August 7, 1883: Village of Churchville Renamed Bally for Long-time Priest

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

August 7, 1883: The village of Churchville has been renamed Bally to honor the beloved priest of Most Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church, Rev. Augustin J. Bally. For 45 years, Father Bally served his church and community with great love and accomplishment.

He was born in 1806 in Belgium and came to America in 1830, arriving in Churchville in 1836, which was named for the two churches in the area, the Hereford Mennonite and Most Blessed Sacrament, that had peacefully coexisted for many years.

The original name of the area was Goshenhoppen, the Native American name for “meeting place.” The Goshenhoppen Catholic Church was the third oldest Catholic parish in Pennsylvania. The congregation had bought 373 acres in Hereford Township from Thomas and Richard Penn for their mission. At that time, the land was largely wilderness inhabited by numerous Native Americans, who were friendly and many of whom converted to the faith.

Rev. Theodore Schneider was the first resident priest, and in 1741 he built a small chapel to honor St. Paul and a mission house that was both a school and residence. St. Paul’s Chapel is the oldest standing Roman Catholic chapel and his school the oldest Catholic school in the original 13 colonies. Father Bally invited the Mennonites to share this school with their children and thus created the first public school in the area.

Although German was the common language of the people, Father Bally promoted the use of English among these children, who heard only German at home. He was successful in introducing the language of the country to the rising generations of his students, who were forbidden to speak German in the school or playground.

This kind-hearted “old Jesuit, in long, black sack coat” taught love of one’s neighbors in his every action. In November, 1881, Father Bally’s pulmonary trouble rendered further work impossible, and early in the morning of January 30, 1882, Father Bally died and was buried in the parish cemetery.

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