THE UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS
LIBRARY
F^95lc
OF
THE MOST REV. P. A. FEEHAN, D. D.
THE LIFE
of ^
Patrick Augustine Feehan
BISHOP OF NASHVILLE
FIRST ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO
1829-1902
By
The Reverend Cornelius J. Kirkfleet, Ord. Praem.
Author of the "History of St. Norbert"
With Introduction by
The Right Reverend Peter James Muldoon, D. D.
Bishop of Rockford, 111.
With Sixteen Illustrations
Published by
MATRE & COMPANY
CHICAGO
1922
Approbatio Or dints
Die 16 Jan. 1922 Depere, Wis.
B. H. Pennings, O. Praem.
Prior.
Nihil Obstat
Joannes B. Furay, S. J.
Censor Deputatus
Imprimatur
*& Georgius Gulielmus Mundelein
Archiepiscopus Chicagiensis
Die 6 Februarii 1922
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
MATEE & COMPANY
All Eights Reserved
Printed in the United States
J
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . xi
PREFACE xiii
INTRODUCTION xv
CHAPTER I
HIS CHILDHOOD
HIS BIRTH HIS PARENTS THE FEEHAN FAMILY OF
ANCIENT LINEAGE THE IRISH A UBIQUITOUS RACE
PHIL. KEARNEY THE ARCHBISHOP'S PHYSIQUE HIS
IDEAL CATHOLIC HOME-LIFE HIS EDUCATION HIS
LOVE FOR BOOKS THE BALL-ALLEY AT THE HOME
OF HIS GRANDFATHER THE O'CONNELL MONSTER-
MEETINGS HE RETURNS TO HIS HOME THE IVY-
COVERED TREE . . . . . . 1-10
CHAPTER II
THE YOUNG MAN
CONDITION OF THE POOR IN THOSE DAYS YOUNG FEEHAN
TAKES THEIR PART IS FOND OF ATHLETICS BARNEY
HEALY TAKES THE PLEDGE PATRICK STUDIES GAELIC
IS KNOWN TO BE DESTINED FOR THE MINISTRY IS
GUIDED BY HIS FATHER IN READING MATTER DEATH
OF HIS SISTER HE TELLS HIS MOTHER OF HIS VOCA-
TION GOES TO CASTLE KNOCK CHARLES RUSSELL
THE FAMILY LEAVES IRELAND PATRICK'S LOVE FOR
HIS PATRON SAINT HIS COMING TO AMERICA . 11-21
CHAPTER III
THE MISSIONARY
SAYS FAREWELL TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY AT THE SEM-
INARY OF CARONDELET IS ORDAINED TO THE PRIEST-
HOOD IN ST. LOUIS TEACHES IN THE SEMINARY THE
iii
i
694604
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
TALENTED YOUNG PREACHER CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN
ST. LOUIS MRS. GOTSEL, THE HOUSEKEEPER FEEHAN
IS MADE PRESIDENT OF CARONDELET BECOMES PAS-
TOR NEVER ASKS FOR MONEY THE PRIEST OF THE
POOR HIS VISITS TO THE JAIL HE HELPS THE
PRISONERS HIS VISITS TO HIS MOTHER ESTABLISHES
A HOSPITAL FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS MAKES NUMER-
OUS CONVERTS 22-33
CHAPTER IV
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE
DEATH OF HIS MOTHER IS MADE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE
HIS CONSECRATION IN ST. LOUIS HIS ARRIVAL IN
NASHVILLE CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH THE DIOCESE
A BARREN MORASS CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR THE
BISHOP BRINGS LIFE INTO THE DIOCESE THE DOMIN-
ICAN SISTERS THE BISHOP'S LOVE FOR THE ORPHANS
HIS LOVE FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS THE CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC IN NASHVILLE 34-43
HIS WORK THROUGHOUT THE DIOCESE RESULTS OF HIS
EFFORTS SOON VISIBLE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES ON
HIS VISITATION TOURS THE CHURCH AT MEMPHIS
TRANSFER OF FATHER WALSH THE BISHOP'S AN-
SWER TO THE COMMITTEE SOME FINE TRAITS OF
CHARACTER CALVARY CEMETERY AT MEMPHIS HOW
THE BISHOP HATED FLATTERY HIS AVERSION TO
TRAVEL AN AMUSING INCIDENT HIS WORK OF FIF-
TEEN YEARS IN THE DIOCESE .... 44-54
CHAPTER VI
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC
THE EXTENT OF THE PLAGUE EVERY WORSHIPPER AT
CHURCH IN MOURNING IN MEMPHIS TWENTY NUNS
AND FIVE PRIESTS DIE THE DOMINICAN FATHERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
PAGE
THE FEVER OF 1878 ACTS OF HEROISM OF BISHOP AND
PRIESTS NAMES OF PRIEST-HEROES TRYING POSITION
OF BISHOP FEEHAN HE PREACHES THE FUNERAL ORA-
TION OF TWELVE OF HIS PRIESTS . . . 55-65
CHAPTER VII
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE
CHICAGO MADE AN ARCHBISHOPRIC BISHOP FEEHAN AP-
POINTED ARCHBISHOP HIS FAREWELL A COMMITTEE
WAITS ON HIM THEIR SPEECHES A PURSE IS PRE-
SENTED TO HIM THE BISHOP'S LOVE FOR THE
SOUTH THE ADDRESS OF THE CLERGY ON THE
TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ORDINATION A
LETTER FROM FATHER GLEESON BISHOP FEEHAN AND
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHTS OF AMERICA . . 66-78
CHAPTER VIII
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO
HIS ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION HIS INVESTITURE READ-
ING OF PAPAL BULL THE SERMON BY ARCHBISHOP
FEEHAN FURTHER DETAILS OF THE CELEBRATION 79-95
CHAPTER IX
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM
DETAILS OF THE SOLEMN INSTALLATION IN THE CATHE-
DRAL THE SERMON BY BISHOP HOGAN MEANING OF
THE PALLIUM WHEN AND HOW MADE AND BLESSED
THE PALLIUM IS PLACED UPON HIS SHOULDERS . 96-114
CHAPTER X
THE ARCHBISHOP
CONDITION OF THE DIOCESE HIS FIRST OFFICIAL ACT THE
CONSECRATION OF BISHOP MC MULLEN DEATH OF
FATHER ST. CYR THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOP
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
RIORDAN THE ARCHBISHOP IS SUMMONED TO ROME
A TESTIMONIAL BANQUET ADDRESS BY VICAR GENERAL
CONWAY REPLY BY THE ARCHBISHOP A FULL AC-
COUNT OF THE DEPARTURE .... 115-126
CHAPTER XI
HIS RETURN FROM ROME
A LARGE DELEGATION MEETS HIM OBJECT OF HIS MISSION
IN ROME DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE ARCHBISHOP'S
RECEPTION AT VALPARAISO THE SPEECHES HIS RE-
TURN TO CHICAGO THE GRAND DEMONSTRATION HE
SPEAKS IN THE CATHEDRAL THE WELCOME FROM HIS
CLERGY ADDRESS OF FATHER CONWAY THE WEL-
COME FROM THE LAITY ADDRESS BY HON. HENRY F.
SHERIDAN SPEECHES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES 127-148
CHAPTER XII
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BALTIMORE COUNCIL THE ARCH-
BISHOP'S INTEREST IN EDUCATION THE SCHOOLS HE
BUILT IN CHICAGO THE GREAT FINANCIER A CELE-
BRATED LAW CASE PROGRESS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE
THE FIRST DIOCESAN SYNOD PERMANENT RECTORS
APPOINTED BOARD OF SCHOOL EXAMINERS RURAL
DEANS 149-166
CHAPTER XIII
FEEHANVILLE
GENERAL CONDITIONS IN CHICAGO INFLUENCE OF THE
PRIESTHOOD PLANS ARE FORMED FOR AN INDUSTRIAL
TRAINING SCHOOL LAYING OF THE CORNERSTONE
STATE ASSISTANCE THE CHARTER SOLEMN DEDICA-
TION ACCOUNT OF THE CELEBRATION VARIOUS
SPEECHES BUILDINGS DESTROYED BY FIRE SCHEDULE
OF ASSESSMENT OF PARISHES FOR REBUILDING 167-188
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
CHAPTER XIV
HIS SILVER JUBILEE
PAGE
A SPECTACLE OF MAGNIFICENCE THE CELEBRATION IN THE
CATHEDRAL THE SERMON BY BISHOP HOGAN THE
DINNER ADDRESS BY VICAR GENERAL DOWLING THE
PROGRAMME THE CELEBRATION AT NIGHT THE
MARCHING 189-200
CHAPTER XV
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION
FIVE THOUSAND CHILDREN PRESENT THE PROGRAMME
TWO ADDRESSES FROM THE ORPHANS ADDRESS BY THE
BOYS FROM FEEHANVILLE SPEECH BY ARCHBISHOP
FEEHAN POEM BY JOHN T. MC NELLIS 201-211
(Second Day)
THE ARCHBISHOP IS SHOWN TO BE A FATHER TO ALL
NATIONALITIES THE ADDRESSES IN VARIOUS LAN-
GUAGES ADDRESS BY THE NEGRO CATHOLICS
SPEECH OF THE ARCHBISHOP HIS GRATITUDE . 212-219
CHAPTER XVII
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH
INCREASE OF CATHOLIC POPULATION IN CHICAGO INCREASE
IN NUMBER OF CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATIONS THE "NEW WORLD" IS ESTABLISHED-
LIST OF ORIGINAL PROMOTERS THE CONSECRATION OF
BISHOP DUNNE MASTERFUL ADDRESS OF THE ARCH-
BISHOP ON CATHOLIC EDUCATION HIS GENEROSITY
HIS KINDNESS TO THE NUNS HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS
IN BEHALF OF THE OUTCAST OF SOCIETY 220-233
viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVIII
THE FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES
PAGE
WHY CERTAIN SOCIETIES WERE CONDEMNED BY ROME
THE ARCHBISHOP GRASPS THE SITUATION HE AN-
TICIPATES THE ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIII
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHTS OF AMERICA HIS LOVE FOR
ALL CATHOLIC SOCIETIES HE- BECOMES THEIR CHAM-
PION HIS DEFENSE OF THE A. O. H. THE TESTIMONY
OF ARCHBISHOP IRELAND THE PROMOTER OF TEM-
PERANCE SOCIETIES HIS SPEECH AT THE TEM-
PERANCE CONGRESS IN CHICAGO SKETCH OF THE
ORIGIN OF THE CATHOLIC ORDER OF FORESTERS . 234-257
CHAPTER XIX
THE WORLD'S FAIR
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN PRESIDENT OF THE SECOND CATHOLIC
CONGRESS TOPICS TREATED HIS WELCOME SPEECH
THE GENERAL INTEREST IN THE CONGRESS THE
CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL DAY THE ADDRESS OF THE
ARCHBISHOP THE MAGNIFICENT CATHOLIC EXHIBIT
THE "PROTECTOR OF OUR SCHOOLS" . . . 25&-27G
CHAPTER XX
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND
SPEECH ON MOORE SERMON ON ST. PATRICK SPEECH IN
ANSWER TO THE TOAST: "THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY
AND CLERGY OF IRELAND" HIS LOVE FOR THE IRISH
SOCIETIES COLONEL FINERTY'S COMMENT HIS LOVE
FOR AMERICA THE TRUE AMERICAN HIS LOVE FOR
THE AMERICAN FLAG 277-298
CHAPTER XXI
BISHOP McGAVICK'S CONSECRATION
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN'S FAILING HEALTH CONSECRATION
OF BISHOP MC GAVICK THE DINNER SPEECH BY THE
TABLE OF CONTENTS ix
PAGE
ARCHBISHOP SPEECH OF BISHOP MC GAVICK ILLNESS
OF THE NEW AUXILIARY PETITION FOR OTHER
AUXILIARY 299-305
CHAPTER XXII
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION
IMPRESSIVE SCENE AT THE CATHEDRAL OFFICERS OF THE
MASS THE NUMBER OF BISHOPS AND PRIESTS THE
CELEBRATION THE REV. TINAN'S SPEECH ANSWER
BY THE ARCHBISHOP SPEECH OF REV. THIELE
ANSWER BY BISHOP MULDOON THE GREAT DEMON-
STRATION AT NIGHT , 306-319
HIS SUDDEN DEATH COMMENTS BY VICAR-GENERAL FITZ-
SIMMONS AND MR. LUTHER LAFLIN BODY LIES IN
STATE NOTICES FOR FUNERAL CONDITION OF THE
ARCHDIOCESE STATISTICS TRIBUTE BY NEWSPAPERS
LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE .... 320-335
CHAPTER XXIV
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL
A MOST IMPOSING CEREMONY OFFICERS OF THE MASS
DIGNITARIES PRESENT SERMON BY ARCHBISHOP RYAN
REFERENCE TO THE CROWLEY SCANDAL THE RELA-
TIVES OF THE ARCHBISHOP PROCESSION TO THE
CEMETERY REMOVAL OF THE BODY THE MONU-
MENT 336-347
CHAPTER XXV
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL
EDITORIAL COMMENT BY SECULAR PAPERS : TRIBUNE, INTER-
OCEAN, DAILY NEWS, JOURNAL AND EVENING POST
CATHOLIC PRESS COMMENT: PITTSBURGH OBSERVER,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CATHOLIC JOURNAL AND NEWS, MEMPHIS, TENN.,
IOWA CATHOLIC MESSENGER, THE REVIEW, ST. LOUIS,
MO., THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSE, THE CATHOLIC TRAN-
SCRIPT, THE WESTERN WATCHMAN, THE NEW
WORLD 348-^366
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY . 367
APPENDIX DOCUMENTS
NO. 1. TESTIMONIAL LETTERS OF THE ORDINATION OF
PATRICK FEEHAN 369
NO. 2. BRIEF OF NOMINATION OF FATHER FEEHAN TO THE
SEE OF NASHVILLE, TENN 370-372
NO. 3-4. LETTERS OF CARDINAL SIMEONI TO BISHOP
FEEHAN 373-374
NO. 5. BULL OF THE ELEVATION OF BISHOP FEEHAN TO
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO . . . 374-376
NO. 6. BULL OF ERECTION OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF
CHICAGO 376-378
NO. 7. LETTER FROM THE APOSTOLIC DELEGATE CONCERN-
ING THE REV. JEREMIAH J. CROWLEY . 378-379
NO. 8. LETTERS OF EXCOMMUNICATION OF THE REV. J. J.
CROWLEY . . 380-381
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
THE MOST REV. P. A. FEEHAN, D. D. . . Frontispiece
FEEHAN THE STUDENT . . ' 18
FEEHAN AT CARONDOLET 26
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE, TENN. .... 34
THE RT. REV. JOHN MCMULLEN, D. D. . . .79
THE MOST REV. PATRICK W. RIORDAN, D. D. . . 117
THE VERY REV. P. J. CONWAY, V. G 127
THE RT. REV. MAURICE F. BURKE, D. D. . . . 160
THE VERY REV. D. M. J. BOWLING, V. G. . . . 194
THE VERY REV. JAMES McGovERN, D. D. . . . 212
THE RT. REV. EDWARD JOSEPH DUNNE, D. D. . . 224
THE PROTECTOR OF OUR SCHOOLS 273
THE RT. REV. ALEXANDER J. MCGAVICK, D. D. . . 299
THE RT. REV. PETER JAMES MULDOON, D. D. . . 306
THE VERY REV. M. J. FITZSIMMONS, V. G. . . . 322
MOTHER MARY CATHERINE FEEHAN . 345
PREFACE
DURING the summer of 1918 great interest was
aroused in local Catholic historical matters by the
organization of the Illinois Catholic Historical Society.
The first number of its excellent Review appeared in
July and caused not only history to be the topic of
conversation in many Catholic circles, but also led a
number of people to rummage through old papers and
family relics hidden in closets and covered with dust.
I was visiting friends at the time and was given the
pleasure of glancing through an old scrap-book kept
for years by a pious nun in one of the convents of
Chicago. It contained newspaper clippings, speeches,
articles, etc., that had reference to Patrick Augustine
Feehan, first Archbishop of Chicago. The more I read
the more deeply I became interested in the life of this
providential servant of God and resolved to rescue this
historical material from oblivion. I began gathering
data about his early life and found a kind and enthu-
siastic helper in the Rt. Rev. P. J. Muldoon, D. D.,
Bishop of Rockford, 111. With the substantial assistance
of this intimate friend of Archbishop Feehan I tried
to retouch that beautiful portrait, fading perhaps from
the memory of a large number of friends and admirers.
Credit should also be given to the Rev. James J.
McGovern, D. D., author of the "Souvenir of the Most
Rev. P. A. Feehan's Silver Jubilee." Furthermore,
the interesting works of the Rev. D. A. Quinn, "Heroes
and Heroines of Memphis," and the proceedings of the
"World's Catholic Congresses and Educational Ex-
hibit," published by J. S. Hyland and Co. in 1893, fur-
xiii
xiv PREFACE
nished me with numerous data and interesting accounts
of the various happenings of this period.
To what extent I have succeeded in retouching the
fading portrait, the reader may judge; I at least have
the satisfaction of having saved the historical material
scattered through books and papers, as well as the per-
sonal recollections of some intimate friends of the great
Metropolitan of Chicago.
THE AUTHOR.
Sept. 13, 1921.
St. Patrick's Church,
Maytown, Sublette, 111.
INTRODUCTION
WHEN the author of this biography asked me to
write a short Introduction, I was reading "The
Centennial History of Illinois." With sadness I
noticed that in the chapter devoted to "The Growth
of Education, Art and Letters," for the years 1893-
1918, with the exception of two and one-half lines refer-
ring to one high school, there was nothing said of the
great Catholic school system comprising grammar and
high schools, colleges and universities. Also in the
chapter "Illinois and the Great War" there is not
even a passing mention of the large share the Catholic
schools of all grades had in assisting the various relief
organizations during the war. We are told that, "The
State Council of Defense received valuable assistance
and co-operation from the public schools of the State,
and from the University of Illinois, the State Normal
Schools, the University of Chicago, Northwestern Uni-
versity and the colleges." This statement permits the
reader to suspect that the parochial schools and the
Catholic institutions for higher education of the State
of Illinois held back and did not do their full share. I
doubt if any were more patriotic in the great crisis or
worked more diligently to give aid and to sustain the
authority of the State and Nation than did the pupils
and teachers in our institutions.
Why these omissions? I cannot believe that it is
entirely intentional; but it is surprising to find state
historians apparently knowing so little of the great
moral, cultural, and educational force constantly at
work in the State of Illinois. I think, in part, we
XV
xvi INTRODUCTION
Catholics are to blame, as we have not put the glorious
records of the Catholic Church in the State in more
acceptable and obtainable form. What a blessing a
history of the Catholic Church in Illinois would be!
Such a work would make it impossible for any fair
historian to pass by the magnificent work of the Church
in an article on "The Growth of Education, Art and
Letters," during a most fertile period of our State
history (1893-1918). Again, how useful would be a
history of the sacrifices, achievements and struggles of
the Church in this State in the iclass-rooms of our
Catholic schools !
The present volume is given to the public with the
affectionate desire to perpetuate by a feeble tribute of
respect and admiration the memory of the Most Rev-
erend Patrick Augustine Feehan, truly worthy of being
entered among the "Makers of America." He left his
native land when ecclesiastical superiors would have
been happy to retain him on account of his unusual
talents, and when his Alma Mater desired to crown him
with honors by placing him in the professor's chair.
He brushed aside all offers that he might with zeal
and sacrifice defend and expound the cause of Christ
in the then Far West. He would be the shepherd of
scattered immigrants rather than the professor of the
clerical youth of Ireland. The very motive power
renders such a life interesting. To be driven by God's
grace to give up the conveniences that are inherent to
a well-established ecclesiastical order, for the sacrifices,
uncertainties, and hardships of a missionary life, makes
the recipient of such a vocation well worthy of more
than passing notice.
How faithfully this talented son of Erin followed
the call of the Holy Spirit this biography endeavors
INTRODUCTION xvii
to relate. That it is a complete work the author does
not pretend, as we are yet too close to the majestic
figure. Future historians will, no doubt, give an ampler
and more perfect account of the life and deeds of the
first Archbishop of Chicago. All major ascertainable
facts have been given here, but, unfortunately for the
biographer, his subject kept little in the way of cor-
respondence, and the few letters and documents that
came from his portfolio did not concern the most im-
portant phases of his life. This volume, however, will
keep in permanent form the larger engagements of this
faithful soldier of the Cross. I think the author has
drawn a faithful picture of Archbishop Feehan, and
all who knew him will find pleasure in lingering with
loving admiration over the features of this spiritual
father and friend.
Throughout the work you will find Archbishop Fee-
han ever the same quiet, retiring gentleman. As Arch-
bishop Ryan said: "He was the same as a young priest
in St. Louis as he was as Archbishop of Chicago." He
never complained of difficulties and never shirked a
duty. Quietly and without comment he accepted the
hard conditions that were present when he went to
Nashville. The work of reconstruction was accom-
plished so quietly and apparently so easily that all were
surprised.
When the Archbishop came to Chicago, the city was
still bearing the marks of the great fire and recovering
from the effects of the financial panic of 1873. The
history of immigration shows that following each finan-
cial panic the stream of immigrants has lessened. Thus
after 1873 immigration was comparatively small and in
1878 the number of immigrants was only 138,000,
whereas in 1873 it was 457,000. However, in 1880,
2 Feb. 22.
xviii INTRODUCTION
when Archbishop Feehan came to Chicago they num-
bered above 400,000, and in 1882 a new record was
made with 789,000. The Italian immigrants coming to
this country in 1870 numbered 3,000; in 1880, 12,000,
and in 1890 their number was 100,000. Also the Slavs
came in large numbers during these same years, and
unfortunately most of these immigrants went to the
large centers of population. Chicago saw them coming
to her gates in unusually great numbers. The Catholic
proportion of this army was very great and the question
was how to give churches and schools to this multitude,
poor in the goods of this world, and without a knowl-
edge of the English language. The Archbishop took
up the gigantic task without any misgiving or perturba-
tion. It was in nearly every respect a new situation
and required delicacy of judgment and unusual patience.
How well he accomplished his task the comparative
table of churches and schools (1880-1902) will tell
better than any words of mine. Through it all he had
great faith in the newly arrived immigrants for he often
said: "All will come out well, for these people have
faith."
He was most sympathetic toward all the races coming
to our shores and his idea of Americanization was kind-
ness, sympathy, coupled with aid during their first
years in the United States. He said once that he feared
the result if the newcomers would too rapidly discard
their old-country habits, customs, or language. The
change, he explained, would have to be gradual, and
come from their own appreciation of the United States
and the blessings conferred, rather than from a too
forced action from without. His idea was persuasion
rather than compulsion.
To provide priests, churches, and in part schools for
INTRODUCTION xix
these immigrants during the high tide of this exodus
from the Old World was a labor of love for him, and
that he enjoyed the affection and confidence of all the
elements of the great cosmopolitan city can be affirmed
without fear of contradiction.
On the pedestal of the marble statue of Archbishop
Feehan, which graced the Chicago Catholic school
exhibit at the World's Fair, these words were inscribed :
"Patron of Our Schools." His constant attention to
the welfare of the schools well merited this affectionate
tribute. It was during the administration of Arch-
bishop Feehan that the Archdiocese recorded more chil-
dren under Catholic care than any other diocese in the
Western States, and that record has been maintained
until the present, through the earnest solicitude of his
successors.
Sincere in thought and action, the only one the Arch-
bishop never understood was the flatterer or him who
acted a double part. His views were large, and his
heart was generous, but withal he was most economical
in his administration of church funds, and unusually
frugal in his personal habits. It can be said of Arch-
bishop Feehan, I think, without exaggeration, that he
was truly a Prince of the Church, in thought, word,
and deed.
The writing of this short Introduction affords me
an opportunity to publicly express my undying grati-
tude to my benefactor, friend and superior.
fi& PETER JAMES MULDOON, D. D.,
Bishop of Rockford, 111.
CHAPTER I
HIS CHILDHOOD
HIS BIRTH HIS PARENTS THE FEEHAN FAMILY OF ANCIENT
LINEAGE THE IRISH A UBIQUITOUS RACE PHIL KEAR-
NEY THE ARCHBISHOP'S PHYSIQUE HIS IDEAL CATHOLIC
HOME-LIFE HIS EDUCATION HIS LOVE FOR BOOKS THE
BALL-ALLEY AT THE HOME OF HIS GRANDFATHER THE
O'CONNELL MONSTER MEETINGS HE RETURNS HOME THE
IVY-COVERED TREE.
PATRICK AUGUSTINE FEEHAN., first Archbishop of
Chicago, was born August 28, 1829, at Killenaule,
County Tipperary, Ireland. His father, Patrick Fee-
han, was a man of large and robust body, of strong
and active mind, and remarkable for his distinguished
appearance, courtly manners, and scholarly attainments.
His mother also possessed many of those qualities that
were so strikingly noticeable in her distinguished son.
She was of a modest, retiring disposition, reserved and
unostentatious; intensely devoted to her children and
careful of keeping them from anything that in the
slightest degree might interfere with the old faith, of
which she was intensely proud, and to which she was
all her long life sincerely devoted.
The Feehan family is one of ancient lineage, as may
be inferred from an inscription engraved upon an old
tomb in a deserted cemetery. On a green slope in Innis-
fail, at the foot of Slievnamon in Tipperary, stands
within a deserted cemetery a Celtic cross, furrowed by
the storms of centuries : it was there when the first savage
Viking came to Erin, and when the last Dane was driven
out of the land; it was a silent witness to the ravages
of the more savage and "ruthless Cromwellian." At the
foot of this cross is the tomb worn and old as the cross
2 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
itself on which is engraved, in the Gaelic tongue,
"FEEHAN." The last of Archbishop Feehan's im-
mediate family buried there was a much loved sister.
The branch of the family from which the Archbishop is
immediately descended is that in the city of Waterf ord,
where for many years one of the members filled the office
of Lord Mayor. The brilliant and patriotic Thomas
Francis Meagher belonged to this same branch.
The Archbishop's father was the youngest of a family
of two sisters and three brothers. The sisters married
merchants in the city; the oldest brother, Martin, chose
the life of a farmer and settled in Graystown near the
old castle of that name, in the County Tipperary;
Edward, next in age, became a priest and died soon
after his ordination; the youngest, Patrick, left home to
visit the New World, either in order to escape his father's
solicitations to study for the bar, or on account of the
death of his beloved brother. He never reached the
New World, for during the voyage he suffered ship-
wreck. He lived for three days on an iceberg without
food or drink, and when at last he was rescued, he re-
turned to Ireland and settled on a farm near his brother
Martin's in Springhill. In 1825, February 21st, he
married Judith, the oldest daughter of John Cooney of
Coleman. 1 This family with its many branches, as well
as the family of the Feehans, gave many bishops, priests
and missionaries to foreign lands ; they have been called
"Levitical families." Their traditions are rich with
i The following record was found among 1 the Archbishop's papers:
"Ex registro hujus Parochiae constat Patritium Feehan de Killenaule et
Judith Cooney de Coleman junctos fuisse in matrimonium die 21a Februarii,
1825 testibus: Joanne Cooney, Alicia Cooney et aliis."
Ita testor hac 7a die Aprilis, 1850. Gulielmus Heffernan,
Pastor de Clerihan.
(Translation).
From the register of this parish it is certain that Patrick Feehan of
Killenaule and Judith Cooney of Coleman were united in marriage February
21, 1825 witnesses: John Cooney, Alice Cooney and others.
I thus hereby testify on the 7th day of April, 1850.
"William Heffernan,
Pastor of Clerihan.
HIS CHILDHOOD 3
legends of the days of St. Patrick, his sojournings
among them, and the relics they possessed of those days
of Erin's glory. The most remarkable legend concerns
a crozier, which the Saint is said to have bequeathed
to one of their ancestors, named Kearney, with the
prophecy that the faith should never die out in that
family.
In 1869, when Archbishop Feehan, then Bishop of
Nashville, Tenn., visited Rome, he met an Irish bishop
who told him that this prophecy of St. Patrick had
proved false, since just a few days previous the last
of the "Kearneys" had died. Bishop Feehan seemed
much disturbed over this news but after a moment's
hesitation said hopefully: "You know, Bishop, the
Irish are a ubiquitous race. It is quite possible that
some of the 'Kearneys' are living in another country."
A few days later the two bishops met again, and said
the one from Ireland: "I am glad I met you, Bishop,
for I have strange news for you. The very day the
last of the 'Kearneys' died in Ireland, the widow of
'Fighting Phil' Kearney and her children were bap-
tized in Rome. About two hundred years ago, one of
them settled in New Jersey and became the ancestor
of Generals Stephen and Phil Kearney, of the Amer-
ican Civil War. I am delighted to find that the proph-
ecy is true. Your Lordship is quite right in saying
that we Irish are a ubiquitous race."
The Feehan family contributed many noble sons and
daughters to that immortal band of heroes who suf-
fered, for the love of God and country, all the vicissi-
tudes of the terrible penal days. Many of them were
driven by fierce persecution to fight the battle of life
under the more hospitable skies of other lands, and
to this day distinguished names, high on the roll of
4 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
honor in the adopted country of the Archbishop, can
trace their origin back to the silent tomb in the old
deserted cemetery in the county of Tipperary.
But greater than the magnificent endowments of
intellect and heart or the robust physique and wonder-
ful courage, tempered with the ingenuousness and ten-
derness of a child, which were bestowed upon this gifted
son of the Church, were the signal blessing and mark
of celestial favor so manifested in the surroundings of
his advent among his fellow beings for whose temporal
welfare and spiritual elevation his pilgrimage was des-
tined. His parents were Catholics of great piety and
unswerving devotion to the old faith and all its revered
traditions. Kind and gentle, temperate and provident,
they received the bountiful gifts of God with befitting
humility and gratitude, and used them for His greater
honor and glory. No allurements of a material world,
no promises of sordid gain, could close their simple
hearts against the appealing eyes of the battered way-
farer, nor stifle the emotions of sympathy which the
cry of distress awakened. To compromise with wrong,
under whatever guise the temptation might appear, was
foreign to these minds so fortified by hereditary virtue
against the assaults of that ultra-selfish spirit which
begot the injustices and persecutions of the times.
A beautiful illustration of Mr. Patrick Feehan's keen
perception of the duty which true charity imposes upon
all men cannot be more admirably pictured than in re-
counting an instance related by an eyewitness. Upon
a certain occasion, Mr. Feehan was accosted by an un-
fortunate man who appealed to him for aid. After
relieving the man's necessities, it was suggested to him
that he had somewhat overstepped the bounds of pru-
dence and that the best interests of his children de-
HIS CHILDHOOD 5
manded some restraint upon his naturally generous
impulses. "It is related in the Scriptures," said Mr.
Feehan, "that if a man has two coats, he should give
one to him who has none. Divine Providence will take
care of my children." This reply to what Mr. Feehan
deemed a narrow view of Christian charity appeals with
greater force to the understanding of, and sheds a
stronger light upon the character of the man than all
the words his most earnest admirers might utter.
Surely it should be no subject of surprise or doubt,
if we but dare envisage the Beatific Mind, that in com-
mitting him to the care and training of so noble a father,
the life of the distinguished son was foreordained to
fructify and blossom into deeds which bear the indelible
impress of a specially selected divine mission.
Notwithstanding the unjust restrictions and political
disabilities to which Mr. Feehan, as well as so many
of his contemporaries, were subjected in their younger
days through the vigorous and malicious prosecution of
the penal laws, he had obtained a liberal education,
which, together with the endowment of a splendid intel-
lect, insured him a range of information possessed but
by few men of his day. He was an excellent French
scholar and spoke that language very fluently, while to
his studious disposition and great love of books may be
traced his pre-eminence as a connoisseur and patron of
the literature of his time. It was from his father that
the Archbishop inherited his studious habits and keen
intellect, his strict sense of justice and executive talent,
while through a tender and noble mother were imparted
to him those exquisite and gentle traits which endeared
him to all who were so blest as to come within the radi-
ance of his influence. In his youth he had the most
conspicuous example of modesty and refinement in his
6 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
gentle mother, pursuing the even tenor of her way,
doing good to those of her fellow creatures whose wants
and miseries constantly appealed to her sympathies. He
saw her weep with the sorrowful, console the desolate,
and cherish the orphan, whilst the minutest of her
earthly duties was most carefully performed. Ah ! how
in his declining years he made us often feel by his own
gentleness and compassion that at the family altar the
mother preaches by holy example even more than by her
words of wisdom and piety; that the very songs she
sings to quiet her restless babe are borrowed from the
angels, and should her infant by the favor of heaven
be called to join the celestial choirs, it carries on its lips
the familiar strains of praise and love; and as it wings
its first flight upward and onward through the shining
stars, it hears from every sphere the symphonies of
adoration and charity which are but the highest perfec-
tion of that humble hymn it had learned at its mother's
knee.
The love of study and fondness for books which the
Archbishop had inherited from his father, developed in
him at a very tender age a marked disposition for retire-
ment and seclusion. When other boys of his age were
engaged in the active amusements of childhood, his
leisure hours were mostly devoted to the perusal of
instructive books. It is not surprising, therefore, that
his youthful years were pregnant with all the indica-
tions of the future vocation for the sublime apostleship
to which he was called. His early education was the
especial care of his good father at whose fireside his
first studies were begun. Associated with him in these
early studies under the supervision of his honored father
was a sister, sixteen months his senior. In consequence
of this happy early opportunity, when "Little Pat," as
HIS CHILDHOOD 7
he was familiarly called, first attended school, he was far
in advance of the other children of his age. At eight,
he began the study of the classics. When about ten,
he was sent to his grandfather, John Cooney of Cole-
man, that he might have the advantage of going to
school in Fethard, where there was a good classical
teacher. The sturdy little fellow thought nothing of
walking three long miles to and from this school.
After school the boys were in the habit of frequently
visiting a ball-alley kept by an old man, whom they
repaid for their amusement by often sharing their
lunches with him, and by giving him occasionally a few
pennies. This alley had a smooth earthen floor, a high
gable end, and a broken wall on one side, where the
boys would lay their jackets and books. It was the
old man's pride and joy to keep a record of the names
of the boys who made the highest scores. Besides, he
not only kept score for them but also obliged them to
disperse at a seasonable hour, so that parents never had
to complain of the place. The boys that used to as-
semble there were remarkably good and many of them
afterwards distinguished themselves in various walks of
life. In after years when "Little Pat" had become
Bishop of Nashville, and when he visited his native land
and the places hallowed by fond memories, he did not
forget the old man and the ball-alley. There still was
the same floor, the gable, the broken wall, the jackets,
and the books all was, as yesterday; but the old man,
where was he? A middle-aged man was in his place
and when questioned, answered: "My Lord, my father
is dead, God rest his soul, and if he was alive, sure 'tis
he'd be proud to see you. He has an account of your
fine playing here in this book. You have one of the
highest scores that was ever written in it, so you have."
8 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Looking further through the book many a name then
distinguished throughout the world in every profession,
shone upon its faded pages ; archbishops, bishops, priests,
members of the bar, the press and the army ; and around
all the dearest memories of childhood were entwined.
Young Feehan spent about two years at the home of
his grandfather, but meanwhile was allowed to make
frequent visits to the home of his parents, which was
about nine miles distant. Most happy associations were
connected with those years. He had two uncles who
were studying for the priesthood and three others who
owned and superintended large farms in the neighbor-
hood. They were tall and athletic men, the very type
to inspire a boy with enthusiasm. They engaged in all
manly sports and took part in all social and political
entertainment. It was the time the O'Connell Monster
Meetings were held in all the cities of the country.
Those were gala days for our young hero. Everywhere
the people attended the meetings in large numbers,
cheering, singing, and carrying branches. They hoped
for great things from their much loved Liberator the
idol of high and low. The Cooney young men, liv-
ing a short distance from Clonmel, were prominent in
preparing suitable entertainments for the distinguished
guests, who were very many, and of course, young
Patrick was not left behind. At those entertainments
he invariably met his father and many of his relatives.
They were most joyous gatherings.
At one of those dinners, Father Heffernan, the parish
priest of Clerihan, who had officiated at the marriage
of young Feehan's parents, made a speech, one sentence
of which is especially remembered for its rich humor.
Addressing O'Connell, he said:
"Mr. O'Connell, I congratulate you on your magnifi-
HIS CHILDHOOD 9
cent success, on the devotion of the whole country to
their idolized Emancipator, particularly on the love of
the people of the 'Golden Vale,' (as this part of Tip-
perary was called), where the land is so fertile that if
you plant a twelvepenny nail at night, it will be a crow-
bar in the morning." There was prolonged cheering,
as Father Heffernan was much loved by the people for
his devotion to them and their interests. They honored
him for his learning, and revered him for his humility
and piety.
In his old age Archbishop Feehan often spoke affec-
tionately of those boyhood days, especially of the happy,
simple and contented lives of the working people, large
numbers of whom were daily employed by his 'uncles.
Of course, farming machines were unknown: men
reaped with hooks and scythes, women bound the grain
after their day's work. When the horses were groomed
and fed, the cows milked and driven to pasture, sup-
per over and all things in readiness for the night, the
men, women and children assembled on a well beaten
piece of ground near their dwelling. Nor was the music
lacking, for there was Jack, the flute-player, or Bill,
the fiddler, or Paddy, the piper, contributing to the
merriment of the occasion. Then the work of the day
was forgotten in dance, song, joke and repartee. Father
Heffernan and his assistants were frequent visitors at
these innocent frolics.
After two years, young Patrick Feehan returned to
his father's home as a fine classical teacher had opened
a school in Killenaule. There was also at this time an
excellent mathematician in the town and a teacher of
English branches. At home once more with his sweet
gentle mother and the sister whom he loved so well and
who now accompanied him to school every day, time
passed lightly.
10 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
There was in the neighborhood of Killenaule a never
failing spring of delicious water. It flowed through
Springhill and at one place formed a little river, deep
and narrow. Over the water in an almost horizontal
position hung a great bough of an ivy covered tree ; the
ivy itself had grown to be a tree, so thick was its stem.
On this particular bough it formed a natural seat as
well as a bridge, and was so elastic that it swayed in the
wind, yet formed ample protection. Here it was that
during the balmy summer evenings the brother and sister
prepared their lessons for the following day, confided
their childish secrets one to the other, and grew very
much attached. They shared each other's joys and sor-
rows and seemed but one heart and one soul. No one
was permitted to disturb them in their studies, yet the
old nurse found at times excuses to bring them some-
thing palatable. She could get good water nowhere
else but at that particular place, and the children looked
for Jude's coming with pleasure. Jude had accom-
panied their mother on the occasion of her marriage
and nursed all the children, so she felt that she had a
mother's claim.
CHAPTER II
THE YOUNG MAN
CONDITION OF THE POOR IN THOSE DAYS YOUNG FEEHAN TAKES
THEIR PART IS FOND OF ATHLETICS BARNEY HEALY TAKES
THE PLEDGE PATRICK STUDIES GAELIC IS KNOWN TO BE
DESTINED FOR THE MINISTRY IS GUIDED BY HIS FATHER IN
READING MATTER DEATH OF HIS SISTER HE TELLS HIS
MOTHER OF HIS VOCATION GOES TO CASTLE KNOCK
CHARLES RUSSELL THE FAMILY LEAVES IRELAND PATRICK'S
LOVE FOR HIS PATRON SAINT HIS COMING TO AMERICA.
IN those days there were no poorhouses as we have
them today, or at least the poor did not go there; the
farmers supported the poor. Every morning the blind
and the lame, the homeless and the poor, sallied forth,
taking a different road each day of the week and rest-
ing on Sunday. The children knew them all by name;
there was old Biddy, old Mary, old Jack, blind Tom,
and so on. Everywhere the children craved as a boon
to be allowed to give the alms and accompany the blind
to the next farm house, where other children again de-
manded the same privilege. Many a time Pat Feehan
led a blind man or woman wherever he or she wanted
to go. These poor people prayed for the living and
the dead of the families that had helped them. It is a
sweet picture of holy Ireland. "The poor you will al-
ways have with you." Oh, how much it is to be regret-
ted that those days are past!
One warm afternoon old Molly Ryan was returning
home with a well-filled bag. She laid the bag on a stile
beside the road to rest when along came some school-
boys who thought it would be fun to throw Molly's bag
over the wall. When they had done the mischief they
ran away shouting and laughing. Molly cried and
11
12 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
wrung her hands when Pat Feehan happened to come
upon the scene. He at once consoled her by telling her
that he would gather up the contents of the bag, and
did so amid the prayers and blessings of the poor
woman.
However, Pat did not always sympathize with the
unfortunate. During one of his visits to his grand-
father's place a number of young men were assembled
on the public road. A hated landlord came along, and
as the young men did not make way for him quickly
enough, he made some insulting remark about "the
d d papists." Like a flash Dennis Cooney sprang
on the rear of his gig and with one sweep of his mus-
cular arm landed the creature in a duck pond on the
road side. It was not deep enough to smother him,
but the water was dirty. The ducks quacked and splut-
tered while the men shouted and roared with laughter.
Some dragged him out and helped him to his gig, but
no one knew or pretended to know who the offender
was. One suggested that he keep a civil tongue in his
head when those young fellows were around, "for you
never know when they will give you another lift like
that, sir, that would make the ducks laugh." Pat Fee-
han had cheered with the rest for he hated tyranny and
oppression of any kind.
Patrick was greatly loved by his schoolmates who
simply could enjoy no game without him: he was fond
of athletic sports, and was an adept in those in vogue
at the time, viz., hurling, running, ball-playing, and
wrestling. In after years when he was pastor of St.
Michael's Church in St. Louis, a poor woman one day
came to him in tears. Her husband, she said, was a
good man but he drank and spent his earnings. He
had good pay but nevertheless she and the children
THE YOUNG MAN 13
were starving. Father Feehan gave her some help and
at the same time promised to see her husband. The
next day when the quarry men were resting after their
dinner, Father Feehan was in their midst. He asked
for Barney Healy. The men all knew Barney's fail-
ing, and guessed at once the reason of the visit.
Stepping aside with the defendant, Father Feehan
began: "Barney, I understand that your family is
in distress because of your intemperate habits."
