PARISH HISTORY

-St. Vincent De Paul Parish : Its’ People, History, and Faith-

There is not a great deal of recorded history concerning colonial Catholic life in Pennsylvania. One reads more of William Penn’s Quaker thrust and the German Dutch influence in the early days on the Keystone state than one does of Catholic evangelization.

Yet the story of Catholicism in York County was rooted even before Penn sailed up the Delaware River in 1682. It did not even have to do with the settlers from Europe but with the Jesuit missionaries who braved the unknown to save the souls of the Indians. Very near to Hanover was the Conewago Mission, later to become the first church in the United States named for the Sacred Heart. The Jesuits were based there, and as the number of white settlers in the area increased, they turned their ministry towards them as well as to the Indians. York County then, boasts a tradition that is strongly Catholic, and yet towards the end of the nineteenth century in the area between Hanover and McSherrystown, the Catholics were feeling the need for a church and parochial school. At that time the many Catholic residents were required to attend either St. Joseph’s Church in Hanover or St. Mary’s (Annunciation) in McSherrystown and thus had to travel considerable distances.

In 1901, according to newspaper accounts, a site had been secured for a chapel as an adjunct to St. Joseph’s congregation. In 1903 Joseph Brockley, representing the congregation, bought four desirable lots from Josiah S. Sprenkle, with possession to be given in October of that year. These lots bordered on McSherrystown Avenue (now Third Street) and would be the site of a new church and school.

It has not been exactly determined what transpired after the reports in the Hanover Evening Herald concerning these two property acquisitions, but on February 16, 1904, Mrs. Gabriella Smith recorded five building lots, numbers 9 10, 11, 12, and 13, of a plan of Margaret A. Sprenkle. These lots, situated partially in Hanover Borough and partially in Penn Township, were purchased from Mrs. Sprenkle and her husband, Josiah. It was on this 150 by 150-foot plot of ground that St. Vincent de Paul Church was to be built as a memorial to Mrs. Smith’s brother, Vincent.

Vincent O’Bold, one of the leading businessmen of this area, had often expressed his desire to donate to the Diocese of Harrisburg a Catholic church which would serve as a personal memorial. His failing health made it impossible for him to personally execute this ambition, so he asked his sister, Mrs. Gabriella Smith, to carry out his plans.

He died on December 28, 1902, without a will, and his sister, being his only heir, proceeded to fulfill his wishes shortly thereafter.

Gabriella Smith approached Bishop Shanahan with her desire to build the church. With his sanction, plans were immediately made for this memorial to Vincent O’Bold. It was to be placed under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul as a mark of respectful gratitude to the gracious donor, Vincent O’Bold. Vincent was born on March 11, 1827. He worked on a farm with his three sisters and went to Catholic school at the Conewago Chapel. When he was young, he discovered his father’s farm was in financial trouble, so he borrowed $1,000 from his uncle. With this money, Vincent started the first milk delivery route to Hanover and McSherrystown. Vincent paid off his father’s debt and paid back his uncle. This led Vincent to eventually own 600 acres of the finest farmland in the area. He was also the president of the First National Bank for one year, the director of the bank from 1866-1902, and was the bank’s largest stockholder. Vincent O’Bold was a faithful member of the Sacred Heart Basilica for over half a century. He gave four farms to the religious groups there at Conewago Chapel. Two farms to the Jesuits, one farm to the sisters of St. Joseph’s, and one to the Conewago Chapel.

Vincent married Louise Smith, and they had 4 children, Rebecca, Annie, Ignatius, & Mary. He raised their children with Louise and then buried each of them by 1880. They all passed away from a disease known as consumption. He died on December 28, 1902, at the age of 75. Vincent, his wife Louise, and all their family are buried in the Sacred Heart Basilica Cemetery in Edgegrove. Both Vincent and his sister Gabriella Smith had generous hearts. Vincent’s estate paid for St. Vincent’s Church and the Rectory, and Gabriella left half of her estate to St. Vincent’s Parish in a trust fund which provided income to the Parish until 1925. Which at that time the final settlement was made. Gabriella Smith died on June 26, 1907.

