Priests who served at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish at Ivy Mills *
(prior to 1856 known as the Ivy Mills or Concord Mission)
This preliminary listing was compiled from information available at this time.** It may not be complete and in some instances dates are approximate or are altogether unknown.
Before 1856, it is not always possible to pinpoint the year of a priest’s arrival. Some assistants overlapped with others. No attempt is made to note their lengths of stay. The arrival date of a Pastor is also the departure date of the previous Pastor.
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| Arrival Date |  |
|---|---|
| 1704 | St. Francis Xavier Mission at Bohemia Manor, Md. established by English Jesuits |
| 1729 | Official date of the founding of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish |
| 1729 to 1790 | Fr. Joseph Greaton, S.J., 1st priest identified as serving at Ivy Mills, from Bohemia Manor. Later founded Old St. Joseph Church, Philadelphia. Rev. Henry Neal, S.J. Rev. Robert Harding, S.J. Rev. Ferdinand Farmer, S.J. Rev. Francis Beeston, S.J. Rev. Robert Molyneaux, S.J. |
| 1794 | Rev. John Rosseter, O.S.A., first priest from White Clay Creek, Delaware, later known as "Coffee Run". |
| 1805 | Rev. Charles Whelan, O.F.M. Cap. Rev. Patrick Kenny, last priest from DE |
| 1840 | Rev. Bernard McCabe, first priest from the Diocese of Philadelphia |
| 1840 to 1850 | Rev. Edward J. Sourin (entered the Society of Jesus in 1855) Rev. Patrick F. Sheridan Rev. Hugh P. Fitzsimmons Rev. Alexander Frasi, C.M. Rev. Matthew G. Gibson Rev. Bartholomew Rollando, C.M. Rev. Anthony Penco Rev. William O'Hara Rev. Daniel F. Devitt Rev. Mariano Maller, C.M. Rev. Andrew Rossi Rev. Thaddeus Amat, C.M. Rev. John B. Tornatore, C.M. |
| 1850 | Rev. Arthur P. Haviland, pastor at St Michael's, Chester, ministered to St. Thomas with assistants Rev. Edward J. Sourin, S.J. (second tour at Ivy Mills) Rev. John B. Tornatore, C.M. Rev. Athanasius Delle Piane Rev. Patrick Creighton, S.J. Rev. Joseph V. Balfe Rev. Patrick Fitzmaurice Rev. Charles McEnroe |
| 1856 | Rev. Charles J. Maugin, (or Mangin), Pastor, first pastor of St.Thomas the Apostle, resided at Ivy Mills Homestead |
| 1858 | Rev. Nicholas Walsh, Pastor, first pastor to live in Parish rectory |
| 1861 | Rev. Thomas A. Kyle, O.S.A., Pastor |
| 1863 | Rev. Henry L. Wright, Pastor |
| 1867 | Rev. Michael A. Mullin (1 month only) Rev. John Wall, Pastor |
| 1871 | Rev. John J. McElroy, Pastor Rev. James Kelly |
| 1872 | Rev. John Cox, Pastor |
| 1873 | Rev. William Walsh, Pastor Rev. John Ward, Pastor |
| 1874 | Rev. Andrew Gallagher, Pastor |
| 1876 | Rev. Francis X. McNamee |
| 1877 | Rev. William F. Cook, Pastor |
| 1882 | Rev. William A. Power |
| 1885 | Rev. Joseph F. Nagle Rev. John H. Loughran |
| 1886 | Rev. Joseph V. O'Connor |
| 1887 | Rev. Henry S. Hasson Rev. John Dolan |
| 1888 | Rev. Joseph Dwyer |
| 1889 | Rev. James J. Smith |
| 1891 | Rev. Francis A. Brady |
| 1892 | Rev. Charles P. Riegel Rev. James Brennan |
| 1893 | Rev William Meahger Rev. James P. Noone Rev. Joseph L. Kirlin |
| 1894 | Rev. Peter A. Quinn Rev. Edward J. Tucker Rev. Joseph V. Sweeney Rev. Charles P. Riegel (second tour at St. Thomas) |
| 1896 | Rev. Maurice A. Fitzgerald Rev. Joseph A. Osborn |
| 1897 | Rev. Edmond V. Rowan Rev. Joseph F. Monville |
