St. George Parish History
THE IMMIGR
THE
IRISH The
first Irish laborers came from New York to construct the canals and to lay the
brick for the factories and mills as well as for the factory tenements. Irish
girls were recruited to work in the mills. The potato famine in Ireland, in the
late 1840's, brought many more Irish immigrants to this area. They settled
mostly in the West End of Chicopee, a section that became known as "The
Patch". The Irish immigrants were Catholics, and were not appreciated by
the Protestants. They were clannish and their rowdy life-styles offended the
straight-laced, Puritanical Yankees. But they were here to stay, and their
number increased to the point where they warranted their own parish. Up to that
point, the Chicopee Irish Catholics had an occasional mass from priests who
traveled from the Hartford and Worcester areas. Father John Brady and his
assistant, Father Bernard O'Cavanagh, cared for all the Catholics in the
Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties. In 1843, Father Brady
erected a small church under the patronage of St. Matthew. By 1854, the
Catholics had outgrown the small church and Rev. William Blenkinsop, a pious and
beloved priest, erected a beautiful church and rectory. On May 29, 1859, the new
church was dedicated under the title "Holy Name of Jesus". Holy Name
existed as an established parish eleven years before the Diocese of Springfield
was separated from Boston.
THE
POLISH The Polish immigrants came to Chicopee almost by
mistake. Apparently, a group of immigrants from Poland got lost in the
Springfield train depot. The train left without them; they had left their
tickets on the train, and, not speaking English, could not even tell anyone who
they were or where they planned to go. That evening, Rev. Patrick Healy, the
Pastor of Holy Name Church, came to their rescue. He brought them to Chicopee
where he found lodging and work for them. After this, the Polish began to come
in great bodies, so much so that by 1891, they were numerous enough to build a
church. The cornerstone was laid in 1891, but the church was not completed until
1895. It was dedicated under the patronage of St. Stanislaus
THE FRENCH The French speaking people of the Province of Quebec, Canada, were for the most part farmers, skilled workers in wood and metal, and builders. When they could not find work in Canada, several families came to the United States. A group of them settled in Chicopee Center and found work in the mills and in construction. It is said that a Canadian is born with a hammer in his hand, and is a natural carpenter. These French-speaking Catholic settlers were served by Father Dufresne, the Pastor of Precious Blood Parish in Holyoke, and later by Father H. O. Landry, the Pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Indian Orchard. In 1885 there were sufficient French-speaking Catholics in Chicopee to form their own parish. Rev. Evariste Pelletier was the founding Pastor of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish.
This history reprinted from the St. George Parish Centennial Album .
acknowledgments
Stephen Jendrysik whose knowledge of Chicopee History was invaluable. Father Ronald Lussier, and Joyce Morissette who spent nearly a year finding information, compiling, and typing to put this history together. Also to all that sent articles, pictures and information that help put this amazing history in print.
Photo credits to Keneth Kostek for centennial photos