Vincent had a dream, a vision, and he knew it was God’s plan. Because today over a hundred and twenty years have passed, and St. Vincent de Paul Parish is still with a faithful congregation of parishioners giving glory and praise to God.

“Our Patron Saint, St. Vincent De Paul”

We are very proud of our Patron Saint, who is St. Vincent de Paul. He, much like Vincent O’Bold, worked hard for the sake of others. Born in Gascony, France on April 24, 1581, he dedicated himself to helping the poor. He is renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity. He was a pioneer in seminary education and the cofounder of the Vincentian Priests. The priests took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and devoted themselves to the people of the smaller villages. Vincent de Paul also founded the Daughters of Charity Religious Order of St. Vincent de Paul. He died September 27, 1660 at the age of 79 in Paris, France. In 1737, he was canonized as a Saint by Pope Clement XII on June 16. His Feast Day is celebrated on September 27th each year. This day is in memory of this faith-filled man who dedicated himself to others for the goodness of God. We at St. Vincent’s Parish feel very blessed to have St. Vincent de Paul as our Patron Saint to follow in his ways.

-History of St. Vincent De Paul Church-

On June 11, 1904, Mrs. Gabriella Smith, (Vincent O’Bold’s sister) conveyed the rights of 5 lots to Bishop J.W. Shanahan for $1.00. These lots were along what was then called the Hanover/McSherrystown Pike and is now known as Third Street. Mr. H.E. Yessler of York, PA was retained as architect by Mrs. Smith to build the church. After Yessler decided on a Gothic design for the church, construction officially began, making Vincent O’Bold’s dream a reality.

The laying of the cornerstone occurred on June 12, 1904 at 3:00 P.M. The walls along with the cornerstone were blessed with about 2000 people in attendance. Work continued on the church until the winter months, during which time progress was halted due to the cold weather. It then resumed during the Spring of 1905 with the Church being completed later that year. The Dedication and Consecration ceremonies of St. Vincent de Paul Church took place at the same time on December 5, 1905 at 10:30 AM. This unusual event occurred because St. Vincent’s was debt free upon completion. Bishop Shanahan praised Mrs. Smith and her deceased brother, Vincent O’Bold for their generosity.

The cost to build our Church was $50,000 and it measured 50 x 125 feet. It was built with pressed brick with brownstone trimming. This work was done by F.X. Kuhn. The interior was finished in polished oak with an altar of white and gold. The stained-glass windows were supplied by Meyer and Company of New York and came from Munich, Bavaria. The organ was purchased from the Moeller Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD. The interior of the Church had both electric lights and gas fixtures. And the church bell was installed by the Shane Foundry Company of Baltimore.

Our church actually opened with oak wood doors entering from Third St. The Stations of the Cross were oak as well, with finial features displayed on each of them. Originally, we had a vestibule that embraced you as you entered the church from Third St. There were alcoves on both sides of the church inside with a statue of the Pieta on the right and the baptismal font on the left. As you went through the vestibule and entered the church, the confessionals were to the right and left of the entrance. The choir loft was right above with a closet to the left and the bell tower to the right. The Sanctuary was edged with an oak altar rail. The Sacristy was built to the rear of the Altar which housed our sacred vessels, candles and vestments for Mass and our worship liturgies. The tabernacle and the golden bell that is rung before Mass are two of the original pieces in the church since 1905. There was a statue of the Blessed Mother to the left of the altar and a statue of St. Joseph to the right. Both statues were encased by wood with finials with a small altar in front of the statues.

Partial excavation of the church basement was done in 1925. This was accomplished by hand, with a shovel, and a scoop pulled by two mules. Later in 1939 the excavation was completed providing a church basement as a meeting place for the people of the parish. The concrete floor was poured, and a wooden dance floor was built in the center. A lot of activities and groups used the basement for their functions.

-Changes to St. Vincent De Paul Church Over the Years-

1929 – 1930:

The interior of the church was frescoed, and the altars were done in several colors. Also included were the sacristy, vestibule, stations, and the statues. All the woodwork was varnished. The lighting and the carpets were replaced.

