Roster of subscriptions to the St. Mary's Male and Female Charitable Society, 1848

File — Box: 2

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

This collection consists mainly of photocopies of material created by John McElroy, SJ, in the course of his work as a Jesuit priest, long-time campaigner for a Jesuit college in Boston, and founder of Boston College. Material types include correspondence both to and from Father McElroy, as well as a letter of introduction for McElroy from former First Lady Dolley Madison to Army General Zachary Taylor; McElroy's personal diaries; two manuscripts he authored about his time as a Mexican missionary and the history of Boston College; publications by or about McElroy; McElroy's naturalization certificate from a court in Washington, DC; and an accounts ledger dating 1848-1869. These materials are all photocopies. The only original material in this collection are two letters that McElroy wrote to Ellen (Ahern) Rush in 1871 and 1872 when she was a student of the Sisters of Notre Dame.

Dates

Creation: 1848

Creator

From the Collection: Boston College. Office of the President (Organization)

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Materials in this collection are primarily in English, with some Latin.

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Historical note

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With a boys’ orphanage short of funds, McElroy established a "cent society" with all in the parish of St. Mary's in the North End encouraged to donate two cents each week. McElroy acted as treasurer and assigned four men from the congregation to aid him as directors. Announced on January 26, 1848, the St. Mary’s Male and Female Charitable Society sought to collect $200 a month. In its first year, even after a slow beginning to donations, the St. Mary’s Male and Female Charitable Society exceeded expectations and raised some $13,000. While the pastor had announced that the funds would support the asylum’s seven orphans and address its debts, as the group’s treasurer, McElroy changed his mind. He decided instead to divert some of the money to assist the poor but also to pay for the improvements he had made to his sanctuary as well as for a new project he had begun with the Sisters of Charity.

Source:

Entry for January 17, 18, 26, 30, 1848, February 2, 6, 27, 1848, March 26, 1848, and February 4, 1849, John McElroy, "[Journal from October 1847 to August 1852]", Box 185, Folder 1, Archives of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, Georgetown University Manuscripts, Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Washington, D.C. http://hdl.handle.net/10822/1082041.