"Well, Father," answered Barney, "I do drink, I
am ashamed to say, and I took the pledge twice: first
time I promised never to drink a glass of whiskey again ;
I kept that pledge, for I did not drink a glass full at
any time, but I used to drink half a glass oftener and
I was just as bad as before: then I took the pledge from
Archbishop Kenrick that I would never drink inside
nor outside a house, and what do you think I did? You
could not guess. Well, I drank on the threshold. Now,
Father, what can be the use in a chap like me taking
the pledge? But I'll tell you, Father, if any man could
bate me throwin' a stone, I'd take the pledge from him
and keep it without any schemin', so I would."
"Suppose you throw a stone with me, Barney," said
Father Feehan.
"Done, Your Reverence."
Barney was quite confident in his own prowess for
he was a strong, athletic fellow, used to working with a
drill. A stone was selected to the satisfaction of both.
The men stood around, greatly interested, hoping that
the priest would win; yet, knowing Barney's skill, they
had their fears. The priest, through respect, was given
the first throw, which carried far. Barney looked trou-
bled as he measured the distance with his eyes. Taking
the stone in the palm of his great, coarse hand he swung
14 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
his arm and swayed his body back and forth until he
brought his full strength into play, then with a supreme
effort he threw the stone. The men hailed the result
with a shout of joy. "Lost, Barney," they shouted,
"lost by two feet, old boy! Now you're bound for life,
and no gettin' out of it aither."
Poor Barney sat on a rock and sobbed like a child,
perhaps because his pride was broken. "Ah! don't be
a child, Barney," the men said. "You are in for it
now; bear it like a man." Without saying a word Bar-
ney walked to the priest's feet and kneeling down said
before them all: "I promise without any 'schemin' ,
never to drink intoxicating drink agin. You are all
witnesses to my promises and ye'll see that Barney
Healy can keep his word with God's help." He did
keep his word, and kept his family too, in comfort and
happiness.
During the summer vacation Patrick studied Gaelic
under Mr. Hickey, an old gentleman who taught in the
college at Water ford. He was quite a favorite with
the old man, who always called him, "King of Boys."
This old Gaelic professor translated and wrote with
a crow's quill pen a history of Ireland, and "The Glories
of Mary." He was a most humble and unassuming
man.
About this time it began to be remarked among the
people that Patrick Feehan was destined by God for
the sacred ministry. He was then about fourteen years
old and much taller than most of the boys of his age.
School-fellows were not slow to notice the veil of sepa-
ration from the world which the Lord casts around
those whom He selects for His own Divine Service.
"He is going to be a priest," said one.
"How do you know what he is going to be?"
THE YOUNG MAN 15
"Oh, it is easy to see; I heard my father say that
the mark is on his brow."
Another remarked: "My mother says that wher-
ever he goes the blessing of God will go with him."
The fame of young Patrick's tutor, Mr. Walsh, as
a foremost classical teacher, had spread far and wide.
Young men came from many parts of the country to
his school. Since many of these were known as "poor"
scholars, they were boarded free by the farmers; fre-
quently two of these were at Mr. Feehan's, always at
least one. As a rule they were exemplary young men,
for otherwise they would not be permitted to remain
in the house. Mr. Feehan was ever watchful of the
companions his children associated with and the liter-
ature they read. He made an effort to procure them
the choicest publications. Whenever he went to the
cities where publishers lived, he would invariably return
with new books; being well read himself, he expected
his children to follow his example. He often read aloud.
His accent was good and his voice sweet and pleasing.
Furthermore, Mr. Feehan kept the beautiful custom
of reciting the Rosary of Our Blessed Mother every
night for the household. He very much recommended
the reading of the Scriptures and frequently explained
a portion of them himself. No improper conversation
was ever permitted in his house. If anything of this
nature ever occurred the offender was immediately dis-
missed. For the rest, there were frequent gatherings
and amusements in Mr. Feehan's home, but usually
these entertainments were of an intellectual nature.
From the simple narration of the foregoing incidents
in the home-life of the Archbishop, which were gathered
principally from those who were intimately associated
with him in his childhood and youthful days, may be
16 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
inferred the wonderful manifestation of Divine Grace
which attends and accompanies through life the chil-
dren of parents whose genuine devotion to their off-
spring displays itself in holy example and good work,
rather than in the vanity of worldly and temporal
advantages.
When Patrick was in his fifteenth year, a great grief
came into his life. His beloved sister who had been the
loving companion of his childhood days, who had shared
with him all his little joys and sorrows, whose heart had
throbbed with pride in the contemplation of his promis-
ing future, and who had ever been ready to tender her
sweet consolation in all the little disappointments and
trials of his boyhood, was taken from him and her de-
voted family by an untimely death. The fact that they
lived in the country and that two children, junior to
Patrick, had died in their infancy, leaving a gap which
separated the older from the younger members of the
family, had cemented the attachment of the two older.
The loss of this sister, therefore, left on the mind and
the heart of Patrick a lasting impression. On the day
of her death he wandered away from home, and after
a long search was found in a lonely place almost un-
conscious. Yet he tried hard to conceal his grief, and
in a quiet, unobtrusive way, all his own, he would
attend to the little duties he knew his sister was in the
habit of discharging for her mother, so that his mother
at least would not so frequently be reminded of her loss.
Such was the deep and tender affection of this noble
boy for his grief-stricken mother, and his whole life was
one long vista of filial piety.
On one occasion, it happened during the vacation of
1846, a little girl of eight or nine years, but now bowed
down beneath the weight of many winters' snows and
THE YOUNG MAN 17
the sorrows of life, was sitting unobserved in a quiet
corner of her home amusing herself with a story book,
when the following scene was enacted:
Mrs. Feehan was busy with her needle one afternoon
when her son quietly entered the room. "Where have
you been, my child?" she asked.
"I walked down to where father is superintending the
men, mother. Father likes to talk of college days and
of my studies. He also seems to know so much about
our relatives in foreign countries. Not long since, a
gentleman from Brazil called at the college, who in some
way had learned my name and asked to see me. He
tried to induce me to return with him to Buenos Aires ;
first to travel over Europe for improvement and pleas-
ure, then to Brazil. He said that he could easily pro-
cure for me an honorable and lucrative position under
the government." Seeing the anxious expression on
his mother's face however, Pat added quickly: "But
I told him, mother, that the die was cast for me and
that my mind was made up. I intend to become a
priest."
Hearing this his good mother laid down her work,
and rising from her seat threw her arms around her
darling's neck, murmuring "Cushla Machree" (child of
my heart). Patrick then folded his arms around his
dear mother and led her back to her seat.
"Mother," he said, "you are not like the mother of
the sons of Zebedee, who desired worldly honors for her
children. When my Lord will be pleased to say to me,
'Can you drink the chalice that I will give you?' I hope
that He will give me the grace to answer, 'I can.' '
His face seemed transfigured then. The little girl
looked from her corner with a feeling of awe on him,
her beloved brother; this scene she has never forgotten.
18 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
To the preliminary studies of young Feehan suc-
ceeded a thorough training in the classics and sciences,
and his aptness and progress were so remarkable that,
when only sixteen years of age, he was entered as an
ecclesiastical student at Castle Knock College, in Sep-
tember, 1845.
The eighteen months which he spent in this institution
were signalized by the impress which his exalted char-
acter and strong personality left upon the minds of
those who were intimately thrown in with him, both
fellow students and professors; and as for scholarship,
he bore away laurels of the highest honor. He was
permitted on account of superior scholarship to take
the Christmas examination at Maynooth in 1846, and
passed most creditably.
One of the students of Castle Knock, a boy whom
Patrick admired very much, was Charles Russell, after-
ward Lord Russell of Killoon. On the day of final
separation, young Russell, a bright and cheerful boy,
came to Patrick's room. "Well, Feehan," he said, "to-
day our roads divide. You are booked for Maynooth:
I, for Trinity."
Looking at him affectionately Feehan answered:
"Charley, Trinity has many temptations for an ambi-
tious man."
"I know it," said Charles, "but with God's grace I
hope to pass unscathed and come out victorious. You
will never hear that Charles Russell has proved unfaith-
ful to his country or his grand old faith."
"You are one that can be trusted, Charles, and I feel
sure that the day will come when you will fill one of
the highest positions at the bar."
"I shall try to do credit to my family and name,"
resumed Charles, "but you, my dear friend, I am con-
of
U:
THE YOUNG MAN 19
fident will stand at the head of the hierarchy. You will
one day be a leader and exemplar among men."
"Well, well, we will let the future tell what we are
made of," was the answer of young Feehan.
After some time Russell said: "I must be off now,
but first I wish to settle my year's account. You must
have often noticed my hasty, impetuous manner on the
playground. I must have pained you many times and
I now beg you to forgive me and always remember me
as your friend." The two young men, great in their
humility as in everything else, knelt down for a moment
in a silent prayer for forgiveness of all offenses; then
after a short embrace P. A. Feehan was alone.
Little did Patrick think that their words of that day
were actually a prophecy. The two men never met
again; when Lord Russell was in New York, he in-
tended to visit Chicago, but Providence had ordained
otherwise. After Lord Russell's death, Archbishop
Feehan often related this incident with great emotion,
thinking perhaps of an early meeting in their eternal
home.
Young Feehan began his five years' course of study
in the great College of Maynooth, when in his eighteenth
year he entered this renowned ecclesiastical seminary in
January, 1847. Here he made his courses of philosophy
and theology under the guidance of masters of the pro-
foundest erudition and the highest order of ability. In
the most trying and difficult period of his ecclesiastical
training he displayed the same traits of pre-eminent
talent, intellectual acumen, indomitable application, and
energy, which had so characterized his earlier scholastic
achievements, and to which may be ascribed the cause
of the extraordinary proficiency which secured him well
merited preferment and the appointment to the Dun-
boyne establishment.
20 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
When in 1850, the Archbishop's family left Ireland for
the United States and young Feehan obtained permis-
sion to spend a day with his people in Dublin, he re-
mained with them that night without permission from
the president, Doctor Renehan, as the vessel was not
to sail until the next evening. Telephone and telegraph
communication was not as common then as it is to-
day. On his return to the college he was at once sent
to the president, who said to him: "You are under cen-
sure, Mr. Feehan. You absented yourself last night
without permission, and that is a serious matter."
"May I give an explanation, Doctor?"
"Certainly," was the reply.
"The vessel in which my family was to embark was
not ready yesterday and so my parents requested me
to remain with them last night. I could not refuse. I
think, sir, if you were placed in the same circumstances
you yourself would have done the same."
Looking kindly at the youth the president replied:
"I would, sir, and I honor you for having done it. The
censure is removed."
All during his life the Archbishop displayed deep
devotion to his patron saint. Once he was asked what
saint he had chosen for his patron. "My patron," he
said, "is the saint of saints. I have always tried to
imitate him; how far I succeeded, he alone knows." The
questioner thought he had succeeded quite well, but said
nothing.
About this time the Archdiocese of St. Louis was
greatly in need of aspirants to the priesthood. The
pious and astute Archbishop Kenrick was not slow to
recognize the advantage to be gained by surrounding
himself with the most zealous of the ecclesiastical stu-
dents who had distinguished themselves in the celebrated
THE YOUNG MAN 21
seminaries of Ireland, and His Grace often made ap-
plication for the transfer to his diocese of students who
were willing to forsake home, friends, and native land
to take up the Cross and carry it along the rugged paths
of the great "American Missions" and embrace all the
arduous duties which this self-sacrifice entailed. Who
of us in our own happy homes, surrounded by all the
loving friends and familiar and cherished scenes of
childhood, can enter into the mind and heart of the exile
and analyze the emotions surging in his breast, be he
the proud noble, the humble peasant or devoted priest,
when called upon to sacrifice his all!
The well beloved and distinguished young ecclesiastic,
P. A. Feehan, had been singled out by his superiors
in the college for a professorship, and it was with dis-
may and bitter disappointment that they contemplated
the loss threatening their renowned institution when
Archbishop Kenrick made a special request of the fac-
ulty for his transfer to the St. Louis Archdiocese.
Every objection consistent with good taste and religious
fealty was urged by the superiors against his transfer,
but impelled by an inscrutable impulse which the dear-
est ties of life could not overrule, Patrick accepted the
call with humble resignation and meek submission, and
no argument directed to the selfish side of human nature
could shake his determination to follow the secret
promptings of his heart and soul. With a full knowl-
edge of all the privations which at that time confronted
the missionaries of the Far West, he set sail for Amer-
ica and arrived in St. Louis, Mo., in the year 1852.
CHAPTER III
THE MISSIONARY
SAYS FAREWELL TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY AT THE SEMINARY
OF CARONDELET IS ORDAINED IN ST. LOUIS TEACHES IN THE
SEMINARY THE TALENTED YOUNG PREACHER CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC IN ST. LOUIS MRS. GOTSEL, THE HOUSEKEEPER
FEEHAN IS MADE PRESIDENT OF CARONDELET BECOMES PAS-
TOR NEVER ASKS FOR MONEY THE PRIEST OF THE POOR
HIS VISITS TO THE JAIL VISITS TO HIS MOTHER THE
HOSPITAL FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS MAKES NUMEROUS CON-
VERTS.
BEFORE leaving Ireland for the United States, Mr.
Feehan visited for the last time his native place. He
made his home with Father Laffin, who was the parish
priest at the time, and with whom he was a great favorite.
They drove around together visiting the old neighbors:
as they passed along people ran out in the street to
ask Feehan's blessing and wish him Godspeed; the
poor people wept aloud, for he had often been very kind
to them. One of them called after him: "There goes a
head that will one day wear a mitre;" another, "Blessed
are the people you are going to" . . . etc.
Patrick also called on Most Rev. Dr. Cullen, who
was his Metropolitan, as he belonged to the Dublin
Archdiocese. The Archbishop made particular inquiries
about his future destination. When parting he threw
his arms around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks.
His Grace expressed regret that he was leaving the
archdiocese and assured him that if he did not like the
New World, he would be glad to have him return to
him.
Arriving in St. Louis, Mr. Feehan was assigned to
the ecclesiastical seminary of Carondelet to prepare for
his ordination, being then in his twenty-third year of
22
THE MISSIONARY 23
age. On November 1, 1852, he was ordained priest
by Archbishop Kenrick. 1 Among those present at his
ordination was the Rev. James Duggan, afterward
Bishop of Chicago. From the time of his ordination
until the following July, Father Feehan taught in the
diocesan seminary. In July, 1853, he was appointed
to St. John's Church, St. Louis, and here his active mis-
sionary work began.
One of the peculiar traits of the great Archbishop,
one which emphasized his whole life and stood out in
bold contrast against the human side of most men pos-
sessing superior qualities of mind, was his utter un-
consciousness of the brilliant gifts of intellect with
which he had been endowed. Although not an orator,
he was a most pleasing and convincing speaker; his
efforts seemed always to have been directed to the one
sole end and goal, to plant the seed which he had been
commissioned to scatter in the hearts of men, that it
might bear fruit and redound to the honor and glory
of his Master and the redemption of the flock committed
to his care. His reputation for eloquence and learning
grew with each new day until soon the young priest
attracted wide attention and the people flocked to hear
the instructive and naturally eloquent words which fell
from his lips. As time wore on, his fame as a preacher
began to enlarge like the ever widening circles created
by the falling of a pebble upon the placid bosom of a
crystal lake; and such notices as the following began
to appear day after day in the local press:
"The Dedication of St. Bridget's Church took place
Sunday, August 28th. The dedication sermon was
delivered by the Rev. Patrick A. Feehan, of St. John's
Church, from an appropriate text selected from the
1 See Appendix No. 1.
24 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
prayer of Solomon, Paralip., Ch. VI. It was an able
and eloquent discourse and fully sustained the reputa-
tion of the eloquent and talented young preacher." 1
In 1853, the city of St. Louis found itself in the throes
of death. A frightful epidemic of cholera was raging
at the time, and terror and dark despair reigned in every
quarter of the Old City. In the homes of the rich, in
the wretched hovels of the pauper, and in the infected
wards of the public hospital, the devoted Father Fee-
han might have been seen during the long watches of
the night administering to the stricken victims of this
loathsome plague. Unmindful of his own danger, turn-
ing a deaf ear to the whisperings of that most powerful
of all human instincts, self-preservation, he carried the
consolation of religion to the hopeless victim tossing in
misery and despair, and poured into his ears the bliss-
ful hope of pardon and immortality.
It was a dreadful ordeal; there was no rest for the
priests day or night; Father Feehan frequently helped
to coffin the dead and place them in the wagon that
was to take them to the cemetery. Grand and heroic
were the acts performed by priests and people.
One Sunday morning, Father Feehan after having
been out on sick-calls all night, had offered Mass at six
o'clock and immediately afterwards went out once more
to attend the sick. Whenever the priest was called,
there was no time to lose, as a few hours decided the
fate of the sufferer. Father P. O'Brien, the pastor of
St. John's, had also been out all night attending sick-
calls and did not feel able to offer up the next Mass
which was to be said at eight o'clock. When the people
were assembled for the service, Father O'Brien told his
housekeeper, Mrs. Gotsel, to tell them there would be
"Shepherd of the Valley," August 30, 1853.
THE MISSIONARY 25
no Mass in their own church, so that they would have
time to go to another near by. The old woman went
to the sanctuary railing and these are the words she said :
"My good people, Father O'Brien is very sick; may
be he'll never be able to say Mass again." This an-
nouncement filled the people with great consternation
as they all dearly loved their old pastor. "Now," con-
tinued Mrs. Gotsel, "I want youse all to kneel down
and say the Rosary for him, and also for the dear young
priest who has been up all night for the past two weeks ;
an' let youse pray for the dead an' the dyin', an' the
people that ain't sick an' dead, praise be to God. May
His Holy Will be done, Amen." Then kneeling on the
altar step, while wholly unconscious of her prominent
position, good Mrs. Gotsel recited the Rosary.
On one occasion, Father Feehan was told a young
girl was quite sick with smallpox. She had been aban-
doned by her relatives as soon as they had learned the
nature of her disease. Father Feehan knew a self-sacri-
ficing, big hearted Irish woman who bore unmistakable
marks of having had the disease herself; so he asked
her if she would nurse the poor girl. "Indeed, an' I
will, your Reverence, an' 't is proud I am to be asked.
Praise be to God." When the girl got well, as she did
very soon with Mrs. Keefe's kindly care, Father Fee-
han thought that some recompense should be made.
"Ah, Father! sure you wouldn't be takin' away my claim
on the promised reward of the good God. An' whin
I remind Him of my claim I won't forget to tell Him
about you, too."
The labors of Father Feehan at St. John's were of
short duration, but during his brief ministration amongst
the people of that parish he had so entwined himself
around their hearts by his self-abnegation and pious
26 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
example, that it was with poignant grief they saw him
assigned to another field of usefulness.
In the summer of 1854, Father Feehan succeeded the
Rev. Anthony O 'Regan, as President of the Theological
Seminary in Carondelet, in which capacity he served
for three years, teaching Moral Theology and Sacred
Scripture, and also preaching once a month in the
Cathedral of St. Louis. Archbishop Hennesy, who was
professor in the Seminary at the same time, said of
Father Feehan: "He was then, as ever afterwards,
kind, gentle, amiable and a great favorite with the
students and professors; he was loved by all who knew
him well enough to appreciate his rare qualities."
In addition to his duties as President and Professor
of the Seminary, he attended to the Convent of the
Sisters of St. Joseph, contiguous to the Seminary, and
it is with affectionate remembrance that the Sisters of
that institution even at the present day speak of Father
Feehan and his beautiful traits of mind and heart.
He was appointed pastor of St. Michael's Church,
St. Louis, in July, 1858, and at once entered vigorously
upon the duties of the parish priest. It was but a very
short time before his sterling qualities had completely
captivated his new parishioners and had won their con-
fidence and affection. The people often wondered dur-
ing the year that he was at St. Michael's, why Father
Feehan never asked them for money. At length, two
of the most prominent ladies, and also the most charit-
able and enterprising, called on him and asked him good
naturedly how he was managing to live since he never
asked the people for anything. "Well," he answered,
"I suppose it is that I am naturally disinclined to ask
and am not yet accustomed to parish work."
"Then, Father," they continued, "you must accept us
FEEHAN AT CAEONDOLET
1854
ORht
*!H5VR$itt OF 111
THE MISSIONARY 27
for your assistants and give us permission to organize
a fair for the benefit of the church. We promise you
that we will make enough to pay for all expenses of
the past year." Father Feehan laughingly and grate-
fully accepted their services. They organized the fair
and it proved to be quite a success. Father Feehan
always entertained a grateful remembrance of these
ladies who so kindly came to his assistance when he was
in need of aid.
But he was not destined to remain long in the parish
of St. Michael. In the following July, Father Feehan
was transferred to the Church of the Immaculate Con-
ception, at the corner of Eighth and Chestnut streets,
where he assumed pastoral charge at once. Here the
great works of charity which so signalized his entire
life took definite form. Father Feehan began by estab-
lishing at once the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the
parish and secured rooms where stores were kept for
the poor. Some still remember with grateful affection
his solicitude and care for their temporal weal and com-
fort. "How often," said one of his priests, "have I
heard the expression, 'When I first spoke to him a heavy
load was taken off my mind,' or, 'his presence brings
light and joy to my poor home.' '
The most notable attribute of the great Archbishop's
magnificent Christian character, and which during his
entire life appears more conspicuously than any other
virtue he possessed, an attribute which in the midst of
worldly greed and selfishness blazed out like a flash of
celestial fire to emphasize the surrounding gloom of
night, was his tender care for the poor, the sick, the
sorrowing, and all those whose ills of body and mind
appealed to his sense of moral duty and tender sym-
pathy. To the poor especially he was an untiring and
28
ever faithful friend ministering to their wants to the
utmost limit of his power; and to the afflicted and the
sorrowful he ever poured out that balm of consolation,
which falls upon the bruised heart like the refreshing
dews of dawn that settle upon the drooping flower bat-
tered down by the merciless rays of a torrid sun; to the
suffering and the sick he carried all the sweet solicitude
of a loving parent, and the last moments of the dying
were made bright and blessed by his promise to gather
their orphaned children within the sheltering folds of
his own great heart.
Father Feehan could not be satisfied with simply en-
trusting the poor to the care of the St. Vincent de Paul
Society. He visited their homes himself; he knew each
family and each poor child by name. The sick also he
visited every day, rich and poor receiving the same
attention. He was called affectionately the "Priest of
the Poor."
Once it was remarked to Archbishop Kenrick: "Your
Grace, you have in the city two priests; one is called
'the priest of the poor,' and the other 'the priest of the
rich.' ' "Well," said the Archbishop in his own quiet
way, "the poor rich need a priest all to themselves more
than the poor: the contented poor, you know, are pro-
nounced blessed."
Father Feehan also made it a point to visit the jail
every day. The forsaken and abandoned outcasts knew
the kindly gleam of his gentle eyes, and their hearts
beat high with hope when his familiar footfall echoed
through the dismal corridors of their gloomy abode; he
was in the habit of bringing them reading matter and
giving them a few cents for tobacco.
One morning a poor man asked to see him. When
the priest was seated, the man handed him a key.
THE MISSIONARY 29
"This," he said, "is the key of the back door to your
house. I came there a few days ago and got my break-
fast from the girl and while waiting I hid the key of
the door intending to come back at night to steal. I
came and went to your room and finding you asleep,
I took your watch and some money; then going nearer
to the bed, the light from my lantern fell on your face
in its calm repose. A pang of remorse shot through
my heart and I experienced a feeling of shame that I
had never known before, for I saw before me the man
who had so many times been kind to me and the other
prisoners; the man whose kindly words of encourage-
ment had so often cheered our lonely days. Father,
I didn't know you lived there; yet I think God had a
hand in my coming here, for I made up my mind last
night to change my course of life."
"How is it that you are found in the jail again and
again?" he asked of another man one time.
"Well, Father," he said, "when I am starving and
cannot get work, I have to steal. If I could only get
out of the city, I could get work, but . . ."
"If you were in another city, would you really live
an honest life?"
"I would, Father; I have some education and some
knowledge of a trade, and I am determined to keep
away from bad company."
"Would fifty dollars enable you to reach such a
place?"
"It would, Father, and when I get work I will return
the money to you with interest, if you will give it to
me."
Father Feehan gave him the fifty dollars, not think-
ing he would ever see the man again. About two years
later, however, he received a letter from a western city
30 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
enclosing a check for $75.00. The man had secured
employment at good wages, had married a good Catholic
girl and made himself a happy home. He stated that
he could never forget the priest of God who had saved
him, soul and body. This is but one instance of many
such kind acts.
There was also an industrial school in Father Fee-
han's parish which received much of his attention and
thus his days were full of work and study.
On Sunday, a Jesuit Father came to offer one Mass
at six o'clock. Father Feehan said the Masses at eight
and ten-thirty o'clock and heard confessions between
six and eight for the convenience of those who could
not attend the evening before. He preached every Sun-
day at the ten-thirty o'clock Mass. At two o'clock he
held Sunday school for one hour, and at three o'clock
he sat down in the sanctuary for half an hour explain-
ing the catechism to the children, the teachers, and a
number of other persons who attended those beautiful
and instructive discourses; simple enough that a little
child could understand them, yet embracing the most
sublime mysteries. At three-thirty o'clock he had Ves-
pers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, after
which he himself distributed certain books to the work-
ing girls of the parish from a library he had established
for them. Oh, how those girls longed for the day to
come when they would receive a book from the hands
of one whom they knew was interested in their welfare!
At five o'clock he gave Benediction of the Blessed Sacra-
ment to the children and sisters at the industrial school.
After supper part of his time was taken by some so-
ciety meetings of men, and after these he would go on
a visit to his mother.
A few years before, Father Feehan's mother had
THE MISSIONARY 31
suffered a stroke of paralysis which had enfeebled her
lower limbs. She was also near-sighted, and in order
that she might see the face of her "Cushla Machree,"
as she loved to call him, he would kneel on one knee
beside her chair and permit her to run her ringers
through his dark wavy hair. Then he would tell her
pleasant stories and anecdotes.
As the parish was quite small, there was no real need
of a parochial school since the children attended the
parish school in the immediate neighborhood. There
was a school for girls at Tenth and St. Charles streets,
three blocks distant; another school was on Fifth and
Walnut streets, five blocks in another direction. The
Jesuit College and the Christian Brothers' schools were
within a short distance; also the Cathedral school was
only five blocks away, so that he felt his children were
well provided with schools.
In St. Louis his entire mission was one of uninter-
rupted self-sacrifice and assiduous devotion to duty.
During the Civil War a hospital for wounded soldiers
was established in his parish and given in charge of the
Sisters of Charity. Every moment that he could spare
from the multitudinous duties which were ever crowd-
ing upon him, he spent, during the day and away into
the night, comforting and consoling these poor victims
of the grim war. In him they reposed their confidence,
and to his care they confided the last messages to their
dear ones at home, while the angel of death hovered
over their shattered frames.
The establishment of this hospital entailed the most
onerous and incessant labor as the soldiers were being
constantly brought in from the different battle-fields.
After the great battle of Shiloh, boatloads of wounded
men were brought in for two or three days in succession.
32 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Many of the poor fellows found a grave in the Mis-
sissippi ; of those who arrived at the wharf many others
died before reaching the hospital. The stretchers were
laid in rows on the street. A great number of the
wounded were Catholics ; and there on the sidewalk dur-
ing a whole day, Father Feehan went from one to an-
other administering the Sacraments and speaking words
of encouragement to them. He was surrounded by a
number of men who stood with uncovered heads. A
voice every now and then would call : "This way, Father
Feehan, I am going fast." Or another: "Oh, Father,
just raise your hand and give me absolution; I am dying
for my country, and God will have mercy on me."
Others who were not Catholics, seeing the peace and
consolation which the Sacraments brought to their com-
rades, asked if they could die in the same way. Some
of the men standing around then instructed them as
to what was absolutely necessary to believe and Father
Feehan would baptize them.
Those who lived to get into the hospital were soon
made as comfortable as possible. The sisters neglected
nothing that could add to their ease and peace. Thus
it was that one morning a man asked to be baptized.
"I want to belong to the religion to which the sisters
belong," he said. On being questioned about certain
points of faith by Father Feehan, the man would turn
towards the sister and ask her, "Do you believe that?"
"O yes, I surely do believe that." And so of every
question that Father Feehan asked the dying soldier
had to receive the assurance that the sister believed the
same thing before he would accept it. He was baptized
and there were a large number of similar conversions
in that hospital.
Father Feehan seldom had an assistant-priest. All
THE MISSIONARY 33
the work usually devolved upon himself, and the con-
sequence was that in 1864 his health began to break
down and the year after he was forced to take a vaca-
tion. He took a trip to the seashore and enjoyed a
vacation for the first time since his ordination to the
priesthood, thirteen years before. Father Feehan never
spared himself, never shirked a duty, never permitted
anyone to do for him what he could do for himself.
But now Divine Providence which had given this
heroic son for a brief span to sow the seed of faith and
nurture the germs of religion in the great city of St.
Louis, looked down with compassion upon an afflicted
nation just emerging from the fratricidal strife of Civil
War and removed him to another part of the vineyard.
CHAPTER IV
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE
DEATH OF HIS MOTHER IS MADE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE HIS
CONSECRATION IN ST. LOUIS HIS ARRIVAL IN NASHVILLE
CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH THE DIOCESE A BARREN MORASS
CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR THE BISHOP BRINGS LIFE INTO
THE DIOCESE THE DOMINICAN SISTERS THE BISHOP'S LOVE
FOR THE ORPHANS HIS LOVE FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS THE
CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN NASHVILLE.
THE See of Nashville, Term., having become vacant,
by the resignation of Bishop Whelan in 1864, Father
Feehan was nominated by Rome to fill the position.
With characteristic humility, and impelled by duties of
a filial nature to his aged invalid mother, he hastened
to decline the offer, and for a time the appointment was
held in abeyance. However, the elevation of Father
Feehan to the exalted dignity of a "Bishop of Holy
Church" was looked upon as a certainty and only a
question of time, and no one was more fixed in the
determination to bring this about than his ecclesiastical
superior, the Most Rev. Archbishop Kenrick.
In July, 1865, Father Feehan's dearly beloved mother
died. It had been partly on her account that the ap-
pointment to the See of Nashville had at first been de-
clined. After her death the offer of the See was again
made and accepted. The Bull of the appointment to
Nashville was dated July 7, 1865. 1 The date of the
consecration, November 1, 1865.
The following is the published report of the consecra-
tion ceremonies which took place in the Cathedral:
"Yesterday the consecration of the Right Rev. P. A.
Feehan, Bishop of Nashville, took place. It was at-
1 See Appendix No. 2,
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE
m LI?
01
WWHSItt r
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE 35
tended by grand and imposing ceremonies. All the city
was alive with interest, and during the ceremony the
Cathedral's great span was filled to overflowing, and
without the edifice the streets were blocked with patient
admirers of the Bishop-elect, who, to honor him, re-
mained until the conclusion of the services.
"Among those present were: Most Rev. Archbishop
Kenrick, the Consecrator; Bishop Juncker, of Alton,
and Bishop Miege, of Leavenworth, Assistant-Con-
secrators ; Father Carroll, Provincial of the Dominicans
in Ireland; Father Fielding, O. S. D., of Memphis;
Father Kelly, O. S. D., Administrator of Nashville;
Father Powers, O. S. D.; Father O'Neil, S. J., Pres-
ident of the St. Louis University; Father De Smet, S.
J. ; Father Garesche, S. J.; Father Neusbaum, S. J.;
Father Whippern, S. J. ; Very Rev. Stephen Ryan, C.
M.; Father J. Quigly, C. M.; Father Burke, C. M.;
Father Coope, C. M.; Rev. Dr. McCloskey, President
of the American College at Rome; Rev. John J. Hen-
nesy; Rev. P. J. Ryan, of the Annunciation; Rev. M.
O'Riordan, of the Assumption; Rev. Father Gallagher,
of St. Theresa's; Rev. P. J. Gleason; Rev. Father Cum-
mings, of Louisiana, Mo.; Rev. Father Cavanaugh;
Rev. Father Vandersanden, of Kirkwood; Rev. R.
Tucker; Rev. Thomas Cleary of Milwood, Mo.; Rev.
Thomas Powers; Father Coran, of Memphis; Rev. P.
R. Donnelly, of the Cathedral; Rev. F. L. Kielty,
Rector of the Cathedral, and Rev. Father Muhlsiepen,
of St. Mary's.
"At 10:30 o'clock Archbishop Kenrick, accompanied
by the prelates and the clergy, marched in procession
through the church, followed by the Christian Brothers'
band. The Deacons of Honor were : Rev. Wm. Wheel-
er, of St. Patrick's Church, and Rev. Wm. Walsh, of
36 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
St. Bridget's; Deacons of the Mass: Rev. Patrick
O'Brien, of St. Michael's, and Rev. James Henry, of
St. Lawrence O'Toole's; Chaplains to the Bishop-elect
were: Rev. J. Burke, of Tipton, and Rev. M. Walsh,
of Edina, Mo. ; Master of Ceremonies : Rev. Fr. Neus-
baum, S. J., assisted by Mr. Daniel Lynch; Archi-
episcopal Cross Bearer: Mr. Stromberger.
"After the first Gospel, Right Rev. James Duggan,
Bishop of Chicago, ascended the pulpit and preached an
eloquent sermon, taking his text from St. Paul's Epistle
to the Ephesians, Chapter IV, verses 11, 12, 13: 'And
He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other
some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors,
for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; until
we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meas-
ure of the age of the fulness of Christ.'
"After the sermon the Mass was concluded. Mozart's
Twelfth Mass was finely rendered by the choir; the
solos and the choruses producing an effect seldom
equaled. At the end of the Mass the choir chanted the
"Te Deum," whilst the Bishops in procession escorted
the newly consecrated prelate around the church; and
as the multitude kneeled to receive for the first time the
Episcopal blessing from the hands of him who had so
long, so faithfully, and so meekly devoted himself to
them, many were the moistened eyes in the sacred build-
ing; for no matter how much the pious Christians re-
joiced that one so eminently qualified for that exalted
position had attained the honor, still they could not but
regret that they were about to be deprived of his holy
and enlightened counsel.
"In the evening, Pontifical Vespers were chanted with
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE 37
great solemnity and splendor, Rev. Father Neusbaum,
S. J., of St. Louis University, officiating. As the
throng of people poured out of the edifice the effect
was indeed grand. As the sacred tones of the organ
died away, the Christian Brothers' band played a trium-
phal march, and escorted to their hall the Total Ab-
stinence Society, four hundred in number, who had oc-
cupied a prominent position during the services."
On the evening of the ninth of November, 1865,
Bishop Feehan arrived in Nashville. He was accom-
panied by the Most Rev. Archbishop P. R. Kenrick of
St. Louis, Bishop Duggan of Chicago, Father Kelly,
O. P., administrator of the diocese of Nashville, and the
Rev. Fathers Riordan and Walsh of St. Louis. 1
The Bishop's well known repugnance to unnecessary
display on all occasions, and especially on this one, re-
lieved his entrance into the diocese of all ostentatious
demonstrations, so that his advent among his new flock
was notable for the modesty and simplicity of the wel-
come and the ceremonies usually attending such events.
That fine conception of the duties imposed upon those
whose lives are consecrated exclusively to religion and
the service of God, forbade any suggestion of the garish
show which marks the entree of the masters of the mate-
rial world into the offices of temporal power and honor ;
and the innate instincts of a refined and sympathetic
nature rebelled against the thought of lavish display
at a time when the entire South was wrapped in gloom,
its vast expanse of territory devasted by the thunder-
ing tread of conquering legions, and the hearts of its
people withering beneath the crushing blows of mate-
rial ruin and the grim messenger of death, whose spec-
tral presence in so many whilom happy homes, had
i These two priests came to the diocese with the new Bishop and both
gave up their lives in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878.
38 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
enveloped the survivors in one great somber mantle of
wretchedness and agony.
The heart of the South was broken. To deride the
misery of his people with the martial fanfare of trum-
pets and the roll of drum ; to emphasize his own trium-
phant entree by gorgeous pageants with flying banners
and streaming pennons was a thought too abhorrent to
enter for a single instant the mind of this gentle servant
of God and devoted Father of his people.
The scene which confronted the Bishop on his first
survey of his new field of labors, was one of unutterable
sadness. A deep pall of gloom had settled upon the
dying embers of the watchfires that had lit up the broad
valleys and the hilltops, and to the flap of the shot-torn
battle banners had succeeded the mournful ensigns of
death, chanting their dismal dirges down the winter's
blasts: over the diocese stalked the gaunt spectre of
hunger, shrieking his mocking anthems in rhythmic ca-
dence to the wails and sobs of desolation; through the
forests and the fields, under the midday sun and far
into the vigils of the night, through the deserted cham-
bers of ancestral halls the abodes of the once powerful
and great and in the dark, bleak alleys of the lowly
and the poor, the angel of destruction had left the ter-
rible seal of his visitation.
The thundering voice of the round-lipped cannon had
ceased to reverberate in the land and the clashing sound
of the warriors' steel had died away, echoed only by the
plaintive notes of the skylark and the saddened strains
of the mocking birds ; for all animate nature had indeed
drunk deep at the cruel fountain of man's inhumanity
to man. But the defeated battlers had yet their arms
to beat into implements of peaceful pursuit ; the resump-
tion of normal life had not begun and men were not yet
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE 39
launched into the commotion of active affairs. All was
desolation; all was confusion. "Woe unto the van-
quished," cried stern Brennus, when his ponderous sword
bore down the spoils of Rome.
Blessed be the compassionate and the merciful, is the
logic of the ages, borne on the thunder's angry roar,
from Him Whose omnipotent Providence launched the
mighty spheres on their endless courses and belted the
celestial dome with glittering jewels of unfading beauty.
To the weak the strong are given: to the Jews was
given David; and to the stricken people of Tennessee,
in the darkest hour of their sorrow and tribulation, was
given a faithful servant of a compassionate and merci-
ful Master.
To heighten the melancholy scenes presented to the
Bishop upon his arrival in Nashville on the evening of
November 9th, the elements fully contributed their
share. "It had been raining several days," wrote one
of the clergymen who accompanied the Bishop from St.
Louis; "the fences around the old Cathedral were
broken down and dilapidated ; everything looked gloomy
it was rain, rain, rain, for days. It seemed as if
the sun would never smile upon the earth again."
"John," said one of the visiting prelates to the sexton
on the morning of the 10th, "does the sun ever shine
here?" "O yes, my Lord," answered John, in dead
earnest, "it shines sometimes; it shines in summer, my
Lord."
During the war the cathedral and the episcopal resi-
dence had been used for a soldiers' home and buildings
and grounds were in a very bad state. In fact, the
entire city was in a most deplorable condition, physi-
cally, morally and financially, and the interests of the
Church had suffered from so many causes that the
40 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
problem of re-establishing them and restoring order and
prosperity from chaos and financial ruin was one which
offered almost insurmountable difficulties to its solu-
tion.
The diocese of Nashville had been the highway of
both armies and the theater of some of the bloodiest
battles of the Civil War. Fort Donelson on the Cum-
berland, Fort Henry on the Tennessee, Shiloh, Frank-
lin, Stone River, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge,
Chattanooga and Nashville, all were historic fields and
turning points in the destinies of the contending forces.
Every mission in the diocese had the same sad history
and presented discouraging conditions similar to those
that confronted the Bishop at Nashville. Debts and
demoralization held sway on every side. "If the Bishop
needed a loaf of bread on credit, he could not procure
it. When he left there, his word was a bond."
The Bishop set himself to the work with resolute gen-
tleness and patience, and with a vigor that deserved the
signal success with which it was crowned. There were
at the time only three secular priests in the whole State
of Tennessee. Bishop Feehan succeeded at once in pro-
curing for his diocese a large number of students for
the priesthood, and soon several zealous young secular
priests were earnestly engaged in the work of gaining
and saving souls.
No one ever heard Bishop Feehan complain or be-
moan his appointment to a diocese that offered such an
unfavorable field. He did what was possible for each
mission, and was silent. He invited and attracted to
the diocese a number of priests who were drawn thither
by its wants and the personal character of its Bishop.
Not many months passed before it was observed that
Bishop Feehan seemed to have stamped and sealed with
THE BISHOP OF NASHVILLE 41
his own character the priests of his diocese. This was
fully proven some years later by the number who died
of yellow fever in the plague times in Memphis and
elsewhere in the diocese.
By his untiring efforts and constant attendance to
duty the Bishop brought the people to the Sacraments;
he himself instructed and prepared the children for First
Holy Communion and Confirmation, and by his busi-
ness talent won the confidence of the community. He
improved the Cathedral and the surroundings. St.
Cecilia's Convent, the mother-house of the Dominican
Sisters, he found heavily involved in debt. The prop-
erty was sold at public auction but bought by the Bishop,
and so excellent was his management that he soon had
it entirely free from financial embarrassment of any
kind. A magnificent addition was also erected by the
side of the old building and in a short time an excellent
reputation was established throughout the South for
the Sisters of St. Cecilia's.
In 1866, he brought to Nashville the Sisters of Mercy
who opened St. Bernard's Academy. They first taught
in a building opposite the Cathedral, but in 1869 pur-
chased the spacious residence of ex-Governor Brown,
fronting the Capitol. Here they conducted one of the
finest educational establishments in the South, and from
it many of the most talented and fairest women of the
"Athens of the South" have graduated. Before the
purchase of the convent by the Bishop, the palatial man-
sion was occupied by the governors of the State of
Tennessee. In it Andrew Jackson lived in his halcyon
days, and thousands of interesting associations surround
i*.
The first visit that Bishop Feehan made after his
arrival in Nashville, was to St. Joseph's Orphan Asy-
42 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
lum, about two miles from the city, and under the care
of the Dominican Sisters. A welcome address was read
by one of the orphans, and the Bishop spent his time
questioning and receiving answers from each little
orphan. From that day Bishop Feehan was the
"Father of the Orphans" in his diocese.
The same evening St. Cecilia's Academy was visited.
The Bishop was met at the entrance by all the Sisters
and conducted to the Academy Hall, Avhere the pupils
were assembled to greet him; there the distinguished
visitor listened to an appropriate address to the new
Bishop, delivered by one of the young ladies in the name
of St. Cecilia's Academy, and the Bishop expressed
himself as highly delighted with the reception accorded
him.