1943:

The first major renovation took place. The gothic background for the main altar and the side statues were removed. The statues were now placed on brackets that were braced to the wall. The tabernacle was also on a free-standing shape made of wrought iron and bronze. An 18-foot from the floor baldachin panel was placed as the background for the altar. A 3ft by 6ft crucifix carved of oak was placed in the center of the Dossal. There was a new altar made as well and was frescoed in colors to match the interior of the church.

1955:

A fire broke out on the roof after lightning struck during a thunderstorm. The firemen were able to keep the fire from spreading. The damage was kept at a minimum and repaired soon after.

1965:

A temporary altar was placed facing the people in the Sanctuary.

1973:

The 2^nd major renovation took place, and the entire interior was redone. The alcoves were converted into confessionals. The baptismal font and the statue of the pieta were removed. The Stations of the Cross were stripped of their frames. The entire sanctuary was changed to now include a risen Christ on a cast stone reredos. All the votive candles were removed from the church. The side altars were also removed. On the one side of the sanctuary was a simple altar under a bronze tabernacle. An unusual sculpture depicted the baptism of Christ on the wall above the tabernacle. The pulpit, lector stand, and chairs were made of walnut wood. The pews were also stripped and stained in walnut finish. New recessed lighting was installed in the ceiling. New carpet and flooring were installed along with new padding on the kneelers. The exterior of the church and interior were painted a color called Wedding White. Reinforced bars were installed in the church to prevent the movement of the walls. The vestibule was gone and the entrances to the church were now glass doors. The bathrooms were added in the vestibule between the church and the rectory.

1976:

The votive candles were brought back into the church.

1978:

There were two side doors added to the interior of the church. These doors were installed for the convenience and safety of the parishioners. A cement ramp was built outside the door on the right side of the church. This work was done by George and Donald Emig. This was a gift to the church in honor of their mother, Grace Emig, who could no longer do the steps. The door to the left had a cement stoop and steps added again the work done by Emig Brothers Construction.

1990:

The interior of the church was painted pink with blue accents. The exterior of the church was water blasted to remove the paint from 1973. The bricks were then sealed to keep their integrity. The church’s mortar was repointed to bring the standard of beauty it had before 1973. Air conditioning was installed in the church as a gift from the Lynch family in memory of their son, Lee Lynch who was killed in the Vietnam War while serving our Country.

1993 – 2001:

The beginning of the 3^rd renovation. The Sanctuary had a new wooden reredos installed. The 1905 tabernacle was put back in the center of the sanctuary on a wooden oak stand. The statue of the Blessed Mother was returned to the Sanctuary in a wooden shrine with finials. This shrine was made by Bill and Scott Kessler along with Mr. Cyril Klunk. The gold leafing was done by June Williams and St. Vincent’s Youth Group. A statue of St. Michael the Archangel was placed on the wall to the right of the Sanctuary. All the designs and blueprints were the work of Neil Smith. Neil was a parishioner here for over 60 years. The wooden shrine encasing St. Michael the Archangel was made by Sam Little and Cyril Klunk. The gold leafing was done by June Williams and Christine Little. Then the St. Vincent de Paul statue was placed over the confessional on the right side of the church. A statue of St. Joseph was placed over the confessional on the left side of the church. The baptismal font was placed in the vestibule of the church. The pews were padded with fabric, a project donated by Ruby Smith in memory of her late husband Johnny Smith. Johnny and Ruby owned Johnny’s Upholstery. The Stations of the Cross were encased with wood again. The design was made by Neil Smith. They were built by Sam Little and Cyril Klunk. Fr. Quinn along with Tim and Diane Kaehler, (painted the Roman Numerals on the stations along with the title of each station), Christine Little (applied the gold leafing to the stations), Robert (Spook) Myers, William Staub, Willis Smith, Michael Staub, Jack Riley, Phil Selby, Rob Greenholt, Wayne Wisensale, Wayne Lawrence, Jeff Little, Phil Topper, Ken Keefer, Hoffman Pattern, Inc., completed the project. Behind the 14^th station is a group picture of the volunteers that worked on the Stations of the Cross.

