Actually, they were already in Clontarf, they just needed a better church. Parishioners were filling up the small 1878 church building every Sunday and Holy Day, and for baptisms, weddings, and funerals in between. Clontarf needed a church to reflect the success of the growing community that began as a small colony just twenty years earlier.
Clontarf is an Irish place name and St. Malachy is the first Irish-born saint to be formally canonized, but the parish was built by Irish and French-Canadian residents. The two groups did not always get along, but they were united in faith by Father Anatole Oster, a native of France.
There are LOTS of names listed below…if you see one you recognize, let me know about your connection to Clontarf, Minnesota.
PLEDGES AND PAYMENTS: CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ST. MALACHY CHURCH
So much can be learned from looking through the account books. Sure, we see how much folks contributed to the construction, but we also gain an understanding of how important the church was to the residents of Clontarf and the surrounding townships. They were invested in the church and the community, they had a stake in its success. This can be seen in the money pledged and the hours of donated labor.
Letting Go of the Old
Part of the preparations for the new church was dealing with the old one. They would need the old church for mass while the new one was constructed and they wanted the new building in the same spot, so…move the church!
On July 3, 1893, Nels Erickson was paid $82.00 for “moving the church 117 feet east @ 70 cents per foot…” Later that year on October 14th, Erickson was paid $26.00 for “wages at mason work.” An entry dated November 2, 1895, reads: “On Nov. 2 the following men worked banking old church 3 hrs: Wm. Shinnick Jr., Rich. Bulger, Wm. Purcell.”
Pledged Donations (noted in account book)
1892 – D. F. McDermott $100, H. Ernst $20, Edward Mockler $20, J.W. Flynn $25
1893 – Charles Axier $25, J. O’Donnell $50, R. O’Brian $5, John Kent $10, Father Oster $345 (“to bldg. fund”), Louis Chamberlain $5
1894 – Michael Donovan $100
1895 – Frank Casey $10, Andrew Riordon $20, Thomas O’Brian $10, Michael Halloran $5, Sam Daugherty $20, John Gosson $25, Joseph Daugherty $5, Henry Riorden Jr. $10, P.A. McCarthy $5, John Hanlon $5, Richard McGraw $60
1896 – James Kent $10, Patrick Chenery $50, Mrs. Reen $25, Jane Kenna $25., John Sullivan $25, Edward McGinley $20
1897 – Ernest Goulet $20, Napoleon Camiri $20, William Kenna $10., Patrick Foley $25, Martin McAndrew $10, James McDonald $5, John McDonald $5, Patrick Langan $10
(See below for a list of pledges recorded June 8 – 10, 1896 as received and recorded at the Bank of Benson.)
Everyone Pitched In
Much of the construction was completed by the men of Clontarf. They helped with digging foundations, hauling, framing, and finishing. Although they were not paid, the labor is accounted for in the financial records. Various individuals appear throughout the records listed by name, date, hours worked, and type of work they contributed.
Payments to Contractor
- 7/10/1896 – Simon Conaty payment $100 (Contractor/builder on the project)
- 8/7/1896 – L. F. Young for drawing contract and bond $5.00
- 8/7/1896 – Simon Conaty payment 1st part of contract $400
- 8/29/1896 – Simon Conaty Part payment on $500.00 (from D. F. McDermott note to St Malachy?) $300
- 9/24/1896 – Simon Conaty payment $294
- 10/5/1896 – Simon Conaty payment $206
- 12/10/1896 – Simon Conaty payment of $220 “For rails and wainscoting”
- 1/18/1897 – Simon Conaty payment of $600
- 6/28/1897 – Simon Conaty payment of $876.01
Specialist Work
- Thomas Beagan – foundation/concrete & mason work, in 7/10/1896 entry is a listing of work in the basement with measurements
- Prendergast Bros. – 12/30/1896: furnace & delivery payment $223.26
The following list of pledged donations to the building fund may show some duplicates from the above list. Beware of spelling inconsistencies – all names are transcribed directly from account book.
- Wm Duggan $60
- James Kent $50
- Jer Riordon $20
- Roger O’Brien $10
- Thomas Sullivan $25
- Peter Harrison $35
- M J Connolly $10
- John Hughes $50
- Thomas Shea $40
- Robert Riorden $20
- John Riorden $20
- Henry Riorden Jr. $35
- John Regan $60
- Timothy Galvin $60
- John Gosson $50
- John Gaughan $15
- Laurence Daugherty $30
- M. H. Mear $15
- John Mear $15
- P.H. Mear $15
- James McGowan $10
- H.W.Daley $15
- W.H.Daley $5
- Thomas O’Brien $35
- M.E.Conlogue $25
- John Gallagher $20
- James Fleming $20
- M. Fenton $25
- J. Conroy $25
- L. Doran $20
- H. Riordan $40
- T, Riordan$20
- A. Maguire $10
- J. Chevalier $25
- George Goulet $15
- ? Callaghan $35
- Andrew Riordan $20
- P. H. McCarthy $15
- John McDonough $15
- T.J. Purcell $15
- J.M. McDonnell $10
- V. Riley $10
- John McDonnell $10
- Dan E. McDonald $10
- Maurice Galvin $15
- Joseph Thornton $24.62
- Frank Faneufsen $25
Note:
Information in this article is from copied pages from the St. Malachy Financial Records from Eileen McCormack’s files. These copies and the information contained here do not represent the complete financial record. The excerpts were copied by Eileen McCormack when the books were at the parish house in Clontarf, 2004-2005. The record books are located at Saint Francis Church in Benson, Minnesota.
Eileen R. McCormack and Aine C. McCormack, March 9, 2022
The Irish in America 