Preparatory schools were soon established in North
and East Nashville. Another important acquisition was
the cemetery on the Lebanon pike, near Mount Olivet.
It still is a standing credit to the man who selected it.
The Bishop further extended the church in Edgefield,
East Nashville, where there was a small church called
"St. John's," located on what was called "Gallatin
Pike," between Fifth and Sixth streets. The church
had fallen into decay during the days of the war, but
it was now reconstructed and made into a commodious
building.
In August, 1866, the cholera made its appearance in
Nashville. During the ravages of this epidemic, Bishop
Feehan labored unceasingly to console the sick and the
dying. All those who could leave the city hastened
away. A dark cloud hung over Nashville : the sun was
not visible during the whole time it lasted; all business
was suspended and no vegetables even were permitted
to be sold.
THE BISHOP 43
The Sisters of Mercy as well as the Dominicans at
once offered their services to attend the sick, and these
were gratefully accepted. Carriages were placed at
their disposal no matter where they wanted to go. Day
and night they were perfectly safe. One evening, in
the beginning of the epidemic, the train from Louisville
stopped in Nashville. As this was entirely unexpected,
the passengers looked about in consternation, and rose
from their seats. Were passengers from the stricken
city getting on? they inquired. "No," answered the
conductor, "it is only two Sisters of Mercy getting off
to nurse the sick." "Oh! how I pity them," said some
one. Then the train sped on.
The people of Nashville said it was most remarkable
that wherever the good Sisters did the nursing, the
patients got well; yet, strange to say, not one of the
Sisters caught the disease, due perhaps to the care they
exercised in regard to the food they used, but more
likely to the Providence of God, who kindly protected
these angels of Christian Charity.
CHAPTER V
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS
HIS WORK THROUGHOUT THE DIOCESE RESULTS OF HIS EFFORTS
SOON VISIBLE SOME EXPERIENCES ON HIS VISITATION TOURS
THE CHURCH AT MEMPHIS TRANSFER OF FATHER WALSH
THE BISHOP'S ANSWER TO THE COMMITTEE SOME FINE
TRAITS OF CHARACTER CALVARY CEMETERY AT MEMPHIS
HOW THE BISHOP HATED FLATTERY HIS AVERSION TO TRAVEL
AN AMUSING INCIDENT HIS WORK OF FIFTEEN YEARS IN
THE DIOCESE.
THE most notable services of Bishop Feehan in re-
constructing things were not confined to Nashville.
Whatever he did for this city is only small evidence of
the work performed by him in every town in the state.
He visited every place where Catholicism had found a
foothold, or where there might be a welcome, and
devoted his energies to counseling, encouraging and
organizing the work. Chattanooga, Memphis and
Knoxville bear especial testimony to his indefatigable
labors for the congregations of those cities.
"He carried to his labors," said one of his devoted
priests, "not only an inexhaustible ability to work, but
a brilliancy of thought, a modesty of demeanor, a ripe-
ness of experience, and an abounding piety that won
him friends on every hand and inspired all with whom
he came in contact with a devotion and love for God,
such as it is seldom given to earthly ministers to ac-
complish. And when he assumed his priestly robes and
appeared before the congregation at the altar, he was
so transfigured by the consciousness of his sacred office,
that they who saw could not help but worship."
The effect of such a character was soon visible on
every hand. A reviving and strengthening spirit per-
44
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS 45
vaded the state, and it may be truly said of Bishop
Feehan, that he gave dignity and prestige to Catholicism
in Tennessee.
As an instance of his equanimity under all circum-
stances, the following fact is told by an old Vicar
General of the diocese of Nashville : "Years ago he ac-
companied me to the Bear Springs furnace settlement
in Stewart County. We left the train at Erin on the
L. & N. R. R., and traveled in a buggy about eighteen
miles to the furnace grounds. Next morning, the
Bishop, after hearing confessions, offered Mass and ad-
ministered the Sacrament of Confirmation. The house
in which the services were held was one of those box
houses of one room and part of the upstairs boarded.
The other part had no flooring, so that the Bishop's
tall figure, as he extended his arms and moved about
while preaching, sent the mitre literally between the
joists, putting it in anything but a dignified position
on his head and adding to the growing wonder of the
gaping natives, who felt puzzled enough to understand
a priest's vestments, but were astounded at seeing a
Bishop with such a hat.
When everything was over, the Bishop and I went
to get something to eat in the little alcove or elbow that
held the stove. There was literally not even a morsel
on the table. The lady of the house, the non-Catholic
wife of a good Irishman, looked puzzled and mortified.
On a later visit only I learned the cause. The good lady
was accustomed to get breakfast early for the furnace
hands, so on this occasion she got everything ready and
prepared enough for the Bishop and me. That part
of the crowd who could not get near enough to see the
ceremonies did not feel like being idle, so they devoured
all the eatables they could find in the house. We rode
46 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
back eighteen miles without a morsel, and reached the
station about 6 P. M. There, as we alighted, the Bishop
was accosted in terms of friendly welcome by a Nash-
ville politician who had been electioneering among the
people in that section of the state. 'Now, my young
man,' the Bishop said to me as the gentleman went
away, 'you see what that man will submit to in his efforts
to gain votes that will ensure him office, at most but for
a few years. What a lesson for ourselves!' I was too
weak and too hungry to moralize just then, but I could
not help being impressed by the Bishop's undisturbed
equanimity."
At another time, Bishop Feehan went to a country
place to administer Confirmation. The Catholic
farmers had published far and wide that the Bishop
was coming on a certain day. When the day arrived
the people, of all denominations or none, came in
covered wagons drawn by oxen and brought with
them cooking utensils and bedding, with the intention
evidently of remaining for days. They expected a camp-
meeting, and acted with much reverence and respect.
They improvised a pulpit by utilizing a wagon, decor-
ated with green boughs, in a fine open space bordered
by forest trees; then sitting on the grass they listened
to the Bishop's sermon. Afterwards the men gathered
around him and begged him to remain a week with them.
He explained that time would not permit, but that he
would see them again and talk to them at greater length ;
that he would send a priest meanwhile to visit them
often, who would also instruct them. One man prom-
ised to give a piece of ground and build a church and
house for a priest, and even furnish both. This man
was not a Catholic, but his wife was, and he did all he
promised. Many of these people were baptized when
a priest went among them.
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS 47
The following incident is related by a priest who upon
one occasion accompanied the Bishop when he was
traveling in a country district. The Bishop happened
to meet a native on the road, who eyed him in a manner
indicating great surprise and curiosity. Then he ac-
costed the Bishop using the dialect common to illiterate
people of that section. "Howdy, stranger." The
Bishop returned the salute. "Be ye from these 'ere
parts?" Saying this he scrutinized the Bishop's apparel
and then without waiting for a reply continued: "I
reckin not. What kyounty be ye from?"
Quite seriously the Bishop answered: "From the
County Tipperary."
"Wai, I swan, I thought I knowed every kyounty in
Tennessee, but I never heerd tell of that one afore. Tip-
perary! Tipperary! he repeated. Wai, I give it up.
Tell me stranger, where that 'ere kyounty is?"
"Well, my friend," rejoined the Bishop, "if I told
you, you would not be any the wiser." After a pause
the native proceeded:
"Stranger, be ye a preacher?"
"No, I am not known as a preacher."
"A doctor mebbe?"
"No, not a doctor."
"A liar then, I reckin?"
"No, not a lawyer."
"Yous don't look like a merchant nuther."
"No, I am not a merchant."
"Wai, I'm bet agin. What be ye anyway?"
"Well," said the Bishop smiling, "I will tell you. I
am a Catholic Bishop or perhaps you would understand
better if I should say a Catholic priest."
"Wai, I swan, I heerd of thim people, but I kinder
thought they was different from other folks, but yous
48 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
look like the finest man I ever seen in my life." Again
he looked the Bishop over from head to foot. "Wai,
I am powerful glad I met yous. I kin tell the folks
whin I go home that I seen a Catholic Bishop and that
he looked like other folks, only finer."
Many incidents of the life of the great prelate during
his ministry in the diocese of Nashville are related by
those priests of his diocese who labored with him and
loved him so well. As an illustration of his uncom-
promising sternness in the performance of duty, the
following, one of many similar instances, may be cited:
When Father Feehan was first appointed to the See
of Nashville in 1865, two personal friends and co-labor-
ers in the Archdiocese of St. Louis volunteered to ac-
company him and become affiliated with the new diocese ;
they were Very Rev. M. Riordan and Rev. Martin
Walsh. The Bishop immediately appointed Father
Riordan pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Memphis, and
made him Vicar General of the Diocese. Father Walsh
remained with the Bishop in Nashville, as acting pastor
of St. Mary's Cathedral. Father Walsh soon became
a great favorite in Nashville and during the years he
was connected with the Cathedral, the parishioners
loved him greatly. He was a most exemplary priest.
Memphis at the time had three churches, namely : St.
Peter's, St. Mary's, and St. Patrick's, but the city was
growing so fast that a new church was called for in the
northern part of the city, commonly known as "Pinch."
Now the Bishop decided to send Father Walsh to Mem-
phis to form the new St. Bridget's congregation. When
the people of Nashville heard of this they were simply
dumbfounded and a deputation of the leading citizens
of Nashville, including many Protestants, waited on the
Bishop with a petition to allow Father Walsh to remain
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS 49
amongst them. When the Bishop entered the parlor
the committee respectfully rose to their feet. The Bishop
remained standing whilst the committee addressed him.
When all was said, the Bishop smilingly remarked, that
since it was Monday and most of his visitors business
men, he did not wish to detain them. "No doubt," said
he, "y u would consider it very strange if I or any of
my priests were to dictate to you in your mercantile
business dealings; hence, I request you, gentlemen, not
to meddle with matters that belong to me as Bishop of
the diocese. Good morning," said the Bishop, as he
respectfully retreated.
As soon as the deputation had departed the Bishop
went up the stairs and rapping at Father Walsh's door,
said, "Father Walsh, there is a train leaving Nashville
at 5 :30 o'clock ; you will try and be ready for that train
this evening." Father Walsh knew the Bishop too well
to remonstrate; he did not even have a chance to bid
farewell to his many friends in Nashville.
Bishop Feehan was very easily understood as far as
his mental processes were concerned. He was logical
and firm. He changed his opinions slowly. He was a
good judge of human nature that was honest but could
be deceived by the designing. He believed that those
who approached him were gentlemen and treated them
as such. When he ascertained that any one had abused
his confidence or acted in an underhand manner, woe
betide the offender! He would not enter into an argu-
ment, but would refuse to have any further dealings
with such a person. No amount of explanation could
restore one who had violated his trust and confidence.
In argument, joke and discussion, each one who knew
him felt that there was a clearly defined line beyond
which it was not safe to venture. This was well illus-
50 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
trated by Archbishop Ryan who preached his funeral
sermon.
After the services of the funeral one of the clergy
asked Archbishop Ryan if Archbishop Feehan had al-
ways been so modest and retiring or had he acquired
these qualities with age. His Grace replied: "Gentle-
man, Archbishop Feehan was the same in old age as in
youth. Archbishop Hennesy and I Lived in the same
house with him for some time. We were most intimate
friends. He was always quiet, unostentatious and re-
tiring. His kindness and mercy in judging people were
unusual. He was a better theologian and a better Latin
and Greek scholar than either of us, and we naturally
joked each other a great deal as young men will do.
All during my life I have loved a joke and have often
gone perhaps too far not recognizing proper limits, but
I wish to assure you that Archbishop Feehan was the
only man I ever met that I would not risk to the limit.
There was a line beyond which, even I, bold as I was
and intimate friend that I was, would not dare pass.
There was a something about him that I never found in
such a marked degree in any other man. His sanctuary,
he seemed to say, must not be violated. No, the Arch-
bishop was the same when as a deacon he came
from Ireland as he was the last time I saw him as Arch-
bishop of Chicago."
All who really knew the Archbishop will agree with
what His Grace from Philadelphia said. There was an
undefinable something that warned the intruder that he
was approaching the danger line. Of his innermost
heart we may say that he obeyed the injunction of the
poet,
Keep thou thine heart, close fastened, unrevealed,
A fenced garden, and a fountain sealed.
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS 51
With all his kindness, however, he was never weak in
making his decisions or in maintaining them. He often
said he would rather he judged for his mistakes through
mercy than for those through harshness. Never harsh
or irascible, all understood that he must be obeyed.
When after deliberation he had given his decision he
would listen to argument, but usually make no re-
joinder. A slight quivering and movement of his long
upper lip was an infallible sign that the case was closed.
Social and newspaper notoriety was another bete
noire with good Bishop Feehan. During the cholera
and yellow fever plagues that decimated Nashville and
Memphis, the Bishop's name scarcely appeared in any
daily or weekly newspaper, for he would have no re-
porter or press correspondent approach him. It was
said after his promotion to the Archdiocese of Chicago,
that one of the chief reasons why the Propaganda elected
him was that no complaints from priests or people ever
reached Rome from Tennessee, and that he was the
very man to maintain and preserve peace and order in
the Church.
When the Very Rev. Father Martin Riordan died in
Memphis, he left considerable debts owing to the pur-
chase of Calvary cemetery. After the yellow fever
catastrophe his successors at St. Patrick's (Fathers
Doyle and Quinn) found it impossible to meet the many
urgent calls for money loaned to the late Father Martin
Riordan. Some of the creditors even threatened law-
suits against St. Patrick's Church. Father Quinn, on
the other hand, received letters from Bishop Feehan
strictly forbidding him under any circumstances to go to
court. "If all fails," wrote the Bishop, "you can write
to me and I will try to assist you." To stop one law-
suit the Bishop is known to have sent Father Quinn
52 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
the sum of three thousand dollars out of his own private
resources.
Another salient characteristic of the Bishop which
also sometimes afforded considerable amusement, was
his aversion to all manner of flattery, as well as to all
manner of complaints tendered to him by priests or
laity. Those priests or religious who brought small
grievances for him to adjust were, in the language of
the Cathedral clergy, "doomed." The priests who
wished to retain the Bishop's favor kept aloof, know-
ing well that the less frequently they approached him
the better their interests would be served. From what
has been said it should not be inferred, however, that
Bishop Feehan was of an unsociable disposition. In
conversation and post-prandial social intercourse he was
the soul of wit and repartee. He sometimes had his
auditors convulsed with laughter, a faint smile being the
only evidence that he himself enjoyed the joke related.
Traveling on railroads and steamboats he always dis-
liked. When we consider his gigantic stature, extreme
modesty, and dignity of manner, this aversion to travel
may be easily understood. During his long episcopate,
he crossed the Atlantic only three times. In fact, ex-
cept for an occasional visit to Newport, he seldom left
home at all.
One instance of the casualties and annoyance of
travel will illustrate what may have rendered traveling
so distasteful to him. A priest from the diocese of Nash-
ville relates the incident. "After administering Con-
firmation in the several churches of Memphis in 1877,
the Bishop on his return to Nashville took a seat in a
parlor car. By way of consoling one of his missionary
priests who sat behind him, he remarked, how pleasant
it must be for a priest to be able to attend his missions
in such beautiful cars. The priest whom he addressed
HIS EPISCOPAL VISITATIONS 53
admitted there were many comforts, but also a few in-
conveniences encountered sometimes by priests travel-
ing in such style. His Grace very soon learned the truth
of this last remark. The seat in front of the Bishop
was occupied by a fashionably dressed lady and her
daughter, a playful little miss of some five summers.
The child held in her arms a big doll, and turning
around presented the doll for the Bishop to kiss. Each
time the child presented the toy, the Bishop, whose face
was crimson with blushes, held it back with his hand,
and the mother cast a few surprised glances at the queer
man who would not play with her child. The priest
who sat behind the Bishop enjoyed the cruel sport, but
at last thought himself bound in real charity to divert
the child's attention to himself. The child catching the
priest's eye immediately ran towards him and seated
herself beside him. He then allowed the tot to say and
do just as she pleased until finally exhausted the little
one fell into a deep slumber, thus affording the priest
and especially the Bishop a most welcome rest."
The Bishop met with many such embarrassing epi-
sodes while making his episcopal visits through the
state. A priest relates that while administering Con-
firmation in middle Tennessee, the Bishop had to sleep
in a room where he could almost touch the ceiling with
his head. The room was so hot in the midst of summer
that during the day he could scarcely wear his eccle-
siastical garments. "I was once heartily amused," said
the priest, "especially when I saw no possibility of
averting the annoyance (the mother being present),
when little unkempt country boys and girls jumped on
his knees, toyed with his hat and watch chain, searched
his pockets, and abruptly asked him for a nickel."
Fifteen years of his life Bishop Feehan thus devoted
to the diocese of Nashville reviving the fruits of the
54 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
labors of his predecessors, destroyed by the ravages of
war. The scattered remnants of the once prosperous
communities he again organized and put to service in
the cause of the Church. His episcopacy witnessed the
greatest triumphs, but at the same time the deepest sor-
rows of the diocese, and Bishop Feehan accomplished
what to others would seem impossible. A reviving and
strengthening spirit was enthused into the churches and
religious institutions in the diocese, and dignity and
prestige given to Catholicity throughout the whole state.
The cause of education was especially dear to the
heart of the Bishop : he invited the Fathers of the Pre-
cious Blood to North Nashville, Lawrenceburg and
Loretto; the Fathers of the Seraphic Order of St.
Francis he established for the German element in Mem-
phis; and he built St. Joseph's Church there for the
Italians; the Sisters of Mercy were introduced in Nash-
ville, and the House of the Good Shepherd founded in
Memphis, where also was established a very efficient
school, in charge of the Brothers of the Christian schools.
The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth were also introduced
into the diocese, and new Churches were built in Nash-
ville, McEwens, Clarksville, Gallatin, Jackson, Coving-
ton, Greeneville, Knoxville and Memphis.
But alas! another picture rises before the mind of
those familiar with the history of the Church during
that time, and one, too, which years will not efface. It
was when the dark angel of death hovered over the fair
cities of the South; when every breeze wafted the yel-
low plague from the swamps of the lowlands, and Mem-
phis and her sister towns were little less than living
sepulchres. In two different visitations of the plague
(1878-9) the death rate in Memphis was appalling; and
in those hours that tried men's souls, Bishop Feehan
was never known to falter.
CHAPTER VI
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC
EXTENT OF THE PLAGUE EVERY WORSHIPER AT CHURCH IN
MOURNING IN MEMPHIS TWENTY NUNS AND FIVE PRIESTS
DIE THE DOMINICAN FATHERS THE FEVER OF 1878 ACTS
OF HEROISM OF BISHOP AND PRIESTS NAMES OF PRIEST
HEROES TRYING POSITION OF BISHOP FEEHAN HE PREACHES
THE FUNERAL ORATION OF TWELVE OF HIS PRIESTS.
THE yellow fever epidemic visited the diocese of
Nashville three times in rapid succession. The fever of
1873, was preceded by a virulent outbreak of cholera
and spread death and desolation in every quarter along
the Mississippi. The priests attached to St. Bridget's
Church in the city of Memphis had each an average of
one hundred sick-calls a day; of these 90 per cent fell
victims during the first month or six weeks. The fever
plague lasted during the months of September, October,
and ended about the 20th of November; during these
three months some sixteen hundred people, of whom
at least one thousand were Catholics, fell victims. The
disease lasted generally from two to four days and the
third one was the dark or dreaded day. Making al-
lowance for a moderate aperient, in all cases, the less
medicine, the better hope for the patient. The brave
priests stood at their posts until stricken down, and as
to Bishop Feehan, his undisturbed patience, uncom-
promising firmness, and his sweetness and gentleness in
commanding, have deservedly won for him the title of
"Captain of the Memphis Martyrs."
As already stated, the number of those who died
throughout the various parts of the city of Memphis,
during the autumn months of '73, might be estimated
55
56 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
at about sixteen hundred. The pastor of St. Bridget's
Church, Rev. M. Walsh, had a "framed" list hung up
in his Church, giving the names of eight hundred of his
parishioners who had died in less than three months.
Almost as many more, whose names could not be pro-
cured, also died in this parish. On the first Sunday
after the fever was pronounced no longer epidemic, the
people who flocked to hear Mass at St. Bridget's Church
presented a sorry spectacle. It was noted the following
morning in the daily papers, that '.here was not a man,
woman, or child in the Church that was not dressed in
mourning. During the autumn of this never-to-be-for-
gotten year, Memphis lost some of its best and most
respected citizens. Besides some twenty nuns (amongst
whom was the Mother Superioress of the Franciscan
Convent), five priests Fathers O'Brien, Gary, Daily
and Sheehy, of the Order of St. Dominic, and Father
Leo, a German, of the Franciscan Order fell victims ;
it appeared providential that no secular priest of the
diocese (although equally exposed) contracted or died
of fever in 1873.
The Provincial of the Dominicans especially felt the
loss of such young and promising men keenly, but since
the Order had a house in Memphis, he considered it his
duty to fill all vacancies. Now at the time there was
a venerable ex-Dominican priest, Father J. ,
residing in Nashville, with a long white beard and in
appearance a veritable patriarch, who already had
reached in years the scriptural term, threescore-and-ten.
The story is told that after the death of Fathers Gary
and O'Brien, the Dominican Provincial wrote to this
old gentleman, asking him if he would not be willing
to leave Nashville and go to Memphis. The old man,
having gleaned the contents of this ominous missive,
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC 57
with tear-fraught eyes handed the letter to Bishop Fee-
han. The good Bishop, the soul of kindness himself,
naturally smiled at what seemed rather a joke than a
serious request. The old priest, being very deaf, leaned
over to hear the Bishop confirm his death warrant. In
his loudest effort the Bishop said: "Don't mind it,
Father J. ." "Must I go?" asked the deaf man.
"No, remain with me for the present," was the kind
reply. The story goes on to say that the Bishop wrote
to the Provincial, and intimated that, unless he could
find some younger and more useful priest, he would be
obliged to provide one himself. Accordingly the Pro-
vincial sent a request for help to Louisville, where there
was a branch house of the Order. The Prior of this
convent did not wish to command or rather pass sen-
tence of sure and speedy death on any of his brother
priests, so he suggested that all should draw lots.
If our Lord himself was agonized at the approach of
death, we may naturally suppose that it was with trem-
ulous hands, each slowly drew the straw which was to
decide his mortal destiny. But when all had drawn
who held the fatal straw? Was it a young and vigorous
man, or some enfeebled veteran? It was the oldest
priest in the community. In a moment this patriarch
made up his mind to face the battle. But he was mis-
taken if he supposed for a moment that he would be
allowed to go, for from the ranks of the young priests
there stepped forward one of nature's noblemen, with
as true a heart as ever beat within a martyr's breast,
Father J. D. Sheehy, O. P. He took the train for
Memphis that very evening and only a few days later
the good priest was dead.
Alban Butler, in his lives of the Saints, relates many
touching and edifying examples of the faith and Chris-
58
tian heroism of the martyrs of the primitive Church,
but these self-sacrificing priests deserve to be classified
among the foremost martyr heroes of heaven.
Only a few months had elapsed since the fever of
'73, when the people began to take courage. Trade,
commerce, and labor seemed to have regained their for-
mer prestige. The clamorous noise of the foundry; the
hissing and boom of the cotton press ; the shrill or hoarse
scream of the locomotive or steamboat showed the coun-
try was alive once more to business of every depart-
ment. Towards the spring of '78, Tennessee was not
merely convalescent, but appeared almost entirely re-
cuperated from her disasters. But Providence, it seems,
had not yet laid aside the "chastening rod." At the
very time when the people began to regard "Fever" as
a specter of the past, it stalked forth once more a dread
reality. And if the fever of '73 has been called a plague,
that of '78 was a veritable scourge. Father Wm.
Walsh, in his pamphlet of '78, writing for aid to the
various temperance unions of America, describes the
conditions of affairs: "Out of a population of 45,000
or 50,000 inhabitants, 35,000 or 40,000 fled for their
lives when the plague broke out ; of the 8,000 or 10,000
who remained, over 7,000 are reported as having been
stricken down by the fever. The county undertaker,
Mr. John Walsh, has a registry of 2,500 burials by
himself alone. . ."
The fever took hold during the latter part of July,
and was actually raging towards the middle of August,
yet the Board of Health was loath to admit and the
papers of the city of Memphis failed to announce the
presence of the yellow fever. Deaths to the number of
958, according to the "Memphis Appeal" of August,
'78, had already occurred within the city limits before
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC 59
the Board of Health officially announced the fever epi-
demic. "I well remember the panic," says Father Quinn
in his "Heroes and Heroines of Memphis" "that
almost crazed the populace the morning it was an-
nounced in the papers. Men, women, and children, in
wagons, street cars and carriages, all dashing through
the streets on their way to the various railways depots
and steamboat landings. In the short space of three
days not less than thirty thousand people fled from the
city of Memphis. . ."
On the other hand, on the very evening of the day
that the papers announced the yellow fever epidemic
in Memphis, every secular priest who could find con-
veyance to Nashville arrived there, and with the gran-
deur and heroism of martyrs entering the arena to be
devoured by wild beasts, offered themselves unreservedly
to the Bishop to be sent at his pleasure to the plague
stricken city of Memphis. How such an act touched the
Bishop's heart, God only knows. He never could con-
trol his feelings to speak of it. A priest, one of the
survivors, speaking of that scene afterward said, "It
was something never to be forgotten." The tender-
hearted shepherd whom they knew to have for each a
father's solicitude, yet was ready to offer to God all
that he held dearest on earth. It truly was a scene the
angels might envy, to see those priests soon to win the
palm of martyrdom and the crown of unfading glory,
offer themselves to their beloved Bishop. Father Quinn
was not among them then. He was on a mission in
Arkansas, but like the others he hastened to the scene
of danger and was found in the foremost ranks.
The Association Press and the daily newspapers of
the country failed to mention many of the names of
these heroes and heroines of Tennessee. But the living
60
and dead who suffered, and above all the good God,
cannot have ignored their countless sacrifices. When,
for instance, Father Martin Walsh and his cousin,
Father Meagher, died at St. Bridget's Rectory, only
three persons beside the undertaker attended the fu-
neral of these beloved and popular priests. Father
Aloysius Wiever, O. S. F., who died in California,
was the priest whom Father Quinn in his book designates
as the tireless hero of Memphis. Like the Very Rev.
A. J. Kelly, O. P., he was in every cholera and yellow
fever plague that infested the city.
When the fever of '78 broke out in Memphis, there
were five Catholic Churches: St. Patrick's, Very Rev.
M. Riordan, V. G., pastor; St. Peter's, Very Rev. A.
Bokel, O. P., pastor ; St. Bridget's, Rev. Martin Walsh,
pastor; St. Mary's (German), Rev. Father Lucius, O.
S. F., pastor; St. Joseph's (Italian), Rev. A. Luiselli,
pastor. All the priests in Memphis died of fever in
1878, except Rev. William Walsh, and Rev. Aloysius
Wiever, O. S. F., who was assistant to Father Lucius,
O. S. F.
Father William Walsh attended the sick-calls in the
city from Father Matthews' camp which he had erected
from tents sent him by the Secretary of War from
Washington. By this means some four hundred people
were saved from the ravages of the fever. From various
cities throughout the Union, Father Walsh received
more than $40,000 to aid the yellow fever sufferers in
Memphis.
The following are facts taken from Keating's history
describing the three epidemics of yellow fever in 1873,
1878 and 1879. Memphis lost 10,000 of her citizens;
the office of the "Memphis Appeal" lost 21 members of
its staff; the daily "Avalanche" lost its editor and busi-
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC 61
ness manager with 15 of its staff; the "Evening Daily
Ledger," although 25 of its members were stricken
down, lost but 4 of its staff; of the Police Department
27 out of a total of 48 men were attacked, of whom 10
died and 17 convalesced. Amongst the dead was also
Chief Phil. R. Athy of the Fire Department and 24
of the men died, including Captain John McFadden,
a brother of Canon McFadden of Gweedore, County
Donegal, Ireland. Forty physicians and 4 Protestant
ministers died in that year, 1878.
Besides some 50 Sisters, the diocese of Nashville
lost 22 priests, of whom 21 died in Memphis in less
than five years. Of these, 8 were seculars, 8 Dominicans,
and 5 Franciscan Fathers. The following list gives
the names, date of death, and age of each:
Name Died Aged
1. Rev. J. R. Daily, O. P Sept. 23, 1873 27
2. Rev. R. V. Gary, O. P Oct. 7, 1873 40
3. Rev. D. A. O'Brien, O. P. . . . Oct. 9, 1873 42
4. Rev. J. D. Sheehy, O. P. . . . Oct. 17, 1873 43
5. Rev. Father Leo, O. S. F. . . . Oct. 17, 1873 45
6. Rev. Martin Walsh Aug. 29, 1878 40
7. Rev. J. A. Bokel, 0. P Aug. 29, 1878 29
8. Rev. J. A. McGarvey, O. P. . . Aug. 29, 1878 33
9. Rev. Michael Meagher .... Aug. 30, 1878 46
10. Rev. Father Erasmus, 0. S. F. . Aug. 31, 1878 42
11. Rev. Patrick McNamara . . . Sept. 3, 1878 28
12. Rev. V. P. Maternus, O. S. F. . Sept. 9, 1878 35
13. Very Rev. Martin Riordan, V. G. Sept. 17, 1878 46
14. Rev. P. J. Scanlon, O. P . . . Sept. 19, 1878 30
15. Rev. V. B. Vantroostenberg . . Sept. 19, 1878 35
16. Rev. J. J. Mooney Sept. 27, 1878 46
17. Rev. German Father, O. S. F.
(Asimus) 1878
18. Rev. Edward Doyle Sept. 4, 1879 46
19. Rev. John Fahey Sept. 6, 1879 29
62 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Name Died Aged
20. Rev. V. G. Chrysostom Reinke,
O. S. F Sept. 9, 1879 39
21. Rev. D. E. Reville, O. P. . . . 1879 39
22. Rev. Patrick Ryan (Chattanooga) 1878 38
To these may be added the Rev. John Walsh, who
died of smallpox February 19, 1882, at the age twenty-
eight. The youngest of these priests was but twenty-
seven, and the oldest fifty years of age. At the outbreak
of the fever they all appeared to be robust and remark-
ably healthy men. In the "New York Freeman's Jour-
nal" of '78, it was mentioned that of all the priests who
died in Memphis, there was but one who possessed
more than five dollars at the time of death. It is a fact
known to the Catholics of Memphis that these priests
neither made nor had occasion to make a "will." In
fact, these men did not leave "means" sufficient to
liquidate the moderate dry goods and grocery bills that
were presented to their successors for payment.
Three priests, who had been stricken with yellow
fever in Memphis, later recovered. One of these
was Very Rev. A. J. Kelly, O. P., who was ad-
ministrator of the Nashville diocese before the advent
of Bishop Feehan; he was a man of sterling piety, a
loving true friend, charitable and kind to all, and a
fearless warrior in the midst of danger. Father Kelly's
name will never be forgotten in Memphis or in Nash-
ville. Rev. Patrick O'Brien, whose house was besieged
by city officials in Jackson, Tenn., because he received
John Walsh who died there of smallpox, came some
years later to Chicago and was made pastor of Mount
Carmel Church. Rev. Wm. Walsh of international
fame for bravery during the epidemics of 1878 and
1879 in Memphis, died in 1902.
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC 63
"The fearful calamities that threatened the very
existence of the diocese of Nashville," continues Father
Quinn, "called into action the highest qualities of
the governor and spiritual guide, Bishop Feehan. Cir-
cumstances placed life and death in his hands. Had he
succumbed to the fever, it is more than probable there
would not be a priest living today to relate the sad tale
of Memphis' woe. It is a terrible responsibility to have
to order any man to certain and speedy death; even the
stern judge falters in his speech, as he pronounces the
last sentence of the law on the guilty culprit. If this
good Bishop, instead of the warm, tender nature which
God bestowed upon him, had had a heart of adamant,
he could not have helped being moved in this fateful
discharge of duty. In his unflinching charity towards
the Catholic laity of Memphis, he had to bury in his
soul the sweetest names known to man friendship,
patriotism, kinship, and old school companionship. The
dignity of his position, and the absolute wants of his
dying flock, precluded any display of sympathy but
called only for duty. I shall never forget that event-
ful morning when Archbishop P. A. Feehan came out
on St. Bridget's altar, Memphis, to preach the funeral
oration of twelve of his priests who had died during the
autumn of '78. Perhaps a similar event has not oc-
curred within the last century in Europe or America."
With inspiring verse the noble deeds of valiant war-
riors have ever been framed in a blaze of radiant beauty.
Historians and poets have wreathed with laurels of un-
dying fame the brows of bold patriots whose dauntless
spirits winged their way aloft midst the roar of cannon
and the shrieks of shell and shot of the smoke-laden
battlefields of countless lands. In swelling unison, the
voices of untold millions have chanted the strophes of
64 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
the bards, flooding the world with the sweet strains which
proclaimed man's gratitude and love for the defenders
of hearth and home and those gallant bands whom the
poets' genius and admiration have enshrined in immortal
honor and renown; yet the courage of martyred priests
and nuns those unsung heroes of Holy Church has
no parallel in tradition, not in all the annals of those
heroic military deeds which, like the stars that led the
ancient mariners in their course, have inspired and
emphasized the struggling progress of the human race
towards a higher material destiny.
See that huge hulk with the flag of death flying at
its mast head! That is the emigrant ship loaded down
with wretched human freight. It struggled for many
days through the billows of the sea. Devoted fathers,
mothers, and their darling little children have left the
ancient fatherland to seek freedom and bread upon the
hospitable shores of America. The cruel avarice of man
has crowded them all into this pestilential hulk. Starva-
tion and neglect have brought on the deadly fever, and
now it rages like a ravenous wild beast devouring the
flesh of its victims.
The anchor is cast; the long wished for shores of
America are reached and balmy breezes bring on their
wings the odors of flowers and of the green earth. But
the inexorable laws of the quarantine close the gates
of this earthly paradise against the poor sufferers. All
the world sees that dreadful flag and all the world
stands aloof, not daring to face death under such appal-
ling form. The heroic priest, however, the devoted
Sister of Charity and Mercy, they are there to minister
to the plague stricken. Night hath succeeded day and
yet ever faithful to their vows these sons and daughters
of the Church are there to catch the last sigh of the dy-
ing child of God.
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC 65
And now they inhale the subtle poison, it flies through
their veins. The pale cheek and dim eye proclaim to
men and angels that the mission of some of them has
been accomplished and that they are about to receive
the diadem of glory prepared by the Eternal Father
for His martyrs to Charity. What tongue can utter
the eulogium of such devotion!
"Dream not helm and harness
The sign of valor true;
Peace hath higher tests of manhood
Than battle ever knew." The Hero, by Whittier.
CHAPTER VII
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE
CHICAGO MADE AN ARCHBISHOPRIC BISHOP FEEHAN APPOINTED
ARCHBISHOP HIS FAREWELL A COMMITTEE WAITS ON HIM
THEIR SPEECHES A PURSE IS PRESENTED TO HIM THE
BISHOP'S LOVE FOR THE SOUTH THE ADDRESS OF THE CLERGY
ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ORDINATION
A LETTER FROM FATHER GLEESON BISHOP IFEEHAN AND THE
CATHOLIC KNIGHTS OF AMERICA.
IN addition to the irreparable shock which cholera and
yellow fever epidemics had imparted to the physical and
financial prosperity of the State of Tennessee, the prog-
ress of Catholicity, after the panic had subsided, was
destined to receive another crushing stroke, for orders
came from Rome enjoining the Right Rev. P. A. Fee-
han to leave his charge in Nashville, and assume the
more exalted dignity, the Archiepiscopate of Chi-
cago.
After the death of Bishop Foley, the diocese of Chi-
cago, by a decree of the Holy See, dated September
10, 1880, was elevated to the rank of Archdiocese, and
Bishop Feehan of Nashville was appointed its first
Archbishop. A letter of congratulation from Cardinal
Simeoni, dated September 30, 1880, accompanied the
papal Bull. 1 When the news of Archbishop Feehan's
elevation reached Chicago, there was a universal expres-
sion of satisfaction among the clergy and laity of the
new Metropolitan See, and though all mourned the
death of good Bishop Foley, they rejoiced at seeing one
chosen to fill the vacancy who was no stranger to the
clergy, many of whom knew him personally when he
i Cf. Appendix No. 3-4-6-6.
66
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 67
lived in St. Louis, and all were filled with admiration
at his successful administration of the Diocese of Nash-
ville. His deeds of heroism during the plagues, and his
eminent services in behalf of the orphans caused his
name to be known throughout the country and earned
for him the esteem of all civilized people. The Catholics
especially rejoiced at having Archbishop Feehan come
to govern them, as he was an honor to the Church in
America, and adorned the episcopacy by his learning,
experience, piety and zeal.
Nashville, on the other hand, was greatly shocked
and depressed. "The Cathedral was never before so
crowded," thus reads an article of a Nashville paper
at the time, "as it was Sunday morning. Every seat,
every nook and corner was occupied ; the vestibule, and
even the aisles were filled. Archbishop Feehan was to
take his final leave of the congregations in Nash-
ville."
After delivering an eloquent sermon on the subject,
"Man's Duty to God and His Neighbor," the Arch-
bishop said that it was not his wish or desire to leave
Nashville, which had so many sweet memories hovering
around, for Nashville had been his home in the full
acceptance of the word, but higher authority had said
that he should go to Chicago, and he would go to that
city and do everything in his power to advance the in-
terests of the Church. During the fifteen years he had
resided in Nashville, no word of censure or of unkind-
ness had passed between him and the clergy, but they
had always acted in the utmost harmony, and the work
of the Church had been carried on with great unanimity
of action. To the gentlemen who had assisted him in
all the enterprises in the Church he desired to return
most grateful thanks, and he desired to thank the ladies
68 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
especially for the satisfactory and efficient labors they
had performed in behalf of the orphans. They should
never forget the orphans and should continue the good
work they had performed in the past.
Archbishop Feehan was about to say more, but he
became so deeply affected that he could not utter an-
other word. There were many tearful eyes in the au-
dience. The next night a large number of prominent
Catholics visited the residence of the Archbishop, ar-
riving there about eight o'clock. As the visit and its
object had been kept an entire secret from him, he was,
of course, taken completely by surprise. But, though
greatly embarrassed, he received the party with his
usual courtesy and cordiality. When all had shaken
hands with the Archbishop, Hon. M. T. Bryan stepped
forward and delivered the following address :
"Most Reverend Archbishop, we have come, in be-
half of the Catholics of this city, to pay our respects
on the eve of your departure from amongst us and to
express our sincere esteem for you, personally, and our
high appreciation of your arduous and successful labors
as our faithful shepherd.
"Fifteen years ago you were installed 'Bishop of
Nashville.' Your diocese the State of Tennessee, which
had been for years little better than a battlefield was
in great confusion and disorder, consequent upon the
war which had just closed. Fraternal relations had not
yet been restored, and, though peace had been declared,
prejudices, political and sectional, still obtained, and
the social fabric was greatly disturbed. And to add to
the difficulties and perplexities of the situation that
environed you, the diocese was heavily in debt. Under
these discouraging circumstances you entered upon your
high office, and while studiously avoiding all demonstra-
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 69
tion and public notice, you have quietly, patiently, and
industriously pursued the good work, until today you
have the proud satisfaction of knowing that Providence
has blessed your labors and that the diocese is in a
healthy and prosperous condition and is practically out
of debt.
"We recognize that tnis is not the occasion nor this
the place to enter into detail of your labors for the past
fifteen years, but we trust we may be permitted to refer
to the part you have taken in promoting the cause of
education. The many flourishing schools and academies
established by you, or fostered by your paternal care,
in Nashville and in other parts of the diocese, amply
demonstrate how successful have been your efforts in
this great cause. But, above all, we must not fail to
speak of that really great and good work that has been
always so dear to you and in the promotion of which
you have always taken so conspicuous a part, we refer
to the care of the orphan children. These little chil-
*
dren, deprived of their natural guardians, homeless and
helpless, have found in you indeed a father and a friend.
Your efforts in this cause, nobly seconded as they have
been by a generous public, claim our highest admira-
tion and gratitude.
"Permit us also to refer to the purchase by Your
Grace, a few years since, of beautiful grounds for a new
cemetery, outside of the city, away from the noise and
busy haunts of men. Mt. Calvary is today one of the
features of Christian civilization in this community and
an evidence of the Church's care for her dead. As that
quiet city of the dead becomes peopled and the practiced
hand of the artisan and the tender and loving care of
friends of the departed adorn and beautify it, it will
remind us and our children of your wisdom and charity,
70 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and will serve to bind us more closely to you in the
union of divine faith.
"In brief, we would epitomize your labors by saying:
Religion had in you a watchful and prayerful prelate,
who taught us not only by precept, but by example as
well; education an earnest and zealous promoter, the
orphan a faithful friend and the community a distin-
guished and honored citizen; and we may add that in
your own person you have shown even to our separated
brethren that while the Church is firm and uncompro-
mising concerning the truths of Faith, she is gentle and
charitable to all men without distinction.
"Most Rev. Archbishop, deeply sensible as we are
of the personal loss, we each and all of us will sustain
by your departure from amongst us, we are not, we
hope, so selfish as to desire it to be otherwise than as
it is, since we have abiding faith not only in the wis-
dom, but also in the divine guidance of the government
of the Church. Wherefore we feel that this should be
an occasion of joy rather than sorrow. Indeed, we can-
not disguise from ourselves the personal compliment we
felt when the electric telegraph flashed across the waters
from the Eternal City the intelligence that the Holy
Father had raised OUR Bishop to a new and greater
dignity. We all felt that you were worthy of the great
honor, and were glad, although our joy was over-
shadowed by the reflection that you would be OURS no
longer.
"Though you go from amongst us honored and pro-
moted by the Church you have so long and faithfully
served, we indulge the hope that we shall not be entirely
forgotten by you; and we beg to assure Your Grace
that you carry with you the respect of all classes and
creeds, and the affectionate esteem of your own congre-
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 71
gation in this city, who wish you length of days and
great usefulness in God's Holy Cause."
M. T. BRYAN,
M. J. C. WRENNE,
J. G. OSBORN,
D. N. NEYLAN,
M. J. O'SHAUGHNESSY,
M. BURNS,
JOHN P. DALE,
M. SMITH,
Committee on Address.
