WESTFIELD-A guardian angel and a makeshift cross still grace the grounds of the former St. Casimir’s Church, and now the church’s history has been resurrected with the publication of “St. Casimir’s Children: The Lithuanians of Westfield.”
Joan Morris Reilly, whose grandfather was the first Lithuanian on record to settle in Westfield and was a founder and builder of St. Casimir’s, recently self-published the book so that future generations will have a reference for their Lithuanian roots.
Joan Morris Reilly just self-published “St. Casimir’s Children: The Lithuanians of Westfield.” She offered copies to friends and relatives recently including Rick Teodore, Mark Morris, Cheryl Perrault and Ron Goulet.
Due to changing demographics over the years, according to Reilly, St. Casimir’s was shuttered in 2003 and parishioners merged with St. Peter’s Church on State Street which is now known as St. Peter & St. Casimir Parish.
Reilly initially started working on the book last summer and spent hours researching on Ancestry.com, looking up birth and death certificates, collating documents she had from the church’s 50th anniversary booklet, and reviewing photographs she had inherited from an aunt.
Reilly also credits three local residents, Natalie Masaitis, and Jim and Marcia Rogers, all of Lithuanian descent, for the conversations they shared with her about their experiences as parishioners of St. Casimir’s.
On a recent afternoon, Reilly got together with relatives and friends in the city to share memories from their childhood – including their recollections of St. Casimir’s Church.
Reilly was a youngster when her grandfather, Kazimeras Mereskevicius (Charlie Morris) passed away, she said she has several lasting impressions of the “old man with a handlebar moustache.”
The former St. Casimir’s Church is now a storage facility used by the City of Westfield.
“I didn’t appreciate until I was an adult what he accomplished as an immigrant and a community and church builder,” said Reilly. “He and his wife, Josephine Minkle Morris, lived on Miller Street where they raised their large family which included my father, Benjamin Morris.”
Reilly’s book, which covers the paternal side of her family and is dedicated to her grandmother, details the lives of a small group of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in the city, and eventually built a hall for social functions, and finally, their own church.
“What I gained from my grandfather and grandmother just from hearing about them was that almost anything is possible,” said Reilly. “A committee made four trips to then Bishop Thomas Beaven to get permission for their own church with a Lithuanian-speaking priest.”
This feat was made possible by each family paying 25 cents a month starting in 1905.
“The hall was built on William Street in 1915, and lots were purchased for the church and the rectory on Parkside and Casimir streets,” said Reilly. “The church was completed in 1917 and opened for Mass in 1918.”
Reilly said one of the lessons she learned from her grandfather’s legacy was the importance of staying the course.
“So by his example, it might take a while but you will be successful,” she said.
Reilly also talks about her grandmother fondly in the book, noting she is a profile in courage.
“My grandmother had a constant presence of sorrow in her life,” said Reilly, adding, “losing eight babies didn’t finish her; she dug in and took care of her family despite unbelievable mental anguish.”
What also makes St. Casimir’s special to Reilly is that her father was one of the first altar boys to serve in the church.
“When my father passed, his funeral was also one of the last at St Casimir’s,” she said.
A guardian angel and cross are reminders of St. Casimir’s past.
Reilly said she also received many life lessons from her father and uncles including “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“They all had strong constitutions,” said Reilly. “They were all very stubborn, cared deeply about family, and would always be there for the things that counted.”
Reilly said her aunts had a “real sense of style,” and always dressed like “High Mass.”
“As adults, they were not particularly religious though the church was a constant presence during the events of life,” said Reilly. “Some of their traits rubbed off on me and my siblings. The majority of us don’t get overly upset about the ‘small stuff’ in life.”
Joining Reilly during the lunch gathering was her sister, Cheryl Perrault, brother, Mark Morris, cousin, Rick Teodore, and Perrault’s fiancé, Ron Goulet.
“My parents were married in St. Casimir’s Church,” said Teodore, adding that he had lost contact for 51 years with some of his family but a “call out of the blue from Joan” recently reunited him with his relatives.
“I know little of Lithuanian culture and what our families did in this community and how our family grew,” said Teodore. “This book is a good resource for ethnic history.”
For Morris, the book represents a look back at his family’s history.
“There isn’t a lot about Lithuanian families and local history so this book fills a gap,” said Morris.
Perrault concurred.
“From a personal perspective, the book was interesting and our kids can read the history of our grandparents and have a connection with the past,” said Perrault.
Reilly echoed those sentiments.
“I can only hope that the strength of my grandparents and fortitude is passed to mine and future generations,” said Reilly.
The 108-page book, priced at $11.99, can be purchased on Amazon.com or by calling Reilly at (413) 209-7826.
St. Casimir’s is now owned by the city and is being used as a storage facility, according to Amber Danahey, community outreach coordinator for the City of Westfield.
