Coshocton County Ohio Bahmer

css3menu.com

Centennial History of Coshocton Co., Ohio by William J. Bahmer Vol 2 Pages 30-33

REV. OWEN J. SYNAN

Rev. Owen J. Synan, pastor of the Sacred Heart church in Coshocton, was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, October 3, 1866, a son of William E. and Catherine (Eagan) Synan, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States at the age of sixteen years and afterward learned and followed the carpenter's trade. He was employed for some time as boss carpenter in the American Print Works at Fall River. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party and he was one of its leaders in Fall River, where he served for some time as alderman of the city. He did in 1873 at the comparatively early age of thirty-seven years.

Rev. Father Synan was reared at home and acquired his education in the Fall Rive public and high schools, being graduated from the latter in the class of 1884. He then entered Holy Cross College at Worcester, Massachesetts, and was graduated in the fall of 1887. He next matriculated in Grand Seminary in Montreal, Canada, and in 1889 he was made professor of mathematics in Regand College in the province of Quebec, reaming a member of the faculty there for four years. Father Synan took holy orders on the 16th of December, 1892, being ordained to the priesthood in Holy Cross Cathedral at Boston, Massachusetts, by the Most Rev. John A. Williams, archbishop of Boston, now deceased.

In August, 1893, Father Synan came to Ohio and spent some time at the cathedral in Columbus. In December 1893, he was sent to Martins Ferry as assistant priest, and in January, 1895 became assistant at St. Peter's church in Steubenville, Ohio. He was pastor of the Catholic church at Jackson, Ohio, for a time, and in February, 1896, was assigned to the Catholic church of Glouster and its mission in Washington county, Ohio.

On the 4th of September, 1900, he was appointed paster at Coshocton, having charge of the Catholic congregations of Coshocton county. Here Father Synan has done an excellent work during the eight years of his connection with the church. The church property includes a fine house of worship, a parsonage on the north and excellent parochial school building. The congregation numbers six hundred communicants and is one of the strongest and most influential religious bodies in the community. The parochial school is a new one and its completion was the realization of a dream long and fondly cherished by Father Synan and his congregation. The ground was broken for the school building in the spring of 1906 and the structure was practically completed in the fall of the year. It was erected at a cost of about sixteen thousand dollars and is a commodious structure, with four large schoolrooms, an attic and splendid basement which can be used as a playground in bad weather. It is built after the most approved modern styles in school architecture and a wing on the northwest side of the schools serves as the sisters' house. The school is under the charge of the Dominican sisters, and from the beginning has enjoyed a period of prosperity. Father Synan is indeed doing a good work in Coshocton among the Catholic people and has their love in large measures, while he enjoys the respect of people of all denominations. He is a man of scholarly attainments, most earnest and consecrated in his work, and is ever watchful over the interests of his people, his words of wisdom proving a strong element in their character building.

Return to Index Volume 2

Return to Bahmers Main Page