In the summer of 1887 Father Howard purchased land for the parish. By August 26 of 1888 the basement was finished and pastor Michael Howard served the first masses there. He died that year and was buried alongside his church (Findagrave page at the prior link). In the image above, the burial site of Michael Howard is on the steps of the church between the main portal of the church and the right door. He has a gravestone.
The body of Michael Howard had been disinterred and reinterred in the Calvary Cemetery in 1974 when the church was razed. A new gravestone was used.
This stone was once in the Precious Blood Churchyard that was located in front of the church. Dufresne was the first priest of the Precious Blood Church and was pastor from 1869 to 1887. This stone was moved when the Precious Blood Church was removed. (Findagrave)
Jeremiah O’Callaghan was the first priest and when he died the next year he was buried alongside the east wall of the young church. He was the first priest buried alongside his church in Holyoke. Father Michael Howard was buried alongside Rosary Church and Father Andre Dufresne was buried alongside the Precious Blood Church. Father Sullivan served for 5 years and started Saint Jerome Cemetery. Then came the Builder – Father Patrick Joseph Harkins. He started many institutions and had built many structures.
For more on the gravestones and burials that were moved from the Congregational Cemetery of Ireland Parish see stops 1, 4, and 8 at the Forestdale Cemetery LINK. The cemetery was moved in 1888 mostly into Forestdale.
Saint William’s Church was on Church Street. The school was behind it. The church burned on January 15 1918. There was a blizzard in Massachusetts that ended on January 12 and the streets were still with snow three days later. The fire trucks had a hard time getting to the fire. The church was left at one floor and fixed up to serve as a church for a few years and then a church hall. In 1970 it sold to a social group. In 2003 it was taken down.
Saint Teresa’s Church was made as its replacement. The Saint William’s Church has one image that I have found. It has a streetcar going by. Streetcars went by here starting in 1902.
The Saint William’s rectory was at 5 Church Street. It was for the pastors. The fire of 1918 caught the roof on fire twice but it was minor. The house to its right also had to have a small fire put out that day. That house is from 1900. The rectory is from 1898.
The Convent for the Sisters of the Holy Ghost was at 19 Church Street. The convent was made just for that reason. The structure was made in 1894 as a school and convent. The nuns would live here until 1926.
The school was across the street from this convent and behind the church. It was built in 1912. Did the school close in 1926 when the nuns left. By the 1970s the school structure was gone.
Agawam Congregational Church is at 745 Main Street in Agawam
It was made in 1800 in the Federal style.
Its web site is HERE and its external history is HERE
Agawam Congregational Church Parsonage is at 706 Main Street in Agawam. It is from the year 1850. It is in the Greek Revival style. It was used by the minister for over a half century.
Brainard Church in Belchertown at 12 Park Street. The church was built in 1836 when it separated from the First Congregational Church of Belchertown. Henry Fox was the maker of the stained glass.
It would become a Baptist Church from 1842 to 1913.
It would be a community hall from 1913 to 1923.
It would then become the Saint Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in 1923 until 2004. It would then become a parish office. A new church was made in 2004 and is at 24 Jabish Street.
Saint Francis Roman Catholic Church Rectory is at 20 Park Street. It was built in 1922.
