Passionist Life in Holy Cross Province during the Depression Era
by Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D.
In the process of gathering research on the life of Passionist scripture scholar Barnabas Ahern, C.P. I had the unique privilege of conducting a two day interview with Passionist Neil Parsons in Citrus Heights, California on May 14-15, 1997. I asked Fr. Neil, ordained in 1937, to reflect back and imagine that he was waiting to hear where his first assignment was to be. I asked him to give a thumbnail sketch, as he understood the pluses or minuses of each Passionist foundation in Holy Cross Province. I have also added some of my own reflections as it pertains to the role of the practice of rotating theology students which was a common practice in Holy Cross and St. Paul of the Cross Provinces.
In Louisville, St. Agnes Parish possessed a "vital spirit." Led by pastor Aloysius Dowling for almost fifteen years, the Newburg Road area was no longer in the country and population had increased. There was a "wholesome and optimistic, hopeful view of the future" even in the Depression. There was "a healthy attitude" surrounding both Sacred Heart Monastery and St. Agnes which was the monastery parish. Louisville "would have been a desirable place to live and work" as a priest in the monastery or being sent out on parish missions. Louisville was the novitiate from 1906 to 1936. It served as the theologate from 1937 to 1965 and then as the college seminary from 1965 to 1971.
Immaculate Conception Monastery on Harlem Ave. in Norwood Park, Chicago, housed the provincial offices on the second floor. Provincial and council members lived in Chicago. Between 1906 and 1959 Holy Cross Province had only two consultors. In 1937 Immaculate Conception was "the center of the Province" decision-making. This very fact sometimes created tensions for some who lived there. Who really dictated the pulse of the monastic life and horarium of prayer? Was it the George Jungles the rector (1932-1935, 1935-1938) or Boniface Fielding (1935-1938, 1938-1941) the Provincial? Some, for that reason did not consider it a highly desirable place to reside, though Chicago-born Passionists were partial to living there. The chief means of financial support for the Passionist community came from income derived from those who preached parish missions. Others assisted in Sunday ministries for Mass throughout the city, gave Sisters' retreats and preached for The Sign Magazine. Founded in the first decade of the century Immaculate Conception Parish was next to the monastery and Norwood Park was considered a "rather healthy—economically healthy area." In 1937 it was " a good and active parish." Middle class, it grew more slowly than Sacred Heart in Louisville and did not attract as many vocations to the Passionists.
Holy Cross Monastery high atop Mt. Adams in Cincinnati was "a much-loved, old monastery." Older Passionists liked it because many had grown up there. After the 1940's the appeal of Holy Cross diminished as the older men died. Still, it was a beautiful location. Two Passionist parishes were within walking distance and battled for identity with one another. Immaculata was slowly losing its German-speaking parishioners while Irish Holy Cross was holding its own. Any Passionist assigned to parish work there had to face the tensions. Holy Cross had been the prep school until 1920. From 1920 to 1946 it served as a theology house. It was a retreat house from 1946 to 1978.
Normandy, Missouri, was home to Mother of Good Counsel. A standard monastery community building, it was home of the preparatory high school seminary; therefore many Passionists considered it an educational center. Residing at the monastery were two parish priests who served in nearby St. Ann's Parish. Passionists educated in the prep seminary had a natural bond with the foundation. The monastery closed in 1956 and the Prep School moved to Warrenton, Missouri.
Land in Sierra Madre, in Pasadena, California had been bought in the early 1920's by Passionist Provincial Eugene Creegan (1920-1923, 1923-1926, 1929-1932, 1932-1935) who loved the Los Angeles region. Provincial Jerome Reutermann (1908-1911, 1911-1914, 1926-1929) felt the opposite about the west coast. While a residence existed in Pasadena, building of the monastery did not occur until the 1930's when the Detroit monastery was completed. Fr. Edmund Walsh, CP and Bill Shiltz, a layman contractor and architect, supervised the project which was built quite cheaply during the Depression. Every day men would line up "pleading for a day's work." Sierra Madre was on the "outskirts" of province life in 1937. Some, however, felt like "orphans " and out of touch with the rest of the province. Others loved southern California for the weather and the distance from leadership. Three day travel time between the west coast and the Midwest did endear Passionists to the location. In the 1940's the Passionist Sacred Eloquence program was located there. The Passionist presence at Citrus Heights outside of Sacramento did not begin until 1949.
Feed