At the conclusion of Mr. Bryan's remarks, M. Burns,
Esq., stepped forward and said: "Most Rev. Bishop of
the diocese of Nashville and Archbishop of Chicago: I
have the honor of having been selected by your friends
and children in the faith to present you with this small
testimonial of their love and esteem for you as a gen-
tleman and their faithful instructor for several years,
as Bishop and friend. As you are about to leave our
midst, through the election and appointment of a supe-
rior authority, for a more exalted position than that
occupied by you here, we yield our wishes as faithful
Catholics and submit to those whom God has put in
authority over us.
"Rev. Bishop, I trust you will pardon me in saying a
few words in reference to your sojourn among us. I
remember when you took charge of this diocese, and
know well the complications and entanglements you
had to adjust, and well do I know with what nerve and
financial sagacity you extricated the diocese from its
embarrassments. No man in our community has a more
solid credit than you have. Your word is your bond,
72 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and is so regarded in commercial circles. You came to
us a stranger but we soon found we had a gentleman
and a scholar, and, withal, a faithful and humble servant
of God, who never failed in times of pestilence to attend
at the bedside of the stricken sufferer. But why dilate
on this subject? Your gentle and kind disposition
towards suffering humanity is the theme of our com-
munity, regardless of creed or nationality. In your
farewell address, Sunday, you bequeathed to your flock,
as did your Divine Master, the care of the orphans and
the schools you so diligently watched over during your
administration of this diocese. I, as one of your flock,
and in behalf of the congregation to which I belong,
promise to do our best to carry out your request, and
that others in the diocese will do the same I have no
doubt. Trusting that your future flock will hold you
in the same high esteem that we do, we beg you to
accept this testimonial of our appreciation of you as a
gentleman, and your inestimable labors in our behalf."
Mr. Burns then presented the Archbishop with a well
filled silken purse.
The Archbishop said he hardly knew what to say to
them, for the visit was a great surprise to him. He
found around him the representatives of the whole con-
gregation of Nashville. He saw there many of the
faces that met his view when he came to Nashville, fif-
teen years ago. To Mr. Burns and to all those present
he could hardly find any words that could tell them how
he felt. His object and wish was to live and die here,
but when the highest authority in the Church bade him
go elsewhere he willingly and dutifully obeyed its com-
mand. He would never cease to have a regard, a love
for Nashville; from the very moment he stepped into
Nashville everyone had seemed to become his friend.
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 73
He felt thankful and grateful now, at his time of life,
to find the honest testimony of sincere friends. He had
endeavored to labor faithfully and sincerely, not only
for the missions, schools and the orphan asylum, but for
the entire Catholic people. He had never found a com-
munity more respectable in every sense than that found
in Nashville: he would go away with a feeling of mu-
tual respect and with a heart full of appreciation of his
sojourn here. He thanked them for the kind words that
had been spoken. He confessed that it would be a
trial to him to go to a big city, among strangers, from
a city in which he had found none but friends, and who
had showered kindness and affection so bountifully
upon him. He would always remember Nashville. He
had loved all the little children and had felt so deep
an interest in them and the affairs of the Church that
his labors had been light. No matter how long or short
his life would be, he would try often to visit Nashville,
at least to come here once a year, and would always
remember its people in his prayers; he would often
turn his face from the Far North to the Sunny South, so
full of pleasant memories, and look back again and
again into the faces of those he loved. But he could not
express all he desired to say. He wished that Nash-
ville would continue to grow in importance and pros-
perity; that its people would grow in good fortune and
happiness. He had never seen any unkindness here;
the non-Catholic people had been his friends, and the
friends to the orphans as well as those in the Church.
He would go away from scenes he had learned to love.
He was thankful to Mr. Burns for the expression of
his kind regard. It came from the next to the oldest
Catholic in Nashville. If the Catholics of Nashville
would continue to promote the schools he had established
74
and to care for the orphans, they would please him more
than anything else in the world.
Before the visitors left, the Archbishop blessed them
all, many having requested a parting blessing.
But not only was Archbishop Feehan dearly loved
by his people, his clergy was also deeply attached to
him. The extent of their love and devotion can best
be inferred from the sentiments expressed from the fol-
lowing address delivered to His Grace by his clergy
on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his
ordination to the priesthood:
Address of the Secular Clergy of Tennessee to their
Right Rev. Bishop on the twenty-fifth Anniversary
of his Ordination.
"This, Bishop, is our 'Saturnalia,' and we therefore
claim what the old Greeks called 'Parresia,' or free-
dom of speech, to give you our sentiments, and you
must bear with us for a few moments. Such is the
penalty of putting on the 'toga virilis' of the Priest-
hood. What sacerdotal virtues were conspicuous in
your life during the early days of your ministry but
few of us are acquainted with, as our relations to you
for the most part date from the time you assumed the
ring and crozier; but we may well conceive they were
those whose reflection, bright as silver, has shown on
our pathway under your benignant rule; a high regard
for the feelings and interests of your subjects; a gentle-
ness with us, even in our perversity, that could only
come from a cordial acceptance of the Divine invitation
'Discite a Me quia mitis sum et humilis corde'; and
above all a charity 'quae omnia suffert, omnia sperat,
omnia sustinet . . . et nunquam excidit.'
"We ask your acceptance of this silver merely as the
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 75
emblem of that bright light; and the only wish which
your priests can form for you in their hearts and in
their prayers is, that the light may become day after
day, and year after year more soft and mellowed, in-
creasing in intensity as we know it will, until it bursts
out into the golden sunlight of full maturity twenty-
five years hence."
M. RlORDAN, L. LUIZZELLI,
M. WALSH, F. MAERON,
M. MEAGHER, P. MCNAMARA,
P. RYAN, W. WALSH,
E. DOYLE, JOHN FAHEY,
J. VEALE, B. MCNALLY,
P. GLEESON, E. GAZZO.
R. SCANNELL,
Another appreciation of the work of Bishop Feehan
in the diocese of Nashville is expressed in the following
letter of Father Gleeson to Bishop Muldoon:
Nashville, Tenn., March 8, 1904.
St. Joseph's Church,
Right Rev. P. J. Muldoon, D. D.,
Bishop Auxiliary.
My dear Bishop Muldoon: In reply to your favor
of the 3d inst. I think it should be noted that when
Bishop Feehan took charge of the Nashville diocese,
the State of Tennessee was still suffering in the most
marked degree from the results of the Civil War. Nash-
ville diocese embraced the whole state, and the state had
been the theater of the war during the whole four years
of its continuance from Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh,
or more accurately from Fort Donelson on the Cumber-
land, where Grant gained his first victory, to Chatta-
76 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
nooga and Chickamauga. It would be hard to overdraw
the pitiable plight of the comparatively few and poor
scattered Catholic missions in consequence of the
demoralization and as Bishop Feehan found things on
his taking charge in 1865.
His character might be said to be his only asset in
beginning his work under such unpromising conditions.
No one ever heard a complaint from his lips. His pa-
tience and humility and dignified personality soon won
for him the love and affection of his own faithful and
the esteem and unbounded confidence of all classes of
the community. The same gentle self-sacrificing per-
sonality soon drew around him a band of devoted mis-
sionary priests who proved their loyalty and devotion
to duty in the trying days of the yellow fever epidemic.
The Bishop's strong point in those days was his care
for the orphans, the legacy of war and epidemics, and
his solicitude and sympathy for priests laboring in re-
mote and poor missions.
As you say he left no papers, but I very gladly sug-
gest points along those lines as the best index of his
work and character in those days.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
P. J. GLEESON.
When we add to the above that in 1866 Bishop Fee-
han attended and participated in the Second Plenary
Council of Baltimore, and that he also took an active
part in the Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, there
remains but one more great work of the Bishop to be
noticed before the reader will have some adequate idea
of Bishop Feehan's activity in the diocese of Nashville.
And this is the active part Bishop Feehan took in the
THE BISHOP LEAVES NASHVILLE 77
organization of the Catholic Knights of America, who
owe their origin to this true man of God.
Some Nashville Catholics asked the Bishop's opinion
one time about a society that many were proposing to
organize in Nashville and other cities of the South, and
the propriety of Catholics undertaking to form a so-
ciety of the kind that was contemplated. The Bishop,
after looking over the constitution and by-laws of the
proposed society, which was to be composed of Catholic
laymen, said: "I most cordially approve your object.
You have the material; go ahead, and I assure you
that I will give you all my support." The Bishop's
encouragement, like seed cast into fertile ground, took
root. The society was organized ; it grew ; it flourished ;
and now the Catholic Knights of America is one of the
most successful organizations among the Catholic laity
in the United States.
Before leaving the diocese of Nashville, the Arch-
bishop recommended Father Richard Scannell to the
Propaganda as his choice to act as administrator of the
diocese, sede vacante. The recommendation was favor-
ably acted upon. Father Scannell recently died as
Bishop of Omaha.
The Rev. P. D. Gill had asked the Archbishop to be
allowed to accompany him to Chicago, and his request
was granted; he was the priest whom the Archbishop
sent to Rome for the Pallium and who was appointed
chancellor of the diocese upon his return. Two other
priests, Rev. John Coughlin and Rev. P. O'Brien, soon
followed and became affiliated with the archdiocese of
Chicago. When Father Coughlin came to bid farewell
to Archbishop Feehan, the latter remarked: "Father
John, I did not think you would part with an old friend
for a new one." He could not resist the appeal made
78
by the Archbishop. Accordingly he severed his con-
nections with Nashville and became affiliated with the
Archdiocese of Chicago.
A few days before the departure of the Archbishop
from Nashville to Chicago, he sent his sister, Miss Kate
Feehan, and Miss B. Cavanaugh to Chicago to prepare
the residence which Bishop Foley had occupied on Ohio
Street. Miss Cavanaugh had been the Archbishop's
housekeeper in St. Louis and Nashville for twenty
years and continued to serve him until his death ; and it
is of record how substantially the Archbishop remem-
bered in his will the faithful service and devotion to
duty of this most estimable lady.
THE EIGHT KEY. JOHN McMULLEN, D. D.
Administrator of the Chicago Diocese
First Vicar General of Archbishop Feehan
Died July 4, 1883.
CHAPTER VIII
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880
HIS ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION HIS INVESTITURE READING OF
PAPAL BULL THE SERMON BY ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN FUR-
THER DETAILS OF THE CELEBRATION.
NOVEMBER the 25th was the day assigned for the ar-
rival of the Archbishop in Chicago, and it was the occa-
sion of a great demonstration of popular enthusiasm
and manifestation of hearty welcome to him. Commit-
tees of the clergy and deputations of the laity met him
on his approach to the Archiepiscopal See, and extended
such cordial greetings that he was deeply touched by
their loyalty and respect. Thousands of Catholics of
the many nationalities that go to make the Church so
cosmopolitan in Chicago received him with manifesta-
tions of the deepest reverence and affection, and lined
the streets of the city from the depot to the Archi-
episcopal residence. On November 28th, the installa-
tion of the new Archbishop took place in the Cathedral
of the Holy Name in the presence of an immense con-
gregation. 1
The investiture of the Most Rev. Patrick A. Feehan
as the first Archbishop of the great Metropolitan See
of Chicago stands out more conspicuously for its tran-
scending importance than any event ever recorded in
the history of the Catholic Church in the West. Ac-
companied by the ecclesiastical pomp and splendor with
which it is the time-honored custom of the Church to
dignify the installation to office so elevated, the cere-
iThe Bull, dated September 21, 1880, signed by Cardinal Mertel,
raised Chicago to an archdiocese and announced the separation of
LaSalle, Bureau, Putnam, Henry and Rock Island counties "on account
of distance and the less number of Catholics in the Peoria Diocese, the
spiritual needs of those counties might be the more easily attended to."
See Document No. 6.
79
80 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
monies were remarkably impressive, both for the impos-
ing solemnity which the grand ritual of the Church
lends to her important functions and the immense con-
course of humanity which had flocked to the holy
edifice to do honor by their presence to the great church-
man upon the occasion of the most significant event
of his life. Not only was this memorable occasion the
concrete expression of wonderful performances accom-
plished in other fields of exalted Christian endeavor, but
it shone out as a brilliant harbinger of the glorious
work which the future held in store for the masterful
mind, holy inspirations, and pre-eminent executive
power of this great and humble servant of God.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the ecclesiastical procession,
which had formed in the sacristy of the cathedral,
threaded its way out by the Superior Street door and
was received at the main entrance on North State Street
by the Very Rev. Dr. McMullen, who, as administrator
since the death of Bishop Foley, officially delivered the
Cathedral and the Diocese to the Archbishop. After
the choir chanted the "Te Deum Laudamus," the pro-
cession moved up the main aisle in the following order :
Crucifer
Acolytes with incense and holy water.
The Administrator, the Very Rev. Dr. McMullen.
Deacons of Honor : Rev. Richard Scannell of Nash-
ville, Tenn., and the Rev. John Waldron.
The Archbishop.
The Clergy of the Archdiocese.
When the procession had reached the altar the Arch-
bishop was escorted to the throne and the Very Rev.
Dr. McMullen ascending to the epistle side of the altar,
read the versicles prescribed for the reception of a
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 81
Bishop, for which the clergy made responses; then fol-
lowed the impressive prayer imploring the blessing of
God upon the Archbishop.
The papal brief appointing the Bishop of Nashville
to the Archdiocese of Chicago was read by Rev. D.
J. Riordan, Chancellor. The brief declared substan-
tially that the See of Chicago being vacant, the Holy
Father, in seeking a prelate to whom so important a
trust could be committed, had reposed this great con-
fidence in one whose superb and faithful stewardship
in another and less responsible sphere of operation had
placed him in the foremost ranks of churchmen, and
had won for him the respect, admiration, and love of
his brother clergymen, co-religionists and fellow coun-
trymen. When the reading of the papal Bull was con-
cluded, the clergy advanced to the Archbishop's throne
and kneeling, reverently kissed the episcopal ring, a
form symbolic of the fealty which the clergy of a diocese
owe to its governing head.
Solemn Pontifical Mass was begun by the Right Rev.
Joseph Dwenger, D. D., Bishop of Fort Wayne; as-
sistant priest, Very Rev. Dr. McMullen; deacon, Rev.
P. W. Riordan; sub-deacon, Rev. T. J. Butler, R. D.
After the Gospel Archbishop Feehan ascended the pul-
pit and read as his text the following versicles :
"Another parable He proposed unto them, saying:
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain iof mustard
seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; which
is the least indeed of all seeds : but when it is grown
up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the
branches thereof." (Matt, xiii, 31-32.)
The sermon preached by Archbishop Feehan on this
occasion :
"The explanation of the parable is very simple. The
82 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
kingdom of heaven is the gospel of the new law, and
the grain of mustard, one of the smallest seeds, which
grows to be a large tree, represents the Christian faith,
commencing at Jerusalem with faithful disciples, and
spreading thence throughout the whole world.
" 'And the birds of the air shall dwell in the branches
thereof.' So the nations at all times, in all places, come
to find rest and peace in its life-giving truth. The seed
was planted in the world by Jesus Christ.
"The parable is a prophecy, and its accomplishment
is the most astonishing fact in the history of the human
race, and the most striking proof of the divinity of Our
Lord. When our Savior spoke those memorable words
the entire world, except the Jews, were idolators, and
thus paganism had in its favor everything calculated
to preserve and to perpetuate it. It was woven into the
habits of the people, sustained by antiquity and the laws
of nations: the eloquence of orators and the genius of
poetry, the very games and pleasures of the people, all
were summoned to its aid and tended to preserve it ; and,
beside, it was a most pleasing form of religion, for it
not only flattered, but deified the worst passions of
human nature.
"It was into a world such as this, and to preach a reli-
gion opposed to this in every respect, that Christ Our
Lord sent His Apostles, saying to them: 'Go and
teach, and ye shall be witnesses of Me to the farthest
ends of the earth.'
"A few unknown men, distinguished only by their
obscurity, were to change the ideas, and the religion,
and the manners of the world. How impossible it
seemed! And if they succeeded in this work, how as-
tonishing !
"They succeeded, and in an incredibly short space of
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 83
time the Christian religion was known and accepted,
not only through the vast territory of the Roman em-
pire, but far beyond its limits, where the name of 'Ro-
man' was never heard, and where the standard of Rome
was never planted. And that this was a fact before the
conversion of Constantine is proved by the most un-
questionable testimony, pagan as well as Christian.
"Upon natural grounds alone the fact can never be
explained how this religion in its very infancy struggling
with vice and error, at the same time teaching the purest
morality, and amid the grossest corruption, contending
with the sophistry of the schools as well as the ignorance
of the multitude, by persuasion alone converting the
nations, both barbarous and civilized, opposed, abused,
misrepresented, persecuted, should, after three centuries
of trials and victories, have at last sat triumphant on
the throne of the Csesars.
"In whatever aspect we view our religion in the begin-
ning, whether in the persons of those who preached it
or the doctrines which they announced, or the time or
the age which they came to teach, there was nothing in
its favor, and everything, humanly speaking, was op-
posed to it.
"Christ our Lord did not choose His disciples from
the senate, or the Areopagus, or from the schools, or
from the lyceum, or from the princes : He did not select
men of distinguished birth, or reputation, or great
knowledge of worldly affairs; nor did He choose men
whose very names would throw a halo around the doc-
trines which they taught, or whom men would be proud
to acknowledge as their masters; but He went among
the poor, and He chose humble men, sinful, unlearned
men, men unskilled in the affairs of the world, without
wealth, without power, or riches, or prestige, or any
84 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
of the means which would ordinarily be deemed essen-
tial to success.
"We must remember that we see the Apostles through
the distance of the centuries. We behold them sur-
rounded with the glory of the works they accomplished.
But it was not thus that they appeared to the people
to whom they first went to teach. These saw them as
strangers, from a country and from a people whom they
despised. Imagine for a moment, brethren, imagine
Peter, the Chief and Prince of them all, a fisherman
from Galilee, who had just his barque and his nets, an
unlettered man, one who in a moment of weakness, had
even denied his Master imagine him alone, friendless,
helpless amid the schools and the temples and the pal-
aces of ancient Rome, and remember that it was Rome
in the day of its splendor. It was that Rome from
which went out great highways on which matchless
legions marched, along which were brought back the
spoils and the captives of the nations to grace the
triumphs of their capital : imagine a poor man from Gali-
lee, a fisherman, Peter, the Prince of the Apostles of
Jesus Christ; imagine him amidst the splendor of the
Roman capital; and yet a grand idea fills the soul of
this man. We can picture him looking out over the
great city from some one of those seven hills of Rome
and thinking or saying to himself: 'Here we may preach
the faith of Jesus Christ, and this gorgeous pagan city
will become its very citadel.'
"If some man who was not inspired by the wisdom
of the Word could have read the thought of the Apostle,
if he could have heard him utter such a thought as this
I have said, he would have cried out: 'This man is
come from an eastern land, a land of dreamers, and he
is only an enthusiast.' And Peter begins to teach and
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 85
the people begin to gather around him, and he makes
converts and their number increases; and ultimately,
Rome became a Christian city and the center of that
vast spiritual kingdom that has no limits save those of
the world. And the work begun by Peter has been con-
tinued by his successors, and even the glory of the
Cassars has paled before the grander, purer economy
of the successors of the fisherman.
"We, brethren, who have been born or educated in a
society already Christian, who have been accustomed
from childhood to the influences of its teachings, who
know that it has received the homage of the nations for
eighteen hundred years, can scarcely realize how won-
derful it must have seemed to the Apostles. St. Paul
says it was a 'stumbling block.' It was the 'scandal
of the Jews and the folly of the Gentiles/ for the Jews
expected a Messiah, powerful, magnificent; and yet
these strange men came to tell them that they must
adore Him Whom the chief men of their nation had
crucified. The religion of the pagan world was sensual,
captivating, indulgent. It was the religion of their
fathers, of their country, of their childhood, of their
great men, of their kings and emperors, and to them
there came strangers from a land that they despised,
and they said to those pagans that they also must adore
Him Whom the Jews had crucified; that they must
accept a religion, the very basis of which is self-denial
and self-sacrifice, and for the truth of which they might
at any moment have to sacrifice the precious things of
life, or to sacrifice even life itself.
"The human mind naturally revolts against accepting
such a religion under such circumstances. To become
humble, to become charitable, so as to learn to love and
to pray for their enemies, to prefer even poverty to in-
86 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
justice, to restrain even the least sinful thoughts of the
human soul, these were virtues that the best of the
ancient never knew, that they never dreamed of teach-
ing to the people, and yet they became the fundamental
and familiar virtues of Christian and Catholic faith, and
they were everywhere found in practice, and never were
there grander children of the Cross and of the faith
than those pagans, before whom the Apostles of Christ
lifted up the image of the crucified Savior.
"The religion triumphed, and its triumph was greater
than would have been that of Alexander of whom we
read, even if he had conquered the world, because the
most wonderful accomplishment is to subdue the human
heart; it conquered also pride and sensualism, which
were then, as they are now, its greatest foes.
"When the Apostles went to teach, eighteen hundred
years ago, it was the most splendid undertaking the
world ever knew. The arts and sciences and literature
all flourished, and they were all employed against the
truth. It would have been easier at that day to have
converted to the faith of Christ even the savages than
those proud, civilized Greeks and Romans, because the
pride of a sophist is a greater obstacle to truth than the
simplicity of an ignorant man, and when to the pride
of intellect there is added the corruption of the heart,
then were met the greatest impediments to the accept-
ance of a religion that demands the submission of the
human reason to the mysteries of the divine faith, and
that will not tolerate the indulgence of any one of the
disorderly passions of human nature.
"We may ask ourselves what is the religion that has
conquered the world and has triumphed over time
and space? It is that grain of mustard-seed mentioned
in the parable of the gospel, that gospel of the New
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 87
Law, the revelation of God to man, the manifestation
of His will to us. St. Paul tells us that it is the living
and efficacious word of God; the living word of God,
because it is life to the soul that receives it; and the
efficacious word of God because it has conquered idola-
try and established itself amid the ruins of the ancient
world. It has survived all the changing things of earth,
the ravages of time, the storms of human passion, the
revolution of human affairs, and denounced from one
generation to another, it is received with love, with
reverence for eighteen hundred years. It explains to
everyone who listens to it the great truths that human
reason would never have discovered, that the great
schools of the ancient world never dreamed of teach-
ing.
"It is the religion that tells us plainly of God, of His
nature, of His attributes, of man, of his origin, of his
destiny; that solves for us the mysteries and problems
of the human soul. It has elevated man, given him a
new life, taught him his true position, given him a grand
elevation. It unveils and exposes to his wondering gaze
the mysteries and glories of the supernatural world, of
the life of faith. It tells us of a great promise, of a
God made man, of a self-sacrifice the atonement of
heaven purchased for all, of hell vanquished, of the way
that leads to final happiness and rest, and of an object
to be attained that will satisfy the utmost yearning of
the human soul. It has conquered time and triumphed
over space. It found the world dead, truth entombed,
shrouded in the darkness of the ages; but as when the
voice spoke beside the grave of Lazarus, and he that
was dead came forth, living, and confessing the presence
and the power of God, so the word of God penetrated
through the world, and the nations awoke to life, and
88
the winding sheet was cast aside and the animating
spirit of God passed from one extremity of the earth to
the other. It penetrated the very depths of the human
heart, and it brought humility and purity and charity
where vice and pride and selfishness had held supreme
sway.
"And for us, brethren, as we hear and receive it, after
eighteen hundred years, how great and how profound
should be our reverence and our gratitude to God that
it is to our religion we are indebted for every blessing,
social and religious, that we enjoy. If for a moment
you can imagine such a thing possible, if religion were
destroyed, if religion were to disappear by some ca-
lamity from the world, the world would return again
into barbarism. Society would be dissolved into its
very elements. The most sacred of ties would be torn
asunder. The human heart would become corrupt even
to its very core, and the soul would become as dark as
it was when men worshiped the most degraded objects.
"When we think over that wonderful history of our
faith, that faith that is stronger than death, and that
has conquered the world ; when we think of the mystery
of the parable the little grain of mustard-seed rising
up to be a tree, and the birds of the air coming to dwell
in its branches, and so, from the humble beginnings
and the weak things God selected, has risen up this
wonderful and supernatural tree of life, which is the
Catholic Church, that gathers around itself the nations,
and where they find rest and peace for their souls and
the knowledge of the joy and the happiness that awaits
them beyond this world.
"And we may be permitted, also, to apply the parable
in a more limited sense; to make an application of the
parable even to particular places and countries; and
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 89
where, my dear brethren, where can you find a more
striking illustration of the grain of mustard-seed grow-
ing to be a mighty tree than in this great, broad land,
here in which we live, and in which we dwell? If we
look back for a generation or two for ever so little a
time how wonderful has been the growth of the grain
of mustard-seed in the great Northwest of America!
Two hundred years ago, a great missionary priest,
an illustrious son of the great order of St. Ignatius,
Father Marquette, traversed alone the western wilds.
A man highly cultured, educated and civilized, he turned
his back forever upon the home of his childhood in sunny
Gaul; he left the companions of his youth, and of his
studies, and alone penetrated into the wilderness because
he bore on his soul the commission that comes to those
whom God sends to teach, and he bore upon his lips
that message of truth that God would have us bear to
every nation; and he went not to the highly civilized,
but he went out alone into the wilderness and to the
sons of the desert to teach them the truths of Chris-
tian faith. And he navigated the great lakes and sailed
down the great river, sailing into the South; and he
lifted before the savage men of this region the symbol
of man's salvation; and they learned to know God, to
pray to Him ; and the savages received the word of God
in their wigwams, and they learned the great truths
of the Christian religion. And, alas ! when he went down
to them he was a strong man, but he returned again
worn out with his labors, a young man prematurely old,
and at last he lay down to die by the shore of Lake
Michigan.
"And again, if some man, guided by the spirit of the
world, would have looked upon the great missionary,
Father Marquette, dying by the lake shore, alone in the
90 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
desert, worn out by his labors among the savages, would
he not have said: 'He is only a son of a fervid race,
and behold, he is only one of those enthusiasts of the
world. It is a great, but it is a wasted, life. That man
lying in the solitude of the desert has left nothing in the
world behind him.' But it was not so. He planted in
the wilderness a seed of most effectual power, and it
remained there as if to grow up in after years to fruc-
tify and to rise up in a splendid way in after years, so
that the grain became a tree, and the birds of the air
dwelt within its branches. For at length he rests from
his labors, and white men, following in the pathway
which the missionary pointed out for them, navigate the
great lakes and sail over the great rivers, and come in
after ages ; and they pitch their tents in the forests and
in the broad prairies ; and villages which form the towns
and cities of today spring up ; and everywhere over the
great broad land there rose up that symbol of man's
salvation that Father Marquette had held before the
astonished eyes of the sons of the desert; the temples
of faith and the schools in which it was taught and the
birds of the air that is, the sons of many nations, some
born there and some from beyond the seas, and some
from the isles of the ocean, they came and knelt down
before the symbol, and then man felt in his heart and
said with his lips: 'I believe in the Holy Catholic
Church.'
"And again, where can we find a more fitting illustra-
tion of the grain of mustard-seed that has grown to be
a great tree than here in the very place in which he
died. The men are living today who saw the little vil-
lage from which the great city of today has sprung. A
venerable priest is living in St. Louis who built his lit-
tle church around which a few scattered brothers of the
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 91
faithful to Christ gathered in what is now the greatest
city of the Northwest. It has risen up. Thousands have
come. They have built up the broad land and they have
settled the great city, and already there are the temples
of the faith, grand, impressing and numerous. Already
there is the life and the strength and the vigor of a
great church, that is manifested by its works of faith
and charity. Already within the lifetime of some of
you, you have the great schools and many of them, where
the little children are gathered in to learn the precepts
and practices of the holy faith. Already you have the
hospitals and the asylums for the sick and the orphans,
and all these grand works rising up so suddenly, show-
ing the fructifying spirit of God; we can see that the
grain of mustard-seed which the great missionary
planted here, two hundred years ago for I have read
that Father Marquette said Mass in the very place
where the great city is built by the lake, a little over two
hundred years ago I say we can see that the grain of
mustard-seed has grown into a great tree. And hence
it is that one of the successors of Peter, of that fisher-
man who conquered imperial Rome eighteen centuries
ago one of his successors, Leo XIII, one who grandly
fills the papal chair, the supreme Pontiff and Pastor
of the Catholic Church, looking upon that vast dominion
that has been entrusted to him and seeing the western
land, that which has given to him and to his great pred-
ecessor so much consolation, where faith is so young
and so strong and so vigorous, and where people are
united with their pastors, and pastors with their Bishop,
and all gathered, as it were, around that historic chair
of Peter, which is the center of all truth and teaching
to us, the Supreme Pastor of the Church of God, look-
ing out upon that vast world entrusted to him, and see-
92 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ing in the Northwest this wonderful city rising up before
him like some splendid dream of the imagination, and
appreciating its greatness, would confer upon it the
highest honor he could give it, and he has placed it so
as to rank among the great metropolitan churches of
the world. He has made it the center and the chief
place, the Archiepiscopal See; and, brethren, he has
sent me, the least of my brethren, to this vast charge.
"If I felt for a while awed by its magnitude, if I felt
a dread of the vast responsibility, in the sight of God,
I feel today encouraged, finding myself in the midst of
my spiritual children, and surrounded, as I am, by their
devoted pastors, and feeling that there is everywhere
around me in this great city the living spirit of Cath-
olic faith that its works are manifest; that, too, all its
pastors and people are laboring zealously, I feel en-
couraged to look forward to a future beyond our time.
Though the promise of today is so grand, nevertheless
remember that we are only planting the seed, and when
this seed of today grows up to be more vigorous and
stronger, how much greater and grander will be the
future which your children's children will see.
"Today, the beginning of the holy Advent time, will
we not, brethren, pray together, and let the one prayer
ascend to God through the intercession of His Blessed
Virgin Mother that God would bless us all, each one
in his own place; that, as we inherit the splendid fruits
of those who went before us, so we may transmit a more
splendid inheritance to those who will come after us?
Will we not pray to God that He will give us a spirit
of wisdom, that we may be wise in the things that will
please Him, that God will send His Holy Spirit upon
His Church and upon His people, to guide them, to
animate them, and to strengthen them in the faith, and
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 93
to make this great Church, what the Spirit of God has
made everything that He has breathed upon, beautiful
in His holiness and in His strength? And also will
we not pray, for after all there is an end for every life,
no matter what a man's possessions may be in this world,
there is an end for you and for me, and we will pray,
will we not, today, to God to so bless us and so guide
us by His Holy Grace, that at last, when the end comes,
the hour upon which all depends, that we may be ready
for that final judgment of God." Amen.
Present in the sanctuary were the Most Rev. Arch-
bishop Feehan; the Right Rev. Joseph Dwenger, D. D.,
Bishop of Fort Wayne; the Very Rev. Dr. Scannell,
administrator of the diocese of Nashville, Tenn.; the
Very Rev. Dr. McMullen, V. G., of the archdiocese of
Chicago; the Very Rev. Dr. Butler, Dean; Rev. Dr.
W. Corby, President-Provincial, Notre Dame, Ind.;
the Rev. Daniel J. Riordan, Chancellor; Rev. Patrick
J. Conway, Rev. P. M. Noonan, Rev. Patrick Riordan,
Rev. J. P. Roles, Very Rev. Arnold Damen, S. J. ; Rev.
Charles Hahn, Rev. Switbert de Marteau, O. S. B.;
Rev. E. J. Dunne, Rev. S. T. A. Barrett, Rev. Father
Dowling, Rev. J. J. Delaney, Rev. Hugh McShane,
Rev. John Waldron, Rev. M. Oakley, S. J.; Rev.
Father Corbinias, Rev. A. Snigurski, Rev. Th. Burke,
Rev. F. Kalvelage, Rev. Father Nussbaum, Rev. E.
Weber, Rev. P. A. L. Egan, Rev. W. Choka, Rev. P.
Corcoran, Rev. J. H. Grogan, Rev. T. L. Powers, O.
S. B., Minneapolis, Minn.; Rev. F. A. Keenan, Amboy,
111.; Rev. Morris Burke, Joliet; Rev. Father Marsille,
St. Viator's, Bourbonnais; Rev. P. Nemesius, Rev.
Father Triest, Rev. Th. Mackin, Rock Island; Rev.
Th. P. Hodnet, Dixon; Rev. F. Schreiber, Peoria; Rev.
Th. Leydon, Woodstock; Rev. Th. Essing, O. S. B.;
94 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Rev. J. S. Hogan, Lemont; Rev. Father LeSage, Kan-
kakee; Rev. Jos. Molitor, Rev. E. Gray, Peru; Rev.
Clement Venn, Rev. Hugh McGuire, and Rev. Jos.
Cartan.
In the congregation were noticed, Hon. Thomas Mo-
ran, Hon. Thomas Hoyne, Hon. Carter H. Harrison,
and daughter, J. V. Clarke, Esq.; Hon. W. S. Hynes,
Michael Keely, J. P. Rend, Col. Quirk, T. J. Amberg,
P. J. Towle, Philip Conley, J. V. Sullivan, P. J. Sex-
ton, etc.
To secure a representation from those prominent in
the laity of the city, and embracing well known church-
men from all the city churches, the Union Catholic
Library Association was awarded the honor of selecting
the following list of honorary ushers for the occasion,
and all the gentlemen thus selected were present: E.
J. McDonnell, J. H. Burke, Washington Hesing, P.
J. Hennesey, W. Q. Kerrigan, D. McCarthy, Chas.
E. Frizillie, Frank Niesen, Michael Sullivan, Ed.
Mantz, Jas. Conlan, Jr., E. D. Winslow, Z. P. Bros-
seau, Dr. Walter Hay, Joseph McDonald, J. H. Dy-
nan, Jno. K. Dwyer, T. J. Nerney, Jno. Gaynor, P.
McGuire, P. McHugh, P. A. Barron, M. J. Keane,
W. H. O'Brien, J. H. Daley, Col. Ezra Taylor, M.
A. Devine, M. W. Kirwin, Thomas Carney, John Mc-
Mahon, Thomas Lynch, George A. Bannanline, James
Walsh, W. A. Amberg, E. E. S. Eagle, Henry Cohen,
M. A. Driscoll, John Anderson, F. T. Colbey, Thomas
Carney, John Lynch, and A. P. Callahan.
"The expressions of the laity at the cathedral," com-
mented one of the daily papers, "were candid and hearty.
They all are delighted to find in the chair whose most
beloved occupant they will never cease to mourn
Thomas Foley one who was the devoted friend of that
HIS COMING TO CHICAGO IN 1880 95
prelate, and who, in those characteristics which appeal
to us most, resembles him so much. There was a general
expression of satisfaction, too, that the interregnum
was at an end ; and no man could have been sent to take
the vacant place who would or could be more enthu-
siastically received than Archbishop Feehan."
CHAPTER IX
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM
DETAILS OF THE SOLEMN INSTALLATION IN THE CATHEDRAL
THE SERMON BY BISHOP HOGAN MEANING OF THE PALLIUM
WHEN AND HOW MADE AND BLESSED THE PALLIUM IS
PLACED UPON HIS SHOULDERS.
THE Cathedral of the Holy Name was soon to be the
scene of a ceremony equally, if not even more impres-
sive and elaborate than the Archbishop's Installation.
On December 17, 1880, the Rev. P. D. Gill was dele-
gated by Rome to be the bearer of the "Pallium" to
the new Archbishop of Chicago. He arrived in the
beginning of January and arrangements were at once
made for the solemn Investiture of the Archbishop.
Invitations were sent to the suffragan-bishops of the
archdiocese and to all the clergy within its limits, to
attend the conferring of the "Pallium," the insignia
of the archiepiscopal office.
The clergy completely filled the spacious sanctuary.
The body of the church was compactly occupied by the
large congregation, in which were well known Catholics
from all parts of the city. Miss Feehan, sister of the
Archbishop, was also a deeply interested observer of
the ceremony.
At half past ten o'clock the ecclesiastical procession
filed from the vestry into the sanctuary. Pontifical
High Mass begun as soon as the celebrant, Bishop
Baltes, of Alton, was vested. His Lordship was assisted
by Rev. Dr. Butler, of Rockford, as assistant priest;
Rev. J. P. Roles and Rev. P. J. Conway as deacons
of honor; Rev. Maurice Burke, of Joliet, and Rev. P.
96
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 97
Dunne, as deacons of the Mass. Fathers Dowling, De-
laney and Carroll were masters of ceremony.
Invitations to Bishops and clerical dignitaries in ad-
jacent states and dioceses, and all the clergymen
within the archdiocese of Chicago, had been sent out,
and upon no previous occasion had the Cathedral been
occupied by so large and distinguished a gathering of
clergymen.
Upon his throne sat His Grace, the Archbishop, in
person the most imposing and dignified of the clerical
assembly. There were also present five prelates: the
Right Rev. Bishops Baltes, of Alton, 111.; Hogan, of
Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo. ; Spalding, of Peoria ;
Ryan, of St. Louis, and Dwenger, of Fort Wayne, Ind.
The Chicago clergy were represented by the follow-
ing: The Very Rev. John J. McMullen, D. D., V. G.,
Rector of the Cathedral; Very Rev. Arnold Damen,
S. J. ; the Rev. Fathers Joseph P. Roles, P. J. Conway,
P. A. Hentzler, O. S. S., P. J. Butler, Joseph Essing,
C. SS. R.; P. S. Des Marteau, O. S. B.; J. H. Grogan,
John Walton, Fred Kalvelage, T. Burke, P. W. Rior-
dan, James Cole, Clement Venn, P. M. Noonan, J. M.
Cartan, T. F. Cashman, S. M. A. Barrett, V. Barzyn-
ski, C. R.; F. Bobal, P. Fisher, H. McGuire, Adolph
Snigurski, W. Choka, E. M. Smith, C. M.; E. Webber,
A. Morini, O. S.; M. J. Dorney, P. M. Flannagan,
John Carroll, D. M. J. Dowling, John J. Delaney,
John J. Carroll, F. O'Neil, T. F. Galligan, J. J. Fla-
herty, Achille Bergeron, Th. Carroll, E. A. Kelly, A.
Goulet, John Waldron, Jr.; F. Henneberry, L. Er-
hard, P. Corcoran, F. J. Nighe, W. A. Horan, E.
Murphy, T. A. Burke, and M. McLaughlin.
From outside the city were present: The Rev.
Fathers F. A. Keenan, Amboy; P. McNamara, Apple
98 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
River; P. Sheedy, Arlington; H. Tolen, Joseph Mc-
Mahon, C. Schweikel, and F. Chouinard, C. S. V.,
Aurora, 111. ; L. B. Kanzleiter and D. Spellman, Bata-
via; the Very Rev. P. Baudion, C. S. V., R. D., Bour-
bonnais Grove; James J. Bennett, Braidwood; Dominic
Egan, Harvard; M. Stack, Huntley; Walter H. Power
and M. F. Burke, Joliet; G. Beecher, O. S. F.; M.
Welby, Lake Forest; F. J, Antl and J. E. Hogan, Le-
mont; J. J. McGovern, D. D., and F. Sixt, Lockport;
James Maloney, Minooka; A. Wenker, Naperville; D.
M. Thiele, Niles Center; Peter J. Gormley, Ohio; J.
Treacy, Rochelle; T. J. Butler, D. D., R. D., Rock-
ford; A. J. Thiele, Rose Hill; P. Daly, Middle Creek;
C. J. Huth, Somonauk; M. VandeLaar, South Chicago;
C. J. O'Callaghan, D. D., Sterling; M. Zara, St.
Charles; R. H. McGuire, Tampico; E. W. Gavin, Wau-
keegan; W. Netstraeter, Wilmette; T. F. Ley don,
Woodstock; Hugh O'Gara, and Th. O'Gara, Wilming-
ton; John A. Fanning, D. D., Fairbury; M. J.
Marsille, C. S. V., Anthony Mainville, C. S. V., and
Th. Conway, C. S. V. from Bourbonnais.
There were also present, the Rev. P. J. Gill, who
brought the "Pallium" from Rome; the Superiors of
the Christian Brothers from St. Patrick's, St. Bridget's
and St. John's; Brother Leonard, Superior-General,
and Father Martel of the Alexian Brothers. Further-
more, representatives of the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters
of Charity, Sisters of St. Dominic, Servite Sisters,
Benedictine Sisters, Redemptorist Sisters and the
Sisters of St. Francis.
The following gentlemen, selected by the Union
Catholic Library Association, acted as ushers on the
occasion: James Sullivan, Michael Sullivan, M. A.
Devine, B. Langan, P. Carney, Peter Conlan, P. Me-
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 99
Guire, Joseph Philbin, James Conlan, Jr., and E. O.
Brown.
After the Gospel, Bishop Hogan ascended the pulpit
and delivered the following discourse on the text of St.
Matthew, xx, 25-28:
"You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it
over them; and they that are the greater, exercise
power upon them. It shall not be so among you:
but whosoever will be the greater among you, let
him be your minister: and he that will be first among
you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of man
is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a redemption for many."
Most Reverend, Right Reverend, and Reverend Fa-
thers Dear Brethren:
"These words that I have read to you from the holy
Gospel, embody, as it seems to me, the spirit of every
government that is good government whether of the
ecclesiastical or the civil order.
"The power that we receive from Almighty God is
given to us, whether as His Church or a State, not to
lord it over those who are bound to obey, but in order
to do service, in order to promote their good, their
spiritual and their temporal well-being; hence, our
Blessed Lord in laying the foundations of the Church,
and, consequently of civil society, has said to those who
are to exercise power : 'Lord it not as the Gentiles over
their subjects, but whoever would be the greatest among
you shall be your minister, and he who would be first
among you let him be your servant even as the Lord
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to
give His life a redemption for many."
"This is the principle of the legitimate exercise of
power, whether it be the power in the Church or in the
State. And God has given power to no one, never will
100 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
give power to anyone, unless that power be exercised
for the good of those for whom it is given. I think
I have here, my dear brethren, not only the foundation
upon which our Church is built, but also, and apart from
the divine promises made to it, the reason why that
Church is perpetual. Because the power that Almighty
God gave the Church for the edification of the faithful
has been exercised according to the command of Jesus
Christ, not for the glory of the government, not for
personal greatness or aggrandizement, because all per-
sonal glory is vain. There is no true glory but that
which comes from Almighty God. 'If I glorify my-
self, my glory is nothing.' Hence because the authority
in the Church has been exercised, not for human or
individual glory, but for the honor and glory of God,
therefore that Church lives and is perpetuated in its
greatness.