| 1899 | Rev. Andrew T. McCue |
| 1900 | Rev. John J. Walsh, Pastor |
| 1905 | Rev. Richard J. Branton, Pastor |
| 1906 | Rev. Charles J. Mullin, Pastor Rev. Hugh P. Reed |
| 1907 | Rev. Charles Kinslow |
| 1908 | Rev. James B. McShea |
| 1909 | Rev. John P. McHugh |
| 1912 | Rev. Joseph A. McDonald Rev. Daniel A. Dener, Pastor Rev. James J. Devine Rev. Henry A. Kuss Rev. John G. Fitzgerald |
| 1914 | Rev. Charles W. Vodges |
| 1915 | Rev. David C. Munyon, Pastor Rev. Donald J. Kane |
| 1916 | Rev. David F. McMenamin |
| 1918 | Rev. Joseph M. Smith |
| 1919 | Rev. Clarence J. Ganter |
| 1920 | Rev. John J. Ford |
| 1922 | Rev. Michael A. Colahan Rev. Francis L. Hub |
| 1927 | Rev. Clarence M. Gregas Rev. Joseph V. Sweeney (second tour), Pastor |
| 1928 | Rev. Leo J. Fahey, Pastor Rev. Ignatius F. Bash |
| 1929 | Rev. J. Leo Boyle |
| 1932 | Rev. Joseph F. Rodgers Rev. John M. Crossan, Pastor |
| 1934 | Rev. Edward T. Ford |
| 1935 | Rev. Gerald W. Chambers |
| 1936 | Rev. William J. Humes Rev. Sylvester McCarthy, Pastor |
| 1941 | Rev. Elmer J. Leonard |
| 1942 | Rev. Eugene E. Lanshe |
| 1944 | Rev. James L. Scott |
| 1947 | Rev. Martin O’Halloran Rev. Peter J. Cronin |
| 1951 | Rev. James B. Sheridan |
| 1952 | Rev. Henry C. Graf Rev. Aloyisius H. Vath |
| 1953 | Rev. Richard LaHart |
| 1954 | Rev. Charles Diegel, Pastor |
| 1955 | Rev. James M. Boyce |
| 1958 | Rev. Thomas Dougherty |
| 1958 | Rev. Thomas Dougherty, Pastor Rev. Joseph M. Gillespie Rev. Thomas J. Scanlon |
| 1961 | Rev. John A. Bruggeman |
| 1962 | Rev. Thomas A. McKelvey Rev. Joseph P. Wagner |
| 1968 | Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Dean, Pastor |
| 1974 | Rev. Charles J. McDevitt, Pastor Rev. James J. Melle (summer) Rev. John Kilgallon (part-time assistant) |
| 1975 | Rev. Louis Ciaudelli |
| 1980 | Rev. Francis X. Griffin, Pastor Rev. Daniel E. Mackle |
| 1982 | Rev. Hugh J. Dougherty |
| 1983 | Rev. Michael T. Dobrowski |
| 1988 | Rev. Kevin Trautner |
| 1989 | Rev. Francis J. Corkery |
| 1990 | Rev. Richard C. Williams |
| 1991 | Rev. Richard C. Williams, Pastor Rev. Anthony G. Flynn Rev. Francis J. Cauterucci |
| 2005 | Rev. Paul J. Stenson |
| 2008 | Rev. John Roebuck |
| 2011 | Rev. Francis Groarke, Pastor |
| 2020 | Rev. Stephen Shott, O.S.F.S., Pastor |
| 2020 | Rev. Edward Ogden, O.S.F.S. |
| * | Several religious orders of priests served Ivy Mills and Saint Thomas, chiefly in the 18th century. Initials following priests’ names indicate to which order they belonged. The following orders were represented: C.M. – Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians, also known in the mid-19th century as Lazarists) O.F.M. Cap. – Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin (Capuchins) O.S.A. – Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) O.S.F.S. - Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) S.J. – Society of Jesus (Jesuits) |
| ** | List compiled for the most part from “St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Ivy Mills”, by Rev. Louis P. Ciaudelli, (ms, n.d.). The bibliography contained therein lists twenty references, including Joseph Willcox, Ivy Mills (1911); Sister William Josephine Ludwick, “The Early History of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Chester Heights” (ms, 1969); along with St. Thomas Parish Baptismal Registry (1805 to c1900). Further research is needed. |