Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Rev. John Palmer Norman - Part 1

In the history of St. Paul’s Church in Monongahela, one figure stands out from all others. That figure is the Rev. Dr. John Palmer Norman. The Rev. Norman served twice as Rector of this parish from 1872 – 1875 and from 1880 – 1918, for a total of forty-one years, nearly a full third of the time that the church has existed.

Little is known about Norman’s early life. He was born in 1836 in Centre County, Pennsylvania and at some point became a medical doctor. During the Civil War he served in the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry. At the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863 the regimental surgeon was killed on the field during intense fighting and Norman took his place caring for the regiment’s wounded. He would spend the rest of his military service as the Surgeon of the 84th.
After the war Norman was practicing medicine in Clarion County when he was first introduced to the Episcopal Church and befriended Bishop Kerfoot who encouraged him to enter the ordained ministry. Norman first came in Monongahela in March 1872 (aboard a side-wheel steamboat) as a deacon to serve St. Paul’s and Old West.

When Norman arrived here the missionary work in Monongahela was at a low point. There had been some scandal concerning our second Rector, The Rev. John Linskea, which left the congregation in disarray, the priest defrocked, and the church property endangered by sheriff’s sale. Norman was not discouraged though and set right to work restoring the parish. In a matter of few short weeks, and despite the death of his only son, Norman had the congregation and church school up and running again and presented fourteen for confirmation in May of 1872.

In 1875, Bishop Kerfoot transferred Norman to St. Johns – Lawrenceville, and again the situation in Monongahela declined. In five years there were three different rectors, another scandal which ended in the priest being defrocked, and an entire year when the church property was abandoned. In 1880 Kerfoot, now on his deathbed, reassigned Norman to Monongahela with the instruction to “Hold on to that place – never let it go.”

The Rev. Norman, now fully intending to spend the rest of his career in Monongahela, immediately sprung into action. He oversaw the completion of the church building, raised the funds among his wealthy friends for the purchase of the tower bell, arranged for a used organ to be installed, started the first choir, prepared thirteen for confirmation and organized the donation of the stained glass windows. He did all of this, as well as eradicate the parish’s debt, in the first year.

No comments:

Post a Comment