"And even apart from the divine promise that Jesus
Christ made to His Church that it should never fail,
we have here a guarantee that the Church shall last as
long as the world lasts. You know that Almighty God
gave power; that the government of His Church would
be impossible without authority. He says: 'All power
is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, there-
fore, teach all nations : teach them to observe all things
which I have commanded you.' Jesus Christ received
power from the Eternal Father, and as God and man,
the founder of our Church, He imparts that power to
those who are to govern the Church, power to preach,
to baptize, to bless, to incorporate into the great family
of Jesus Christ, into that body of which He is the head,
and we the members.
"And in what spirit is that power to be exercised? In
the spirit of ministration. 'He who would be the
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 101
greater among you let him be as your minister, and he
who would be first among you, let him be as your
servant. The princes of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and they who are greater exercise power upon them.
Let it not be so with you in Christ.' Hence, my breth-
ren, when we admire and are grateful to Almighty God
for His spiritual power and authority which is estab-
lished here today, oh, let us think also of the goodness
of Almighty God in telling us how that power is to
be exercised! It is to be exercised with humility, with
patience, with meekness, with love for those who are
to be benefited, even as Jesus Christ Himself came to
give His life a redemption for many.
"The life of the archbishop, and the bishop, and the
priest is to be a life of sacrifice, a life founded upon that
of Jesus Christ Himself, the good shepherd who laid
down His life for the salvation of His flock.
"And, my dear brethren, has not that been the spirit
in which the Church has exercised its power in every
age? What you see here in Chicago is but a repetition
and a perpetuation of that spirit and that action which
has animated the Church in every age. You see your
priests going around to attend the sick, teaching the
catechism, preaching the Word of God, building up
the orphan asylum, building a home for the poor and
aged. And what is this, my dear brethren, but ful-
filling the command of Jesus Christ to minister unto
others, to minister unto the little ones, to look to Jesus
Christ as the pattern, not to lord it over them as the
Gentiles. Hence, my dear brethren, in every age the
Sovereign Pontiff has called himself the servant of ser-
vants, and the illustrious prelate who is here enthroned
before you today has come to make a solemn profes-
sion that he will exercise his holy power, his great au-
102 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
thority, that he will exercise it as every ruler ought
for your good, for the good of the people, for the good
of the faithful in general.
"And before I go any further, I will say that the gov-
ernment of the United States and the government of
the State of Missouri, and of these several states, has
struck upon the principle that is common to Christian-
ity; that to the president, the governor, the mayor, no
matter what authority he may have, the people here say :
'You shall exercise that authority for the good of the
people; you shall exercise it for the good of the gov-
ernment; you shall be the servant of the people, and
minister to the people, and you shall not lord it over
the people/ I can tell you, my dear brethren, that this
is the cornerstone of Christianity. And I find a great
harmony between the Church and the State in that prin-
ciple; and as the Catholic Church has built itself up,
and spread to the bounds of the world on that principle,
therefore I hope that as long as the governments of
these countries keep to that vital principle their per-
petuation is insured ; and therefore I find that the laws,
and the happiness, and the prosperity of this country
are built upon the same corner-stone as the Catholic
Church itself, and that there is a harmony between
catholicity in religion and catholicity in politics, for no
government that is not built upon that principle can
last, because it is not a government founded upon the
wisdom of Almighty God.
"Let me say further that it is a pleasure to me to
address you on this occasion, and that, although in the
presence of prelates, archbishops, and so many learned
priests, of a city whose name is famous over the whole
world, yet I feel perfectly at home in addressing you,
because I am not a stranger in the State of Illinois.
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 103
It is thirty years ago since I set my foot upon this
state which is now so great, and it was my happiness
and privilege in that early life to receive the Bishop
who is now in heaven, the illustrious Bishop Vander-
Velde. He was consecrated at St. Louis, if I remember
aright, on the 25th of March, 1849, and I was one of
the committee appointed in the city of Alton to re-
ceive him. That was the first town that he visited in
this whole state, which was then in his jurisdiction, and
I remember how that saintly prelate set to his work to
preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to administer
the Holy Sacraments. After having visited that parish
church, he then set out to come here to his episcopate.
How do you think he came here? We find it easy, just
to take a sleeping-car in St. Louis and wake here in
Chicago in the morning, without a jolt and without
trouble. This saintly prelate put himself into a stage.
There was not then one mile of railway in the State of
Illinois, and the rivers were frozen. This saintly prelate
went into a stage with the Vicar General of his diocese,
the Very Rev. Father Walter Quarter. They said the
journey would take four days in the winter time to come
from Alton to Chicago.
"Behold, now, what a great people you are! There
were then but forty or fifty priests in the State of Illi-
nois, and your membership was very small. Now, your
numbers are half a million, and you have four episcopal
sees and a priesthood of five hundred or more, all men
eminent for learning and dignity and zeal and inno-
cence of life. And as the Church has grown apace, so
has your city grown. Why should not this great city
grow upon the same principles that made the Church
great? Because the government is for the governed.
The government is not for human glory, or human
104 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
greatness, or human aggrandizement, but it is a govern-
ment of the people and for the people, and in their
interest. Therefore, I say, let this government of
Church and State advance as they have advanced,
founded upon the great principles that Jesus Christ
has enunciated; that government is not for those who
govern but for the governed.
"Now, my dear brethren, in this country where are
so many Catholics, it must be said that the Catholic
Church is comparatively alone ; that there is a great deal
of prejudice against Catholicity; and, strange to say,
although the Church has existed here since the day of
the Republics origin and before it, and the Church
and State have existed in harmony and together, I
wonder why it is that since Catholics can so faithfully
discharge their duties towards the government that they
are in public estimation thought to be hostile to these
institutions. Many who object to the Catholic Church
say it is allied to tyranny; that the archbishops and
bishops and priests have allied themselves to tyranny
in every age. I deny this, and I appeal to history.
"I will examine the history of the Church for the first
three hundred years, and you will find that the history
of the popes and the archbishops, and the bishops and
the patriarchs is a history of struggle against tyranny.
If they wished they could have allied themselves with
the pagan emperors; they could have become vassals of
these men with vast power. But they were sent by
Jesus Christ to establish the truth. They were not to
ally themselves with the princes of paganism, and hence
you find that the popes and bishops in every age have
resisted the unjust power of the government. I need
not refer you to the fact that it is for the liberties of
the people for the liberties of Christian people and
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 105
Christianity and civilization that so many great prel-
ates, and bishops, and archbishops, and patriarchs
have laid down their lives, that we, their posterity, may
become a free people.
"If I look into history I find that even when the world
became Christian the archbishops had to engage in con-
flicts. Look at the conflict of the great Archbishop
Athanasius with Constantine, Constantius, Valens and
Julian. This Archbishop governed the See of Alexan-
dria for forty-four years, and during that time his life
was a continual conflict with these tyrants. Let me say
to you that when the pagan emperors became Christian,
they were often Christian only in name, and they were
the first to abridge the liberties of the Church and the
liberties of the children of the Church. Hence, the great
Archbishop Athanasius was many times driven into
exile among the hermits of upper Egypt, to hide him-
self in caves and in cisterns, and to come back again
to his diocese to govern his flock.
"If we come down a little later in history we have the
example of the illustrious Ambrose. You say to me
that archbishops and bishops allied themselves to kings
and princes and tyrants against the poor. Come with
me to that great city in Asia Minor, and see that bishop
standing at the door of his cathedral with crozier in
his hand, and saying to the proud Emperor Theodosius :
'Begone from me! You are stained with blood. You
have sacrificed the lives of your subjects. You have
polluted the house of God. Away with you!' The
humblest beggar was more welcome in that cathedral
before Ambrose than was Theodosius.
"You have read about the life of Gregory VII, Hilde-
brand as he is called, although his life is misrepresented
and misunderstood. Witness his great conflicts made
106 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
against tyranny for the cause of the people, for religion,
and consequently for civil liberty. Because, where there
is no religious liberty the people are in degradation and
in slavery. Behold, then, this great pontiff saying to the
proud emperor of Germany, Henry IV : 'Begone from
my province ! Go and do penance ! You are unworthy
to stand as a member of the flock of Jesus Christ!'
"And so I come down through the ages, illustrating the
great efforts that the men of God have made for the poor.
I come to England, in the days of its Catholicity, and
we see St. Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, confronting Henry II. You know that the Arch-
bishop was educated by the king himself. He was a
member of the king's household. He held a high office
in the Church, I think, as Archdeacon, and when the
time came to elect an incumbent for the metropolitan
see of Canterbury, and when Thomas heard that the
king was using his influence that he might be appointed
Archbishop, he said to him: 'Your Majesty, do not
use your influence that I may become Archbishop of
Canterbury, for if you do, let me tell Your Majesty
humbly that the great love you bear me may be changed
into hatred for me, that the favor you have for me may
be turned into dislike. For, if I become Archbishop,
it is my duty to tell Your Majesty that there are many
things in your life that I will be obliged to correct.'
Yet Thomas became Archbishop of Canterbury, and
he fulfilled his promise, although he was indebted to
the king for his education and for his patronage in the
Church. He told Henry II that he could not outrage
the liberties of the Church; that there were rights and
duties which even the king should not trample upon.
And you know the history how the Archbishop Thom-
as a Becket, the Primate of England, laid down his
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 107
life upon the steps of the altar, that religious and con-
sequently civil liberty may exist all over the world.
"But, my dear brethren, I am going too far away from
the subject. These prerogatives, this power and juris-
diction, are to be exercised in a spirit of meekness, in
a spirit of charity with innocence of life, with love, es-
pecially for the poor. And hence, the Church not only
in the early ages, but in every age, and the lives of the
archbishops, show what the life of this Archbishop is
and will be.
"Now, whenever liberty does not exist, tyranny and
degradation shall follow; and by liberty I mean obe-
dience to lawful authority. I mean that where the
authority that Jesus Christ set up in St. Peter, who
is the pillar and the crown of truth, where that au-
thority is not obeyed implicitly, mankind do tend and
will eventually fall into degradation. You have but
to cast your eyes on the history of the Church. A few
days ago you heard of the assassination of the Emperor
of Russia, who is not only the head of the State, but
also the head of the Church. The Greek Church has
thought fit to usurp the sovereignty of Jesus Christ
and His Pontiff, and they have taken the anointed
mitre and placed it upon the emperor. What is the
result? The country is in slavery. We see there an
excess of tyranny and an excess of disobedience.
"Look at that once illustrious eastern Church! What
has become of the great Archiepiscopal Sees of Alex-
andria, and Constantinople, and Smyrna, and so many
other names illustrious in the early ages of the Church?
Where are those great archbishops, patriarchs and
primates who attended the Councils of Nice, and
Ephesus, and Constantinople? Where are the Basils
and the Chrysostoms, and the many other illustrious
men of that Church?
108 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"That Church has sunk in degradation. And why?
Because it has disobeyed the authority of Jesus Christ.
It has taken the mitre off the pontiff of Jesus Christ
and placed it upon the king. Therefore it has fallen into
the loss of religious and civil liberty, and that whole
eastern world is in degradation and slavery. The crown
of glory has been swept from it. The Church and State
are sunk in degradation, and we have only to look at
those places once illustrious but now dark as midnight,
where there is neither Christianity nor the light of
civilization because they sacrificed their Christian lib-
erty. They have sunk their Christian liberty in the
head of the State, and thereby sealed their own degrada-
tion. Why is it that the Roman Church is so great?
Because they acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ,
and His Vicar, the head of the Church. And that
authority you will see exercised and set before your eyes
emblematically in a little while by the Sacred Pallium
that was brought from the body of St. Peter, and that
is to be placed upon the shoulders of your Arch-
bishop.
"So much for the necessity of religious liberty, that
there may be, too, civil liberty. So much for the in-
fluence of the Church of Jesus Christ in enlightening and
civilizing the nations. But how is this authority of the
Church to be exercised, if not with patience, with love for
the flock of Jesus Christ? Oh! that the example of Jesus
Christ may be ever before our eyes, Who laid down His
life for His flock, the Good Shepherd who brings home
the stray sheep on His shoulder, and even lays down
His life that souls may live! What other life can a
priest or a bishop, or an archbishop, value but a life
of sacrifice, a life which is a living sacrifice, a life
crowned by laying it down for the people? No priest is
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 109
worthy of the name who is not willing to make a sacri-
fice of himself for the people.
"Need I tell you that history furnishes numberless
examples? May I not without undue praise point to
your own Archbishop as an example of sacrifice? A
few years ago there was a great plague in his diocese
in the South. This Bishop and his flock did not run
away from the plague. They could not, and be the
ministers of Jesus Christ. You will find priest after
priest dying, even the Christian brothers and the nuns
laying down their lives, one after another, in order to
take care of the poor and the sick. And the Archbishop
himself, as that plague came near him, exercised his
charity more and more by encouraging his priests and
by going himself to minister to the sick, and gathering
the little orphans into the orphan asylum, in order that
as their natural parents were taken to heaven through
God's Providence, that same Providence would provide
through the Bishop and the priests for the poor and
needy. I say that his example in modern times is worthy
of the best days of the Church.
"Reading the history of the bishops in France, in the
days of that great kingdom, we know that about two
hundred years ago there was a great plague in the South
of France. The plague broke out in Marseilles, a port
of entry on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The
bishop of that city happened to be in Paris when the
plague broke out, and word was sent to him that his
people were dying with the plague. The people were
panic-stricken. Even some of the clergy and the of-
ficers of the city neglected their duty. Did that prelate
keep away from his flock? We read that he hired a
carriage and a pair of horses, and from Paris to Mar-
seilles, a distance of five hundred miles, he drove night
110 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and day, one relay of horses after another, until he got
into the midst of that plague-stricken city, and went
around with his priests ministering to the sick and the
dying, encouraging the authorities and providing for
the sick and the orphan.
"It may be some of you have had the pleasure of visit-
ing that city of Marseilles. If you will go to one of
the public streets of that city you will find a grand
monument erected to the memory of that noble bishop,
with a mitre on his head and sandals on his feet, and
numbers of the dying around him and he ministering
to them.
"Look at the example of St. Charles Borromeo, an
illustrious example for all our archbishops; a man
of noble family, of high learning; a man who in early
manhood was appointed and thought fit to be a Cardinal
in the Church of God. He was the moving and the rul-
ing genius of the great Council of Trent. We read
that as he governed his diocese he sold his patrimony
and distributed it among the poor; that he would stop
on the streets and the highways of his diocese and teach
little children the 'Lord's Prayer' and the 'Hail
Mary'; that he was a frequent visitor in the cottages
of the poor, and when the plague broke out in that city
he devoted not only his time, but his means and his life.
He sold even the furniture of his house to supply the
wants of the poor.
"O illustrious Church of God! The Church that
teaches us how to exercise power; that teaches us that
power is not given to lord it over the poor, and that
whosoever shall become a priest, or a bishop, or an
archbishop, or a primate, he is sent by Almighty God to
minister to the poor, to be a servant of the poor, to
devote his life to them. I say that this is the principle
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 111
together with the promise of the assistance of the Holy
Ghost that has made the Catholic Church perpetual,
and I say that this is the principle that can even make
a civil government perpetual, when men in power exer-
cize their authority only for the good of the people.
"Now, my dear brethren, how shall I apply these prin-
ciples to the ceremony that has taken place before us?
If the Archbishop is to be a father to the poor, if he
is to be meek and patient, and of spotless life, by what
ceremony shall we impress that more fully upon his
own mind and upon the minds of you who are present?
"A few days ago the sacred pallium was sent here
by our Holy Father, Leo XIII, in order that the pal-
lium or cloak may be laid upon the shoulders of the
illustrious incumbent of this Archdiocese.
"What is the pallium? It is a covering. It is a
garment that signifies spotlessness of life, patience,
meekness, humility. It is made of the white wool of
lambs. These lambs are brought into the Church of
St. Agnes, of Rome, which church was built to com-
memorate the spotlessness of the life of St. Agnes, who
is called by that name from the fact that she was a
lamb in innocence and in gentleness, into the Church
of that Virgin who died for the faith of Jesus Christ,
whose name signifies love of God, faith, chastity, meek-
ness. At her feast on the 25th of January, every year,
two white lambs are brought to the altar, and the fleece
of these spotless, innocent lambs is taken off. They
are blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff. The wool when
shorn is given into the hands of nuns who, by their pro-
fession, are ranked among those who are specially be-
loved by Jesus Christ, who are destined to follow the
Lamb. They spin and weave this white wool into a
cloth, and upon this cloth crosses are embroidered pur-
112 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
pie crosses, to signify not only innocence, and meekness,
and purity, but also a willingness to suffer and shed
our blood for Jesus Christ. This pallium is then placed
before the Sovereign Pontiff to be blessed. It is laid
on the tomb of St. Peter a whole night, and from that
tomb it is brought here to your Archbishop. Therefore
it is said to be brought from the body of St. Peter,
because it has been laid on his tomb, and it is emblematic
of the garment of purity, charity, and innocence, and
fidelity to the Pontiff. And now we come, in a few
minutes more, to see it on the shoulders of your Arch-
bishop.
"I did not enter this church, my dear brethren, to
flatter any person, but I must speak the truth, and in
that truth I say that the illustrious, our first Archbishop
of Chicago, has, during a long life, given us an example
of spotlessness of life, of meekness, of charity for the
poor, of love for his flock, of humility and exalted learn-
ing, of the virtues and of the requirements of his high
office, and therefore it was wise in the Sovereign Pontiff,
with the wisdom of the Holy Ghost, to send you one
whose shoulders are so fit to bear that garment em-
blematic of meekness, purity, and charity, and that is so
full of hope and promise for you, the people of Chi-
cago. Therefore, let me congratulate you. Oh, what
wonderful things has not God in store! How ought
not His Church of Chicago to rejoice!
"But a short time ago we were here to weep and to
mourn. This church wore the emblems of sorrow for
an illustrious prelate, one who loved his people, one in
whose very face and kindly smile there was benignity
and goodness; I will not name his praises now. They
were spoken from this pulpit more eloquently than I
could speak them, and by a prelate who is known
RECEPTION OF THE PALLIUM 113
throughout this country for his eloquence, though even
the eloquence of such a prelate fell short of the reality.
Your tears were the most eloquent tribute to his piety.
The gratitude and affection with which you knelt
around his bier and accompanied him toward the grave
were the best testimony of his holy life.
"Now the crozier has passed into other hands, and
this Church has been even ennobled. Let me say that
the bishops who have governed this Church have pre-
pared the way for this grand result, that you are now
a metropolitan Church, the mother and the mistress of
churches.
"My dear brethren, well may we say of this Arch-
bishop, as Isaiah said: 'I will greatly rejoice in my
Lord. I will exult and be glad, for He hath clothed
me with the robes of justice and with the garment of
innocence. He has covered me as a bride; He has
decked me with a crown, and as a bride adorned with
jewels.'
"Behold, then, your illustrious Archbishop decorated
and ennobled by that garment of meekness, patience,
and humility ! Oh, long may he wear it I Long may he
rule with gentle sway the holy priesthood that I see
here before me. And to you, the faithful people of this
great city of Chicago, and these other dioceses which
are tributary to it, as I might say, which are under its
metropolitan jurisdiction, I say, long may the crozier
be made illustrious by this first Archbishop, by his life of
gentle purity and innocence. Long may his authority
be exercised here, and when at length the great pastoral
Bishop, Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the flock,
shall come to demand an account, oh! may his blame-
less and spotless life, its charity, humility, and meek-
ness be the crown of this illustrious prelate, into whose
114 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
hands this day is delivered the keeping of this great
diocese." Amen.
After the sermon the Archbishop robed himself in the
vestments of the Mass and advanced slowly to the front
of the altar, where he knelt down and prayed. He
then made a Profession of Faith, after which Bishop
Baltes, assisted by the other four prelates, placed the
pallium upon his shoulders. The Archbishop then rose
and gave his blessing to the assembled clergy and con-
gregation.
CHAPTER X
THE ARCHBISHOP
CONDITIONS OF THE DIOCESE HIS FIRST OFFICIAL ACT THE
CONSECRATION OF BISHOP MC MULLEN DEATH OF FATHER
ST. CYR THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOP RIORDAN THE ARCH-
BISHOP IS SUMMONED TO ROME A TESTIMONIAL BANQUET
ADDRESS BY VICAR GENERAL CONWAY REPLY BY THE ARCH-
BISHOP A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE DEPARTURE.
THE Archdiocese comprised eighteen counties in the
northern part of the state, in which there were two
hundred churches, attended by two hundred and fifteen
priests. The new Archbishop found that although
Bishop Foley had made herculean efforts to replace the
loss of the Church in Chicago occasioned by the great
fire of 1871, there still was a great deal to be done.
Moreover the extraordinary growth of the city required
additional church-room, charitable institutions, more
schools, and also more educational establishments of
higher order. To continue the good work of his pred-
ecessor was his aim, and his experienced hand was im-
mediately felt in his direction of the several interests
of the archdiocese. Priests and people were made to
understand at once that his administration would be
conservative, tempered with wisdom, charity, and the
maintenance of Church's discipline in all its vigor and
entirety. The Archbishop's great knowledge of Church
discipline, details of its management and value, and his
easy command of ecclesiastical power were the means
he used in the administration of his new charge.
His first official act was to appoint the Very Rev.
Dr. McMullen Vicar General of the Archdiocese, and
Rev. D. J. Riordan his Chancellor and Secretary.
115
116 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
In the beginning of May, 1881, Archbishop Feehan
experienced the first parting of some of the most faith-
ful priests of the Chicago archdiocese, who for many
years had rendered such eminent services to the Church,
and whose names are numbered among the pioneer
priests of the Chicago diocese. On Sunday, May 8,
1881, the Holy Father, Leo XIII, ratified the creation
of the new diocese of Davenport, Iowa, and confirmed
the nomination of the Very Rev. John McMullen, D.
D., its first Bishop.
The consecration of Bishop McMullen took place in
the Cathedral of the Holy Name, Chicago, July 25th ;
His Grace Archbishop Feehan was the consecrator.
The assistant-consecrators were the Right Rev. John
Hennessy of Dubuque, Iowa, and the Right Rev. John
L. Spalding of Peoria, 111. The sermon was preached
by the Rev. Edw. McGlynn, D. D., of New York. At
the banquet which followed the ceremony, the clergy
presented Bishop McMullen with a purse of $4,000 ; in
the evening of the same day the parishioners met in the
hall, and the ladies, through Mrs. Michael Shields, first
presented him with a gift, after which the men, through
Mr. Redmond Prindiville, offered him a purse of $3,000.
Bishop McMullen left Chicago on July 30th. Arch-
bishop Feehan appointed the Rev. P. J. Conway, Vicar
General of the archdiocese and Rector of the Cathedral.
A very dear friend of the Archbishop, Father St.
Cyr, who for many years had been chaplain of the
Sisters of St. Joseph, Carondelet, Mo., passed away,
crowned with merits, on February 21, 1883. Father
St. Cyr had been the first Catholic pastor in Chicago,
arriving there in May, 1833. Another loss the Arch-
bishop was made to suffer was the departure of Rev.
Patrick W. Riordan, who on September 16, 1883, was
0F1M
Of |u;
THE MOST BEY. PATRICK W. HIORDAX, D. D.
Consecrated in Chicago by Archbishop Feehan,
Sept. 16, 1883.
Died Dec. 27, 1914
THE ARCHBISHOP 117
consecrated Bishop-Coadjutor, with the right of suc-
cession to the Most Rev. Archbishop Alemany, of
San Francisco. His consecration took place in St.
James' Church, Chicago, where he had been pastor for
so many years. The beautiful Gothic Church had just
then been erected by him.
The consecrator was the Most Rev. Archbishop Fee-
han, assisted by Bishop McCloskey of Louisville, and
Bishop Chatard of Indianapolis ; Dr. Quigley of Toledo
was Archpriest; deacons of honor were the Rev. J. P.
Roles of St. Mary's, and the Rev. Thomas Burke, of
St. Columbkille's ; deacon of the Mass, Dr. Goldschmidt
of La Crosse, Wis. ; sub-deacon, the Rev. P. W. Dunne ;
masters of ceremonies were Rev. P. D. Gill and Rev.
D. J. Riordan; chanters, Rev. T. J. Butler and Rev.
P. J. Butler.
The following prelates were present in the sanctuary :
Archbishop Ireland, Bishops Dwenger, Kain of Wheel-
ing, Fitzgerald of Little Rock, Krautbauer of Green
Bay, Hennessy of Dubuque, Baltes of Alton, Ryan of
St. Louis, Ryan of Buffalo, and McCloskey of Louis-
ville.
The sermon was preached by Bishop Spalding and
his concluding words were: "I feel confident that this
young and vigorous Bishop, who has today been received
into the great hierarchy of the Church will be able to
teach holiness to others and prove an honor to himself."
In the fall of the same year Archbishop Feehan was
summoned to Rome with the other Archbishops of the
United States, first of all to report as to the standing
and conditions of the Church in the provinces over
which they presided ; second, to make arrangements and
draw up a program of business for the Third Plenary
Council of Baltimore.
118 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
It was on the occasion of the Archbishop's departure
for Rome that a grand testimonial banquet was given
by the clergy of the Archdiocese on November 20, 1883.
One hundred and thirty priests were present at the
festivity, which was given in the school hall attached
to the Cathedral. The committee in charge of the ar-
rangements were the Rev. Fathers P. J. Conway, V.
G.; E. M. Smith, C. M.; P. Fisher, T. P. Hodnett,
M. Dorney, H. McGuire, T. J. Butler, D.D.; M.
Burke and J. Mackin. At the conclusion of the ban-
quent Vicar General Conway presented to his Grace
the handsome sum of $10,000, the gift of the rectors
and assistant rectors, secular and regular of the diocese,
and thereupon read the following address:
Most Reverend Dear Archbishop:
"This being your first visit to Rome since coming
among us, we thought we would signalize it by some
slight token of respect and esteem. Your proverbial
modesty and unobtrusive disposition would, we knew,
discountenance the affair had it reached your ears. You
found the diocese plunged in grief a widow lamenting
over the loss of a spouse who had gained the affections
of his spiritual children by prudent, wise and successful
management, to which were united courteous bearing,
open handed generosity, a cultured mind, and a large
tender heart. The death of Bishop Foley cast a gloom
over the entire diocese. The three years now elapsed
since your promotion to the Archiepiscopal See of Chi-
cago have been of the happiest results. Your genuine
kindness, uniform suavity of manner, ripe scholarship
and inflexible integrity have won the hearts of all, the
laity and clergy alike. Whithersoever you went
throughout the broad domain of the diocese, the grace
THE ARCHBISHOP 119
and benediction of heaven descended. The impression
left is permanent. Ere long the tender plant will leaf
out and blossom forth into virtue's beauteous flower.
"Truly this short period has been memorable. The
growth of the City of Chicago is the marvel of the age,
the growth of Chicago's Catholicity is the pride of its
priesthood and the glory of its metropolitan. Churches
have been reared, new missions formed, congregations
organized, schools built, eleemosynary institutions estab-
lished. Twelve churches within the environs of the city
alone have sprung up during the past eighteen months ;
the tear, too, has been wiped from the eye of the orphan,
and the forlorn waif and the dejected outcast have
found a cheering home. These are the sheaves you have
gathered, this is the recompense that crowns your effort.
"As the rays of the uprising sun strike first the rugged
peaks of the mountains, and then gradually descending
illumine the valleys beneath until all blend into a per-
fect day, so the light of spiritual intelligence, of counsel,
recognition, support, encouragement, came from Your
Grace, and nerved us to greater sacrifices in the hal-
lowed cause of religion. You gave the inspiration, we
received it and wonders have been accomplished.
"You came hither not unknown. Your name and your
work were before you. That searching intellect, that
well balanced mind, that genial warmth and liberality
of heart, dignity of comportment, and withal that child-
like simplicity told deeply upon the state and people
with whom they were erstwhile associated. In Tennes-
see your means were scanty, yet great was the harvest
that fell to your sickle. Every knoll around Nashville,
not otherwise tenanted, bears evidence of your episcopal
solicitude. For it is turreted and enhanced by some
literary or benevolent monument. These characteristics
120 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
were fittingly recognized and fame imperfectly spread
them abroad.
"The calm ocean is the basis of the measurement of all
earthly elevations, and in the placid serenity of your
public and private life we discovered the basis of the
true Church dignitary, the polished and erudite gentle-
man, and the thoughtful, considerate, loving shepherd
of the fold. It is the wise, the faithful, the honest, the
humble man of clear head and pure heart, the strong
and honorable Bishop, that alone can live up to the
motto 'Be just and fear not,' which motto Your
Grace has followed.
"As the needle turns to the pole, the minds and hearts
of your subjects turn towards you. This filial devotion
is not the offspring of an hour, nor does it spring from
any fleeting spark. It is not an empty feeling. It
grows apace. It gathers strength with time. Years of
acquaintance will but shape and forge it with a chain
that nothing but death can break asunder. Those who
have once known you intimately are your friends for-
ever.
"At the Shrine of Peter we beg you to lay the tribute
of our souls' best affections. Wedded to the ministry
we have no interest to serve but the honor of the Father's
Name, and the diffusion of the tenets of His faith among
the people. Rome, the center of Christian unity, the
mother See, blessed of heaven, enriched by the blood of
its sainted, martyred pontiffs, whence the great fisher
of men taught the nations, ever and always commands
our obedience and exacts our homage. Few, if any, of
the hierarchy of the western world have a diocese as
prosperous, a priesthood so loyal and devoted, as this
of Chicago. And, we would add, few, if any, Sees of
the country will be better or more truthfully represented
THE ARCHBISHOP 121
at the Synod of the Vatican than the one which claims
the jurisdiction of Your Grace. The testimonial which
we give must not be regarded as the meter of our ap-
preciation. Sterling worth we weigh not on golden or
silver scales. It is merely the expression, the utterance
of the sentiment cherished towards you. You may need
it not. That, to us, is immaterial. It is a personal gift,
free, untrammeled. The heart makes the offering, the
head expects its acceptance.
"In your journey homeward you will most probably
visit the scenes of your childhood. The generous bosom
of Ireland will again clasp her illustrious son. Her
love in all the outstretch of its deep and touching sym-
pathy will go out to you, for she reveres and exults in
prelates such as you.
"And now, beloved Archbishop, we ask your blessing
ere we bid you farewell. Farewell! This word com-
mingles sorrow with joy; sorrow at your departure, joy
at the conviction that Chicago's voice will be heard with-
in the walls of the Vatican. In conclusion we wish Your
Grace a prosperous voyage and safe, felicitous return
to the people of your choice, the clergy of your love,
and the state and diocese you adorn."
The reply of Archbishop Feehan to this address was
as follows:
"Rev. dear Fathers and Friends : I do not know any
words in which I could convey to you my thanks and
gratitude for this manifestation of your love and esteem.
In your kindly and most cordial words you reveal the
feelings of your own generous heart. On the eve of
my departure for a brief time from you, you come to
me with your good wishes and your gifts which I ap-
preciate beyond measure. But, my dear Fathers, the
122 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
gift that I prize more than all the wealth of this great
city is the sincere, honest, manly expression of your love
and confidence. As the clergy of a diocese are the
bishop's crown and joy, so the feeling that he enjoys
their esteem and confidence is the highest reward that
he can expect in this life.
"You kindly refer to the progress in religion among
us, but this is mainly due to the zeal and disinterested
labor of the clergy, of which I have seen evidence in
every mission of the Archdiocese. You come to me as
I am about to leave for Rome, and you ask of me to
present to the Supreme Pastor your gifts and those of
your faithful people, as a token of your devotion and
loyalty to the successor of St. Peter. I shall present to
him your gifts and others, too, still more pleasing and
grateful. If I tell him of the marvelous growth of
this city, I shall tell him also of the marvelous growth
of the city of God His Church. I shall tell him of
the self-sacrificing labors of the many communities of
devoted religious ladies, who minister to the every want
of science as well as of holy charity. I can tell him
of the zeal and piety and labor and learning of the
clergy of every rank, who are laying broad and deep
and strong the foundations of a glorious Church. I will
assure him that in the wide realm over which the great
Pontiff rules, in no portion of it has he sons more
thoroughly devoted, more sincerely loyal than the clergy
of the great Archdiocese of Chicago.
"My dear Fathers, I thank you again and again, and
I shall bear with me the remembrance of the expressions
you gave me this day of your love and confidence."
Of the actual departure of Archbishop Feehan, one
of the leading newspapers of Chicago gave the follow-
ing account:
THE ARCHBISHOP 123
"Three years ago a delegation composed of the lead-
ing Catholic clergymen and laymen of Chicago left the
city for the purpose of meeting and welcoming the
young but famous Archbishop, just promoted to the
Archiepiscopal See of Chicago, and then on his way to
this city to assume the reins of power. Yesterday eve-
ning a similar delegation accompanied the same reverend
gentleman a part of his way on his first visit to Rome
since receiving that appointment.
"The work accomplished during the intervening three
years has made the name of Archbishop Feehan to be
known and regarded with love, honor, and respect all
over the Catholic world. Churches have been built,
missions founded, congregations organized, schools
erected, charitable institutions established all mainly
the result of his energetic and unceasing exertions. Not
withered leaves but golden sheaves has the harvest been,
and the reaping is but beginning. The present visit to
Rome has been already fruitful in one thing: it has
shown the Archbishop that his work is appreciated by
the priests and people over whom he presides shown
him in some degree the reverence, affection, and esteem
with which he is regarded by the Catholic Church in
Chicago. The formal banquets and addresses, and the
valuable testimonial presented Thursday, as well as the
universal expression of feeling by the priests and peo-
ple the eagerness with which all grasp this first occa-
sion to do him special honor are substantial proofs of
this high regard.
"The Archbishop left his residence for the Union
depot about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, accompanied
by a large section of the city priesthood, including the
following special escorting committee: Vicar General
P. J. Conway, the Revs. E. M. Smith, C. M., P. Fisher,
124 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
T. P. Hodnett, H. McGuire, M. Dorney, T. J. Butler,
D. D., and J. Mackin. A large number of carriages
brought the party to the depot, where they were met
by the remainder of the delegation. Two special cars
were engaged from the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne Rail-
road Company to take the Archbishop and his escort
as far as Valparaiso, Ind., that being the distance the
delegation had decided to accompany him. The com-
mittee in charge of the railroad arrangements consisted
of the Vicar General and Messrs. W. J. Onahan and
W. P. Rend. Owing to some misunderstanding as to
the time of departure the party was delayed over half
an hour at the depot, as the train did not leave until
5:40. The only special invitations issued by the com-
mittee of management had been to the parish priests
of the city and the Board of Managers of the Feehan-
ville Training School, the latter being accompanied by
a few prominent Catholic laymen.
"The following is the list of clergymen who accom-
panied the Archbishop on the special cars: Vicar Gen-
eral Conway, Chancellor Gill, Rev. Fathers Fitzsim-
mons, Waldron, Noonan, Fisher, Hodnett, Cashman,
Mackin, H. McGuire, Galligan, Clement Venn, Dow-
ling, Murray, Bruton, Barrett, Horigan, Keenan, of
Amboy; Mackin, of Elgin; Maloney, Lyons, D. F. Mc-
Guire, Sigourski, Barzinski, Butler, Gormley, Mc-
Donald, Nemesius, Demarteau, Dunn, Flanagan, Dor-
ney, Meehan, Tynan, and Byrne.
"The lay delegation accompanying the party to Val-
paraiso was as follows: Brother Telion, Director of
the Feehanville Training School; Brother Adjutor,
Principal of St. Patrick's Academy; Patrick Egan,
Alexander Sullivan, Bernard Curtis, P. H. Rice, W.
J. Onahan, B. F. Brenmer, J. M. Gillespie, J. B. Sul-
THE ARCHBISHOP 125
livan, Th. Brennan, Z. P. Brosseau, J. J. McGrath,
Andrew Miller, W. J. English, J. H. Burke, J. P.
O'Connor, Joseph McDonald, John M. Collins, James
Conlan, Jr.; T. J. Kinsella, Henry Powers, P. Bren-
nock, W. P. Rend, Charles McDonald, Peter Conlan.
The press was represented by a reporter of 'The Trib-
une.'
"The train reached Valparaiso about 7:45. The fare-
wells were of a most informal character, consisting al-
together of hearty, though confused, handshakings and
fervent prayers and good wishes on both sides. Hav-
ing finished the last of the handshakings on the front
platform of the first special car, the Archbishop passed
into the parlor car to which the specials were attached
accompanied by the Rev. Chancellor Gill, who went
with him as far as New York waved a last farewell
to the crowd and the train shot forth into the darkness.
"The party was obliged to wait some time, at the sta-
tion for an engine to be got ready to draw them back
to the city. It was a cold night, and the big delegation
got hungry. Inquiry developed the fact that there was
a lunch-stand and alleged dining-hall in the vicinity,
the property of one Joe Hauck, and an immediate move
was made in that direction. Joe was evidently prepared.
He had an enormous mountain of sandwiches, sardines,
and pie behind the bar, and six slick assistants three
male and three female with decks cleared and sails
trimmed all ready for action. But neither Joe Hauck's
establishment, nor Valparaiso for that matter, was ever
before struck by such a religious cyclone. Such a bus-
tling, energetic, good-humored, all-devouring mass of
humanity the wealth and piety of Catholic Chicago
packed before a little country lunch-bar and clamoring
for "vittels" was probably never seen before. In ten
10
126 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
seconds the milk was consumed. Five seconds later the
pie was out. In ten more, sandwiches went up 100 per
cent. When the warm coffee ran out, lukewarm and
then cold coffee was served instead the pump was just
at the door. A meek-eyed rector hustled the quondam
Treasurer of the Irish Land League for a section of
squash pie ; the President of the Irish National League
fought a duel with a doctor of divinity for possession of
the cream jug, and the highly respected head of a
prominent church waged war with a persistent reporter
over a plate of leathery doughnuts. It was certainly
a hungry crowd; and everybody enjoyed his meal like a
schoolboy at a picnic. Some of the laymen were proud,
and waited in cold dignity in the dining-hall until the
waiters responded, but the majority of the party knew
how to take things as they came. The six flustered at-
tendants were driven nearly out of their wits. The
mainmast of the three-pronged bangs which one of the
girls wore, stood out as stiff and solid as the horn on
Barnum's unicorn. The blue ribbons attached to the
long plaits of another girl fluttered and spun like those
on the caudal appendage of a prize lamb at a State
Fair. Good time was made on the return trip, the party
reaching the city by 9:30."
OFTHfc
EBSITY OF ILUIDIS
THE VERY REV. P. J. CON WAY
Vicar General of Archbishop Feehau
(1881-1888)
Died July 1, 1888
CHAPTER XI
HIS RETURN FROM ROME
A LARGE DELEGATION MEETS HIM OBJECT OF HIS MISSION IN
ROME DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE RECEPTION AT VALPARAISO
THE SPEECHES HIS RETURN TO CHICAGO THE GRAND
DEMONSTRATION HE SPEAKS IN THE CATHEDRAL THE WEL-
COME FROM HIS CLERGY ADDRESS OF FATHER CONWAY THE
WELCOME FROM THE LAITY ADDRESS BY HON. HENRY F
SHERIDAN SPEECHES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
DURING the absence of Archbishop Feehan, the peo-
ple of Chicago had decided that his arrival home should
be the occasion of a demonstration suggestive of their
love and respect for the man, their reverence for his
holy office, and their sense of the importance of the
mission he had undertaken. And the demonstration,
notwithstanding the inclement weather, fulfilled all
anticipations.
A large delegation of clergymen and others met him
at Valparaiso and escorted him to the city. Thronging
the railway depot and lining the sidewalks of the streets
he traversed, were thousands of laymen eager to catch
a glimpse of his smiling countenance and ready to cheer
upon the approach of his tall form. They desired not
only to show their respect for the ability with which he
had performed his official duties, but also to acknowledge
their affection because of the many kindly acts by
which he had endeared himself to all in his dio-
cese. Their sincerity could not be doubted; the men
who bowed in reverence as they greeted him in Val-
paraiso but showed their sentiment in a different man-
ner from those who cheered him at the depot and the
thousands that escorted him to the Archiepiscopal pal-
127
128 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ace. His Grace at all times presented a striking appear-
ance, but never, perhaps, did he appear to better advan-
tage than when surrounded by the vast crowd that
welcomed him on this occasion. A flush of pleasure was
spread over his clear-cut features and his eyes sparkled
with animation. Erect, as ever, his head towered above
all others about him.
The mission of His Grace and other American Arch-
bishops to Rome had been of a purely spiritual char-
acter, but had given rise to much interest and curiosity.
Yet the conference of the Archbishops had been in a
large degree only preliminary to work to be done in
this country, of the kind transacted by a committee
which reports to a higher body whose conclusions must
subsequently receive the approval of a person of still
greater authority. The deliberations of the prelates had
been secret. On their arrival in Rome they were separ-
ately received in audience by the Holy Father, Leo
XIII, and afterwards brought in conference upon the
affairs of the Church in America. The Holy Father
had long desired that every important question of dis-
cipline and Church regulation should be considered and
determined so as to conform to the altered conditions
of the country and the rapid growth and increased im-
portance of the Church in America.
Many grave questions had engaged the attention
of the American prelates. First The question of
the financial status of the Church, and the import-
ance of placing Church property upon a more satis-
factory footing. Second The necessity for fixed rules
of ecclesiastical law and discipline, as defining the rights
of pastors and the authority of bishops. Third The
special importance of extending the scope of Catholic
education throughout the country systematizing the
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 129
methods and elevating the standard in Catholic schools,
and carrying out the wishes of the Holy Father, as
expressed, that education should be made "more Chris-
tian." Fourth The necessity for the creation of new
episcopal sees to meet the advancing growth of Catholic
populations, especially in the West.
Daily meetings had been held by the council under
the presidency of the Cardinal-Prefect of the Prop-
aganda, at which these and other questions of a cognate
character were considered and discussed.
