Baden's First 100 Years

Mt. Gallitzin Academy is in Economy Township. The farm or land on which the academy is built adjoins Baden Borough, and is a part of "Wayne" and "Hope" Depression Lands. it is of interest to note the origin of the name "Gallitzin" and the founding of the school, for likely few, if any, know it.

Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was a Russian prince, born at The Hague, in Holland. His mother was Amelia Gallitzin, of royalty, and very wealthy. She had expectations that her son would become a diplomat. The orders came that he was to serve in the Russian army. In order to evade these commands he was sent to America with letters of introduction to Washington from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He traveled incognito as a Mr. Smith. He fell in with Bishop Carroll of Baltimore, Maryland, and became a Catholic.

Once when Prince Gallitzin received a letter from his mother, Princess Gallitzin, she asked him what he would like her to send to him. The Prince wrote and told her a set of vestments so, forthwith, she and her daughter suit] up the mother's wedding dress and made a set of vestments and sent them to the Prince in America. The Sisters of St. Joseph at Mt. Gallitzin, Baden, are the proud possessors of these vestments.

The Prince went as a missionary to the mountains of Western Pennsylvania and bought a tract of land with an income from Russia. he built a town by the name of Loretta, and still another by the name of Carrolltown. Nearby was a wealthy Captain McGuire who owned acres of land. He had a daughter who was baptized by the missionary Prince. When this girl grew to womanhood, her parents wanted to give her a cultural education, so at the suggestion of Prince Gallitzin she was sent to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia, and was educated by them. When she was nineteen years old she entered the community and received the name Sister Mary Austin. At that time the sisters of St. Joseph, whose Mother House was in Philadelphia, had charge of St. Vincent's Hospital and Sister Mary Austin was appointed the Superior.

In Loretta was a boy by the name of Frank Christy in whom the Prince was interested. He grew to manhood, went to Baltimore, entered college and decided to become a priest. He was educated in the Sulpician Seminary and when the Civil War broke out he volunteered and became a chaplain in General Rosecrans' Army. After the war he returned to Loretta and became pastor at Ebensburg, Pa. He decided to open a boys' school on top of the Allegheny Mountains and as he knew this Miss McGuire, now Mother Austin, he decided to seek

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BADENS FIRST 100 YEARS

511 State Street Baden, PA 15005-1738 Phone: 724 - 869-7526 Fax: 724 - 869-3794 Toll Free: 800 - 727-6332