In the year 1849, Rev. Father Gilbride organized a congregation and paid regular visits, saying mass in the house of James Murphy (Denton's Corners.) After a short time Mr. Murphy was ordered not to allow the priest there any more, or, if he did, he could not any longer rent the house, and would not get any work from Mr. Denton, or others in the neighbor-hood. Then Father Gilbride said mass at John Anderson's house on Seneca street. Mass also was said in other private houses, in a cooper shop and in the court house. In 1850, Father Gilbride began to build a church 40 x 50 and in May, 1857, the church was dedicated by the late Bishop John Timon, and mass celebrated in it with great joy and consolation to both pastor and people. The congregation, although poor at that time, were active, energetic and plucky. In 1852, Rev. Father Kinney attended for a short time. He left the diocese and went to Canada. Rev. Father Gilbride returned to his charge in 1853, but his health failed, and in a short time he died at Waterloo, N. Y. On August 24th, 1854 Rev. Father Gleason, late pastor at St. Bridget's Buffalo, and vicar general of the diocese, assumed charge, living in Ovid for two years. Then he transferred his residence to Waterloo, still retaining this parish, and performed the duties incumbent until 1859. In 1859, Father McGuire took charge of the parish about six months. In 1860, Father Cavanagh attended for nearly a year, when the bishop took him back to Buffalo and made him chancellor of the diocese. December 9, 1860, F. W. Stephens succeeded Father Cavanagh and remained four months, then Father Carmon (at present of Lockport, N. Y.) for a few months and then again Father Stephens until June 4, 1861. On October 6, 186I, Father Dennis English, now pastor of St. Mary's, Canandaigua, administered to the wants of the people for two years, and in 1862 and a part of 1863, Rev. James T. McManus. member of Holy Cross parish from Geneva, N. Y. for six months. In April, 1863, Father Keenan was placed in charge and during his pastorate the church was enlarged to double the size; it had been painted and beautifully frescoed. He also purchased a cemetery and had it laid out into lots.
      In 1869, Rev. James O'Connor the present pastor of St. Patrick's church, Seneca Falls, was transferred to Ovid by Rt. Rev. Bishop McQuaid. He purchased a house and land property, connected therewith, at a cost of six thousand dollars. The land was graded and then trees set out, and the place much improved. Father O'Connor purchased the organ and formed the choir by the aid of Miss Ryan of Geneva. On April 20th, 1876, Rt. Rev. Bishop McQuaid transferred Father O'Connor to Rochester, and placed the parish under the spiritual care of Rev. Thomas J. O'Connell, who continued the improvement of both church and house. He graded the church lawn, had a stone pavement laid to the road, and around the north side of the church, built a large and commodious vestibule, an improvement very much needed. The pews were painted, grained and numbered. He obtained a magnificent baptismal font and secured three acres as an addition to the cemetery lot.
      The Church of the Sacred Heart, Romulus, N. Y., was commenced by Rev. James O'Connor, and finished by Father O'Connell in 1876, and dedi-cated in the fall of 1887 by Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid, Bishop of Rochester diocese, who gave confirmation at Holy Cross church, Ovid. N. Y., to one hundred and twenty-six children and on the same occasion confirmed fifty children of the Sacred Heart church, Romulus, N. Y.
      The Rt. Rev. B.J. McQuaid made his visitation to Holy Cross church in the month of October, 1879, and found everything in good order. On October 21st, 1882, the Bishop also gave confirmation to one hundred and forty-eight persons. There was a mission given at this church by the Passionist Fathers George Harrigan of Louisville Kentucky, and Stephens of Dunkirk, N. Y. At that time nine hundred approached Holy Communion. Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid made his regular visitation on September 2oth, 1884, and found the church and everything in good condition and gave confirmation on the same occasion to grown people, and nineteen were confirmed.
      The Rev. Felix O'Hanlon was ordained in Rochester, N. Y. on the 30th of November, 1885, and said his first mass at Holy Cross Church on Decem-ber 1, 1885. He was the first who was ordained from this parish. Rev. Patrick H. O'Connell came to this country in 1879, on a vacation to see his brother, Father O'Connell, pastor of Ovid, N.Y. He returned in the Fall and pursued his studies again in St. Jonathan's College, Tuam, county Galway, Ireland. After a year there his mother or friends could not induce him to stay in his native country and he came again to this place and entered St. Joseph's Seminary at Troy. He was ordained in Rochester, and placed in the diocese of Peoria, Ill. He said his first mass in Auburn and then at Ovid. He remained at Ovid helping his brother until he was called to Peoria, and was immediately appointed secretary at St. Mary's Cathedral, and after-wards assistant at St. Patrick's, Peoria, Ill.