The work of the conference was the subject of gen-
eral conversation on the way out to Valparaiso to meet
Archbishop Feehan. The importance of the conference
as affecting the polity of the Church in America was
generally recognized. Nearly one hundred persons were
in the train, occupying three coaches. The clergymen
in attendance were: Very Rev. P. J. Conway, V. G.,
and Fathers Hodnett, Waldron, Sr., Riordan, Dorney,
Erhard, McGuire, Morini, Flanagan, Galligan, Bar-
rett, Butler, Corbett, S. J., Waldron, Jr., Fisher, Smith,
Barzinski, O'Neill, Meyer, Bronsgeest, S. J., Kalvelage,
Guren, Dunne, Mackin, Cashman, Dowling, Van de
Laar, P. Butler, Meurer, Noonan, Terry.
Others present were: Brother Telion, P. H. Rice,
Z. P. Brosseau, D. F. Bremner, Andrew Mullen, Th.
Connelly, and Deputy Sheriff J. H. Burke, of the
board of managers of St. Mary's Training School;
Brother Adjutor, Mayor Harrison, Chief of Police,
Austin J. Doyle, Sheriff Seth Hanchett, Elmer Wash-
burn, Judges Shepherd, Moran and Prendergast, Aid.
Quinn, Frank Drake, W. J. Onahan, Alex. Sullivan,
Henry Greenebaum, A. C. Hesing, M. J. Dunn, Daniel
Scully, Bernard McDevitt, Hugh J. Gillespie, John
130 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
McConnell, James McAndrews, M. A. Devine, M. J.
Keen, William McCoy, P. J. McGrath, M. W. Kerwin,
William J. English, Joseph E. Elder, John Cook, C.
W. Adams, Henry McGurn, John Prindiville, Denis
O'Connor, Gregory Vigeant, E. D. Winslow, J. J. Mc-
Grath, Richard J. Murphy, E. Colbert, Richard O'Con-
nell, Charles C. Plamondon, F. W. Young, D. J. Gal-
lery, Michael Sullivan, Henry T. Mullen, Richard
Sullivan, David Hayes, M. F. Donohue, Peter M.
King, John Keely, and Peter Conlan.
Arrived in Valparaiso the party went to the residence
of Father Michael O'Reilly, of St. Patrick's Church,
where the Most Rev. Archbishop awaited them. There
they reverently kissed his ring and inquired anxiously
as to his stay abroad. The meeting gave him happiness,
he said, and his pleasurable emotion was betokened by
his glowing countenance. There were some in the party
who were very intimate friends of his, and when they
spoke to him it was pleasing to note his kindly smile and
witness the cordial grasp of his hand. He told his
friends that he had had an enjoyable voyage, and that
his stay in Rome had been as pleasant as it was prof-
itable. The "Eternal City" had ever been attractive
to him, and so when in it, he never tired of viewing the
thousands of unique features it presented. He had
called on the Pope frequently and assured the Holy
Father of the loyalty of his people in America. The
Pope had evinced great interest in the institutions of
this country, and had manifested surprise at its won-
drous, rapid growth. The pleasure the Archbishop felt
on again meeting his friends, he said, he could scarcely
express in words.
At 12 o'clock the whole party sat down to a dinner
furnished by the Board of Directors of the Feehanville
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 131
Training School in the Central hotel. Archbishop Fee-
han presided over one of the long tables, while Vicar
General Con way presided over the other. Mayor Har-
rison sat at the right of the Archbishop, and during the
progress of the meal the two had a very pleasant con-
versation. After dinner, Archbishop Feehan, deeming
a few words in acknowledgment of the tribute to him
appropriate, arose and said:
"Since I started out upon my homeward journey
from the Eternal City my mind has often dwelled upon
the emotions of pleasure I would experience at being
at home with my dear people once again. But I assure
you I had not the slightest idea that I would receive
anything like the demonstration of heartfelt welcome
which you exhibit today. I assure you your kindly
dispositions are extremely gratifying to me. The Chief
Pastor of souls, whose presence I have so recently quit-
ted, has commissioned me the messenger of his expres-
sions of love and gratitude to you for your oft-repeated
expressions of loyalty to and sympathy for him. I had
the pleasure of telling the Holy Father of your strength,
faith, and perseverance in all things tending towards
the glory of God and His Church in this our glorious
western country. He asked me not only about our reli-
gious situation, but also about our relations with the
municipal and federal governments, and he was rejoiced
to learn of our peaceful relations with both. Again,
my dear friends, I desire to express to you my sincere
thanks for your kindness extended to me."
Mayor Harrison was then called upon for a speech
and responded as follows: "As mayor of Chicago I
am come to bid you a hearty welcome in this our Indiana
suburb of Chicago. I assure you that it is with a feel-
ing of pleasure that I meet and welcome you upon your
return from Rome. Chicago is a cosmopolitan city,
and its inhabitants recognize that there is one universal
church, whether it be called this or that. I assure you
that during your absence Chicago has been kept in the
right course. For that I take considerable credit my-
self. I have watched over your flock. ( Laughter. ) Yes,
and believing that watching the shepherds might keep
the sheep straight, I watched the shepherds. During
your absence I have always had a watchful eye upon
the clergy, and have frequently rode down Adams Street
past Father Terry's church. (Laughter.) I think
he knew I had my eye upon him. Between him and my-
self I can assure you we have managed to keep your
flock in the path of rectitude. (Laughter.) Permit me
to say that I feel I am saying nothing wrong when I
say all the people of Chicago regard the Archbishop's
as a position of importance, and feel since your advent
among us that the mantle has not fallen on unworthy
shoulders; and they believe that the Catholic Church is
always on the side of justice and morality. I am glad
that you assured the Holy Father of the cordial feel-
ings existing between the clergy and the civil authorities.
Again I bid you welcome among us."
Calls were made for Vicar General Conway, who
said: "Time does not permit me to express our regards
for His Grace. Thirty thousand men are waiting to
welcome him. Not only they, but thousands of others
will bid him a hearty welcome and wish that he may live
long to preside over the grand diocese of Chicago."
At 1 o'clock the procession, which was to meet Arch-
bishop Feehan at the depot in Chicago and escort him
to the Cathedral and thence to his residence, began
to form at its rendezvous at the corner of Desplaines
and Adams streets under the direction of Mr. Peter
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 133
Kiolbassa, grand marshal of the occasion. From
every direction came crowds of people to witness the
grand display, seeming to have the assurance that
it would not only be an imposing affair, but
probably exceed anything of the kind ever be-
fore presented by the Catholic citizens of Chi-
cago. On Adams and Desplaines streets for several
blocks in every direction the sidewalks were a mass of
moving beings, each one of whom seemed to be pressing
forward to secure the best place for a full view of the
procession as it was being formed and made ready to
move toward the depot. In addition to the thousands
that crowded the sidewalks, the streets were lined on
both sides, leaving barely room for the societies to pass
through, eight abreast, as they came from the West,
South, and North sides to take their respective posi-
tions. The grand marshal and his aids stationed them-
selves at the rendezvous, and as the different societies
approached, assigned them their places, but the arrange-
ment had been so complete beforehand that it was hardly
necessary for the aids even to make a suggestion, as each
society seemed to know the exact spot at which the head
of its column should stop in order to carry out the plan
which had been agreed upon. As the societies ap-
proached headed by a brass band which was playing
an appropriate selection, banners waving and rich re-
galia bedecking the person of each member, the scene
was so imposing as to challenge the admiration of the
thousands of spectators who recognized in the move-
ment an ovation that should cause every citizen to look
with pride upon the great Catholic manifestation in
honor of their beloved Archbishop upon his return from
Rome.
By 1 :30 o'clock the aids reported to the grand marshal
134 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
that every society had arrived and had taken its
proper place for moving into line as soon as the proces-
sion was ready to start for the Fort Wayne depot. The
grand marshal then rode down the lines on Adams and
Desplaines streets and back to the head of the column,
when he gave the order to march. The order was car-
ried out down the line, and almost simultaneously
every band in the procession began to play, and the
great body of Catholic societies moved east on Adams
Street until the head rested at the entrance to the Adams
Street bridge on Canal Street, where it halted just as
the train on the Fort Wayne road came steaming into
the station, with Archbishop Feehan and his escort on
board. By this time the space in the depot below was
packed with people anxious to catch a glimpse of the
Archbishop as he alighted from the train. When he
stepped from the platform the immense crowd cheered
loudly, and as soon as he reached the sidewalk he was
again greeted with deafening cheers from the thousands
that thronged the streets for squares in every direction.
As soon as the Archbishop and the committee were
seated in the carriages that were in waiting they were
given their position in the procession, and it at once
started for the Cathedral. The order in which the so-
cieties were arranged was as follows:
First Division Grand Marshal Kiolbassa and staff,
followed by a cordon of police. Knights of St. George,
St. Joseph's Society, St. Benedict's Society, St. John's
Young Men's Society, Knights of St. George, St. Vin-
cent de Paul Society, St. Alphonsus' Society, St.
Michael's Society, St. Matthias' Society, St. Michael's
Literary Young Men's Society, St. Peter's Society, St.
Aloysius Young Men's Society, St. Stanislaus' Young
Men's Society, St. Francis' Society, St. John's Society,
St. Bonifacius' Liebesbund, St. Anthony's Society.
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 135
Second Division St. Stanislaus Kostka's Society, St.
Stanislaus' Young Men's Society, St. Joseph's Young
Men's Society, Holy Trinity Society, Sacred Heart So-
ciety, Holy Cross Society, St. Joseph's Married Men's
Society, St. John Baptist's Society, Knights of St.
Casimir, St. Adalbert's Society, Sacred Heart of Mary
Society, Holy Name Society, St. John Kantius' Society,
Italian Society, French Society.
Third Division Knights of St. Vitus, St. Wences-
laus' Society, St. Francis' Society, SS. Cyril and Me-
thodius' Society, Knights of St. Wenceslaus, St. John
Nepomuc Society, Knights of St. George, St. Procop
Society, St. Adalbert's Society, St. Aloysius' Young
Men's Society.
The fourth division was made up of temperance and
benevolent societies, and the fifth division consisted ex-
clusively of Irish societies, seven thousand in number,
among them the Clan-na-Gaels.
Following these came the carriages, and the one in
which the Archbishop was seated was surrounded by
a company of Hibernian Rifles, who acted as a guard
of honor.
The sidewalks along the line of march were filled with
masses of spectators, who occupied the curbs and
crowded the stoops in front of houses. An idea of the
magnitude of the procession can be gained from the
fact that it was one hour and seventeen minutes cross-
ing the Adams Street bridge. It is estimated that it was
four miles long and that twenty thousand men were in
line.
Long before the procession arrived at the Cathedral
the sacred edifice was crowded to its utmost capacity
with Protestants and Catholics alike, all anxious to get
a glimpse of the returned prelate. Every available seat
136 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
was occupied, the aisles were filled, and the space in
front of the altar was crowded until it looked like an
impossibility to find space for another, while on the out-
side there were thousands pressing forward to gain ad-
mission, but were kept back by a cordon of police. Very
few members of the societies succeeded in getting in-
side the church.
Upon the arrival of the Archbishop the choir sang
the "Te Deum" after which he stepped to the front of
the altar attired in rochet and cope and was greeted
by the immense audience with becoming reverence, the
people rising to their feet in honor of the man to whom
they came to do honor upon his return to his people
after an absence of four months. It was plainly to be
seen that his people were devoted to him in such a
degree as to make him fully realize the high and re-
sponsible position which he occupied in the Church. It
was several minutes before he began his address.
He said it gave him great pleasure to witness such
a manifestation upon his return from a visit to the High
Pontiff at Rome, where he had been called to confer
with other American archbishops in regard to the neces-
sities of the Church in this great country. He had in
his trip been inspired in grace and hope for the Church
in this region of the world, which God had given him
in which to labor for the good of His people. It was
a supreme satisfaction to him in his visit to Rome to
see and speak to him whom God had placed over the
Church. His Holiness was pleased when he told him
of the generosity, the unity, the happy associations of
the men of different climes, different races, each with
their own ideas and prejudices, bowed down by the same
feeling of reverence for the Catholic Church, united to-
gether as one people, and giving evidence of the glories
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 137
of Christianity and the blessings of the Church. Hav-
ing finished the work that was given him in going to
Rome, and meeting with those who were congregated
there, and getting their viewpoint and ideas, and find-
ing them all united together for the same object, he
felt that his visit had been one of great profit to the
Church. Today, returning to the Church from which he
had gone, it could not but be a supreme satisfaction to
find such a greeting, such a splendid manifestation of
Catholic faith, because he came from that city which
was the eternal seat of the Church ; because he had seen
the man who is the representative of God in the
Church. The Holy Father had sent a message of
his heart-burning love, of his gratitude for the great
generosity of the people of the Church, and would pray
for them and their union, their perseverance in good,
in laying the foundation for the future and the upbuild-
ing of the Church, and sent to them his Apostolic bless-
ing. When he listened to the words of His Holiness
and came away with a message from him who, of all
others, is nearest to God, it must be a satisfaction to
know he is watching over his people. He is skilled in
learning and possessed of great wisdom, but he was
astonished to find in the great West, which was but
recently a vast wilderness, such a manifestation as had
been given to him, and such wonderful growth and pros-
perity of the Church.
The Archbishop further thanked his dear friends for
their wonderful kindness in coming out in such in-
clement weather. It was to him a proof of confidence,
to see such a demonstration as had been made in honor
of his return from Rome. This manifestation would go
out to the world as a proof of the faith of the people,
and he should always remember it. It was to him a
source of strength and great confidence.
138 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
At the close of the remarks of the Archbishop, the
Apostolic Benediction was pronounced, and the great
audience slowly departed from the Cathedral.
At 5 o'clock a reception was given by the Archbishop
at his residence. With the exception of a few members
of the laity, it was restricted to the clergy. In the main
hall of the Archbishop's house, spanning the entrance
with letters worked out in smilax, was the motto :
ANTISTITI NOSTRO CARISSIMO PACEM FELICITATEMQUE
MULTOS AD ANNOS Sacerdotes. 1
In the parlor, festooned around the mantelpiece:
SACERDOTIBUS BONIS ET FIDELIBUS SALUTEM ET BENE-
DICTIONEM APOSTOLICAM Archiepiscopus. 2
On the day after his arrival the clergymen of the
Archdiocese dined with His Grace in the hall of the
parochial school; one hundred and fifty priests were
present. At the close of the dinner Father Conway
stated that at a meeting of the city rectors, held Jan-
uary 15th, Fathers J. Waldron, F. Kalvelage, J. Mol-
itor, V. Barzynski, A. Morino, J. Menella, P. D. Gill,
and P. J. Conway were appointed a committee on an
address to the Archbishop, which he had been requested
to deliver. He said:
"Most Rev. Dear Archbishop: A few months ago
we wished you Godspeed on your journey to the Eter-
nal City. Our felicitations then flowed from the warmth
of feeling. They sprang from the deep respect chas-
tened by esteem, enhanced by merit, that each of us
1 To our most beloved Archbishop, peace and happiness for many years.
The priests.
2 To my good and faithful priests, health and Apostolic Benediction
from their Archbishop.
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 139
cherished toward you. We felt that we were parting
with a prelate, who in all his administrations had ap-
peared on every occasion the very ideal of the episcopate,
exhibiting those characteristics so tersely, yet so beau-
tifully expressed in the words of the Apostle, 'Oportet
enim episcopum esse non superbum, hospitalem, benig-
num, justum, sanctum.' We realized that we were los-
ing temporarily a citizen of no ordinary mold one dis-
tinguished by abilities and varied accomplishments a
man who stood forth a tower of strength in the com-
munity, unsullied in honor, inflexible in integrity, as-
siduous solely for the culture and diffusion of virtue.
We knew that ere long the broad expanse of the ocean
would roll between us and a father who loved us, who
treated us uniformly with the fondness and tenderness
of an indulgent parent, anticipating our wants, and
studying, laboring how best to insure success to our
many temporal and spiritual projects. Hence our
gathering then was perfectly natural. It was the out-
growth of mutual affection. There was nothing strained
or forced about it. The child simply ran to its father,
looked its delight, and spoke in its own inimitable way.
Impelled by similar motives, we flock hither today. We
come to testify afresh our devotion to the Holy See and
our attachment to your person. We come to bid you
cordial greeting and welcome you back to your loved
home. Acts are more eloquent than words. The tran-
quility throughout the Archdiocese during your ab-
sence is the best proof of our fidelity. Fancy pictured,
perchance truthfully, that your thoughts would often
cross the briny waves, leap from the Atlantic to Lake
Michigan and center on this diocese, its clergy and peo-
ple.
"We determined to give no cause for uneasiness to
140 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
furnish no pretext for anxiety. We resolved to mar not
the pleasure of your stay in Rome, or to do aught that
might embitter your visit to the Shrine of the Apostles.
At the summons of Christ's Vicar you left us. In obe-
dience to the call of the Supreme Pontiff you took your
departure. You hurried to the classic banks of the
yellow Tiber bearing the odors of the young yet vigor-
ous branches of faith from the far fertile valley of the
Father of Waters. You hastened to lay upon the tomb
of Peter with your own hands the first metropolitan
offerings of Illinois. A sense of manly pride stole over
us, touched our hearts, and banished every vestige of
grief at the parting, when we reflected and mirrored
out the noble part Chicago was destined to assume in
the deliberations of the Vatican. Your long experience
in the episcopacy, purity of motive, prudence and
knowledge were an earnest pledge unto us of the good
that must accrue to the American Church at large,
and the Province of Illinois in particular, from your
participation in the discussion of the points submitted
to the papal conference. In this we would fain believe
that we are not mistaken.
"Archbishop, excellence rarely fails of recognition.
The sun will burst through the clouds be they ever so
thick and gloomy. The hived wisdom abiding in an
humble, retiring life will gradually exhibit its use, evince
its beauty, and exert its power. The barriers that mod-
esty reared around your treasured gifts have been re-
moved. The Church herself has broken them down, and
voicing the fiat of heaveA has placed you 'in the clearest
light where you boldly challenge the most piercing eye.'
"We who hold frequent converse and are drawn into
daily communion with you, see and praise the estimable
qualities of mind and heart which you possess. The
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 141
laity of your charge, the citizens of the commonwealth,
will admire and appreciate them too, as time and cir-
cumstances bring you closer to them. As a mark of sin-
cere regard and a pledge of future amity, allow us to
present you with a crozier and other articles appertain-
ing to your office. These may serve to recall your
journey to Rome and incidents connected therewith.
They will also symbolize and, we trust, vividly imprint
on your memory the loyalty of your faithful priests. 1
"Archbishop, may you live long to use them ; may your
days continue to be happy among us, the evening of
your existence crowned with the full fruition of its toil,
which those only know who have labored well and seen
their labors blessed!"
At the conclusion of this address the Archbishop arose
and feelingly responded as follows:
"Rev. and Dear Fathers: They only who have
journeyed far from home can realize the feelings of
relief and pleasure I experienced on finding myself here
on last Sunday evening. How much enhanced was that
feeling by the warm and splendid reception you and the
faithful people were pleased to give me. But, not
satisfied with that, you wished that we should meet
here today in unrestrained social intercourse. It is, as it
were, the sons of the household assembling together to
welcome home the elder brother from distant lands.
Then, forgetting shortcomings, you speak to him only
words of praise, assuring him that he has a place in your
good wishes and in your hearts. More than this, taking
advantage of the occasion of my returning from Rome,
your extreme kindness to me is an evidence and a proof
of your loyalty and filial obedience to him who occupies
the Chair of Peter. We all believe him to be a great
i The miter, crdzier, and vestments were very elegant, and had been
procured at a cost of about four thousand dollars.
12
ecclesiastic, wise, holy, learned, cultured. But when one
enjoys the privilege of approaching nearer to him, of
seeing him face to face, of speaking with him, then one
recognizes fully, with clear mind, the grand ideas, the
lofty purposes of the Chief Pastor of the Catholic
world. I need not say how much I enjoyed and ap-
preciated my visit to the Eternal City. I had no
anxiety, the 'atra cura' did not accompany me, either
on land or sea. I had unlimited confidence, which fol-
lowing events justified, in all, and in the care and pru-
dence of him who so well and faithfully presided during
my absence. Before I left for Rome you wished to
manifest to me your great generosity. Now, on my
return, when I find your gifts before me again, I feel
indeed embarrassed and I know not in what words to
thank you ; they will always remind me not only of your
great kindness, but also of my duty. I believe that this
mutual confidence and affection will continue and in-
crease with time. For me, among the memories of the
passing years, there will be none that I will recall with
greater pleasure than that of today."
Following the response of the Archbishop, the health
of the following priests was proposed, all of whom re-
sponded in addresses appropriate to the occasion : Vicar
General Conway, Chancellor Gill, Fathers John Wal-
dron, as the oldest priest in the diocese; Kalvelage, for
the German priests; Beaudoin, for the French priests;
Molitor, for the Bohemian priests; Morini, for the Ital-
ian priests; Ryan, for the Jesuit priests; Mackin, for
the priests outside of the city.
In the evening the hall was crowded to overflowing
by representatives of the different nationalities of the
Catholic Church, it having been announced that each
would present to Archbishop Feehan an address of wel-
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 143
come and congratulation upon his return from his trip
to Rome and the conference there had with the Amer-
ican archbishops in regard to the Catholic Church in
America.
The exercises of the evening opened with singing by
the quartet from the choir of the cathedral, composed
of Mrs. McGuire, Mrs. Sheppers, and Messrs. H. C.
Beseler and Ed. Schultze.
Judge Prendergast then delivered an address, in
which he said representatives of each of the parishes
of the diocese of Chicago, comprising men of every
occupation and of many nationalities, had assembled to
welcome the Archbishop to his home after his long
journey to the mother city of their common Church.
At the close of his address Judge Prendergast in-
troduced Mr. Sebastian, who spoke in German. Mr.
Schultze then sang the "German Fatherland," after
which the Hon. Henry F. Sheridan, in behalf of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians, delivered the following
address :
"Your Grace: On behalf of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians of Cook County, comprising thirty-two
civic divisions and one regiment of military, I have the
great honor to welcome you to your archiepiscopal home
after your long and arduous journey to the capital city
of the Roman Catholic Church. Our organization
tenders you no mere ceremonious assurances of official
compliment. Composed of men nearly all of whom are
engaged in mechanical pursuits, and whose few hours
of leisure are spent around happy and bright firesides
at which the empty forms of society are lightly valued,
we come to you in a sincere and filial spirit to speak
words of warm affection based on our reverence for
your office ^nd on our knowledge of your personal
character. With the objects of our organization you
144 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
have always shown a generous sympathy, inspired by a
thorough understanding of our aims and perfect famil-
iarity with our methods. When in other portions of
the country the Ancient Order of Hibernians has been
misunderstood, misrepresented or clouded, it has always
found in you a discriminating, stanch and steadfast
friend; for you informed yourself of its character, and
neither calumny nor ignorance has swayed your fidelity
to your convictions. 8
"You know that the Ancient Order of Hibernians
seeks to elevate its members by requiring of them a
practical performance of their duties as citizens, of their
duties to their families. It requires that they shall not
wear the name of Catholic and neglect those aids by
which the Church assists her children to advance in
virtue. It ordains that they shall deny themselves
pleasures in order to provide for the educational needs
of their children. It requires that they shall especially
cultivate those domestic virtues by which home is ren-
dered happier, and which bind, with mutual obligations
of co-operation and aid, the families of men of common
nationality and one faith. It refines and sweetens the
ordinary burdens of human life by fostering a gentle
but practical spirit of brotherhood. It nurses the sick.
It consoles those in sorrow. It follows the dead to the
Christian grave. It aids the widow and watches with
kind solicitude over the orphan. It carries out effi-
ciently the temporal work of mercy as defined by the
doctrine of our faith. Justifiably, therefore, does it
enjoy your friendship, worthily may it avail of the priv-
ilege of thus welcoming Your Grace to the scenes of
your difficult labors; and rightfully may I presume to
offer you, in the name of its thousands of members,
their grateful and affectionate tribute.
3 See later page 240.
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 145
"It is true that it is not merely a civic society. A con-
siderable portion of its members, while rigorously com-
plying with its religious and domestic requirements,
have formed themselves into military companies, and
regularly engage in drill, when others of their fellow
citizens are enjoying easy pastimes. The banners which
the Ancient Order of Hibernians bore on Sunday last
to greet Your Grace were not exclusively those of char-
ity and peace. Two national standards floated among
them. To render to the country of their adoption effi-
cient service with arms will ever be the first duty of
their military order. To live in the free republic of the
United States, which their race helped gloriously to
establish, is the best political fortune they can desire.
To be ready to maintain it with their lives, if necessary,
is only to imitate the example of their fellow country-
men who participated valiantly in the struggles and
triumphs of the past.
"There is another land, the land which has cradled our
race; whose soil has been watered for centuries with
heroic blood not vainly shed; whose darkest history is
illumined with starlike episodes of fidelity to faith at
the total loss of everything which the heart of man prizes
the loss of liberty, the loss of property, the loss of
education producing an enforced degradation legally
prescribed for them by infamous masters and maintained
by the military power of an immense empire. The blood
that flows in our veins flows in yours. The God-planted
instincts of resistance to tyranny are as keen in your
heart as in ours. The duty in the sight of God and man
to aid those of our race who are still under the cruel
clutch of that malignant and hypocritical power is as
fervently felt by you as by us. If it should be in the
decrees of N the future that the arms which we carry shall
be borne for the cause of our native land, if our swords
146 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
are ever to leave their impatient scabbards to rise under
the great standard of our isle of saints, we should not
wish a repetition of that desperate but splendid period,
when, the Dane being upon our coasts, with his brand
flung upon her temple and her schools, the priests of
Ireland laid aside the insignia of religion and, seizing
the instruments of war, intrepidly drove back the ma-
rauders into the sea; but we should confidently turn
to Your Grace for the blessing upon our hopes which
you would not withhold. The courage which carried
your fearless spirit into the deadly haunts of pestilence
in Nashville was the spirit of the soldier bishops of the
hoary and resplendent age of the Church in Ireland. It
is the spirit which animates alike the patriot and the
priest; it is the spirit which voices the teaching of the
Church that next to loyalty to God is loyalty to one's
country and kind. That spirit has nobly shone in your
career, as priest, as bishop, as archbishop. In the name,
therefore, of the great organization with whose objects
you are familiar, for which you have always shown cor-
dial sympathy, which pays to your august office the
homage to which its responsibility and honor are entitled,
and which throughout its ranks feels for Your Grace
sincere sentiments of affection and unqualified con-
fidence, I have the honor to welcome you home."
Following the address by Mr. Sheridan, the program
was as follows:
Song "Longing" Mrs. McGuire
Address in behalf of the Poles Peter Kiolbassa
Song "Kathleen Mavourneen" Mrs. Sheppers
Address in behalf of the Italians John Neali
Song Opera of "Atini"
. . . .Mrs. McGuire and Messrs. Beseler and Schultze
Address in poetry Michael Hare
Address in behalf of the French Joseph Boeuf
French song Mrs. Sheppers
Address in behalf of the Bohemians John Druby
HIS RETURN FROM ROME 147
The address in behalf of the Catholic laity of Chicago
was made by William J. Onahan, who in concluding
his masterful address, said: "I see among your chil-
dren here tonight one who contributed to the erection
of the first Catholic Church in Chicago fifty years ago,
Mr. A. Taylor; and another who is the veteran colored
Catholic of the diocese, Mr. Armstrong; who have come
to participate in this great manifestation and to bid you
welcome." The two came forward and were graciously
received by the Archbishop, amid the deafening cheers
of the immense audience.
The venerable Archbishop then stepped to the front
of the rostrum and was greeted by the entire audience
rising to their feet, and manifesting their joy by the
clapping of their hands. He raised his hand and mo-
tioned them to their seats, after which he said he could
not imagine an occasion of greater interest and higher
meaning than the one at which he had been permitted
to be present and participate in. He referred to the
great privilege he had enjoyed in being permitted
to visit ancient Rome, where one could not but feel the
inspiration of the place. He had knelt at the tombs
of the Apostles, had seen the Catacombs, and had wit-
nessed the undying evidences of the Catholic faith. It
was from them the teachers were sent out to inform the
people of religion and to civilize and evangelize the
world. Upon his return all nationalities had come out,
inspired by the great principle of faith, speaking the
tongues of many nations all in one saying to him his
was the faith of Rome. They had come in the newest
and freest of the nations to say that this ancient religion
was theirs. He had listened to the noblest thoughts,
expressed in eloquent words, coming from noble men
who love God, and these men, speaking in many tongues,
x
148 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
had bid him welcome home and he confessed that he
could but feel a great pride in the occasion. The splen-
did manifestation would be to him a source of inspira-
tion and strength, and cause him to feel firm in the con-
viction that he was surrounded by a strong element of
Catholic people. He expressed gratification at such a
warm manifestation of feeling, and said the occasion
would mark an important era in the history of the
Catholic Church in Chicago.
The Chairman then announced the exercises closed,
and the meeting adjourned. During the evening there
had been much enthusiasm manifested, every address
and song being received with prolonged applause.
CHAPTER XII
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BALTIMORE COUNCIL THE ARCH-
BISHOP'S INTEREST IN EDUCATION THE SCHOOLS HE BUILT
IN CHICAGO THE GREAT FINANCIER A CELEBRATED LAW
CASE PROGRESS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE THE FIRST DIOCESAN
SYNOD PERMANENT RECTORS APPOINTED BOARD OF SCHOOL
EXAMINERS RURAL DEANS.
THE labors of the American archbishops, the prog-
ress of religion among their flocks, and the prospect of
the coming Baltimore Council afforded Leo XIII, amid
his many cares and bitter trials, a subject of unspeak-
able joy. He had presented to the Archbishops before
they left Rome a full length portrait of himself, to be
hung in the hall where they were to deliberate, so that,
as he said to them, he might, in a manner, preside over
this great national council the greatest till then ever
held in the New World. As the venerable Cardinal
McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, was prevented
by ill health from being present in the council, the Holy
Father appointed Archbishop Gibbons, of Baltimore,
Apostolic Delegate and President of the Council.
On Sunday, November 9, 1884, the great council
opened. On the day before Leo XIII, without waiting
for the message which the council intended to send him,
telegraphed: "The Holy Father sends his blessing to
the Fathers of the Plenary Council which begins today.
Louis Cardinal Jacobini." To which Archbishop Gib-
bons answered: "Eighty-three prelates assembled in
council, return thanks to Your Holiness and assure you
of their dutifulness and devotion/'
149
150 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Foremost among these eighty-three prelates, the
fathers of the Church in the United States, was our
beloved Archbishop Feehan, who had gone to Baltimore,
accompanied by the Very Rev. P. J. Conway, V. G.,
and the Rev. John Waldron, pastor of St. John's
Church.
Of the proceedings of the council we need not say
much to the reader. All the matter therein discussed
had been printed beforehand, carefully discussed by the
archbishops and bishops, assisted by a body of theolo-
gians and canonists summoned from all parts of the
Union. In the decrees thus prepared only certain
amendments and corrections were introduced. But as
all this was to remain as the law of the American Church,
every item, every iota was something maturely to be
weighed. Then the work and the workmen for every
session and private assemblage had been distributed be-
fore the council opened, so that everything fell at once
into its own place, and the great living organism went
through its functions without hesitation or jar from the
first hour to the last. The council closed on the 7th of
December.
Among the subjects on which the council expended
most care and thought was that of education education
in its widest and most comprehensive sense: the educa-
tion of the clergy and that of the laity in all its grades.
This was also Archbishop Feehan's chief concern. A
lover of harmony and peace, and under a placid and
retiring exterior, the good Archbishop's long and event-
ful life was but a determined and unceasing conflict
against all the world's forces of darkness and evil which
threatened the well-being, both temporal and spiritual,
of the precious flock committed to his care. He was an
educator of the highest order of ability and judgment,
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 151
and an uncompromising opponent of the State system
or any other system of mental development which did
not provide for the moral and religious training of the
child. The evidences of his enthusiastic zeal in the cause
of religious education are seen in the numerous educa-
tional institutions established during his administration;
St. Mary's Training School, St. Patrick's Academy, the
Josephinum, the LaSalle Institute, the large number of
parochial schools in the city, the Loretto Academy at
Joliet, St. Francis' Academy at Joliet, and a number
of similar institutions. Nor was much time allowed to
pass before the erection of these establishments.
The solemn installation of Archbishop Feehan in
Chicago had taken place on November 28, 1880. In
August, 1881, St. Vincent Orphan Asylum came into
being, that grand monument to Christian charity, which
is conducted by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent
de Paul. It is a four story brick building with a base-
ment, and is capable of accommodating two hundred
children. The object of the institution is the care of
foundlings and other destitute or orphan children, under
six years of age, and about eight hundred of these are
cared for during the year.
On September 12, 1881, St. Gabriel's School was
established. In the same year was built the Sacred
Heart School at Lockport and a large building (130
x71) was added to St. Francis of Assisi School in Chi-
cago.
In 1882 the cornerstone was laid of St. Mary's Train-
ing School in Feehanville; the boys' department of St.
Francis of Assisi School was placed in charge of the
Brothers of Mary ; Notre Dame de Chicago School was
founded by the Rev. Father Cote; and a new building
erected by the Benedictine Sisters of SS. Benedict and
Scolastica's Academy.
152 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
The year 1883 saw the erection of St. Patrick's
School in South Chicago by Rev. M. Van de Laar, and
the opening of St. Vincent's School. In the same year
a new parochial school building was erected in Free-
port, 111. ; St. Anne's School was founded in St. Anne,
111., and the well known St. Patrick's Academy on
Park Avenue was established.
During the year 1884 were established St. Agnes'
School, the Holy Name School for Boys, St. James'
School, St. Malachy's School, Sacred Heart School,
Aurora, 111., and in a room in a building adjoining the
Jesuit Church on West Twelfth Street was opened the
Ephpheta School for Catholic deaf mutes who were un-
able to pay for their education.
In 1885 were built St. ColumbkiU's School for Boys
and the schools of St. Aloysius, St. Elizabeth and the
Immaculate Conception. During the following year a
two story addition of 105 feet was made to the Sacred
Heart School and a new school built by St. Philip's
congregation.
In 1887 schools were erected by the parishes of St.
Agnes, Holy Angels, and Our Lady of Sorrows, while
for the purpose of sheltering homeless boys under
twelve years of age Providence Asylum of St. Joseph
was established. This four story brick building situated
on spacious grounds fronting Crawford Avenue be-
tween Belmont Avenue and Diversey Street is owned
by the Archdiocese of .Chicago. The establishment is
under the care and supervision of the Sisters of St.
Joseph, whose parent house is in St. Louis, Mo. It
is supported partly by a monthly allowance from the
diocesan Orphan Fund, and partly by contributions
from the charitable public.
At the same time the great financial interests of the
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 153
archdiocese received the Archbishop's indefatigable at-
tention, for His Grace had great faith in Chicago and its
future. It was his policy never to sell any real estate
in the downtown district nor in the select residential
portions of the city. Frequently he was offered large
sums for choice pieces of property, some of which came
from the investments of the first Bishop of Chicago,
but his invariable reply was: "No, we will not sell.
If it is worth that much to the ordinary business man
it is worth more than that to the Catholic Bishop of
Chicago. Such property is always a valuable asset; it
makes my credit stronger and is a constant source of
revenue. In fact, it is like a steady, quiet rain . . .
always doing good."
His foresight was evidenced when he built the resi-
dence on North State Street and North Avenue. The
land was low and lake water was on the spot. He spent
$15,000 in filling and grading this piece of property.
At the time he was freely criticized for his action and
the wiseacres told him that he would never be able to
live in the house after it was built, as it would settle
too much and that it would be damp. The Archbishop
said nothing to all this except on one occasion when he
remarked that "some persons were never intended by
God to be pioneers." Today North Avenue and State
Street is one of the most valuable sites of Chicago, out-
side the loop district. It may not be without interest to
relate here the fight the Archbishop made for the large
block of property on Astor, North Avenue, Lake Shore
Drive and Burton Place. Mr. Edward O. Brown in a
paper read before the Law Club of the City of Chicago,
April 25, 1902, relates the following:
"The Lake Shore Drive is known to all of you. It
was laid out under the original act of fixing the boun-
daries of Lincoln Park, and providing for its improve-
ment, passed upon February 8, 1869. That act pro-
vided that certain appraisers provided for in it should
lay out as a part of Lincoln Park, a drive 200 hundred
feet wide, so that the east line should be the waters of
Lake Michigan, from Pine Street to the south line of
said park, and that said drive thus laid out should be
a part of said Lincoln Park, and should be under the
control and management and care of the Commissioners
to the same extent as the said park, and improved by
the same means.
"It was largely laid out over the bed of Lake Michi-
gan at some distance from the shore, the shore when it
was laid out being very irregular.
"Many grants, both of a right of way over the upland
and of riparian rights from various owners were deemed
necessary. Very interesting, and, I may remark, very
complicated questions must arise on account of the
various reservations and conditions made in deeds, and
contracts then entered into, if an attempt is ever seri-
ously made to levy a special assessment for the purpose
of reimproving the surface of the drive, and I never
relinquished a lawsuit with more pleasure than I with-
drew from such an attempt made while I was the attor-
ney of the Lincoln Park Commissioners.
"I will not detain you upon any of these questions,
but I desire to refer briefly to a celebrated case which
went no further (in any contested way, that is) than
the Circuit Court of Cook County.
"The Catholic Bishop of Chicago, a corporation sole,
owns and owned before 1874, when the driveway was
constructed, a tract of land where the residence of the
Bishop now stands, bounded on the north by North
Avenue, on the west by State Street, and on the east
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 155
by the water line of Lake Michigan, which then was
about Astor Street, one block west from the present
Lake Shore Drive. He gave permission to the Lincoln
Park Commissioners to construct a drive over the bed
of Lake Michigan east of his land, but he claimed that
this did not carry any other than a mere easement and
right of way, and that his riparian rights subsisted east-
ward of the new shore line made by the Lake Shore
Drive.
"He further claimed and there was no particular ob-
jection made to his claim at first, that by the construc-
tion of the new shore line he became ipso facto
possessed of the right to fill out to it between Astor
Street and the western line of the new driveway. He
invited filling and dumping, which was voluntarily
made by many persons having earth and debris to dis-
pose of, and a beautiful block of land sprung into exis-
tence, which may be still seen as a most attractive lawn,
filling the entire block between Burton Place and North
Avenue, Astor Street and the Lake Shore Drive.
"The Commissioners of Lincoln Park deemed it de-
sirable to build a sort of 'circus,' as the English would
term it, outside of the Lake Shore Drive, a band stand,
and a returning or circular driveway, in which carriages
might slowly move while open air concerts were being
given. To this the bishop objected, but he made no
move in litigation while the 'circus' in question was
being constructed, but when the intentions of the Com-
missioners became apparent, sought an injunction
against its use for its declared purposes, and prayed for
its abatement. This case, 'The Catholic Bishop vs.
Goudy, et al.,' was heard before Judge Tuley in 1890.
"In the course of the litigation, the Commissioners
raised the point that the bishop had no concern with the
156 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
land outside of the Lake Shore Drive, nor any riparian
rights in it, and that the block between Astor Street
and the Lake Shore Drive did not belong to him, but
to the State of Illinois, as it was by artificial construc-
tion illegally made and not by natural accretion that
the submerged land had become dry land.
"Since the decision of the Supreme Court in 'Peo-
ple v. RevelT this contention would undoubtedly have
been sustained, but Judge Tuley, in a very learned,
vigorous and able opinion, leaning very heavily, how-
ever, upon then recently decided cases in Minnesota and
Rhode Island, held with the Catholic Bishop upon all
points. He held that where a new shore line was made
by the action of the State, the littoral proprietors be-
come ipso facto, and without the necessity of any
specific grant by the State, proprietors of the submerged
lands between, with the right to fill and reclaim them,
and he also held that by the terms of the Bishop's grant,
the riparian rights beyond the Lake Shore Drive were
reserved to him and that the Commissioners should not
have made an artificial construction to the eastward.
"He granted the injunction prayed for, but declared
that he would not order the abatement of the artificially
constructed land east of the driveway, because the
Bishop had stood by too long and seen too much money
expended in it. He did, however, enjoin its intended
use, or its use, indeed, for any purpose except for lawn
and flower beds, and decreed that the Bishop was en-
titled to compensation, to be determined by a jury, for
such deprivation of access to the lake and such obstruc-
tion to his view, as the artificially made land caused.
"The Commissioners did not like to submit this ques-
tion of compensation to a jury under the circumstances,
and entered into a compromise agreement by which, in
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 157
consideration of the waiving of the claim for damages,
the decree should be affirmed in the Supreme Court.
This was after an appeal had been taken to that tribunal.
"The consequence was that the title of the block which
I have described, between Astor Street and the Lake
Shore Drive, was confirmed in the Catholic Bishop,
upon a theory, which the city unsuccessfully invoked,
in relation to the land east of the waterworks, and
which the Supreme Court, impliedly at least, rejected
in the case of the 'People against Revell.' '
Costly and handsome residences now occupy this block
and the money received from the sales have substantially
aided in building charitable institutions.
All the eleemosynary institutions enjoyed the gen-
erous support and most anxious care of the Archbishop.
Homes for the aged, hospitals for the sick, foundling
houses and numerous other institutions fully attest
this. The following is a leading editorial from the
"New York Tablet" of 1884:
"The Chicago papers contained a list of pastoral
changes made by Archbishop Feehan last week. They
consist almost wholly of new parishes and are very
significant as indications of the extraordinary growth
of the Catholic Church in that vast center of human
enterprise. Every nationality known to our composite
people is to be found there, and of the 700,000 inhabi-
tants now dwelling where but a few years ago the splash
of the Indian canoe was heard on the reedy creek, nearly
one-half are Catholics. It is very probable that the flock
of the Archbishop of Chicago contains a greater variety
of elements than are to be found in any other archdiocese
in the world. His government of them has been admir-
able. A few years ago misfortune seemed to have
marked that portion of the Catholic Church in the
n
158 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
United States for its own. The cruel calamity which
befell the gentle and pious Bishop Duggan inflicted
many disasters upon the people and the clergy, the
true condition of his mind being unsuspected until in-
sanity had become firmly fixed and hopeless. The
wanderings of his once keen and gifted intellect neces-
sarily wrought serious injustice and delayed the solu-
tion of many problems forced upon the ecclesiastical
authorities by the phenomenal growth of the great city.
