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TWENTY-TWO
- THE- BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
MAY 28. 1938
Father Michael, 0. S. B., Famed as Architect
COLUMBIA HOSPITAL
DESIGNER PRACTICED
PROFESSION IN EAST
After Successful Career in
Pittsburgh, He Started
Studies for Priesthood
Father Michael
Father Michael Mclnemey, O.S.B.,
architect of Providence Hospital, Co
lumbia, S. C.. was born in Pennsyl
vania. He attended Duquesne Uni
versity, Pittsburgh, and later worked
with his father in the contracting busi
ness. After a few years’ experience as
a contractor he began to practice his
profession, architecture, in Pittsburgh.
He worked with much success for
eight years as an architect, and then
decided that he had a vocation for
the priesthood. He gave up his busi
ness in Pittsburgh, and in 1900 came
to Belmont Abbey College to begin his
ecclesiastical studies.
Among his teachers at Belmont were
the revered Bishop Hard, O.S.B., and
Father Felix Hintemeyer, for many
years Prior of the Abbey. Father
Michael was ordained in 1907, and took
up post-graduate work at the Uni
versity of Pittsburgh. Returning to
Belmont College he taught drawing
and mathematics for many years, do
ing architectural work on the side.
Church at Live Oaky
Fla., Is Renovated
Madison, Fla., Edifice on
Perry Missions Also
Improved
With the passing years his architec
tural work became heavier, until he
was forced to give up teaching en
tirely, and devote himself entirely to
architecture. At the Abbey he has a
completely equipped studio, and keeps
two assistants constantly busy. Ap
preciating the high character of his
work, the North Carolina Chapter of
the American Institute of Architecture
in 1934 unanimously elected him
member of their Chapter.
PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL
It has been but little more than one
m year since Father Michael received
from the Sisters of Charity of St.
Augustine the commission to build
Providence Hospital. Hospital plan
- ning and construction is one of the
most complicated and progressive of
building projects. Nevertheless with
in this short time all the conslutation,
research, and preliminary sketches
were finished; the working drawings
planned and developed; estimates
taken and the full construction of the
building well night accomplished.
Providence in the strictest sense of
the word stands as a fine example of
a modern hospital. Exteriorly the hos
pital is along modern lines. On the
interior every department in every de
tail is built according to the latest de
velopments in hospital science. On en
tering the grounds one is impressed
with the beauty of the place. Passing
through the lobby, the corridors, the
• rooms, the operating or delivery de
partments every detail of wall or floor,
door of the lamp gives evidence of
scrupulous care to provide the very
best in modern hospital practice.
The extensive X-Ray Department,
the laboratory, the beautiful kitchen,
equipped for centralized food serv
ice, the central sterilizing system, the
laundry and the power house all bear
marks of special study and long ex
perience in the building of hospitals.
Hospitals Designed
by Father Michael
Father Michael has to his credit at
least ten fine hospitals, among them
a $300,000 addition to St. Mary's Hos
pital. Huntington, W. Va., now under
construction for the Psllatine Sisters;
a $350,000 addition at Clarksburg, W.
Va., completed last year for the Sisters
of St. Joseph; St. Francis Hospital,
Greenville, S. C., for the Sisters of the
Charlotte, with a new wing now being
planned: and the $400,000 St. Joseph's
Sanatorium, Asheville, for the Sisters
of Mercy, Belmont.
The designing of furniture and fit
ments for the Church has been a spe
cial work of Father Michael. Not only
pews, altars, sedelia and pulpits, but
all gold and silver vessels such as
chalices and ciboria, ostensoria, taber
nacles, candlesticks are designed in the
spirit of symbolism to harmonize with
the architectural style of the build
ings.
Drawings are made, and placed in
the hands of craftsmen, usually in the
smaller shops, where beautiful hand-
wrought work is produced, and at
moderate cost
' In writing and in lectures. Father
Michael has been a missionary in the
fields of liturgical construction. He
was selected by the editors of the re
vised edition of the Catholic Encyclo
pedia to write the article, “Church
Construction In Modern Times.” This
article is a discussion of the progress
of Church Architecture from 1900 to
1936. It appears in the first volume
of the revised edition under the head
ing, Ecclesiastical Architecture.
Father Michael has a splendid under
standing of the problems which Sis
ters must meet when building. There
fore his service is not confined to the
building in hand with its technical
and artistic details. His long and wide
experience makes him invaluable as an
adviser in all matters pertaining to
building projects. The kind of prop
erty to purchase and its location, pro
curing and handling funds, provision
for future enlargement of the plant,
purchasing of equipment and guarding
against imposters, relations with the
public are all problems brought to him
and happily solved.
The success of hospitals constructed
by Father Michael is due in great part
to his ability to cooperate under-
standingly with the Sisters who are
to serve the Institution. Thus the
building is made to express the ideas
of the Sisters, and to fit, in perfectly
with the rule and customs of the or
der.
Architect for More
Than 250 Buildings
The architectural works of Father
Michael are not confined to hospitals.
He has planned and constructed in
the South and East more than 250 j
buildings of every description. Many I
of them are institutional buildings, I
such as convents monasteries, orphan- '
ages. Twenty-five or more parochial
schools are the results of his labors.
These schools range in size from the
24-room city schools with auditorium
and gymnasium to the two-room
country mission school. He has also
built some 60 churches. These range
from the parochial - group costing
$500,000 to the mountain mission
chapel costing $3,000. All his work
is beautiful, characteristic and per
manent, and so designed as to give
the greatest value for the cost.
(SpecialJo The Bulletin)
PERRY, FLA.—Through the efforts
of Hayward Hall of Live Oak, Flori
da, the mission church at that place
has been completely renovated. It had
fallen into disrepair and Mass had not
been said in it for more than a year.
