The View from the Loggia
Dang, it's chilly - especially in parts of Tudor Hall. As I write this, the first Tudor Hall Times of the New Year, the rain is coming down in sheets and the wind is howling in the willow oaks outside my window - and pushing cold air through the cracks and crevices of this old building.
We hope all of you have come across the recent press coverage about the Oral Histories of the Lexington Park flattops. Better still, we hope you spend sometime with the histories and the exhibition on our website. Sometime soon, we will offer a similar exhibition and oral histories developed by Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions (UCAC) - a huge collection of eighty-seven oral histories. Watch this space!
As you will read below, our first Historically Speaking of 2024 is a book launch - and a major event for the Historical Society. Even though this is the first public announcement of the event, word has gotten around and interest is very high. Reservations are required and open today - January 19th. Read more below.
Put a note on your calendar for May 10th for the Annual General Meeting and Spring Dinner. The evening will mark the first Pete Himmelheber Award in recognition of contributions made to preserve and interpret the history of St. Mary's County. Members will be soon be asked to advance nominees.
Historically Speaking: The Story of the St. Inigoes Mission 1634 - 1994
A landmark presentation will take place at Historic St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, St. Inigoes, MD, on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 6:30pm.
This presentation features Fr. Francis Michael Walsh whose book, The Story of the St. Inigoes Mission 1634 – 1994, is being published by the Historical Society. It is an account of the St. Inigoes Mission from Maryland’s founding in 1634 to the late 20th century which, importantly, recounts the struggles over segregation, civil rights, and achieving harmony among Black and White Catholics in St. Mary's County.
In a review of Fr. Walsh’s book, Professor Garrey Den nie of St. Mary's College of Maryland wrote:
"Woven then into the fabric of the story Father Walsh tells is an enduring optimism. For a very long time, race did indeed overcome faith as the marker of Catholic identity in St. Inigoes. But the possibility of positive change, the idea that within the faith itself Black and White Catholics could arrive at shared understanding of how to pursue their best lives, Black Catholics never abandoned that goal. Neither did Father Walsh. That is the message of this work."
Professor Laura Masur of the Catholic University of America said of the book, “through it emerges the powerful and largely untold stories of the Black Catholics whose devotion to family, community, and God is an important legacy of the St. Inigoes mission during the late 19th and 20th centuries.”
We are honored that His Excellency Bishop Roy Campbell, Jr. of the Archdiocese of Washington will offer the Invocation and opening remarks. An informal reception and book signing by Fr. Walsh will follow the lecture.
Please RSVP to attend this important Historically Speaking event. Simply click here: Historically Speaking to reserve your spot.
Take Billy's Money!
Long-time Historical Society member, Billy Fitzgerald, wants you to give you $100 of his money in the form of a gift certificate to Sweet Bay Restaurant in Leonardtown. For devoted readers of the Chronicles of St. Mary's where Billy advertises, this should be easy-peasy. All you have to do is read the articles in the latest, Winter, edition and answer a few simple questions:
1. What was Jack Rue's signature musical instrument?
2. What year saw the coldest temperature recorded in St. Mary's County?
3. Who was Charlotte Hall named after?
4. How many school were in the County in 1874?
5. What is Billy's nickname?
6. Where is Billy's office located?
Email your answers to mr.listersells@gmail.com no later than January 24th and be sure to include "SMC TRIVIA" on the subject line.
It's Renewal Season
Our sincere thanks to all who have renewed memberships - and a gentle nudge to those of you who have yet to do so.
We're delighted that membership in the Historical Society grew just over 7% from 2022 to 2023 and stands at 725. Another 200 or so folks who receive the Tudor Hall Times have yet to become members.
If you're among the 200, can we encourage you to become part of this family of people who care about the history of this great County - and even want to have a good time on occasion?
You can join or renew the Historical Society by simply going to our website and clicking on JOIN NOW or logging in then clicking on RENEW and you're done.
Oh - and let us say it one more time: Thank You!
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