The 13 Minute Mass

For background on St Michael's buildings and congregation see Sept. 21, '06 St. Michael's Several Buildings

The original St Michael's church, now located at the Bulltown Historic Area, was back in action a couple weeks ago when the Griffin family celebrated mass there. John Carney, one of Michael and Mary (Grogan) Griffin's many offspring1, remembers annual get-togethers in the 1950s when everyone would go out to the church, then white clappboard-clad as in the photo below, on the Griffin farm between Flesher's Run and Clover Fork.

In those days John's cousin Father Ed McDonald celebrated mass in the field outside the church building. While it was an important thing to do it wasn't comfortable out in that field, so the mass was hurried along, really hurried along. John and his twin brother Pat timed the good father. His best time was 13 minutes from invocation through benediction.

This year they were seated back inside the church and another cousin, Bishop Griffin, celebrated the mass. John tells me he didn't time the mass this year.


The photo to the left shows St. Michael as it looked in the 1950s. The photo above, right, shows St Michael as it looks now that it has been restored to its original yellow poplar log exterior.

1. John's lineage: Micheal & Mary (Grogan) Griffin, John and Margaret (Griffin) Moran, James and Catherine (Moran) Carney, John and Mary (Dolan) Carney, John and [sorry, John. I don't know your wife's name] .