We begin the new year remembering the first two diocesan priests to serve as pastors after St. Peter’s ceased to be a Jesuit mission. Fr. John Henry Conway was the first to take over from the Jesuits and served St. Peter’s as pastor from 1882 to 1885.  Fr. Eugene Summers Gwynn followed Fr. Conway, taking over as pastor on his birthday on Jan. 1, 1886. St. Peter’s at the time shared a priest with Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mechanicstown (now known as Thurmont).   In about the spring of 1884 Father Conway moved his residence from Mechanicstown to Walnut Street in Libertytown, renting the residence of Mr. Peter Eves (previously owned by Mr. George Beard, and before that, by members of the Sweadner family. It still stands today at 9008 Walnut Street.) John Henry Conway was born in Ireland about 1833.   He emigrated to the United States, arriving in Baltimore.   He worked in the tea business near Baltimore’s Belair Market.   After the death of his wife, he decerned a call to become a

“Our facilities are greatly strained…” noted our parish in correspondence with Archbishop William Borders seeking permission to begin a building campaign for a new parish center in 1988. The case was made for the beautiful facility that, once completed, would be dedicated on December 22, 1991. The 1980’s had been a period of tremendous growth for St. Peter’s.   With the parish covering 400 square miles and encompassing 20 small communities in eastern Frederick County and western Carroll County, the 5% annual growth rate of that region was eclipsed by an even greater rate of growth at St. Peter’s.   The number of families in the parish had grown from 340 in 1985 to 425 just two years later.   The Religious Education Program was caring for more than 300 young people from pre-school to high school.   The Religious Education Center and Hall (now Sappington Hall, the former parish center) was also being used for Adult Education, Scouting, Alcoholics Anonymous, Ala-non, senior citizens, Men’

 Angel Hill, which we know today as “the rectory where feline Venus Marie (and Fr. Chuck) lives”, has a long and interesting history.  Land records and research by the Maryland Historical Trust suggest that the house was probably built between 1858 and 1867.  Sometimes known as the “White House”; there were periods from the 1960’s through the 1990’s when it was pictured in its original brick color.  The house was owned by a member of the Coale family for much of the past 200 years – but not, as it turned out, when it would have been most advantageous!    In the 1860’s, the Parish was looking to build a larger church.   In order to do so, it needed more land.   However, the land adjoining church property to the south was owned Mrs. Mary Ann (Yingling) Jacobs.   Recently widowed, Mrs.   Jacobs had purchased land identified as Lots 197 and 198 on the original plat of Liberty, for her family in 1857 for $325 from trustees for Thomas Sappington (son-in-law of Richard Coale).   Ten years l

  “I am the Immaculate Conception.”  That declaration of the Virgin Mary in response to a question from an uneducated and sickly youngster, Bernadette Soubirous, in Lourdes, France on March 25, 1858 is engraved on the tablet that caps the replica Grotto of Lourdes on the hill overlooking our church.  That apparition occurred a dozen years after the Catholic bishops of the United States of America at the First Council of Baltimore in 1846 chose Mary under the title of her Immaculate Conception, (whose feast is celebrated on December 8) as the patron saint of our nation. Former St. Peter’s pastor Fr. Samuel Kavanagh commissioned the building of the "Grotto of Lourdes" in 1914 to replicate the grotto in France.  It was constructed on a small tract of land adjoining the cemetery, which was donated by James Sappington of S. and Mittie V. Sappington, his wife.   In March 1914 The Citizen newspaper of Frederick reported that “this tract is wooded with excellent oaks and pines and w

Bishop Michael Hyle served as pastor at St. Peter’s from 1943 to 1946.   He was large of frame and had a bass voice with a very low range.  As pastor of the church, Fr. Hyle oversaw several maintenance projects for church buildings, such as the painting of the steeple. On April 23, 1946, a reception and dance honoring the returned servicemen of Libertytown District was held at St. Peter's Hall (known today as Sappington Hall).   Fr Hyle welcomed the veterans and then refreshments were served and records were played for dancing. Fr. Hyle also worked with the parishioners to bring back the annual picnic and tournament, which had ceased in 1942 due to the war.   The significance of this event was that 1946 was the 125 th anniversary of the establishment of the parish (1821) and the 75 th anniversary of the second church (1870).   Tournament riding began at 11 AM and there were several booths and games to enjoy, dancing was held in the afternoon and evening, and food was served thr