"Today the archdiocese presents no traces of those un-
happy times. New churches have been springing up
in every portion of Archbishop Feehan's fold. Every-
where, as quickly as the resources at his command per-
mit, the school is built beside the church; while the in-
stitutions of charity, benevolence and reform which he
has founded or strengthened are not surpassed by those
of any other archdiocese in the country, no matter how
much greater its advantages over Chicago, which had
to repair the ravages of the great fire as well as to meet
the unprecedented demands of its annual increase of
population. The work of directing so vast a govern-
ment, including concerns so varied, interests so diverse,
conditions so conflicting, requires a mind profound in
its tranquility, unselfish and self-sacrificing, a business
capacity of the highest magnitude, a repose and poise
of spirit of a quality the world knows little about, and
a patient persistence whose results are at once monu-
ments to the glory of God and proofs of the wisdom
that sent Archbishop Feehan from Nashville to the
greater labors and momentous responsibilities of the
Archdiocese of Chicago.
"A prelate of the greatest simplicity of character,
Archbishop Feehan is one of the strongest men in the
Catholic Church of America. He never transacts his
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 159
business in the newspapers; he never engages in rash
controversy ; his government has never required the use
of harsh or extreme measures toward either clergy or
laity. Every good work secures his co-operation. He
carries on the discipline of the Church for the suppres-
sion of evil so firmly and so suavely that the whilom
practice, too much indulged in at one time, of debating
diocesan affairs in the local press has entirely passed
away. Every priest in his charge has discovered the
strength, the kindness, the stanchness, the justice, and
the loyalty of the Archbishop. They and their people
know that he can be neither wheedled nor driven from
the course his judgment elects on any question; and the
evidences of his sound sense and his enlightened pru-
dence are already so abundant that he is today trusted
and beloved alike by clergy and people.
"He has never found it necessary to forget the poor
land whence he sprang and which has given to the
United States the flower of the hierarchy and priest-
hood. He has been a pastor to all nationalities and a
lover of liberty for every race and every land. It is
such men as he who make skepticism admire religion
in an age of scoffing. It is characters like his, work
such as he has so quietly accomplished, that gives pause
to infidelity and compels the vaguely wandering Prot-
estant mind to seek the sure basis of faith which alone
furnishes the world with inspiration to self-sacrifice
for the honor of God, the rescue of humanity, and the
salvation of souls."
In nine years, from January 1, 1881, to December
31, 1890, Archbishop Feehan on his regular visitations
in the archdiocese traveled by railroads and wagon-
roads wherever his services were needed, confirmed over
100,000 persons, ordained 175 priests and laid the cor-
nerstone of 60 churches.
160 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Mention should be made here of a visit to Chicago
by His Eminence James Cardinal Gibbons, Septem-
ber 27, 1887. The Cardinal received a very enthusiastic
welcome from Archbishop Feehan as well as from his
clergy.
A month later the consecration took place of Bishop
Maurice Burke, of St. Mary's, Joliet, 111. The con-
secration of the new Bishop of Cheyenne occurred Octo-
ber 28th, in the cathedral of the Holy Name. Arch-
bishop Feehan, assisted by Bishops McCloskey and Cos-
grove, performed the ceremony. The other officers of
the Mass were: Assistant priest, Vicar General P. J.
Conway; Deacons of Honor, Revs. J. P. Roles, and D.
J. Riordan; Deacon of the Mass, Rev. P. J. Agnew;
Sub-deacon, Rev. Hugh McGuire; Masters of Cere-
mony, Revs. P. D. Gill and M. J. Fitzsimmons. The
sermon was preached by Archbishop Ireland. Arch-
bishop Lynch of Toronto was present in the sanctuary.
It was also in the year 1887 that the archbishop pur-
chased property for a cemetery for the Catholic parishes
of the South Side and dedicated it under the title of
"Mount Olivet Cemetery."
Many were the complaints when the property for
Mount Olivet as well as Mount Carmel cemeteries was
purchased on account of the distance from the center
of the city. Who would complain today ? In an amused
way Archbishop Feehan, when told of these complaints,
said: "I think most of the people in Chicago must come
from small towns: they are so afraid of getting away
from the town-pump. Do not worry, Mount Carmel
Cemetery will be surrounded by residences some day
and whoever succeeds me will have to go still farther
outside the city limits for cemetery purposes."
On one occasion Archbishop Quigley addressed one
THE EIGHT REV. M. F. BURKE, D. D.
Consecrated in Chicago by Archbishop Feehan
Oct. 28, 1887.
THE LIBRARY
OF THE
OF ILUMQ1S
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 161
of the older priests of the archdiocese and said: "Tell
me, if you can, what was the secret of Archbishop Fee-
han in a financial and real estate way? He seemed to
meet quite adequately all the needs of the immigrants
and to finance their buildings ; he met the needs of the
unfortunate; he held all revenue producing property;
he left no large debts; his credit in the city was first
class and I found a large sum in the treasury when I
arrived. Tell me how did he do it? I never heard of
any extraordinary appeal that he made."
The clergyman replied: "I knew the Archbishop
for forty years in Nashville and in Chicago, and I have
never heard him mention any financial difficulties. He
could not make an appeal unless the case should be a
very extraordinary one. He saved very carefully and
never began a work until he had the greater part of
the funds. At times some thought him slow and not
progressive enough, but the bankers considered him
always very safe and his judgment very sound. He
often said: 'I would like to make such or such an im-
provement, but since I have not the money I will have
to be patient and wait. I cannot do everything. Those
who follow will have to finish what I have begun and
add with the needs of the years. Up to the present there
is no great wealth among our people. That will change
with the coming years and mightier works can be under-
taken. I am covering a period of great transitions and
a period of new peoples. I must go slowly and be care-
ful, lest I weaken the foundations.' Perhaps, Arch-
bishop, I can best sum up the character of Archbishop
Feehan in regard to the questions you ask by saying:
economy, patience and foresight." To which Arch-
bishop Quigley replied: "Well, I marvel at what he
did and the manner in which he did it. The better I
162 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
know Chicago and its problems, the higher is my ap-
preciation of my predecessor."
We now come to another important event of the year
1887, the first Synod of the Archdiocese of Chicago,
the chief purpose of which was the promulgation of
the decrees of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore.
The Synod had been announced to the clergy by the
following circular:
PATRITIUS AUGUSTINUS
Dei et Apostolicae Sedis Gratia Archiepiscopus
Chicagiensis,
Delecto Nostro Clero, turn Seculari, turn Regulari,
Salutem in Domino:
Die decima tertia Decembris, in Ecclesia Nostra Me-
tropolitana Sanctissimi Nominis, hora decima, habebitur
Synodus Diocesana, ad quam, per hasce litteras, vocan-
tur omnes Sacer dotes, qui in hac diocesi curam habent
animarum, atque alii quicumque qui de jure vel con-
suetudine Synodo interesse tenentur. Et hoc, in quan-
tum opus est, in virtute sanctae obedientiae jubemus.
Convenient Sacerdotes clericali habitu, superpelliceo
ac bireto induti.
Si alicui interesse impossibile sit, Nobis prius absen-
tiae causam explicabit.
Cum consultores sex Diocesani sint eligendi, juxta
Concilium Plenarium Baltimorense, tres a Nobis, et
tres post propositionem Cleri, singuli Sacerdotes ad Nos
vel ad Cancellarium Nostrum, ante Synodum, per lit-
teras, tria nomina idonea pro unoquope Consultore a
Clero proponendo mittent.
Interim Sacerdotes dicent in Missa orationem de Spi-
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 163
rito Sancto, et enixis precibus Deiun exoremus ut opus
Synodi nostrae benedicat ita ut pro Ejus major! gloria
sit et pro bono divinae nostrae religionis.
PATRITIUS ATJGUSTINUS,
Archiepiscopus.
Datum Chicagiae, in die festo
Sancti Clementis, M. P., 1887.
On December 13, 1887, the Synod was held in the
Cathedral of the Holy Name and was attended by all
the priests of the archdiocese. It was opened with a
Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Archbishop Fee-
han, assisted by Revs. Thos. Burke and Fred. Kalvel-
age, as deacons of honor; Revs. A. L. Bergeron as dea-
con and J. M. Cartan as sub-deacon of the Mass; Rev.
M. J. Fitzsimmons as master of ceremonies. After
the Mass the Synod convened for deliberation.
The following were the officers of the Synod at which
His Grace the Archbishop presided: Very Rev. Vicar
General Conway, promoter; Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons,
secretary; Revs. E. J. Dunne and T. F. Cashman, pro-
curators; Rev. P. J. Agnew, master of ceremonies;
Very Rev. T. J. Butler and Rev. P. J. Butler, cantors;
Revs. T. F. Galligan and W. de la Porte, lectors.
After the secretary had read the names of the officers
of the Synod the 224 priests present came before the
archbishop, two by two, and kneeling took the pre-
scribed oath. The archbishop then spoke of the neces-
sity of examining anew the legislation of his predecessors
in view of the great progress of our holy religion and
of the great solicitude of Pope Leo XIII for the wel-
fare of the Church in the United States. His Grace
then referred to the meeting of the archbishops in Rome.
164 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
The promulgation of the decrees of the Third Council
of Baltimore was now commenced and was con-
cluded at the afternoon session, after which the names
of the diocesan officials was read.
The following reverend gentlemen were appointed as
diocesan consultors: Very Rev. P. J. Conway, V. G.,
of the Cathedral; Rev. Thomas Burke, of St. Columb-
kill's; Rev. Fred. Kalvelage, of St. Francis'; Rev. J.
Molitor, of St. Wenceslaus'; Rev. T. F. Mangan, of
St. Mary's, Joliet; and Rev. J. Mackin, of the Im-
maculate Conception Church, Elgin.
The following pastors were appointed permanent
rectors :
The pastor of St. Columbkill's Church, Chicago, Rev.
Thomas Burke.
The pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Chicago, Rev. T.
F. Galligan.
The pastor of St. Bridget's Church, Chicago, Rev. D.
M. J. Dowling.
The pastor of St. Anthony of Padua's Church, Chicago,
Rev. P. Fisher.
The pastor of St. James' Church, Chicago, Rev. Hugh
McGuire.
The pastor of St. James' Church, Rockford, Rev. J. J.
Flaherty.
The pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, Elgin,
Rev. J. Mackin.
The pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Freeport, Rev. C.
Kalvelage.
The pastor of Immaculate Conception, Waukegan, Rev.
E. W. Gavin.
The pastor of St. Mary's Church, Evanston, Rev. M.
Donahoe.
An important board, whose duty it would be to exam-
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE 165
ine candidates for ordination, was also appointed, con-
sisting of the Very Rev. T. J. Butler, S. T. D., and the
Revs. E. W. Gavin, C. Venn, T. P. Hodnett, M. J.
Dorney, William de la Porte, T. F. Cashman and Hugh
McGuire.
The following were appointed Rural Deans : the Very
Rev. P. Beaudoin, C. S. V., of Bourbonnais, for the
counties of Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall, Lee and De
Kalb. The Very Rev. M. Donahoe, of Evanston, for
the counties of Cook, outside the city, Lake and Mc-
Henry. The Very Rev. T. F. Mangan, of Joliet, for
the counties of Will, Dupage, Kane and Boone. The
Very Rev. E. J. Murphy, of Rockford, for the counties
of Winnebago, Ogle, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll
and Whiteside.
The Rev. E. J. Dunne, of All Saints' Church, was
appointed Procurator Fiscalis, and the Rev. P. J. But-
ler, of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, De-
fensor Matrimonii.
Boards of school examiners for the different divisions
of the city and of the country districts were selected as
follows :
In the city:
North Side Revs. P. J. Butler, T. J. Abbott, C.
M., P. O'Brien.
South Side Revs. T. J. Butler, D. D., E. J. Dunne,
H. McGuire, J. M. Cartan.
West Side Revs. T. P. Hodnett, T. F. Galligan,
F. S. Henneberry.
For the German schools Revs. P. Fisher, A. J.
Thiele, M. W. Barth.
For the Polish and Bohemian schools Revs. V. Bar-
zynski, C. R., F. Bobal, J. Radziejewski.
166 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Outside of the city:
For the counties of Cook, Dupage, Will, Kane and
Boone, the Revs. J. J. McGovern, D. D., of Lock-
port; J. E. Hogan, of Lemont, and Very Rev. T.
F. Mangan, of Joliet.
For the counties of Winnebago, Ogle, Stephenson,
Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside and Lake, the Revs.
J. J. Flaherty, of Rockford; J. Mackin, of Elgin;
E. W. Gavin, of Waukegan.
For the German schools of the counties of Cook, Du-
page, Lake, Will, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall,
Kane, McHenry, DeKalb and Boone, the Revs.
W. Nietstraeter, of Wilmette; J. Wiederhold, of
Winfield, and A. Wenker, of Naperville.
For the Western part of DeKalb and Boone counties,
the Revs. C. Schniickel, of Aurora; C. Kalvelage,
of Freeport, and P. Halbmaier, of Menominee.
For the French school in and outside of the city, the
Revs. P. Beaudoin, C. S. V., P. Paradis and A.
L. Bergeron.
At the conclusion of the Synod the Archbishop
praised the zeal and fervor of his clergy and begged
of them to faithfully observe the decrees of the Synod.
After the singing of the "Te Deum" the priests dis-
persed to their different parishes.
About six months later, July 1, 1888, Archbishop
Feehan closed the eyes in death of his beloved and faith-
ful Vicar General, Father Conway; and on September
25, 1889, the Rev. Joseph P. Roles, pastor of St. Mary's
Church, was called to his eternal account after many
years of successful labors in the diocese of Chicago.
CHAPTER XIII
FEEHANVILLE
GENERAL CONDITIONS IN CHICAGO INFLUENCE OF THE PRIEST-
HOOD PLANS ARE FORMED FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
SCHOOL LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE STATE ASSISTANCE
THE CHARTER SOLEMN DEDICATION ACCOUNT OF THE
CELEBRATION VARIOUS SPEECHES BUILDINGS DESTROYED BY
FIRE SCHEDULE OF ASSESSMENT OF PARISHES FOR REBUILD-
ING.
IN the year 1881 the City of Chicago was infested with
a number of boys, young, homeless, penniless, and bent
upon every form of vice. The streets, police stations and
jails were overrun with those unfortunates, for whom,
when convicted, there was no place except the State
Penal Institutions where the association with older and
hardened criminals precluded the probability of any
measure contemplating reformation. Archbishop Fee-
han, keenly alive to the gravity of the situation and the
danger to society which the hopeless ruin and corrup-
tion of thousands of unfortunate children entailed, was
quick to conceive the idea of a reformatory where the
evil effects of early pernicious influences might be coun-
teracted by a healthful education in the useful avocations
of life and a religious training.
Whenever the child develops into the headstrong boy,
the vicious youth, the weary man of strife, ah! then in-
deed do we perceive the holy mission of the devoted
priest. The stern voice of a father will often fail to
check the reckless folly of a son, but the gentle counsel
of a priest will fall like refreshing dews upon the dying
flower. One man may draw another into the pleasant
167
168 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ways of vice, but rarely will he be able to lead him up
the rugged steps of virtue. How often, however, will
not the soft and pure accents of a devoted priest arrest
his downward course, like a voice from beyond the styg-
ian mist?
And thus also the storm-battered wayfarer through
this world of strife and sin ; the embittered slave of for-
tune; he who has seen all the glorious visions of his
youth forever fly before him like mocking phantoms;
he whose hopes have turned to scorpions that feed upon
his heart and sting the proffered hand of sympathy;
he who turns away from his f ellowmen with distrust and
scorn and casts upon his God the reproach of his mis-
fortunes ; he who has fled from the altar because he can
no longer lift his eyes to gaze upon the lamp of the
sanctuary, whilst its flame lights up the hideous cham-
bers of his conscience and affrights him with the full
knowledge of his guilt. Where is the path by which
this man shall enter into the golden court of hope? Who
shall hold him by the hand? Who shall thaw the ice
around his heart? What human sympathy shall cast
a ray of light into his dark soul? In the omniscience
and mercy of God all this was foreseen when years ago
a holy man, then a mere youth, in the full flush of
strength and joy burned his loving sacrifice on the altar
of God and plighted his troth to the Spouse of
Christ.
In the early '60s the first orphan asylum and reform-
atory for the Catholic Diocese of Chicago had been in-
corporated. It was located in the southwestern part of
the city. This part of Chicago was, at that time, a rich,
undulating prairie ground, and the boys, then as now,
enjoyed the sweet milk and the golden tinted butter for
their morning meal. The institution pursued the even
FEEHANVILLE 169
tenor of its way until the winter of 1871, when it was
obliged to do heroic work in caring for hundreds of chil-
dren left destitute and homeless by the great fire. The
Christian Brothers were then in charge of the asylum,
and many were the sacrifices they patiently and silently
underwent for the benefit of the boys. However, the
time had come when the asylum proved inadequate for
its purpose and thus it was that in the spring of 1882,
Archbishop Feehan formulated his plans and entered
vigorously into the promotion of this great charity.
A large tract of over four hundred acres of land was
bought close by Des Plaines, Illinois. The country
roads were not then as well cared for as today and the
automobile was not in evidence/ Some complained that
it was a mistake to go so far from the city and said
that the purchase was a waste of money. When these
criticisms came to his notice his only comment was
"I am not planning or buying for the day. A quarter
of a century from now these same critics will bless me
and perhaps use this purchase to prove that I was a
wise man. Few laymen are fitted to judge of the future
needs of the great diocese of Chicago."
Meanwhile the Archbishop presented the enterprise
to the Catholic public with such earnestness and force
of conviction that in the following October the corner-
stone of the first building at Feehanville was laid. The
immense gathering present on that occasion fully testi-
fied to the interest that Catholics ever take in establish-
ing a charitable institution, and to the care which they
evince in providing for destitute children. Some twenty
organizations, conspicuous among them the Ancient
Order of Hibernians, with bands of music were present.
His Grace, the Most Rev. Archbishop, assisted by many
of the reverend clergy, presided at the laying of the cor-
170 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ner-stone, and eloquent addresses were made by him, by
Hon. Carter Harrison, then Mayor of Chicago, by
distinguished judges of the courts, and other gifted
orators.
In the spring of 1883, when the plaster of the new
building was hardly dry, the Court of Cook County
began to forward boys to St. Mary's Training School,
and soon the quiet dells and groves of Feehanville re-
echoed with the noisy shouts and merry laughter of
groups of hitherto homeless boys, now happy and con-
tented and far removed from their former haunts of
suffering and vice.
Up to this time the soil of Feehanville had remained
barren; it was covered with rank prairie weeds and
wholly devoid of drainage. All this was now to be
changed and the barren soil made to teem with the best
fruits of the earth. But how? Before the plow could
be turned in the furrow, the plow had to be bought ; so,
too, the horses to pull it; and stables made to house
them. The assistance of Providence, however, was not
wanting, and the prayers of the orphans were soon to
be answered.
During the summer of this year (1883), the Legis-
lature being then in session, and the attention of the
Honorable Senators and Representatives having been
called to the great need of encouraging training schools
for the mental and industrial education of homeless or
wayward children, the members graciously adopted a
measure entitled: "An act to provide for and aid Train-
ing Schools for Boys." The amount of good accom-
plished by this Act no one will ever be able to calculate.
Many a bright, intelligent boy has been rescued by it
from a life of degradation, and placed in a position
where he could help himself and his aged parents de-
FEEHANVILLE 171
pending on him for support. The charter of incorpora-
tion is as follows :
STATE OF ILLINOIS,) ss
COOK COUNTY.)
We, the undersigned, P. A. Feehan, Bernard Curtis,
David F. Bremner, Chas. A. Mair, Patrick H. Rice, Wil-
liam A. Amberg, W. J. Quan, John R. Walsh, W. P. Rend,
Bernard Callaghan, John J. McGrath, Michael Cudahy,
John Cudahy, Thomas Lynch, John Curran, J. B. Sullivan,
Thomas Brenan, P. J. Healy, P. F. Gillespie, Peter Conlan,
Michael Keeley, William McCoy, Z. P. Brosseau, Jas. H.
Burke, Andrew Mullen, Thomas Connelly, H. Coughlin,
Daniel Scully, Frank W. Young, and Bernard Fackleday,
citizens of the United States, propose to form a Corpora-
tion under an act of the General Assembly of the State
of Illinois, titled "An Act Concerning Corporations," ap-
proved April 18, 1872, and all acts amendatory thereof;
and especially under "An Act to provide for and aid
Training Schools for Boys," approved June 18, 1883, and
that for the purpose of such organization we hereby state
as follows, to- wit:
1. The name of such corporation is the "St. Mary's
Training School."
2. The object for which it is formed is to care and
provide for, maintain, educate and teach or cause to be
taught some useful employment, all boys lawfully com-
mitted to or placed in its charge by parents, guardians,
friends, relatives, or by any court, or in pursuance of any
law or legal proceeding or in any other proper manner,
who, on account of indigence, or waywardness, may be in
want of proper training.
3. The management of the aforesaid Corporation shall
be vested in a board of thirty managers who are to be
elected annually.
4. The following persons are hereby selected as the
managers to control and manage said Corporation for the
first year of its corporate existence, viz: P. A. Feehan,
Bernard Curtis, David F. Bremner, Charles A. Mair, Pat-
rick H. Rice, William A. Amberg, W. J. Quan, John R.
Walsh, W. P. Rend, Bernard Callaghan, John J. McGrath,
Michael Cudahy, John Cudahy, Thomas Lynch, J. J. Cur-
ran, J. B. Sullivan, Thomas Brenen, P. J. Healy, P. F.
Gillespie, Peter Conlan, Michael Keeley, William McCoy,
Zenophile P. Brosseau, James H. Burke, Andrew Mullen,
Thomas Connelly, H. Coughlin, Daniel Scully, F. W.
Young, and Bernard Fackleday.
172 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
5. The location is in the County of Cook, State of Illi-
nois.
(Signed)
P. A. FEEHAN, JOHN J. CURRAN,
THOMAS LYNCH, BERNARD CURTIS,
BERNARD CALLAGHAN, JOHN R. WALSH,
JAMES H. BURKE, PATRICK H. RICE,
FRANK W. YOUNG, DANIEL SCULLY,
PATRICK F. GILLESPIE, DAVID F. BREMNER,
J. B. SULLIVAN, WILLIAM McCoY,
BERNARD FACKLEDAY, Z. P. BROSSEAU,
PETER CONLAN, CHAS. A. MAIR,
THOMAS BRENEN, JOHN J. MCGRATH,
H. COUGHLIN, W. J. QUAN,
MICHAEL KEELEY, WM. A. AMBERG,
ANDREW MULLEN, W. P. REND,
THOMAS CONNELLY, MICHAEL CUDAHY,
P. J. HEALY, JOHN CUDAHY.
STATE OF ILLINOIS. j gg
DEPARTMENT OF STATE. J
Henry D. Dement, Secretary of State.
To ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING :
WHEREAS, papers, duly signed and acknowledged, hav-
ing been filed in the office of the Secretary of State, on
the fourteenth day of August, A. D. 1883, for the organiza-
tion of the
St. Mary's Training School,
under and in accordance with the provision of "An Act
Concerning Corporations," approved April 18, 1872, and
in force July 1, 1872, a copy of which certificate is hereto
attached :
Now, THEREFORE, I, Henry D. Dement, Secretary of the
State of Illinois, by virtue of the powers and duties vested
in me by law, do hereby certify that the said
St. Mary s Training School
is a legally organized Corporation under the laws of this
State.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereto set my hand and cause
to be affixed the great Seal of the State.
(SEAL.) Done at the City of Springfield, this fourteenth
day of August, in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three, and
of the Independence of the United States, the
one hundred and eight.
HENRY D. DEMENT,
Secretary of State.
FEEHANVILLE 173
STATE OF ILLINOIS, | ss
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, j
Under the provisions of an act entitled "An Act to pro-
vide for and aid Training Schools for Boys," approved
June 18, 1883, I hereby consent to the organization of the
"St. Mary's Training School of Cook County" by the per-
sons named as corporators in the application for the or-
ganization of said corporation.
JOHN M. HAMILTON,
Governor.
The account of the solemn dedication of St. Mary's
Training School as given in one of the leading Chicago
papers follows:
"Yesterday was a red-letter day in the history of the
little suburban town of Des Plaines, eighteen miles
from Chicago, on the Chicago and North Western Rail-
way, the occasion being the Dedication of St. Mary's
Training School for Boys, two miles northwest from
that place. The board of managers of the institution
had issued something near one thousand invitations to
prominent persons to be present at the ceremonies of
the day, and Brother Teliou, director of the school,
advertised the fact that accommodations would be pre-
pared for seven thousand people. Special trains left
the Chicago and Northwestern depot for Desplaines
station at 9:30 and 11 A. M., eight coaches accompany-
ing each train, all of which were well filled with pas-
sengers. Long before the time appointed for the de-
parture of the first train the depot was besieged with
persons who were anxious to purchase tickets for the
excursion. While the passengers were filing into the
coaches the brass bands of the married men's sodality
and the cadet company of the Holy Family parish
played several lively Irish and American national airs.
"Upon the arrival of the trains at the Desplaines sta-
tion, the streets and vacant lots about the depot were
13
174 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
found to be blocked with vehicles, every one being pla-
carded with a sign which read: 'Fare to Feehanville
only 10 cents.' These accommodations were rapidly
filled with passengers of all ages and both sexes, and
a lively scramble was made for seats in such of them
as had anything like a covering, as the sun was beat-
ing down with a vengeance at the time.
"On arriving at the entrance of the school grounds,
the wagons passed under an arch over the main entrance,
which bore the inscription in illuminated letters : 'Wel-
come to Feehanville.' There were in the party hun-
dreds who had not enjoyed the fresh country air and a
romp through green meadows and shady groves for
years, and when at the invitation of Brother Teliou they
'made themselves at home,' and crossed over the Des-
plaines River, which runs through the 460 acre farm, to
the picnic grove, which embraces some twenty-five
acres, they settled themselves down for a day of genuine
enjoyment!
"The yard in front of the brothers' house and the
grove were fitted up with refreshment stands, where
lemonade, ice cream, cake, and sandwiches were dis-
pensed at current prices, the revenue which was derived
from such sales being applied to the payment of the
expenses of the celebration. Before 1 P. M. the grounds
were filled with visitors from Chicago, Elgin, Desplaines,
Maywood, and other suburbs, and it was estimated
that at least thirty-five hundred people were present
at the celebration. The two brass bands were constantly
rendering choice musical selections; young men and
women romped merrily through the grove; the refresh-
ment stands were liberally patronized, and the whole
affair bore the aspect of a grand picnic party, which in
reality it was. About the most delighted person in the
FEEHANVILLE 175
entire party was Judge Anthony, who could not re-
strain his sentiments of admiration at the beautiful site
selected by the board of managers of the institution for
the erection of the school buildings and to a reporter
for 'The Times' the judge said: 'I am both surprised
and delighted to see that this institution is so wonder-
fully favored by its natural surroundings for the high
and noble purposes to which it is devoted. I say that
the youngsters who are picked up from the slums and
reeking alleys of Chicago cannot be but supremely
happy when sent by the court from their surroundings
of vice and misery to such a beautiful home as this,
for a home it certainly will be under the mild and pa-
rental government of the good men in charge, and if
the youngsters have any noble and manly sentiments
in them, such surroundings as these cannot fail to exert
a powerful influence toward developing them, when the
boys are made to understand that they are sent here,
not as a punishment, but as a means of advancing their
own interests. I don't believe I have ever seen a spot
more favored by nature for such an institution as this
very one.' '
At 1 P. M. Brother Teliou invited the specially fa-
vored guests, including the clergy, several ladies, rep-
resentatives of the Cook County judiciary, members
of the legislature, and Chicago press reporters, to re-
pair to the dining-room, where an elegant repast awaited
them.
At 1 :30 His Grace, Archbishop Feehan, accompanied
by the Very Rev. Vicar General Conway and the Very
Rev. Chancellor Gill, arrived from the city in a car-
riage, and the oratorical portion of the program was
taken up, State Senator Rice being chosen as master of
ceremonies.
176 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
The speeches were delivered from the piazza of the
brothers' house, in front of which at least fifteen hun-
dred people had assembled. Senator Rice addressed
the assemblage, briefly expressing his gratification at
beholding the praiseworthy and charitable enterprise,
which was so recently inaugurated, approaching a full
and perfect realization of the ideas of the benevolent
gentlemen who first started it. He also took pleasure
in announcing that he had favored with his vote and
influence in the senate every move whereby the institu-
tion might be benefited and fostered by the State.
Seth F. Crews followed with a brief address, during
the course of which he stated that it was with feelings
of the greatest pleasure that he responded to the invita-
tion to be present on the occasion of the dedication of
what was destined to be one of the greatest and noblest
of the charitable institutions in the State of Illinois. He
felt it an honor that he was a member of the legislature
that passed the bill providing for a partial support of
the institution out of the State funds, and he felt certain
that all good citizens of the State shared in his hearty
good-will towards the future success of such a grand
institution.
Judge Anthony next addressed the assemblage. After
paying a compliment to the board of managers of the
school for their wonderful progress in the good work
they had undertaken, and after alluding to the self-
sacrificing lives of tHe Christian Brothers in charge
of the institution, he said that he esteemed it an honor
to be present and take part in the proceedings of the
dedication of such a monument of philanthropy and
Christian charity. He regretted that it was the mis-
fortune of civilization to engender a barbarism that
threatened the liberties of the people by the seeming,
FEEHANVILLE 177
i
almost total, indifference on the part of many who were
blessed with much of this world's goods as to the future
of the outcast and abandoned children that throng the
streets and byways of our great cities. Such an insti-
tution as the one that was soon to be dedicated, however,
would tend to counteract this barbarism, and would in
the near future exert a most blessed influence upon so-
ciety in general. During his long experience as a judge
it had been a vexed question with him, hitherto, as to
how he would dispose of the hundreds of juvenile crim-
inals, or lads that were drifting into a criminal life,
that were brought before him, as he had to send
them either to the house of correction or the reformatory,
which course not unfrequently resulted in confirming
them in their criminal habits and practices ; but the new
training school would open a new field, which would
afford poor abandoned street arabs a place of asylum
and education.
Judge Hawes spoke briefly on the superiority of such
an institution as St. Mary's Training School over the
ordinary reformatories, and said he deemed it his duty,
and the duty of every good citizen to encourage such
a project as that of the training school in question.
Ex-Governor Beveridge delivered an address on the
good work accomplished by the self-sacrificing members
of religious orders in the United States from the days
of the saintly Father Marquette to the present time.
He was confident that the training school was in proper
hands, and that its success in the attainment of its high
object was a foregone conclusion.
Judge Moran made a few pointed remarks on the
great good to the community the new training school
was bound to accomplish. He had spoken on the sub-
ject several times before, and he could but repeat what
178 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
he had said in former speeches; therefore begged to be
excused from speaking further. Mr. F. Elmendorf,
of the Citizens' League, and H. Thomas, the colored
legislator from the third district, also made brief speeches
complimentary to the enterprise. Vicar General Con-
way was then introduced and spoke as follows:
"Your Grace, Ladies and Gentlemen: This immense
outpouring of people shows a wide sympathy for the
homeless one, for whom this institution is dedicated.
The donations which have poured in to the managers
of St. Mary's Training School evince a public spirit and
even-handed justice. Further assurance of the liber-
ality of your fellow citizens is presented today when all
join in the supplication of His Grace, that He who
came to evangelize the poor, to raise up the downcast,
to receive back the wayward, and to defend and to pro-
vide for the orphan, would in a special manner bless this
home. There is, ladies and gentlemen, a law of phys-
ical and moral, intellectual and social, inequality which
man cannot change, but he may modify. Many begin
life with a moderate share of the goods of fortune, but
within their humble home there is happiness, and bright
hopes are cherished. Dutiful care and anxiety, weary
and unremitting toil, slowly undermine a delicate phy-
sique, rendering the impaired forces unequal to the daily
strain. Industrious and honest parents would cheer-
fully lay down life's burden at death's summons were
it not that their innocent, helpless child must depend
on charity. For this reason they naturally close their
eyes in sorrow to awake in joy, to see the glories and
to feel the enchantment of heaven, which puts grief to
flight and sheds over the soul a cloudless and an ever-
lasting serenity. But all is gloomy and dark for the
orphan whose heart is yet pure but his mind undeveloped
FEEHANVILLE 179
and his hand feeble and unskilled. The training school
opens its doors to him, wherein he will be equipped for
this busy, active world.
"There are other boys deprived not of natural pro-
tectors, but whose condition is as perilous as the orphan.
They have yielded to giddy folly, they are led away
by novelty, and they are on the way of idleness. They
meet companions spending an indolent, aimless life.
The allurements to evil, to which they are inclined, are
many. They have already entered on a riotous course
and dishonest practices. Their own welfare, the order
and the safety of society, render it imperative that they
may be trained to industry to become useful and honest
citizens. This is the aim of St. Mary's Training School.
"Many placed in like positions are not equally suc-
cessful. They are endowed alike with correct and sound
judgment. Few, if any, can master all the endless
branches of science and literature, but he who has a
clear knowledge of his business, profession or calling
may be therein called learned.
"There are physical studies the study of things
adapted to the development of the hand, for which by
far the larger portion is fitted, and on which the people
depend. In whatever avocation man is fittingly em-
ployed he is therein most beneficial to self and useful
to society. A good mechanic and the skilled horticultur-
ist cannot in their sphere be called ignorant. The train-
ing school, embracing a liberal education, trades, farm
and garden cultivation, will afford each one, according
to his capacity, an opportunity to fit himself for the
positions for which nature and nature's God intended
him.
"There is a third feature which is indispensable. The
boy must not only be educated and trained to indus-
180 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
trious habits and receive a practical education, but he
ought also to receive moral education which may enable
him to detect licentious practices that are opposed to
peace and happiness. He must be induced to cherish
high moral principles which will check the impetuosity
of passion and control vice and crime. He must culti-
vate virtuous habits which will contribute to present
pleasures and joys which the world may weaken, but
will not deface. It is a noble act of generosity to build
up a home which will modify the condition of the poor,
the ignorant, and the vicious. This institution ought
to arrest the attention of the philanthropist and enlist
the meritorious works of the charitable to the end that
innocence be preserved, the indolent become industrious,
the vicious become virtuous, the God-like faculties of
the mind be enlightened, and the will-power be constant
in right doing. St. Mary's Training School in its aim
is far reaching. It not only meets the needs of our
times by providing a home for the destitute and way-
ward boy, without distinction of creed, race, or color,
but it looks to the enlightenment, the honesty, and mor-
ality of future generations."
The Rev. Thomas Hodnett and the Most Rev. Arch-
bishop concluded the speeches with brief remarks on the
benefits society would reap from the new institution.
A chorus of forty of the inmates of the school then took
the platform and sang a hymn in honor of the Arch-
bishop, entitled "Hail to Our Good Pastor."
Besides the speakers named, the following gentlemen
were present: Colonel Sheridan, Chief of Police Doyle,
Colonel P. M. Clowry, U. S. Commissioner Hoyne, W.
J. Quan, P. H. Rice, Michael Cudahy, John W. En-
right, P. J. Healy, W. A. Amberg, Thomas Brennan,
George W. Smith, James H. Burke, William J. On-
FEEHANVILLE 181
ahan, James Barnett, W. J. Hynes, Michael Keeley,
Patrick Gosslin, Bernard Curtis, Alex. Sullivan, Ber-
nard Callahan, John Cudahy, F. W. Young, Chas. A.
Mair, Daniel Scully, P. J. Gillespie, J. B. Lynch, D.
F. Bremner, Col. W. P. Rend, J. P. South, and T.
J. Lynch.
Year by year additions were made to the school and
before long it possessed a cluster of buildings present-
ing at a distance the appearance of a neat little village.
However, in 1899, a damaging fire destroyed the insti-
tution. The fire had been so complete that nothing
escaped and the 300 boys were scattered for the time
being everywhere. The Archbishop immediately took
steps to gather the boys and place them in the Provi-
dence Orphan Asylum in Glenwood, the County Reform
School, and some he sent to their homes. At once a
meeting was called of all the pastors of the archdiocese
to devise ways and means for the rebuilding of St.
Mary's Training School.
This meeting was held November 14, 1899, at the
Cathedral, and it was resolved that the parishes of the
archdiocese contribute $100,000, payable in two years,
in semi-annual installments, toward the fund for the
rebuilding of the institution. The chairman was em-
powered to appoint a representative committee to assess
each parish on the same basis as the diocesan taxes were
levied. We herewith submit the report of this com-
mittee, which was sent to all the pastors on January 3,
1900.
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
Cathedral $630 $630 $630 $630,
St. Adalbert's (Polish).... 210 210 210 210
St. Agatha's 300 300 300 300
St. Agnes' 100 100 100 100
St. Ailbe's . 60 60 60 60
182 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
All Saints' 360 360 360 360
St. Aloysius' (German) ... 180 180 180 180
St. Alphonsus' (German) . 360 360 360 360
St. Andrew's 110 110 110 110
St. Anne's 360 360 360 360
Annunciation 150 150 150 150
St. Anthony's (German) . . 270 270 270 270
Assumption (Italian) 135 135 135 135
St. Augustine's (German). 210 210 210 210
St. Bernard's 215 215 215 215
Blessed Sacrament 205 205 205 205
St. Boniface's (German) . . 170 170 170 170
St. Brendan's 85 85 85 85
St. Bridget's 360 360 360 360
St. Casimir (Polish) 100 100 100 100
St. Catherine of Genoa... 45 45 45 45
St. Catherine of Sienna... 120 120 120 120
St. Cecelia's 300 300 300 300
St. Charles' 450 450 450 450
St. Clara's (German) 55 55 55 55
St. Columbian's 450 450 450 450
St. Columba (Polish) 15 15 15 15
SS. Cyril and Methodius'
(Bohemian) 55 55 55 55
St. Dionysius' (German,
Hawthorne) 45 45 45 45
St. Elizabeth's 465 465 465 465
St. Francis of Assisi (Ger-
man) 165 165 165 165
St. Francis Xavier (Ger-
man, Ayondale) 50 50 50 50
St. Francis de Sales (Ger-
man, Colehour) 45 45 45 45
St. Francis Xavier (La
Grange) 45 45 45 45
St. Gabriel's 600 600 600 600
St. Gall's ....15 15 15 15
St. George's (German).... 120 120 120 120
St. George's (Lithuanian). 120 120 120 120
St. Hedwig's (Polish) 210 210 210 210
St. Henry's (German, High
Ridge/ 90 90 90 90
St. Hyacinth's (Polish)... 40 40 40 40
Holv Angels' 630 630 630 630
Holv Cross.. . 200 200 200 200
FEEHANVILLE 183
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
Holy Family 600 600 600 600
Holy Rosary 160 160 160 160
Holy Trinity (German) ... 150 150 150 150
Holy Trinity (Polish) .... 240 240 240 240
Holy Ghost 30 30 30 30
Immaculate Conception . . 420 420 420 420
Immaculate Conception
(German) 120 120 120 120
Immaculate Conception
(Polish) 125 125 125 125
St. James' 630 630 630 630
St. Jarlath's 420 420 420 420
St. Jerome's 30 30 30 30
St. John's 255 255 255 255
St. John the Baptist
(French) 45 45 45 45
St. John Cantius' (Polish) 325 325 325 325
St. John Nepomucene's
(Bohemian) 70 70 70 70
St. Josaphat's (Polish) . . . 155 155 155 155
St. Joseph's (German) ... 210 210 210 210
St. Joseph's (Polish) 120 120 120 120
St. Joseph's (French) 50 50 50 50
St. Kevin's (Cummings) . . 45 45 45 45
St. Lawrence O'Toole's... 140 140 140 140
St. Leo's 45 45 45 45
St. Louis' (French, Pull-
man) 45 45 45 45
St. Ludmilla (Bohemian) . 60 60 60 60
St. Luke's 60 60 60 60
St. Malachy's 195 195 195 195
St. Mark's 45 45 45 45
St. Mary's 165 165 165 165
St. Mary's of Czestochowa
(Polish) 45 45 45 45
St. Mary's of the Angels
(Polish) 45 45 45 45
St. Mary's of Perpetual
Help (Polish) 150 150 150 150
St. Mary's of Perpetual
Help (German) 15 15 15 15
St. Margaret's 60 60 60 60
St. Martin's (German) .... 120 120 120 120~
St. Matthew's 60 60 60 60
St. Mathias' (German) .... 60 60 60 60
184 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
St. Mel's 240 240 240 240
St. Michael's (German) ... 480 480 480 480
St. Michael's (Polish) 120 120 120 120
St. Mauritius' (German) . . 45 45 45 45
Nativity 540 540 540 540
St. Nicholas' (German) ... 50 50 50 50
Notre Dame (French) 310 310 310 310
Our Lady of the Angels'. 15 15 15 15
Our Lady of Good Counsel
(Bohemian) 15 15 15 15
Our Lady of Lourdes
(Ravenswood) 150 150 150 150
Our Lady of Lourdes
(Bohemian) 30 30 30 30
Our Lady of Mount Carmel 335 335 335 335
Our Lady of Sorrows 450 450 450 450
St. Patrick's 240 240 240 240
St. Patrick's (So. Chicago) 150 150 150 150
St. Paul's (German) 210 210 210 210
SS. Peter & Paul (German,
South Chicago) 60 60 60 60
SS. Peter & Paul (Polish) . 15 15 1,5 15
St. Peter's (German) 90 90 90 90
Presentation 30 30 30 30
St. Philomena's (German) 45 45 45 45
St. Pius' 225 225 225 225
St. Procopius' (Bohemian) 150 150 150 150
St. Rose of Lima's 180 180 180 180
Sacred Heart 225 225 225 225
Sacred Heart (German).. . 45 45 45 45
St. Stanislaus' (Polish)... 660 660 660 660
St. Stephen's 75 75 75 75
St. Sylvester's 150 150 150 150
St. Teresa's (German) .... 125 125 125 125
St. Thomas' 130 130 130 130
St. Viateur's 30 30 30 30
St. Vincent's 450 450 450 450
Visitation 450 450 450 450
St. Vitus (Bohemian) 45 45 45 45
St. Wenceslaus' (B oh e -
mian) 55 55 55 55
Churches outside the city:
Amboy, St. Patrick's 45 45 45 45
Apple River, St. Joseph's. 35 35 35 35
FEEHANVILLE 185
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
Aurora, Annunciation ... 45 45 45 45
St. Joseph's 15 15 15 15
Holy Angels' 20 20 20 20
St. Mary's 90 90 90 90
St. Nicholas' .... 165 165 165 165
Sacred Heart.... 30 30 30 30
Batavia, Holy Cross 25 25 25 25
Belvidere, St. James' 105 105 105 105
Blue Island, St. Benedict's 50 50 50 50
Bourbonnais Grove, Mater-
nity 60 60 60 60
Braidwood, Immaculate
Conception 15 15 15 15
Buffalo Grove, Immaculate
Conception 45 45 45 45
Chicago Heights 15 15 15 15
Coal City, Assumption 15 15 15 15
De Kalb, St. Mary's 75 75 75 75
Desplaines, St. Mary's 15 15 15 15
Dixon, St. Patrick's 90 90 90 90
Downer's Grove, St. Mary's 15 15 15 15
East Dubuque, St. Mary's. 15 15 15 15
Elgin, Immaculate Concep-
tion 85 85 85 85
Elgin, St. Joseph's 15 15 15 15
Elizabeth, Our Lady of
Sorrows 25 25 25 25
Elmhurst, Immaculate .
