Priests of St. Thomas The Apostle Parish

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
02 Willcox Chalice and Paten (measured)
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.
1794Rev. John Rosseter, O.S.A., first priest from White Clay Creek, Delaware, later known as "Coffee Run".
1805Rev. Charles Whelan, O.F.M. Cap.
Rev. Patrick Kenny, last priest from DE
1840Rev. 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.
1850Rev. 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
1856Rev. Charles J. Maugin, (or Mangin), Pastor, first pastor of St.Thomas the Apostle, resided at Ivy Mills Homestead
1858Rev. Nicholas Walsh, Pastor, first pastor to live in Parish rectory
1861Rev. Thomas A. Kyle, O.S.A., Pastor
1863Rev. Henry L. Wright, Pastor
1867Rev. Michael A. Mullin (1 month only)
Rev. John Wall, Pastor
1871Rev. John J. McElroy, Pastor
Rev. James Kelly
1872Rev. John Cox, Pastor
1873Rev. William Walsh, Pastor
Rev. John Ward, Pastor
1874Rev. Andrew Gallagher, Pastor
1876Rev. Francis X. McNamee
1877Rev. William F. Cook, Pastor
1882Rev. William A. Power
1885Rev. Joseph F. Nagle
Rev. John H. Loughran
1886Rev. Joseph V. O'Connor
1887Rev. Henry S. Hasson
Rev. John Dolan
1888Rev. Joseph Dwyer
1889Rev. James J. Smith
1891Rev. Francis A. Brady
1892Rev. Charles P. Riegel
Rev. James Brennan
1893Rev William Meahger
Rev. James P. Noone
Rev. Joseph L. Kirlin
1894Rev. Peter A. Quinn
Rev. Edward J. Tucker
Rev. Joseph V. Sweeney
Rev. Charles P. Riegel (second tour at St. Thomas)
1896Rev. Maurice A. Fitzgerald
Rev. Joseph A. Osborn
1897Rev. Edmond V. Rowan
Rev. Joseph F. Monville
1899Rev. Andrew T. McCue
1900Rev. John J. Walsh, Pastor
1905Rev. Richard J. Branton, Pastor
1906Rev. Charles J. Mullin, Pastor
Rev. Hugh P. Reed
1907Rev. Charles Kinslow
1908Rev. James B. McShea
1909Rev. John P. McHugh
1912Rev. Joseph A. McDonald
Rev. Daniel A. Dener, Pastor
Rev. James J. Devine
Rev. Henry A. Kuss
Rev. John G. Fitzgerald
1914Rev. Charles W. Vodges
1915Rev. David C. Munyon, Pastor
Rev. Donald J. Kane
1916Rev. David F. McMenamin
1918Rev. Joseph M. Smith
1919Rev. Clarence J. Ganter
1920Rev. John J. Ford
1922Rev. Michael A. Colahan
Rev. Francis L. Hub
1927Rev. Clarence M. Gregas
Rev. Joseph V. Sweeney (second tour), Pastor
1928Rev. Leo J. Fahey, Pastor
Rev. Ignatius F. Bash
1929Rev. J. Leo Boyle
1932Rev. Joseph F. Rodgers
Rev. John M. Crossan, Pastor
1934Rev. Edward T. Ford
1935Rev. Gerald W. Chambers
1936Rev. William J. Humes
Rev. Sylvester McCarthy, Pastor
1941Rev. Elmer J. Leonard
1942Rev. Eugene E. Lanshe
1944Rev. James L. Scott
1947Rev. Martin O’Halloran
Rev. Peter J. Cronin
1951Rev. James B. Sheridan
1952Rev. Henry C. Graf
Rev. Aloyisius H. Vath
1953Rev. Richard LaHart
1954Rev. Charles Diegel, Pastor
1955Rev. James M. Boyce
1958Rev. Thomas Dougherty
1958Rev. Thomas Dougherty, Pastor
Rev. Joseph M. Gillespie
Rev. Thomas J. Scanlon
1961Rev. John A. Bruggeman
1962Rev. Thomas A. McKelvey
Rev. Joseph P. Wagner
1968Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Dean, Pastor
1974Rev. Charles J. McDevitt, Pastor
Rev. James J. Melle (summer)
Rev. John Kilgallon (part-time assistant)
1975Rev. Louis Ciaudelli
1980Rev. Francis X. Griffin, Pastor
Rev. Daniel E. Mackle
1982Rev. Hugh J. Dougherty
1983Rev. Michael T. Dobrowski
1988Rev. Kevin Trautner
1989Rev. Francis J. Corkery
1990Rev. Richard C. Williams
1991Rev. Richard C. Williams, Pastor
Rev. Anthony G. Flynn
Rev. Francis J. Cauterucci
2005Rev. Paul J. Stenson
2008Rev. John Roebuck
2011Rev. Francis Groarke, Pastor
2020Rev. Stephen Shott, O.S.F.S., Pastor
2020Rev. 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.