services in the cause of religion, he was created a domestic prelate by Pope Benedict XV. with the title of Rt. Rev. Monsignor. He is assisted in his arduous labors in the parish by his twin brother, Rev. Fr. Matthew F. Smith, endearingly known as "Father Matt," a historian of note, who several years ago, after much labor and research, had completed a history of the Altoona diocese and sent the type-written copy, to a New York publishing firm for publication, but the firm failed to live up to the agreement and Father Smith never got back his manuscript. To his courtesy the writer is in-
|