2005:

At the celebration of our 100^th anniversary, we had a new altar placed in our sanctuary. It was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Rhoades as a part of our celebration. The relics that are placed on our altar are St. Urban and St. Secunda. Both were martyrs of the church. Pat Lenick did the lettering of the Reliquaries. The design of the altar was done by Neil Smith. The construction work was done by Willis Smith, (our parishioner) and Cyril Klunk. The gold leafing of the Altar was done by Pat Heiland, Amanda Eitz, and Lisa Staub. Mr. Neil Crispo donated the Last Supper deco that is attached to the front of the altar.

2009 – 2014:

The 3^rd renovation continued. A painting firm, named Ritterbeck and Sons from Moosic, PA were hired for this renovation. They are known for their work in churches with their expertise in decorative and artistic qualities. Robert and his son Ryan have studied under the Italian Masters in Florence and Rome. The quality of their work was amazing given the scope of their project, not only in design but in detail. Their precise work of cleaning and restoring before painting was essential to the final result. They also added medallions on the ceiling of the church. These were in dedication to the Blessed Mother. There were two Murals added in the rear of the church. A mural of angels was added to the Sanctuary. And a mural was added behind the reredos on the wall as well. The stain glass windows which were covered in the Sanctuary were uncovered again. They painted the columns in a marbleized pattern with a gold leaf accent. New water fonts were added as well as a new pulpit keeping with the same design of the new remodel in our church. The altar rail was again built and placed all the way across the steps of the Sanctuary.

Present:

We are truly blessed by the talent and time given by each of these volunteers of the parish for all the renovations. The church today still holds this same design. St. Vincent de Paul Catholic church today still stands with the blessings of God and a parish family who is truly grateful for all of this special grace.

Rectory / Parish House:

The Rectory was built in 1906 and completed in 1907. The cost again bore by Mrs. Gabriella Smith on behalf of her brother, Vincent O’Bold. The Rectory has a basement and three floors of living space. The first floor is the Pastor’s Office, a kitchen, and a dining room and a first floor bathroom. The second floor has two suites with a private sitting room, a bedroom and bath in each suite. Fr. Reid and Fr. Gotwalt preside in these suites. The third floor has a suite with a private sitting room, bedroom, and bath, and an office. Fr. Ignacio presides on the third floor. The Rectory was renamed the Parish House by the Pastor, Fr. Bernard Quinn in 1993. He believed it would show how much the people of the parish should feel welcomed into the house that they support for the Priests. He held parish and finance council meetings in the dining room. He welcomed people to help build the Parish with gratitude. The Parish Office was open for business 5 days a week and was happy to greet you much like it is today. Fr. Reid refers back to the title today as the Rectory. And no matter the title we are blessed it is kept in such good shape. The Rectory has several renovations in the past but has always maintained the same structure. 18 Pastors have served our parish of St. Vincent de Paul. However, in 2014-2015, Msgr. James Lyons was assigned our Pastor. He also served as the Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Hanover. He resided at St. Joseph Parish. So you see, only 17 Pastors actually lived in our Rectory along with many Assistant Priests over the years. The front and back porches serve as the entrances to the Rectory. And there is a balcony exiting the Suite that Fr. Gotwalt lives in. We are proud of this Rectory that it supplies living quarters for our priests. The back door ascends to a courtyard of grass and trees. The trees were planted by the second grade students of St. Vincent de Paul School in 1927 as saplings. There is also a statue of the Pieta done by Curtis Billig as an Eagle Scout Project to achieve his Eagle Scout Award. In the side yard next to the Rectory, there is a Statue of the Holy Family encased by brick done by Michael Monaghan as an Eagle Scout Project also to earn his Eagle Scout Award. We are very proud of the young men for their hard work and love of their parish. We are very thankful for all the blessings of our Parish.

