Robert J. Johnson (died January 1, 1916) was an Irish-born priest who ministered in the Archdiocese of Boston.
Johnson was born in Ireland and fluent in Irish. [1] He was friends with Henry Cabot Lodge. [2] Following the Spanish–American War, Johnson spoke out against the atrocities the United States government was committing against the Filipinos. [3]
He died on January 1, 1916, and was buried on January 4 in Lowell, Massachusetts, after a funeral at Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston. There was a large crowd of priests in attendance and the church was not big enough to hold all of the people who wished to attend. [4]
Johnson built St. Mary's Church in Dedham, St. Eulalia's at City Point, and Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston. [4] He also served as a curate at S.S. Peter and Paul in South Boston. [5] On July 1, 1898, he was appointed chaplain of the Suffolk County House of Correction. [6] It was said that he "was a perfect treasure-house of theological lore." [4]
Johnson served as past of St. Mary's Church in Dedham, Massachusetts from August 1878 to 1890. [1] [7]
During this decade, Johnson was publicly raising the issue of discrimination against Catholics in the public schools. He served two terms on the Dedham School Committee, from 1884 to 1890. [8] As a member of the School Committee in 1885, he claimed the principal of the Avery School ridiculed Catholic students, [9] and several years later had a lengthy debate with a Protestant minister via letters in the Dedham Standard about the "rank misrepresentation of the Catholic Church" in a history book adopted by the School Committee. [10]
During Johnson's pastorate, the cornerstone of the present St. Mary's church was dedicated on October 17, 1880, by Archbishop John Williams. [11] A crowd of between 4,000 and 5,000 people attended, [11] and special trains were run from Boston and Norwood to accommodate all those who wished to attend. [12] [13] It was one of the largest gatherings in Dedham's history. [14]
The crowd included many of the leading citizens of Dedham [12] as well as 30 priests. [11] [14] The clergy included Father Theodore Metcalf [a] of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross who served as Master of Ceremonies. [11] [b] The footprint of the Gothic church, [16] which Father Johnson said was to be a "cathedral in the wilderness," [17] [18] measures 150' long by 65' wide, and the bell tower is 164' tall. [11] [19]
To serve the Catholics of East Dedham, he built St. Raphael's Church, but it was destroyed by fire a few years later. [1] When he left St. Mary's, the Catholics and Protestants of the town were both sorry to see him go. [1] He had become friends with all, including many of the leading men in town. [20]
After leaving St. Mary's, Johnson was pastor of Gate of Heaven Church from 1890 to his death in 1916. [15] [21]
Johnson became pastor on June 1, 1890. [5] He was known as the "second founder" of Gate of Heaven. [5] During his first years at Gate of Heaven, the parish had 10,000 parishioners and 600 girls enrolled in the school. [22] [1] With many societies and programs running, the church was too small to accommodate them. [22] On March 4, 1895, the church caught on fire and the interior was destroyed. [22] [1] On April 10, 1895, services began inside the old church again, but it continued to be too small. [22] [1] Johnson began raising funds for a new church, partly though his personal magnetism. [22] [1] In 1896, the cornerstone was laid for a new church by Archbishop Williams. [22] While construction was ongoing, he opened St. Eulalia's Chapel in City Point on May 6, 1900. [22]
During construction, the stained glass windows were originally to be shipped from London duty-free. [23] After two had been installed, however, the Treasury Department overruled the decision of the local collector and demanded a duty payment for the windows already installed and those yet to be delivered. [23] Eventually Congress passed special legislation exempting the windows from the duty and, as a result of this precedent, all stained glass windows for houses of worship were exempt from duty in the Tariff Act of 1913. [23]