My Genealogy Hound

REV. JOHN BANDINALLI was born in Genova, or Genoa, as it is commonly known, in the province of Liguria, kingdom of Italy, August 27, 1835, and is the son of Dominick and Francesca (Ricci) Bandinalli. He was reared in his native country, educated in the monastic schools, and ordained as a priest in 1858, emigrated to the United States the same year and located in Pittsburg, Pa., where he acquired the English language in the only monastery then in existence in this republic. In 1860 he came to Dunkirk and assisted in establishing a monastery to be conducted by the Passionists order, of which he was a member. This order had been first planted in America, at Pittsburg, in 1852, and now has thousands of members scattered in every State and territory of the Union. In 1861 the order at Dunkirk incorporated the Dunkirk Literary, Scientific and Missionary Institute. Father Bandinalli remained in Dunkirk until 1866, when he was appointed by the bishop of that diocese, rector of St. Michael’s monastery at West Hoboken, N. J., where he remained three years when he was appointed rector of St. Joseph’s monastery at Baltimore, Md., where he remained six years, and was then appointed provincial counselor at St. Michael’s church at West Hoboken. In 1880 he returned to Dunkirk where he has since resided and is rector of St. Mary’s Catholic church and monastery. This parish he assisted in organizing in 1860 but the church edifice had been dedicated in November, 1854. The present church building is a superb structure, with an elegant interior, the church and monastery costing over forty thousand dollars. The congregation includes over four hundred families. The Passionist order also built, in 1868, Columbus Hall, at a cost of twenty thousand dollars, which is the location of the parochial schools, where nearly three hundred pupils are enrolled. Father Bandinalli is very popular among his parishioners.