The Convent / DePaul Center:

Fr. James Howard, then Pastor in 1921 had purchased 5 lots facing Third Street that would then be our School and Convent. The Convent was completed on November 2nd, 1925 which would be the living quarters for the Sisters of St. Joseph. Our School actually opened in September of 1924.  But the Sisters lived in a house on Sprenkle Avenue down from the Church until the Convent was completed. The Convent had three floors and a basement. The first floor has a kitchen and dining room, a chapel, and two study rooms. The second floor had a community room, 6 bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The third floor had 2 bedrooms with a bathroom, with an attic for storage. The second floor has a rear balcony that faces the yard. The Sisters of St. Joseph’s served at our school until 1988 when we then had all lay teachers to teach our students. In October of 1999 to the front facing the Convent on the left is a Memorial placed and dedicated in remembrance of all the children lost to abortion. This is a sacred spot of prayer in the hope to always insist on life for a child.

In 1993 the Convent was renamed the DePaul Center by Fr. Quinn. It served our teachers as a place to enjoy their lunch. And also to do meetings if necessary. The DePaul Center also served as a Retreat Center for small groups using the Chapel until 2000. The DePaul Center also housed our Thrift Shop in the basement from 1993 to 2012. Today our Thrift Shop serves as a Health Closet helping anyone with need of medical equipment. This is such a gift to the people of the parish as well as the Community of Hanover. We are so blessed to have this ministry at St. Vincent’s!

St. Vincent de Paul School:

On March 29, 1921 Fr. Howard bought 5 building lots facing Third Street. St. Vincent de Paul School was built laying the cornerstone on October 7, 1923. Our School officially opened on September 7, 1924. The school has a basement and two other floors. When it opened the first floor served as the classrooms. The second floor served as their art, music, gym, and plays they performed. Then as the number of students began to climb, the school served all 8 grades throughout the first and second floor. The basement housed a library, an art room, a computer room, and a music room. Our school also served as a Catholic Religious Education Center for our CCD students attending Public Schools. Our School was closed in 2011. Our students had to filter into the surrounding Catholic Schools. Our students today attend St. Teresa Calcutta School or St. Joseph School. Our School was built with families of believers who taught their children along with our teachers to always grow in the name of God. That Jesus was our Savior and we were always led by the Holy Spirit of God and do His will!

The school today still serves as classrooms for our CCD students for their religious education. The first floor is used for meetings. The Knights of Columbus have a meeting room. The Spanish Community have a classroom for their meetings. And the basement houses our Thrift Shop which consists of four rooms. Our Thrift Shop moved to the School in 2012 and is very busy today 13 years later. Our Thrift Shop has been actually open for 32 years between the DePaul Center and the School Building. So you see, our school is utilized with life running all through it.

There is a marquis in front of the school that proudly serves as a message board for all our events or holidays. There was also a playground to the rear of the school that was obtained by a Grant. The Grant was led by our Principal, Linda Billig and was aided by the efforts of the volunteers she recruited. On the last day of school in June of 2011 a time capsule was buried in front of the Pieta with lots of information including keepsakes from over the years. Our school was opened for 87 years. We were very proud of our school and all who taught there as well as our Principals, and our staff. Our students and families who sacrificed to send their children to our school and our CCD Program we still admire them today. Their dedication and commitment to our school and CCD was such a blessing to our Parish.

St. Vincent’s Gymnasium, Auditorium, and Gotwalt Hall:

On December 22, 1914, six building lots were bought facing South Street and are at the rear of the Church and School. These lots were paid for by the Estate of John Hamburg and Sallie Johns. The Gym / Auditorium began being built on June 19, 1960 with Fr. Guy Gotwalt being our Pastor. The Gym was dedicated on June 25, 1962. The Gym was our CYO sports facility where many boys and girls basketball games along with girls volleyball championships were won. The Gym served also as our classroom for our Physical Education classes for our school students. We used our Auditorium Stage for many recitals and plays throughout the years. The Auditorium also has a Library. It was dedicated to Fr. Bernard Quinn in 2001 in honor of his love for education and reading for our children of the parish. The Gym / auditorium was dedicated to Msgr. Guy Gotwalt in memory of his planning and financing the Parish Hall. Over the years our gym was used for our weekly bingo. Our bingo was a fundraiser for the parish for 48 years. We held so many wonderful events in our Gym and still do!

