Santa Clara County
Biographies
REV. RICHARD A. GLEESON, S. J.
The rector of St. Joseph's Catholic Church at San Jose was born in Philadelphia, Pa., December 24, 1861, and was the fourth among ten children comprising the family of Richard and Catherine (Welsh) Gleeson, residents of Philadelphia. Of five children who grew to maturity and are now living, Father Gleeson is the only son. As a boy he attended parochial schools, LaSalle College and St. Joseph's College. In 1877 he entered the Jesuit Order at Santa Clara, Cal., and during the next five years completed the studies of the classics. For the three following years he taught the classics in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Jose, and for a similar period was connected with Santa Clara College, and then taught in St. Ignatius College at San Francisco for three years. Desiring to further qualify himself for religious work, in 1891, he matriculated in the Woodstock (Md.) College, and in 1894 was there ordained to the hold priesthood, with appointment to the San Francisco diocese. Another year was spent in study at Woodstock, and for a year he studied in the Jesuit Novitiate in St. Louis. On his return to California in 1896, he was chosen prefect of studies in Santa Clara College. A year later he was transferred to the Jesuit Normal at Los Gatos, where he taught for two years, and in 1899 was chosen to his present position, that of rector of St. Joseph's Church. Within his parish is St. Mary's Church for German Catholic residents, also Notre Dame Institute, Notre Dame College, and the O'Connor Sanitarium.
November 1, 1902, the centenary of the Catholic Church in San Jose was celebrated, elaborate services being held in St. Joseph's Church. The occasion was also the semi-centennial anniversary of the founding of the archdiocese and was therefore doubly interesting. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Father Riordan, professor philosophy in St. Ignatius College of San Francisco. The building in which the large audience gathered stood on the spot where, in 1803, the first adobe chapel was built. The earthquake of 1818 brought ruin to this humble structure and various troubles, political and religious, prevented its immediate rebuilding. In 1842 a new building was started. Among the archives of Santa Clara there is preserved a letter from Bishop Francisco Garcia Diego, dated December 1, 1842, in which he expresses his gratification that the people of pueblo San Jose had built a chapel, but “desired that Santa Clara shall still remain the parish church, as the dearth of priests will not permit him to supply a pastor for San Jose.” July 14, 1844, while the bishop was visiting Santa Clara, Don Antonio Sunol presented a petition setting forth the poverty of San Jose, and pleading for help. The answer, dated the same day as the petition, bestows upon the church all the images and pictures not already placed in the church and sacristy of Santa Clara; two sets of vestments, one black, the other violet; and six large wooden candlesticks, all donated in perpetuity.
November 13, 1850, Father Real announced to Father Pinyers the separation of the San Jose Church from the Santa Clara parish. About St. Joseph's Day, 1851, the parish, with that of Santa Clara, passed to Father Nobili, who two years later began to make needed improvements. In 1859 the exterior was remodeled at a cost of $16,000. In 1870 $25,000 was spent on the San Fernando side and $10,000 was spent on the interior, but all of the improvements were swept away by fire April 24, 1875. As a temporary house of worship a small wooden building was erected. After a labor of two years the present church was completed, and April 22, 1877, was blessed by Archbishop Alemany. Upon that occasion Father Bouchard alluded gratefully to the assistance received in the consummation of the great enterprise, also to the self-sacrifice of the pioneers and founders, who rendered possible the achievements of the present. Zealous fathers of St. Patrick, St. Joseph and St. Mary's, the Sisters and Brothers, were each links in the chain binding the past to the present. Above all the Sisters of Notre Dame have been instruments, in the providence of God, for the accomplishment of great results. In 1843 six of these sisters left Belgium to labor for the church in the wilderness of Oregon, and after eight months of privation and peril they landed at their destination. In 1851 two of them, Sister Lydia and Sister Mary, came to San Jose, and August 4 opened a college from which their influence extended to Marysville, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, Redwood and Watsonville, thus elevating many homes and implanting Christian virtues in many young hearts. Others, too, have labored unweariedly(sic) to promote the welfare of this diocese, including the Sisters of Charity, with their kindly care of the orphan and the wayward; the brothers of Mary; and others whose labors are their most lasting eulogy in every community that they bless with their presence.
Transcribed
11-9-15 Marilyn
R. Pankey.
Source:
History of the State of California &
Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.
M., Pages 874-877. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Marilyn R.
Pankey.