When Cardinal Gibbons announced the transfer of Fr. Reaney from St. Peter’s in mid 1890, a committee which was sent to Cardinal Gibbons, in an effort to retain the “popular pastor”, promised a Catholic school at Liberty would be built.  We can’t say for sure why the Cardinal changed his mind, but Fr. Reaney wasn’t transferred, and St. Peter’s benefitted in more ways than one. Four short months later, on November 6, 1890, Sallie R. Sappington gifted the land which now houses our Parish Offices and Birch Library.  Notre Dame Academy was built and opened its doors for the 1892-1893 school year. St. Stanislaus Kostka was named patron of the school, as evidenced by the plaque which still stands in the entrance of the building. A Polish Jesuit novice when he died in 1568 at age 17, St. Stanislaus is considered a patron of youth, students and novices and his feast day is celebrated on November 13.   The saint’s patronage of students, combined with the Parish’s close connection with the Jes

Richard Coale, Sr. earmarked 2 acres of his land for a church and adjoining cemetery on or about 1821.  Construction of the church was well underway when Archbishop Marechal, Baltimore Archbishop at the time wrote to Fr. John McElroy, S.J., who was overseeing the construction.  That letter, written in June 1823, was very clear as to the necessity of having the land on which the Church was located, transferred from Mr. Coale, prior to the church being blessed: As to the church at Lib’yTown, if it be finished, and in order to remove all uncertainty, I hereby authorize you to bless it, but before performing the sacred ceremony, I request you to see the deed made, you mentioned in one of your letters.  For I am positively charged by the H[oly] See never to consecrate any building to Div[ine] Worship, without having previously take the necessary steps of procedure, lest it should ever be converted as now in Ph[il]a[delphia], to schismatical purposes, or made use of against Episcopal rig

 Fr. Flahavan was a man of varied talents.  One example was a Marian Children’s Missal with Martin Flahavan featured in photos celebrating Mass.  This Missal, published by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, was designed to help children prepare for their First Communion, and was widely purchased throughout the country by parents for their children in the 1950’s and 60’s. In all the parishes he was assigned to, he was perpetually active doing something to advance the mission of the Catholic Church.   At St. Peter’s, where he was assigned from 1961 to 1965, he constructed a basketball court, developed the largest Altar Boy Society in the history of St. Peter’s, revived the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, organized an Usher Society, began high  school and adult discussion groups in cooperation with the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (known to many of us as CCD), made major maintenance improvements to the church and (old) rectory, renovated the parish hall, and developed a new

Fr. William Reaney’s first assignment after ordination was at St. Peter’s in Libertytown, where he served  from 1889-1892.    Halfway through his 3 years, in June of 1890, he was re-assigned to St. Martin’s in Baltimore.  A committee of parishioners travelled to Baltimore to request that Cardinal Gibbons return him, as he would be instrumental in organizing a school.  A few days later he was back in Liberty to a warm welcome and two years later, Notre Dame Academy was established - one of his most significant achievements while at St. Peter’s. He was an excellent horseman and often took part in the jousting event during the Libertytown annual tournament and picnic sponsored by St. Peter’s.   It is said that he could lean from the saddle at a gallop and pick up a handkerchief from the ground.   Being 6’6” probably helped with that! While at St. Peter’s he oversaw the construction of a grotto for the “tombless dead” in the cemetery.   An excellent singer, he also organized a glee club