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"Salt of the Earth". a History of Immaculate

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SALT OF THE EARTH A HISTORY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH CARNEGIE, PA. 1893 TO 1992 James W. Garvey Pittsburgh, Pa. September 1994 Public Library in Oakland. This second on the list of libraries donated by Mr. Carnegie was finished in 1895. Highland Park was opened to the Public in the City of Pittsburgh, and work was completed on REGIONAL EVENTS - 1890'S Phipps Conservatory in Schenley Park. Joseph Home Co., sellers of dry goods and importers, When Immaculate Conception Parish opened an innovative, modern six story was first started, there were many factories and department store on Penn Avenue in downtown mills in Carnegie, including the Andrew Carnegie Pittsburgh. Steel works. There were also some mines in the On the national scene, in 1893, Oklahoma vicinity. Carnegie has been described by some as a Territory was opened to land-hungry settlers. The 'mill town.' In the 1890's the population was made trade name Sears & Roebuck & Co. was advertised up largely of working class families, shop keepers, for the first time, and this mail-order firm racked and miners. up $338,000.00 in sales. Alternating current The memory of ominous events the previous became commercially feasible thanks to the year still lingered and was often the center of con- inventive genius of Charles Steinmetz. Henry Ford versation among people in Carnegie. June 30, 1892 tested his first motor car in Detroit -it was known there had been a terrible strike in Homestead as a gasoline buggy. Congress made air-brakes when Mr. H.C. Frick discharged the entire labor mandatory on U.S. Railroad trains; U.S. Rural Free force of 3,800 workers at the Homestead Steel Delivery began with five test postal routes in West Works after they threatened to strike for higher Virginia. The Hill Sisters wrote the popular song: wages. July 6, 1892, three hundred Pinkerton men "Happy Birthday," and the United States returned to were engaged to break the strike. There was a the Gold Standard. pitched battle at the Homestead Works between the Pinkertons and the union men. Sixteen men Rev. Francis Makowski, the founding pastor of were killed and many more were wounded. Gover- Immaculate Conception Church, Carnegie, Pa. nor Pattison ordered National Guard troops to was born Jan. 21, 1870 in Opinogona, Poland. Fr. Makowski came to the United Homestead to end the strike. States as a seminarian and continued his studies at St. Vincent Seminary, Given the labor/management difficulties of the Latrobe, Pa. where he was ordained day. it is not surprising to find that the City of in 1893 by Bishop Richard Phelan, Pittsburgh's first anti smoke ordinance proved to D.D. Shortly after his ordination, Fr. Makowski was sent to Carnegie in be a wholly ineffective piece of legislation in 1893 where he took up temporary dealing with air-pollution. In 1893, Andrew residence at St. Joseph Parish while he organized a new parish for Polish Carnegie, convinced that steel had a bright and speaking people in Carnegie. Fr. certain future, started work on his 'steel Makowski built the first Church and rectory on Jane Street, near Chartiers headquarters,' the 15 story Carnegie Building on Creek. He served as pastor for seven (7) Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh. Mr. Carnegie instructed years - 1893 to 1899 - until he became ill. Fr. Makowski died Aug. 17, 1947 and was his engineers to deliberately leave the steel buried from Immaculate Concpetion Church, the framework of the building exposed (standing parish he had founded many years earlier. unfinished) so that he could demonstrate the innovative use of steel as a new construction Rev. Andrew Lojek, the second pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish served material. This structure is regarded as Pittsburgh's from 1900 to 1903. During his pastorate first skyscraper the number of families in the parish grew to nearly 600. However, there Some Carnegie families made a special trip to was much dissent and disagreement nearby Castle Shannon, where there was much among the parishioners. During the pastorate of Fr. Lojek, Immaculate employment in the mines, so they could ride the Conception Parish was split, and a incline plane built in 1892, the year before new Parish, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Immaculate Conception parish opened.On March was formed in Glendale to serve the Polish speaking families in that sec- 20, 1893, George Washington Ferris broke ground tion of the community. In 1904, shortly for the first Ferris Wheel, a thrilling amusement for after he completed his pastoral assign- ment in Carnegie, Fr. Lojek returned to young and old alike. Only a few months later in Europe and his homeland. July 1893, construction began on the Carnegie SALT OF THE EARTH - A HISTORY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH, CARNEGIE, PA. 