It is now very beautiful with tall
classic columns and stands on one of
tne best residenital streets of the town.
The repairs were extensive and have
been completely paid for by Mr. Hail,
his sister, Mrs. Randall of Savannah
and Waycross, and Ford Kalil of Live
Oak.
There are but six adult Catholics in
Live Oak, Mr. and Mrs. Hayward Hall.
Mr. and Mrs. Ford Kalil, and Mr. and
.Mrs. John Kalil. The children are;
Martha Rose and Ford Junior, daugh
ter and son of Mr. and Mrs. Ford Kalil
and Sandra Jean, infant daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Kalil.
Mass is celebrated on the. first and
ttnrd Sunday of the months at 11:30.
The mission is under the patronage of
St. Francis Xavier. Father John
Francis McKeown, Rector of the West
Florida Missions is in charge. Live Oak
is the center of the Florida tobacco
growing section.
THE MADISON, Mission is now un
dergoing repairs with money raised
by its members, who were aided by
many Non-Catholics of Madison.
Ferdinand Naughton, John Wads
worth and Mr. Pepera are in charge of
the work and these gentlemen, aided
by the ladies of the mission, are re
sponsible for the progress made. Mass
is celebrated on the second and fourth
Sundays at 11:00. The mission is un
der the patronage of St. Vincent de
Paul, with Father McKeown. in charge
here also.
Saint Mary*s Home,
Savannah, Dedicated
Bishop O’Hara, Governor
Rivers and Other Notables
on Program
jSavannah Speaker
Father Michael’s work has been of
no material profit to himself. He is
a monk of the Benednctine Order,
attached to the Abbey at Belmont,
N. C. As a consequence he has the
solemn vow of The poverty’ which
forbids him possessing any material
property of his own. Neither has it
been of great profit to his community.
Both he and the community look upon
his labors as missionary work pri
marily spent for the glory of God and
the salvation of souls. This is the
same motive actuating all other
priests, no matter where or how they
work. They look for their reward not
here, but in the life to come. Father
Michael feels that if he can create
a religious atmosphere about his
structures, build permanently and
economically the cause of religion is
advanced and there is nothing more
to be gained in this world.
Madison is one of the oldest towns
in North Central Florida and is rich in
tne history of pre-war (the recent un
pleasantness) days. It still posesses a
great deal of the charm of plantation
days.
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Joseph Foley
of Foley, Florida, have announced the
birth of a son, their second child, at
Jt. Vincents Hospital, Jacksonville,
Mrs. Foley is the former Miss Kather
ine Danforth (Dymple) Robuck, of
Jacksonville. She is a past president of
the Chi Omega Sorority at the Florida
State College for Women and is a
member of the Jacksonville Junior
League. Mr. Foley is a graduate of
Notre Dame University and is one of
the executives of the Brooks Scanlon
Lumber Corporation at Folej*. Florida.
Mr. and Mrs. Foley are members of
the Church of the Immaculate Concep
tion at Perry, Florida.
LISIEUX pilgrims returning to
Paris from the home of the Little
Flower werj victims of a tragic acci
dent when their bus was hit by a
train at a grade crossing near Saumur,
France; nine were killed and ten. in
jured.
(Continued from Page Thirty-Two)
confined to the chosen people. Char
ity started with the Christian era, and
the new St. Mary’s Home is but one
of thousands of institutions in the
United States showing forth the
beauties of Christian, Catholic charity.
Bishop O’Hara closed by thanking
Governor Rivers, Monsignor McNally,
Mayor Hitch. Mr. Gleason and all
others who had made the occasion
such a memorable one, and by -ex
tending his thanks to the Sisters, the
clergy and the laity whose sacrifices
were responsible for the erection of
the splendid new home, the realiza
tion of the dreams of years. He com
plimented the architects, Cletus
Bergin, the general contractor, Olaf,
Otto, and all others'who worker on
the building for the splendid result.
St. Mary’s Home, Bishop O'Hara
asserted, might be called the first
fruil of the Campaign for the Bishop's
Confraternity of the Laihv.
The little girls at the home were
present at the exercises immaculate
in their pretty Sunday dresses and
looking like any other group or little
girls from any school.
The program closed with Benedic
tion of the Blessed Sacrament in, the
Chapel, Bishop O’Hara officiating.
Notables at the dedication program in
addition to the speakers and the Rt.
Rev. Msgr. Jos. F. Croke, chancellor,
included county and city officials and
many of the leading citizens of Sa
vannah, including three former
mayors. Clergy from other cities as
well as Savannah came to the city for
the ceremony, and delegations of the
laity as well.
The home, which cost about $150,000
is of brick construction, an entrace
portico forty feet wide and fifteen
GOVERNOR RIVERS
feet deep, with four great solid, stone
Doric columns giving the structure
a stately appearance. The left wing
as one approaches the building is the
chapel, spacious and devotional, and
the right wing contains the auditor
ium. The home is on Victory Drive,
on Route 80 to Savannah Beach, about
three miles from Savannah, and on
one of the finest sites in the city. A
detailed description of the home will
appear in a future issue of The Bul
letin. The home is practically ready
to receive the children now.
Congratulations
and
Best Wishes
SYLVAN BROS.
Jewelers and Diamond Merchants
1500 MAIN STREET
Corner Main and Hampton Sts.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
GOOD FRIDAY PROGRAM
Radio Feature at Anderson, S. C.
ANDERSON, S. C.— The Rev.
Charles J. Baum of St. Joseph’s
Church delivered a Good Friday ad
dress over Station WAIM at the invi
tation of the management.
FATHER COUGHLIN closed his re
cent series of radio addresses in April.
It is anticipated that he will resume
broadcasting in the fall.
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