street, claiming that the original accommodations were poor; his detractors said he used the private residence to entertain women. The situation became public when Hogan announced from the pulpit one Sunday that neither Conwell nor anyone else had the right to say where he should live. Later that week, Conwell called a meeting of the city's priests and announced that Hogan was suspended. The trustees took Hogan's side, while Conwell condemned the trustees as "despicable ex-Catholics" and "the worst sort of Jacobins". In the meantime, Conwell recalled a Dominican friar — William Vincent Harold, whom his predecessor had dismissed—to assist him. The St. Mary's trustees had quarreled with Harold in the past, and his recall increased their mistrust of Conwell. The schism continued as St. Mary's refused to recognize Conwell's authority over them or Hogan, explicitly excluding Conwell from their board and electing Hogan in his place. Since they had rebelled against the Church hierarchy, Conwell declared Hogan excommunicated in a public statement on May 27, 1821. In 1822, Conwell showed his support for Harold by appointing him as Vicar General of the diocese. The Hogan schism took on new dimensions, however, when Hogan was charged with rape and battery. Philadelphia mayor Robert Wharton presided over the trial, which captured the city's attention. Although the jury found him not guilty, Hogan's image was harmed. A letter from the Pope sided with Conwell but, after initially agreeing to leave the diocese, Hogan reversed himself and stayed on. The pro-Hogan faction prevailed at St. Mary's trustee elections that year amid bloody rioting between parish members. The next year, 1823, some Hogan supporters convinced a local woman to bring a paternity suit against Conwell, but the charges were dismissed quickly and the complainant was convicted of perjury. In an 1824 letter to the National Gazette, Hogan proposed the creation of an "American Catholic Church" with more independence from Rome. By this time, Hogan had begun to lose the trustees' support. At some point soon thereafter, he left the city. In hopes of healing the schism, in October 1826, Conwell partially capitulated to the trustees, yielding to them the right of determining salaries and of vetoing his appointments. In return, they recognized him as bishop and senior pastor of the church. The bishop would henceforth appoint St. Mary's pastor, but the trustees would be permitted to arbitrate any disagreements on appointments before a neutral