      The corner stone of the new church was laid at three o'clock P. M., Oc-tober 28, 1895, by Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid, D. D., bishop of Rochester, N. Y., There were present about twenty priests. Those attending the bishop were Rev. Thomas A. Hendricks of St. Bridget's church, Rochester, N. Y., and Rev. Dennis English, subdeacon, of Canandaigua. Others present were the Reverend Fathers Kiernan, St. Patrick's cathedral; Hickey and Oberholzer, Redeemer church, Rochester; Donnelly, Victor; Lugiro. Penn Yan; O'Hanlon, Clifton Springs; McDonald, Geneva; Ganey; O'Neill, Phelps; Harrington, Waterloo; Codyre, Fairport; O'Connor, Seneca Falls; Madden, Trumansburg; Rafferty, Scipio; McMahon, Groton; Netzel, Auburn; Murphy, Holy Apostle, Rochester. The pastor, Rev. Thomas O'Connell, entertained the Bishop and priests until five o'clock, at which time the Bishop left for Rochester. Rev. Dennis English, Canandaigua, and Reverend Fathers Codyre, Fairport, and Murphy, Rochester, also Rafferty and Angelo, stayed until the following day.
PARTIAL LIST OF MEMBERS. [Click here for an alphabetical list of members created by Joe White.]
Martin Walsh
Mrs. James Toner
Thomas Farrel
Anna Lang
Charlotte McFinley
Henry McArdle
James Carroll
James Day
Patrick White
Daniel Murphy
Michael Henretty
Mrs. M. Henretty
Lizzie Hagan
Kate Hagan
Patrick Dowdle
Michael Taft
Kate Toner
Andrew McDermott
John Keady
James Quinn
Thomas McCarrigher
Steven White
Patrick Kinney
James Clark
Lucy Condon
John Savage
Mrs. Patrick Murphy
Patrick J. Carroll Sr.
Anna Ryan
Bridget Ryan
Thomas Stafford
Mary Lappin
Dennis Brannigan
James McGee
Kate Ward
Francis Tracy
Mary White
James Feehan
Mark Andrews
Bridget Crelly
George Manning
Patrick Ward
Agnes Chambers
Mrs. Jerry Toner
Michael Feehan
Mary Sloan
Thomas Mackin
Patrick Roe
Mrs. Boyle
H. McCarrigher
Thomas McKinna
William Hart
Kate Wholeghan
Mathew McGinnis
George Murphy
Michael Morgan
Dennis Loughrin
James E. Mackey
Thomas Brackin
Henry Ryan
Owen Hanlon
Margaret Feehan
Bryan Morgan
Edward French
Patrick McKevit
Thomas O'Roark
Frank Murphy
Mary Doherty
James Monaghan
Philip Riely
Jerry Donovan
Mary Ward
Felix O'Hanlon
Hugh McGhan
James H. Ryan
Maggie Conroy
Patrick Savage
Rose Keenan
Margaret Durnin
Hannah Coughlin
James Anderson
Patrick Duffy
Willim Marks
Jane Kelly
Mrs. Bridget Watts
Peter Doran
Michael Foley
James E. Hartigan
James Flanigan
Patrick Lymnor
James Mullaney
Ella McDonald
Mary Colgan
Maggie Mullen
Dan Tobin
William Creagh
Katie Mullin
Patrick McDonald
Alice French
Mrs. James Jeffery
Owen Ferguson
Elizabeth Jeffery
Cornelius Crowley
Edward Mullarkey
John Halpenny
Mrs. Finley
Brazil Dovid
Stephen Fitssimmons
Patrick Murphy
Abe Finnegan
John McEvoy
Mrs. A. McGrain
Frank Andrus
Rose Hacket
Maggie McCarron
Mrs. Brian Rooney
James Rooney
Patrick Finnegan
Robert Hughes
Bridget Hughes
Ellen Galligher
Mary Hernon
John Tobin
John Hernon
John Munnighan
Libbie Martin
Michael Creely
Josie Champion
John Brannigan
James Craney
Catherine Craney
Mary J. Merriman
Mary Conners
Anna O'Hare
James Dunn
Mrs. James Murphy
Peter Conners
Albert Quinn
Veronica Mackin
James Miles
Francis Tynan
James Hanlon