Today our gym has many uses. Our Annual Yard Sale and Christmas Bazaar and Vocation Fair is held there. We have funeral lunches there. We rent our gym to others for family events. We have a weekly Men’s Basketball League that play there. Delone Catholic High School uses the Gym for their Retreats. Delone also has some of their basketball practices in the gym along with St. Teresa of Calcutta School’s basketball teams. Our Catholic Council of Women hold their meetings in the library as well as the Legion of Mary. Our Parish Council and Finance Council hold all their meetings in the Library. The Thrift Shop Meetings which are held quarterly are held in the Library as well! The Food Pantry which is stationed in front of the Gym on South Street stores all their food in the big closet in the gym. The Food Pantry outside is on the honor system for people in need of food. The money to buy our food is completely funded by the St. Vincent’s de Paul Society, the Poor Box in the back of Church, and donations from parishioners throughout the parish. Joyce Smith, our coordinator fills the Food Pantry every week.

So our Gym/Auditorium/Gotwalt Hall is a very essential part of our Parish just like all the buildings in our Parish of St. Vincent de Paul. We are truly blessed by so many volunteers and generous people that have these facilities to do God’s work in their ministries.

St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery:

Our Cemetery is located on the corner of Jefferson Street and Blettner Avenue. The 20 acres of land was purchased on November 26, 1952 by Fr. Gotwalt, our then Pastor. The first burial was a baby, Barbara Neiderer on October 21, 1954 followed by her mother, Constance Neiderer on October 23, 1954. The entrance to our Cemetery has a brick planter wall on each side with our sign of St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery. These entrance walls were donated in memory of Clair and Luella Small by Debra Small Frame and Cindy Small Staub, their daughters. We have a Priest Circle where Fr. Anthony Topper is buried as well as Msgr. Guy Gotwalt.

In the middle of the Priest Circle there stands a very proud project of our parish everyone refers to as “Raise the Cross.” This was a dream of Judith Ciancio, our parishioner. She coordinated the entire research and development of this project as well as raising money for this project of $80,000. In 2020, the Center of the Priest Circle, a Crucifix with Jesus was erected and stands there today. It is the focal point of prayer as you enter the Cemetery to visit our loved ones. We are so blessed by Judith’s vision and hard work to see “Raise the Cross” come to be and placed in our Cemetery. The donations raised came from bequest left in the name of Raise the Cross. As well as donations and fundraiser again coordinated by Judith Ciancio.

20 more acres of land were purchased early in the 1990’s by Msgr. McGuire from Mrs. Diller. Our land now extends from Jefferson Street back to the Legion Baseball Field. The land not being used for graves at the present time is farmed out with crops until we need it for graves. In the front part of our Cemetery section that has graves with flat stones. There is a Mosaic Sculpture of the Blessed Mother. The rest of the sections of the Cemetery the graves have upright and flat headstones. Each All Soul’s Day there is a Remembrance Service in our Cemetery to remember our loved ones that have passed away. We are so blessed to have a wonderful family, Lester and Dawn Little to maintain our Cemetery. Our graves are sold by Jeb Mahone, our Maintenance Engineer for the Parish. Jeb also does the development and markers of the new sections as the sections presently become full of graves. We are so blessed by the Little family and Jeb Mahone who dedicates so much time and hard work to maintain the beauty of our Cemetery.

Summary:

As we celebrate the 120th Anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul Church, we thank God for His grace. We Thank Jesus who teaches us the way of the Lord as our daily way to follow Him. We thank the Holy Spirit for the guidance to do the good works that God has given us. We thank all the 11 Popes who guided our way of Catholicism. We thank our 7 Bishops who served our Diocese of Harrisburg who led our parish and all the parishes with their wisdom and direction. We thank the 18 Pastors and all the other Priests that serve our Parish that led us to 120 years of St. Vincent de Paul Parish. And we thank God for all the parishioners & families throughout these years that helped us to have the blessings we have today.

We are a Congregation of firm faith with hearts full of hope and a love of Jesus in the Eucharist.

May we always have God’s blessing surround us in our years to come as a Parish of St. Vincent de Paul.