1893-1992 2 PARISH GROWTH IN THE EARLY YEARS - FR. MAKOWSKI Immaculate Conception Parish was established on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the another place, for I was struggling four Virgin Mary, Dec. 8, 1893 in Carnegie, Pa. Fr. Francis years with misery and at present I do not Makowski and the first parishioners moved very find means for living." Respectfully submit- quickly to build a church. The Pittsburgh Catholic ted, Francis Makowski, Pastor. carried this article: "On Sunday, 16th of September Bishop Phelan was willing to accommodate Fr. 1894 the Right Rev. Bishop [Richard Phelan] dedi- Makowski, and offered him the pastorate of the cated the new Polish church at this place Polish parishes in Braddock and Duquesne. [Carnegie].The sacred edifice was dedicated under Makowski responded to Bishop Phelan Nov. 5, the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, and 1897 and said he was content to remain in the congregation will be known henceforth by this Carnegie. Makowski's letter reads: "...the Polish name. Rev. Father Francis Makowski is rector.There Churches at Braddock and Duquesne offered or was a large attendance of the reverend clergy and proposed to me by the Rt. Rev. Bishop, I will not laity on this interesting occasion." (From: Archives, accept the charge of the above mentioned church- Diocese of Pittsburgh.) es, for, since the strike is over, I can make my living Establishing, a new parish is never without dif- in Carnegie with the greatest pleasure having ficulty. Correspondence between Fr. Makowski and peaceful congregation not spoiled by others."Yours the Bishop shows that on April 6, 1895, Fr. Makows- very truly, Francis Makowski. (Correspondence ki wrote to Bishop Phelan complaining that a from Archives, Diocese of Pittsburgh.) neighboring pastor, Fr. Hertz, was baptizing and officiating at marriages for some members of Rev. Stanislaus Jastrzębski was barn in Lomza, Poland Nov. 17, Immaculate Conception Parish. This action by a 1872. He served as pastor ot neighboring pastor meant that there would be Immaculate Conception Parish Irom 1903 until 1906. Shortly fewer stole fees. Makowski writes to Bishop Phe- after he took charge of the lan:"...this section has 38 families and Father Hertz parish, he purchased land for divides into two and for this reason I cannot make the parish plant and the ceme- tery. Jastrzębski is largely my living and furnish a church." responsible for strengthening In 1895, Fr. Makowski reported to the Bishop the Parish societies. He founded the Hussar Guard of St. Stephen that he had ordinary receipts of $2,753 93 and Battery, Oct. 1,1904. Several expenses of $1,281.36.There were 40 families, 250 years after Fr. Jastrzębski completed his pastorale in souls, and there had been 66 baptisms that year. Carnegie, he left Pittsburgh The parish debt was $2,866.18.The following year, (1908), returned to his home- land and continued his priestly 1896, parish income was $3,121.10; expenses ministry in Poland. $1,504.85, and the parish had a $1,920.55 debt. There were 41 families, 240 souls, and seventy-six Only a few years later, September 1899, Father baptisms. Francis Makowski became ill, and entered In a report to Bishop Phelan the following year St. Francis Hospital.He was not able to return to [Aug. 20, 1897] Fr. Makowski reports that he was active priestly ministry.The first pastor of Immacu- serving 30 families (150 souls). That year 123 per- late Conception Parish had done well in a few sons made their Easter duty. There had been six short years. Before his departure, the parish could marriages and five deaths. The debt of the congre- boast of a fine new wooden frame church to gation (in 1897) was $4,093.66-$2,500.00 of that accommodate the congregation, and a rectory to amount was owed to Dollar Savings Bank at 6% provide shelter for the pastor. Fr. Makowski died interest. Fr. Makowski valued the Church property August 17, 1947. Fr. James Olko, pastor at Immacu- (for insurance purposes) at $10,600.00. Fr. late Conception parish at that time, Fr. Anthony J.E Makowski's salary for that year was $66.00. Along Muszyniski, and Fr. M. W. Drelak offered a solemn with the report, Fr. Makowski writes: "1 the under- high requiem mass for the repose of his soul. Fr. signed herewith respectfully do petition the Right Makowski was buried in the parish cemetery Rev. Bishop of Pittsburgh to promote me to August 21, 1947. SALT OF THE EARTH - A HISTORY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH, CARNEGIE, PA. 1893-1992 The Polish church in Carnegie is built of stur- dy wood, standing at the corner of Broadway and fane Street. The parish owns the two houses A HISTORY OF PARISH BY across from the church, together valued at REV. STANISLAUS JASTRZĘBSKI $5,000.00; a beautiful rectory worth $10,000.00; (1905) a school and a large church hall worth Two histories of Immaculate Conception parish 000.00.
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