Mary Malone
James Whalen
Peter Mc Dermott
Edward Breman
Helen Meath
Richard Dougherty
Michael Larkin
John Lyons
Mrs. John O'Brien
Jolm Dougherty
Sarah Larkin
Peter McKinna
Mary Galway
Henry Carroll
Frank McKinna
Mrs. Fitzgerald
Mrs. Tripp
Patrick Tagerty
Anthony Munnighan
John Hanlon
Patrick Killian
Rose Killian
John Woods
James Martin
Thomas H. Martin
John Craven
Patrick Savage
John Sturgis
Patrick Hughes
Andrew White
Mary Sturgis
Ellie Sturgis
Bridget Sloan
Jennie O'Neal
Annie Christie
James McDonald
Martin McManus
J. H. McKinna
James Ryan
Mrs. J. T. Hager
Thomas J. Roe
Charles McElroy
Mas. J. McGreegan
Thomas Keady
Mary McGrain
Eliza Munighan
Michael O'Connell
Henry McArdle
George Fitzsimmons
Maggie Hernon
Sarah Murray
Charles O'Roarke
Mary McLafferty
Mary Killian
Mary Donnelly
Michael McElroy
Joseph Clark
James Crelly
Charles Doonan
Patrick Hoey
Joseph McLaughlin
John Flynn
Daniel Sullivan
Mrs. P. Donnelly
Mrs. Amos Hall
P. H. Lyons
John Nash
Thomas Carey
Mary Hamilton
James Lyman
May Campbell
William Martin
Owen Larkin
Margaret Doyle
John Rice
Ellen Rooney
Cornelius Breen
Bridget Murphy
Mary E. Downes
Mary Curley
James Kelly
Margaret Downes
Mrs. Joseph Morgan
Patrick Henretty
Margaret McGuire
Hugh Hanlon
Owen Toner
Nellie Hughes
James Keenan
Thomas Louth
Mrs. Dickins
William Beary
Mrs. Frank Reilly
George Devers
Barney McGreeghan
Anna Campbell
William Devers
Minnie O'Connell
Patrick Rafferty
Lizzie McGee
Mrs. Owen O'Hare
John Dougherty 2d
Willie Hughes
M. J. Burke
Patrick Brennan
Mary Rafferty
Peter Keenan
Patrick Marks
Bernard Campion
Patrick O'Roarke
Michael Cunningham
Mary Reilly
Lawrence Galway
Michael Early
Mrs. William Lyons
Mary Clare
Ellen Sloan
John Mohan
Patrick Feehan
Frank Tobin
James O'Connell
House --------
John Keating
Mrs. John McDonald
Mrs. Patrick Carroll
James Fitzsimmons
Nicholas Durnin
James Quinn
Patrick Clark
John Donovan
M. D. Riddley
William Best
Joseph McCarrol
Catharine Larkin
Thomas McDonald
Rose Larkin
Timothy Tierney
Patrick Loughrin
John McKinna
John McDonnell
James Dougherty
Frank Kelley
Mary Reilly
William McElroy
James French. sr.
Michael Connelly
Elizabeth Shaughnesy
Maggie Murphy
James Murphy
Ella McDonald
Anna McDonald
Rose A. Donnelly
William Quinn
Mrs. McGraw
Owen Gartland
James Henretty
Mary Finnegan
Mary A. Halligan
Mary E. Toole
Edward Nicholson
Mary Keenan
Kate Mohan
Mrs. Frank Bannon
Mrs. Owen Larkin
John McLaughlin
Michael Toole
Patrick Rice
Patrick Fitzsimmons
Patrick Larkin
Mrs. Peter Toner
Christopher Carr
John Spillene
Mary Roe
Thomas McCann
George Killian
Edward Delaney
John Carey
Patrick Martin
Mrs. Hugh Henretty
James Hanlon
John McArdle
Patrick Murphy
John Keenan
James McArdle
Andrew McLaughlin
John Craney
Patrick Campbell
Anna Murphy
Patrick Whalon
Patrick Bowel
Patrick A. Carroll
John Murphy
Agnes Jones
Mary Rogan
Sarah White
Catherine Gordon
Mary Ferron
Mary McCann
Owen McGraw
Maggie Lyman
Annie Murphy
Mary Meekins
James Kelligher
Rose O'Roarke
Annie Dickins
Terrenee Hanlon
Joseph Dunn
Thomas Carroll
Frank Loughrin
Hugh McCarron
Thomas Mase
John Fitzsimmons
Mary Loughrin
Jeremiah Toomey
Mary Loughrin 2d
James Sloan
Thomas Connelly
Patrick Feehan
Thomas McGreeghan