Conception 25 25 25 25
Evanston, St. Mary's 195 195 195 195
St. Nicholas'... 90 90 90 90
Fremont Center, St. James' 30 30 30 30
Freeport, St. Mary's 90 90 90 90
St. Joseph's ... 90 90 90 90
Fulton, Immaculate Con-
ception 30 30 30 30
Galena, St. Mary's 50 50 50 50
St. Michael's .... 45 45 45 45
Goodrich 15 15 15 15
Hampshire, St. Charles' . . 45 45 45 45
Harmon 15 15 15 15
Hartland, St. Patrick's 30 30 30 30
Harvard, St. Joseph's 75 75 75 75
Highland Park, Immacu-
late Conception... 20 20 20 20
186 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
Huntley Grove, St. Mary's.
15
15
15
15
Irwin Station, St. James'. .
15
15
15
15
Johnsburg, St. John the
Baptist
75
75
75
75
Joliet, St. John the Baptist
150
150
150
150
St. Joseph's (Slavo-
nian)
60
60
60
60
St. Mary's
165
165
165
165
St. Patrick's
110
110
110
110
Sacred Heart
80
80
80
80
Holy Cross (Polish)
50
50
50
50
Kankakee, Immaculate
Conception .
45
45
45
45
St. Patrick's..
35
35
35
35
St. Rose's ....
90
90
90
90
Kinsman, Sacred Heart. . .
45
45
45
45
Lake Forest, St. Mary's . . .
55
55
55
55
Lakeside, Sacred Heart. . .
30
30
30
30
Lemont, St. Alphonsus . . .
45
45
45
45
SS. Cyril & Me-
thodius'
60
60
60
60
St. Patrick's
40
40
40
40
Lena, St. Joseph's
30
30
30
30
Libertyville
15
15
15
15
Lockport, St. Denis'
45
45
45
45
St. Joseph's . . .
15
15
15
15
Lyons, St. Mary's
30
30
30
30
Manteno, St. Joseph's
35
35
35
35
Maple Park, St. Mary's
45
45
45
45
Maytown, St. Patrick's ....
15
15
15
15
McHenry, St. Patrick's. . . .
50
50
50
50
St. Joseph's
(German) .. .
30
30
30
30
Menominee, Nativity
45
45
45
45
Minooka, St. Mary's
30
30
30
30
Momence, St. Patrick's ....
25
25
25
25
Morris, Immaculate Con-
ception ,
55
55
55
55
Naperville, SS. Peter &
Paul's
45
45
45
45
Niles Center, St. Peter's . .
45
45
45
45
Oregon, St. Marv's
60
60
60
60
Pecatonia, St. Mary's
30
30
30
30
Richton, St. James'
15
15
15
15
Rochelle, St. Patrick's....
45
45
45
45
FEEHANVILLE 187
Jan. 1, July 1, Jan. 1, July 1,
1900 1900 1901 1901
Rockford, St. James' 90 90 90 90
St. Mary's 165 165 165 165
Rosecrans, St. Patrick's... 15 15 15 15
Sag Bridge, St. James' 15 15 . 15 15
Savanna, St. John's 30 30 30 30
Shannon, St. Wendelin's. . 15 15 15 15
Somonauk, St. John the
Baptist's 45 45 45 45
Sterling, St. Patrick's 65 65 65 65
Stockton, Holy Gross 15 15 15 15
Sublette, St. Mary's 35 35 35 35
St. Anne, St. Anne's 35 35 35 35
St. Charles, St. Patrick's.. 30 30 30 30
St. George, St. George's... 30 30 30 30
Sobieski, St. Andrew's
(Polish) 60 60 60 60
Sycamore, St. Mary's 30 30 30 30
Tampico, St. Mary's 20 20 20 20
Waukegan, Immaculate
Conception 75 75 75 75
St. Joseph's.. 35 35 35 35
Wheaton, St. Michael's... 50 50 50 50
Wilmette, St. Joseph's.... 105 105 105 105
Wilmington, St. Rose's... 50 50 50 50
Winfield, St. John the Bap-
tist's 35 35 35 35
Woodstock, St. Mary's 45 45 45 45
West Brooklyn 15 15 15 15
West Chicago 30 30 30 30
From the time of the inception of the school until the
year 1892, over 2,000 boys had been benefited by it,
and the majority of them provided with good situations,
returned to relatives, or placed in respectable homes on
neighboring farms. There were present in the school, Jan-
uary 1, 1892, 325 boys; received during the year, 356,
making a total of 681 boys ; of the 356 boys received, 270
were proteges of Cook County. The total amount re-
ceived from the county for the education and main-
tenance of these boys was $12,500.
Some years before his death Archbishop Feehan built
188 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
a summer home on the land near the institution and
spent several summers there. He once said: "Since
this is Feehanville, a Feehan may most appropriately
spend his summers here. Besides, it makes me young
again to watch the boys at play and at work."
Magnificent buildings were erected on this land by
Archbishop Quigley and continued by Archbishop Mun-
delein, so that today it would be difficult to find a more
ideal home for children.
CHAPTER XIV
HIS SILVER JUBILEE
A SPECTACLE OF MAGNIFICENCE THE CELEBRATION IN THE
CATHEDRAL THE SERMON BY BISHOP HOGAN THE DINNER
ADDRESS BY VICAR GENERAL DOWLING THE PROGRAMME
THE CELEBRATION AT NIGHT THE MARCHING.
IN the month of October, 1890, the great City of
Chicago witnessed in a spectacle of unparalleled mag-
nificence, the ripe and golden fruit of the great Arch-
bishop's work during the first decade of his administra-
tion of the archdiocese. No grander evidence of the
sublime reverence and love which swelled in the hearts
and souls of a Catholic people for their illustrious Met-
ropolitan has been manifested upon any like occasion
within the whole range of American ecclesiastical his-
tory. This memorable event was the celebration of the
Archbishop's Silver Jubilee, or the twenty-fifth anni-
versary of his elevation to the episcopacy.
It has now passed into the world's history as a most
portentous sign of the times, demonstrating the won-
derful growth of Catholicism in the archdiocese in the
past, and foreshadowing almost limitless possibilities for
the future under the wise and just regime of masterful
men, possessed of great faith and piety.
It would be a reasonable inference that a prelate who
always betrayed so marked an aversion to ostentatious
display, who sought retirement and dreaded the lime-
light of public observation, would inspire but little
warmth of affection in the hearts of his people, but such
was not the case with Archbishop Feehan. No prelate
189
14
190 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
in the world was more deeply beloved by his spiritual
children. Several days were set apart for the celebra-
tion of the Archbishop's Silver Jubilee and upon one eve-
ning the largest and most imposing torch-light proces-
sion which was ever seen in the United States marched
through the streets of Chicago in his honor ; the proces-
sion numbered over sixty thousand men and paraded
the streets with the order and discipline of a body of
trained soldiers upon military parade. Thousands of
citizens of every shade of religious and political opinion,
and irrespective of social distinctions, participated in
the celebration.
At half-past ten o'clock, Wednesday, October 29,
1890, the opening services of the jubilee began in
the cathedral. The mellow light of a perfect Indian
summer morning had diffused its brightness over the
great, youthful city, presaging the approach of an ec-
clesiastical pageant of unequaled grandeur. Before the
sun had long risen beyond the eastern shores of Lake
Michigan, the streets of the North Side, leading to the
cathedral, were filled with throngs of people hastening
to the church from all parts of the city. The clergy
assembled in the halls of the cathedral parish school
building, while the spacious cathedral residence was
designated the place for the reception of the Most Rev.
and Right Rev. Prelates.
Shortly before the hour named, the procession of
nearly four hundred priests, headed by the cross-bearer
and a large number of acolytes filed out of the school-
house on Cass Street, turning west on Superior, then
north on State to the main entrance of the cathedral;
after them came the Brothers, teachers of the boys'
schools, followed by the reverend clergy, superiors of
seminaries and colleges, the vicar-generals, and lastly
HIS SILVER JUBILEE 191
by the prelates who came forth from the parochial resi-
dence, each being accompanied by a chaplain.
His Grace, surrounded by the ministers of the Mass
clad in rich vestments and preceded by the Rev. M.
Mackin carrying the Archiepiscopal Cross, came last.
The procession of priests moved up the center aisle, and
as it advanced, opened out, permitting the dignitaries
to pass through the ranks into the sanctuary and take
their places at the right and left of the high altar. The
clergy were placed around the side of the altars and in
the front pews ; representatives of the different religious
communities in the city occupied pews to the rear of the
clergy.
The noble and commanding figure of His Grace in
his official robes, his singularly mild and benignant
countenance, the solemn procession of priests and
bishops, the rich notes of the grand organ enveloping
the hearts of the entranced listeners with their varying
modulations, created a scene grand, impressive, un-
equaled before within the walls of the Holy Name Ca-
thedral. In the streets around the cathedral there was
a dense mass of human beings, doorways, windows and
every other prominent point from which a view could
be obtained being filled with curious and interested
spectators. So great was the crowd that only with ex-
treme difficulty could the police effect a passage for the
procession, and it required no little exertion to keep
people from breaking in on the line of march, though
with uncovered heads and reverent looks all viewed the
great churchmen as they silently passed along.
In the celebration of the Pontifical High Mass, the
Archbishop was assisted by the following priests : Very
Rev. D. M. J. Dowling, V. G., assistant priest; deacons
of honor: Rev. Th. Burke and Fred. Kalvelage; deacon
192 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
of the Mass: Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons ; sub-deacon:
Rev. F. N. Perry; masters of ceremonies: Rev. P. J.
Muldoon, Rev. N. J. Mooney and Bro. Harrington.
The celebrant seated on the elevated throne on the
right facing the congregation, under a magnificent
canopy of purple cloth fringed with gold embroideries,
surrounded by the ministers of the Mass, each in
rich vestments, crowned with a magnificently jeweled
mitre, holding in his gloved hand the archiepisco-
pal crozier, a gift for the occasion, the pallium
gracefully lapped over the chasuble, prelates arrayed
in purple mantelette, rochet and cassock, white sur-
pliced priests, and the various garb of the religious
orders offered a grand spectacle to the assembled
faithful.
After the first Gospel the Right Rev. John J. Ho-
gan, D. D., of Kansas City, ascended the pulpit and
delivered a masterly sermon. He paid, through it all,
a most touching and graceful tribute of respect to the
venerable Prelate, reviewing his life and his work, and
in conclusion said:
"Ten years ago I spoke to you from this sacred place,
when your illustrious Prelate received upon his shoul-
ders the blessed pallium, brought from the tomb of St.
Peter, bespeaking in him the virtues you have every
day since witnessed humility, meekness, charity, apos-
tolic zeal. I told you then that God was about to bless
you, and that the blessing He was about to give you was
one of the greatest you could receive the blessing of
having a good pastor, a pastor according to God's own
heart. 'I will give you pastors according to My own
heart,' saith the Lord, 'and they shall feed you with
knowledge and doctrine.' I told you, faithful Catholics
of Chicago, who have done so much for religion, who
HIS SILVER JUBILEE 193
have clung to your faith in the dark hours of adversity,
in the weakness of the early beginning of our holy
Church here, that in reward of your fidelity, God had a
great and special blessing in store for you. And has not
the promise been fulfilled? Do you not see, and rejoice
in the fulfillment of that promise today? And seeing all
this, and in the ecstasy of rejoicement for it, is it any
wonder that you throng the streets of this great city,
that you crowd the aisles of this beautiful cathedral, that
you bid the joy bells ring out their peals and the organ
and choir unite in chorus, and that you kneel before the
altar at the solemn Pontifical Mass thanking God for
the blessings you enjoy, and wishing and praying for
your beloved, devoted, illustrious Archbishop that God
may grant him yet many years to live, for the prosperity
of the Church, and for the happiness and joy of the
devoted clergy and people confided to his care?"
Following the ceremonies at the cathedral a magnifi-
cent banquet was given in the stately banquet hall of
the Auditorium Hotel in honor of the Archbishop and
his distinguished guests, the visiting bishops and clergy.
The hall was exquisitely decorated with massive banks
of flowers, and over a superb floral design of a miter
were woven in red carnations the words: "Ad multos
annos." It was a spectacle never to fade from one's
memory; a picture of fairyland; a veritable terrestrial
paradise; a gorgeous bower of roses, each flower drunk
with its own incense, whilst myriad slender beams shone
from constellations of minute electric stars, blend-
ing with the soft rays of countless wax candles, and the
ravishing notes of music swept over the enchanting
scene in great waves of mellow light and entrancing
sounds.
At the close of the banquet many addresses by the
194 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
distinguished orators present were delivered, one of
which is here reproduced. 1
The address of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Chi-
cago to His Grace, the Most Rev. Patrick A. Fee-
han, delivered by the Very Rev. D. M. J. Dowling,
Vicar-General of the Archdiocese:
"Your Grace: A quarter of a century has passed
since the miter you wear and have honored was placed
upon your head. Your 333 priests and 500,000 faithful
people offer you greetings, the kindliest, on this silver
jubilee of your elevation to the episcopacy. The ten
years you have ruled our glorious young Church merit
the priestly tribute of reverence and loyalty we offer
you today and the magnificent lay demonstration of
affection and veneration which the streets of your metro-
politan city will present to you tonight. Your apostolic
career for fifteen years in Tennessee was a most grati-
fying contribution to the religious zeal, the heartfelt
solicitude, the encouraging sympathy, the gladdening
consolation and happy salvation of fallen and suffering
humanity. Those who were struggling out of the mis-
eries that desolating war spread over the land, the un-
fortunate ones that grinding poverty held in remorse-
less grasp, the orphans that resistless and death-dealing
pestilence made your inheritance, and the children whose
lives have since shed luster on the religious and edu-
cational training of their youth, rejoice with you on this
grand day and pray for God's choicest blessings on you,
their kind protector, fond father, devoted master
and faithful shepherd.
i A complete history of the Jubilee celebration is contained in a
book entitled: "Souvenir of the Most Rev. P. A. Feehan's Silver Jubilee
in the Episcopacy." This book, beginning with the advent of Pere
Marquette is an interesting history of the growth of Catholicism in
what is now the Archdiocese of Chicago.
THE VERY EEV. D. M. J. DOWLING
Vicar General of Archbishop Feehan
(1888-1900)
Died in June, 1900
HIS SILVER JUBILEE 195
"Fifteen years of unalloyed devotion to duty that re-
quired sublimest charity, the most faultless administra-
tive ability, and most zealous, unfaltering devotion to
the Holy Church at Nashville merited the well-bestowed
recognition, when at the death of saintly Bishop Foley,
loved and lamented by priests and people, the Holy See,
at the request of the Archbishop and Bishops of the
Province of St. Louis, appointed Your Grace, Arch-
bishop of the new Metropolitan See of Chicago. This
was just ten years ago and never in the growth of any
city has such progress been crowded into so short a
space. Even the magical creation of the mythical cities
of fiction and fable has been more than rivaled. The
record of unappreciable result and apostolic achievement
that are the history of this period of our Church is linked
imperishably with Your Grace's name, for this has been
the church building epoch of our history, and the faith-
ful of twelve distinct nationalities worship at the holy
altars of eighty churches, and they are one in faith and
prayer and sacrifice. It is also the Catholic school
building epoch of our history. We have comparatively
the largest parochial school attendance of any diocese
in our land, and the recognition of the city school au-
thorities ranks our primary and grammar schools with
theirs and guarantees their efficiency to the skeptical
as well as to the confiding.
"It has been the epoch of unsurpassed development in
the growth of institutions that were required to meet the
spiritual and corporal and moral needs of our ever in-
creasing multitudes of people. This epoch is teeming
with the numbers of churches, schools, convents, acad-
emies, orphan asylums, industrial schools, hospitals and
homes for the aged and the Magdalen, that give our
diocese a pre-eminence and importance that the proudest
196 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
of the world's cities can scarcely boast. (Applause.)
Yet this wonderful consummation is not the history of
the development of ages, or even of one generation, but
of Your Grace's wise, gentle, firm and progressive ad-
ministration for short ten years. Is not this glory
enough, the making of the grand history of God's
Church? (Applause.)
"Yet there is another phase of Your Grace's career
that calls for prof oundest recognition from your devoted
clergy today. It is the exquisite harmony between
metropolitan dignity, apostolic simplicity, gentleness of
manner and kindness of heart that is peculiarly your
own, and while we express our felicitations and congrat-
ulations on this bright Silver Jubilee of your consecra-
tion to the episcopacy in proud enthusiasm over Your
Grace's most glorious administration, we owe it to every
recollection of Your Grace's kindness and thoughtful-
ness, that are the equal portion of every priest in your
diocese, to proclaim our loyal admiration, true devotion
and honest reverence for Your Grace's personal char-
acter, 'ad multos annos.' ' (Applause.)
His Grace was visibly moved during the delivery of
the address. At its close he arose amid the plaudits of
the clergy and feelingly responded as follows :
"I do not know where I could find words to express
adequately my sincere thanks not only for your address,
but also for all that you have done to make this day
everything that it is.
"In your review of twenty-five years you say many
generous and friendly things; you refer kindly to the
fair Southern land, where I spent so many years, and
for this I am grateful, for Nashville, and the diocese
of Nashville, and its faithful, kindly, generous-hearted
people are very dear to me, and it is one of the greatest
HIS SILVER JUBILEE 197
gratifications of our festival that Nashville comes to us
today represented by its most worthy Bishop and its
priests.
"What you say of the Church in the Archdiocese of
Chicago is indeed true; she has kept pace with even the
wonderful growth and material prosperity of this great
city. But this progress of religion is due under God
to the zeal and ability and self-sacrificing labor of the
clergy, both secular and regular.
"On an occasion like this I cannot forget those who
have so largely aided the clergy in their labors for reli-
gion I mean the members of those great religious com-
munities, who, during all those years, have labored zeal-
ously, efficiently and successfully in the sacred cause of
education and charity. No words could add to their
merit, and no reward but the Supreme One they toil
for could compensate them.
"Very much has been done, and yet we are only pio-
neers, planting the seed, and if the promise of the seed-
time is such, how magnificent will be the golden harvest,
which I hope many of you will live to see.
"In promoting religion and education, you advance
also the highest interests of Chicago and of all the
people.
"We have read of an ancient city that was guarded
by one hundred gates. We will give to our city one hun-
dred gates and more; not of brass, like those of the
ancient one, but of most pure gold. Those gates will
be the temples of our faith, guarded by faithful priests,
and a loyal, generous people.
"You tell me what of all things else is most grateful
to me, of your affectionate loyalty, of your honest, ear-
nest sympathy. This to me is the greatest joy of the
Jubilee the best and brightest crown of twenty-five
years.
198 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"This day, with all that it signifies, will be for me,
while I live, one of happy memory. It will lighten many
a labor, dissipate many a care. It will be a sun to
brighten all the days of the coming years.
"I see around me among the clergy some who have
already known and endured the heat and burden of the
day. The majority of the faces I behold are youthful;
for all there is a grand work to do in the future.
"I earnestly hope and pray that many, very many,
may live to celebrate not only their silver, but also
many, their golden jubilees."
The Archbishop now assumed the duty of toastmaster
and he proposed the first toast, "Our Holy Father,
Vicegerent of Christ, Spiritual Ruler of Christendom,"
saying: "I propose long life to Our Holy Father, the
Pope, and the restoration of its temporalities to the
great Church of Rome."
To this toast the Rev. Dr. McGovern responded. The
programme was then carried out as follows:
"The Visiting Bishops" Archbishop Byan and Elder
"The Clergy of the Archdiocese of Chicago"
Rev. E. J. Dunne
"The Visiting Clergy" Rev. D. S. Phelan, of St. Louis
Song Quartet
Fathers Dore, Kelley, Callaghan and Mahoney
"Our Church and Our Country" A Good Catholic, a
Good Citizen Bishop Spalding, of Peoria
"The Catholic Church in Chicago" She has kept pace
with the unrivaled growth of our magnificent city. .
Rev. D. J. McCaffrey
His Grace then congratulated all on the happy ter-
mination of this part of the Silver Jubilee celebration, and
said that as the city clergy had to make arrangements
for the night procession of their congregations, they
would now adjourn.
The great City of Chicago presented an unwonted
HIS SILVER JUBILEE 199
appearance on the night of the twenty-ninth of October,
1890. The Church ceremonial in the morning had
been viewed or assisted at by a few thousand people;
now the whole city of Chicago was made spectator of
the grandest popular pageant that was ever witnessed
in this country.
Down from the North Side came the members and
societies of the great parishes of the Holy Name, St.
Michael and St. Joseph, followed by those of the sur-
rounding congregations; from the West Side came
legions of Poles and Bohemians, from the parishes of
St. Stanislaus and St. Procopius; the parishes of the
Holy Family and the Sacred Heart, St. Columbkill,
St. Malachy, St. Charles Borromeo and St. Patrick,
sent thousands to increase the ranks, so that the bridges
leading to the South Side were like rivers of flame as
the marching cohorts crossed them, carrying their
torches and banners.
The large parishes of St. James, the Nativity, St.
Gabriel, St. Bridget, All Saints, St. Cecilia, St. Anne
and St. Peter sent great contingents, swelled in numbers
from the other parishes on the South Side, while the
suburban trains brought into the city thousands of peo-
ple from the outlying districts, all anxious to see or take
part in the Silver Jubilee parade. At 9 o'clock, when
the cannon boom resounded the signal to march, sixty
thousand people started in the most orderly procession
that ever took place in Chicago. The Archbishop, his
guests and the clergy, occupied the main balcony of the
Auditorium, an excellent vantage-point on Michigan
Boulevard from which to review the procession. At
9:30 the point of review was reached and for three
hours a great living stream poured along the great
thoroughfare, while cheers upon cheers arose in loud
200 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
acclaim, and greetings of love and loyalty were shouted
upwards to His Grace, in many languages, as his de-
voted children marched by.
At intervals the procession was bewildering in its
variety and magnitude. Amid the booming of cannon,
the rattling of drums, the martial music of one hun-
dred bands, there was a steady flow of uniformed sol-
diery, societies wearing gorgeous regalias of green and
gold, or purple and gold. Young ladies attired with
exquisite taste in fantastic national costumes, each
carrying silken flags of the stars and stripes, and sing-
ing hymns of praise. Cadets in blue, red and gold, and
young men's societies with beautiful emblems and trans-
parencies ; numberless carriages, decked out with flower
wreaths and flags; old men, young men, women, boys
and girls, carrying torches; rockets bursting forth into
showers of stars, Roman candles darting out countless
brilliantly colored balls, filling the atmosphere with
radiance, all concurring to create a scene that reached
fairly beyond the ordinary power of description.
On a large stand opposite the Auditorium, in Lake
Park, a framework had been erected, and on it was
traced in charming design a large cross between a miter
and a crozier, and under them were the words, "Most
Reverend P. A. Feehan."
The gorgeous spectacle of October 29th made a last-
ing impression on the minds of all who witnessed it, and
became a very important event in the history of the
Catholic Church in Chicago.
CHAPTER XV
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION
FIVE THOUSAND CHILDREN PRESENT THE PROGRAMME TWO
ADDRESSES FROM THE ORPHANS ADDRESS BY THE BOYS FROM
FEEHANVILLE SPEECH BY ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN POEM BY
JOHN T. MC NELLIS.
THE celebration of the Silver Jubilee on Thursday
morning by the children attending the parochial schools
of the archdiocese is another of the brightest occurrences
in this memorable event of the Catholic history of Chi-
cago. As the Auditorium could only accommodate
a limited number, and as there were 45,000 children at-
tending the parochial schools, it was determined to in-
vite only representatives from each school to attend the
exercises.
Accompanied by the teachers on Thursday morning,
from far and near, thousands of children were seen
wending their way to the great Auditorium; they came
in orderly array, with flags and banners, the girls attired
in white dresses, with blue, pink, red or green ribbons;
the boys in dark suits, manly little fellows, and
though there was a wintry touch in the air the children
did not heed it. The chosen ones to the number of 5,000
filled the immense theater from pit to dome, every tier
densely packed with bright young faces beaming with
joy and happiness through masses of beautiful flowers,
and a veritable maze of banners and flags. They had
come from all quarters of the great city, from the man-
sions of the rich and the humble cottages of the poor,
to sanctify their young hearts and prepare for the
solemn duties of life by this grand profession of love,
fealty and devotion to their illustrious spiritual father
upon the occasion of his Silver Jubilee.
201
202 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
When His Grace, surrounded by the distinguished
members of the Hierarchy, who had remained to witness
this grand assemblage of Chicago Catholic school chil-
dren, and escorted by the clergy of the archdiocese,
came upon the platform, a magnificent scene presented
itself to his view; it was picturesque, striking and sig-
nificant, outreaching the sublimest inspiration of poet's
song or painter's graphic pencil. He saw children of
every nationality, white children, colored children, deaf
mutes, orphans and boys from his Training School; he
saw a vast, terraced flower garden of young humanity,
flowers of every kind and hue, such as gladdened the
heart of Him Who said: "Suffer little children to come
unto Me."
The programme was appropriate, expressive, and in
every sense admirably conducted. A feature full of
pathos and which touched the heart of every one present
was the address of the deaf mutes to their beloved father
and benefactor. These poor, afflicted children, wrapped
in the silence of the tomb, poured forth in a language
of signs all the expression of that love, devotion and
gratitude which the sublime character and personality
of this heroic protector of little children had inspired
in their tender hearts. Before their address was com-
pleted the venerable prelate was visibly affected by the
unutterable sadness of the incident, and the eyes of
thousands in the vast audience were moistened with
tears.
PROGRAMME
Music Grand Welcome March
Jubilee Hymn Grand Chorus by all the Pupils
Introductory Very Rev. D. M. Dowling, V. G.
Colored Pupils Address and Song
Italian Pupils Address and Song
French Canadian Pupils Address and Song
Music.. Grand Orchestra
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION 203
German Pupils Address and Song
German Orphans Address and Song
Columbia Grand Chorus
Bohemian Pupils. Address and Song
Polish Pupils National Operetta
Polish Pupils Address and Song
Music Orchestra
Deaf Mute Pupils Sing-song Address
English Speaking Pupils:
Address North Side Pupils
Address West Side Pupils
Address South Side Pupils
Address Pupils Outside the City
"Star Spangled Banner" Grand Chorus
St. Joseph's Orphans Address and Song
Feehanville Training School Pupils .... Address and Song
Jubilee Benediction Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, D. D.
Thanksgiving Hymn Grand Chorus
Orchestra.
Of all these addresses delivered to the Archbishop we
will reproduce here only three, two from the orphans
and one from the boys of St. Mary's Training School
at Feehanville; for, whilst exercising throughout his
entire life the most paternal solicitude for all the chil-
dren, the orphans and the neglected and misled youths
had been at all times his special care. Their recognition
and acknowledgment of his fatherly love and Christian
piety can best be seen and felt in the sentiments ex-
pressed in their own language.
GERMAN CATHOLIC ORPHANS, HIGH RIDGE, ILL.
"Most Rev. Archbishop:
"We, the German Catholic orphans of this diocese,
would also offer our weak endeavors to swell the great
stream of congratulations brought to Your Grace to-
day. We rejoice so much the more because it is the
spiritual head of our diocese who celebrates today a
festival both rare and sublime.
204 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"Twenty-five years ago what a long time! God
made you a Bishop. Today the Catholics of this diocese
rejoice on the anniversary of their spiritual head, the
joy and pride of the faithful and the father of the or-
phans.
"We have lost our natural protectors by death. The
loss of our parents causes a loneliness, sad and supreme,
which only orphans can know and feel, but kind hearts
and willing hands have performed a great work of love
to provide for our childhood, guide our youth and
brighten our lives.
"Therefore, with a feeling of satisfaction do we assert
on this day of Catholic rejoicing, that, owing to the
benevolent and educational institutions which, under
your care and protection, have sprung up and flourish,
the sadness of our lot is not only mitigated, but turned
into grateful gladness at the thought that our good Arch-
bishop watches over us with fatherly care and protec-
tion, and provides for our physical, mental and moral
welfare.
"We will try to be grateful. May our actions afford
you the consolation that the orphans whom you have
fostered have lived to be good followers of Christ.
"Rest assured, Most Reverend Archbishop, that the
orphans will continue to pray for your temporal and
spiritual welfare.
"With all the earnestness of childlike devotion we will
beseech God to grant already as a temporal reward long
life to our wise, kind and benevolent Archbishop."
ST. JOSEPH'S ORPHANS
A dozen girls from the St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum
addressed the Archbishop in chorus:
"Your Grace: We, the Orphans of St. Joseph's
205
Providence Orphan Asylum, beg leave to bring to Your
Grace on this glorious Silver Jubilee the humblest of-
fering of all The Orphans Gratitude. Had we some
fair bright vase of silver in which to enshrine our poor
offering, and present it to Your Grace, it might seem
the more acceptable. But the vase which holds our
offering is the Orphans Heart. Believe, beloved Prel-
ate, as long as our lives shall last, your name and your
goodness shall be deeply engraven thereon.
"Into our shadowed lives flashed the bright news that
we, your orphan children, would be permitted to join
our childish voices to the pasan of praises and joy that
arise from the hearts of the multitude who own your
gentle sway. And we bring to the silver sound of your
joyous jubilate no sad minor wail of woe, no discordant
sigh of sorrow to mar the perfect harmony of this Silver
Jubilee. By your care and kindness, beloved Arch-
bishop, we are rescued from a life of want and misery,
we are surrounded by good and holy influences, we are
trained to a life of usefulness by devoted, careful in-
structresses.
"Blessings on the head that has planned, on the heart
that has prompted, on the hand that has wrought so
much for the Orphan's Weal.
"May God's choicest blessings fall in silver radiance
upon your hallowed feast, is the prayer of your grate-
ful orphans."
ST. MARY'S TRAINING SCHOOL
"Most Rev. Archbishop:
"Whilst all your numerous friends and well wishers
are burning with holy ardor in expressing their warmest
congratulations on this glorious occasion, the twenty-
fifth anniversary of your elevation to the exalted dignity
is
206 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
of the episcopate, it would ill become the inmates of St.
Mary's Training School, your own Feehanville, to show
any lack of fervor in so laudable a demonstration.
"Feehanville is one of the many monuments of your
charitable zeal and heroic self-sacrificing devotedness to
the welfare of humanity that will perpetuate your name
unto future generations, crowned with the blessings of
multitudes in every age. Gladly then do we come to
offer our tribute of gratitude, love and veneration, and
to join our voices to the general outbursts of rejoicing
and felicitations. We, too, congratulate ourselves on
having so grand an opportunity as that of your Silver
Jubilee to express our admiration of the many noble
qualities that endear our beloved Archbishop to all who
have the happiness of knowing him, especially to those
of his own archdiocese, in whose heart his name and
memory are enshrined with ever-increasing devotedness.
"Chicago rejoices, as well she may, in such an acquisi-
tion as adds a new and crowning glory to her increasing
greatness.
"And we, Most Reverend Archbishop, so highly fa-
vored, the objects of your munificence and kindness, re-
joice with exceeding joy in seeing all these honors paid
to whom honor is due and in witnessing this magnificent
celebration of your Silver Jubilee. And it is our earnest
wish and will be our fervent prayer that Heaven may
lengthen your years until we have the happiness of
celebrating your golden jubilee.
"Once more, beloved Archbishop, permit us to offer
you our humble, but sincere and most affectionate con-
gratulations."
Archbishop Feehan, at the conclusion of this address,
advanced to the edge of the platform and spoke as fol-
lows:
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION 207
My Dear Children:
"I have seen in my life vast and beautiful scenes, but
the scene that is here today is the most beautiful I have
ever witnessed; not merely because it presents to the
eye a most charming picture, but it is beautiful because
of all that it signifies. You bring a joy today to all
that are here present.
"I cannot express the gratitude I feel at the events
of yesterday and today. Many kind and generous things
were said yesterday, but none more pleasant to me than
what you have been saying for the last two or three
hours. Everything you have said was so natural and
becoming, and so evidently from your hearts, that the
impression it has made upon me is one that will last as
long as I live. To all of you it will be a memory that
will last for years to come. You will remember it was
not merely a pleasure to you, but that it was a day
when you were young, a day on which you made a strik-
ing profession of the Catholic faith that is in your
hearts. In all your songs and all your addresses there
was that spirit; the spirit of the young, whose hearts,
fresh and pure, are filled with the love, one may say
with the loveliness, that comes only from God. It would
be a very happy thing for the Archbishop if he could
always live among such scenes; it would be a joy to
me. How pleasant would be the bishop's life if the
miter and the crozier were made of flowers, with no
ugly thorns concealed within their colored petals.
"But my dear children, there is also an idea in your
coming today, which is this : You have come here from
the many schools and placed a crown, as it were, a crown
upon the labors of the years. You also placed a crown
upon the heads of your devoted teachers, to whom our
thanks are due for the appearance you have made to-
208 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
day. In your schools you have been taught to love God,
to love your homes, and to love our country. My chil-
dren, love your homes ; the homes of a land are the source
of its greatness. No one who loves his country but must
wish that homes like those from which you come today
may continue to increase and shed their blessings upon
our native land. Again I must tell you how grateful
I am for all the kindly things you have said to me.
"Now, my dear children, let me close by a request to
your teachers, which I know will find an echo in your
hearts. Let me request them to grant you, in honor of
this great gathering, a holiday on Wednesday next."
Numerous celebrations in honor of Archbishop Fee-
han took place in the educational institutions of the
archdiocese. They were inaugurated by a brilliant
School Fete given at St. Patrick's Academy, Oakley
and Park Avenues. This entertainment was invested
with marked social features by the fact that the Mother
Superior presiding over the Mercy Nuns in charge of
the academy, was a sister of the Archbishop.
It would be too long to give the details of all these
various celebrations, and besides they may be read in
the jubilee book to which reference has already been
made; however, among the echoes of the Silver Jubilee
from St. Ignatius College, we select a poem which is a
beautiful tribute to the Christian charity and courage
of the great Archbishop during the plagues which
visited the South while he was Bishop of Nashville,
Tenn. The poem is by John T. McNellis and well
worth insertion in full.
PROEM
Joy! Joy, dear father, to thee,
On the feast of thy jubilee,
While myriad voices of praise
Are winged with unwonted glee!
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION 209
These greetings are more than gold,
For they tell of love untold.
And, like to the winds of the South,
Their ardor can ne'er grow cold.
The iSouth! how its name doth fill
Our fancy with scenes that thrill!
For we dream it an Eden of Joy,
Untouched by the demons of ill.
Yet the South doth also recall
A tale which we Jove best of all,
How the breath of the yellow plague
Did the courage of men enthrall;
And then rose a noble priest,
Whose fame with his years has increased,
A pastor who dared for his flock,
And we sing of his deeds on his feast.
THE TALE
In the Southland lies a clime
Where more brilliant shines the sun,
And, while here the wintry rime
Garbs the trees, there blossoms run
O'er the fields and 'mid the glades,
Making sweet the darkened shades,
With a hue that (never fades.
In this land of sunny skies,
Fertile fields, and mossy dales,
Where the plumaged birds arise
From the tree% that deck the vales,
When the evening bells resound,
Grateful people gather round,
Praising God for peace profound.
But, alas ! this beauteous land
Soon is stricken by disease;
Those fair fields, so lately fanned
By the health-bestowing breeze,
Now are dimmed, as if the sun,
Palled in clouds of deepest dun,
Had forgot his course to run.
210 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Who can speak the wild despair
Of the land so lately blest?
For the tainted, shuddering air
Told them of a fearful guest;
Yellow fever was its name,
Who amid their homesteads came,
Blight'ning them like blasting flame.
See how, 'neath the monster's touch,
Stalwart men are stricken down;
How the fever's baleful clutch
Holds in gyves the fated town;
Mothers leave their sons to die,
Brothers from their sisters fly,
Children heed no parents' cry.
Is there none with heart so brave,
As to dare the yellow foe?
Is there no bold hand to save
Dying men from deeper woe?
Yes, when all that's dear on earth
Has betrayed love's deepest dearth
Then we learn the pastor's worth !
'Mid the horrors of the dead,
And the groans of dying men,
Who, with soft and loving tread,
Showed himself a hero then?
Who, but he, upon whose brow,
Which the gifts of God endow,
Gleams the jeweled miter now.
He it was who met the foe
When the yellow plague was rife, -
He it was whose whisper low
Cheered the lingering gleam of life;
He it was who blessed the head
Writhing on pain's bitter bed,
He it was who tombed the dead.
Wonder not, then, if we bring
Joyous gifts to speak our love.
Wonder not, then, if we sing
Of the star-like crown above;
For upon the Southern breeze,
Redolent of harmonies,
Swell such grateful prayers as these.
THE CHILDREN'S CELEBRATION 211
Honor, then, to him whose hand
Hath been ever stretched to save,
Honor him whose courage grand
Ranks him with the priestly brave!
Honor to our shepherd be,
While we sing with sacred glee,
On his Silver Jubilee.
L'ENVOI
,
Thus, on thy silver feast,
Amid the gleam of autumn's golden hours,
When the choicest greetings fall on thee in showers,
We come, O Mitered Priest!
Thy truest children we,
Who fondly gather here in gladsome throng,
To tell our love, with welcome word, and song,
Upon thy Jubilee.
CHAPTER XVI
THE EVENING CELEBRATION
THE ARCHBISHOP IS SHOWN TO BE A FATHER TO ALL NATION-
ALITIES THE ADDRESSES IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES ADDRESS
BY THE NEGRO CATHOLICS SPEECH OF THE ARCHBISHOP
HIS GRATITUDE.
FIVE thousand Catholic citizens, representing every
nationality in Chicago, crowded to overflowing the
Auditorium in the evening of the same day, and listened
to addresses of congratulation to the Archbishop, read
in their native tongues.
With a rare gift of penetration into every phase of
human life, which was one of the conspicuous attributes
of the great Prelate, unlocking for him the most stub-
born sociological problems, he realized the paramount
necessity and salutary effect of gradually blending all
the various elements of the Catholic population into one
concordant whole. To consummate this end he was
careful not to run counter suddenly, rashly and arbi-
trarily to national traditions, customs and environment,
by the assignment to parishes of pastors who were not
by birth and association so well qualified to guard, advise
and nurture the flocks as those of the same race or
nationality, who were familiar with their people's cast
of minds, national customs and traditions. His policy
was to give to each foreign congregation a pastor of
their own nationality, who was doubly in sympathy with
the people, both from natural and religious motives.
For, well he realized that in time's great alembic, all
elements of discord being eliminated during the process
of amalgamation, the entire Catholic population would
212
THE VERY REV. JAMES McGOVERN, D. D.
Author of "The Souvenir of the Silver Jubilee of
Archbishop Feehan"
"ft i
THE EVENING CELEBRATION 213
be molded into one homogeneous body, with a common
fealty to its religion and clergy, and with no jarring
national prejudices to mar the harmony of religious
organization and spiritual life.
Noteworthy among the many eloquent addresses of
the Catholic laity to their spiritual head and leader was
that of the Negro Catholics of the archdiocese. It was
due to the wise providence and far-reaching judgment
of Archbishop Feehan that the first negro priest was
given to the Chicago mission.
The address of the Negro Catholics of Chicago, to
His Grace, the Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, delivered by
Mr. Lincoln Valle:
"Most Rev. Archbishop, Right Rev. Fathers, Mr.
Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
"I could not describe to you my feelings if I did not
at once say that I feel specially honored by the invita-
tion which brings me before you on this occasion, and,
as I enter upon the duty which the acceptance of this
invitation imposes, I realize my inability to meet your
expectations by treating, with fulness of learning and
power, the subject upon which I am to speak.
"Most Reverend Father, you have heard from differ-
ent nationalities during the course of this, your Silver
Jubilee, and while we, the Negro Catholics of Chicago,
rejoice in your long ministerial life, we think it most fit-
ting to present ourselves before you tonight with a few
points for your consideration. We wish to thank you
from the bottom of our hearts for the just and cordial
treatment you have always accorded to us during your
administration. Your love for us has been genuine,
pure and holy. We will ever cherish your memory in
our minds and hearts. We feel, also, very grateful to
you for bringing into our midst the Rev. Augustus Tol-
214 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ton, our worthy brother in race and creed, as through
him the salvation of our people, in a great measure,
greatly depends. We, the Negroes of the United
States, owe to Father Tolton a debt of gratitude for
the space that he has covered.
"We have in this great city at least twenty-seveo
thousand Negroes; out of that number but a few are
Catholics. A large number are clearly outside of any
church; they have souls, and could be brought into the
Catholic Church if the proper steps were taken; all we
ask is, that all our Catholic friends excite that one Cath-
olic zeal and help us in reaching our own dear neglected
people.
"We propose to unite more closely together a better
social union among us, in order to improve the moral,
mental and social condition of our people. The struggle
is still and forever going on the struggle against error.
"Never in the world's history was there a freer field
to fight the battle of God than in this city, and never
yet, take them all in all, were there more generous foes
to contend against. But let it be borne well in mind,
the battle is a severe one, all the more so, perhaps, be-
cause the field is so open and the Catholics are so free.
Here in America there is nothing of the glory of mar-
tyrdom to sustain us in effort, that turns defeat into
victory, and by one death wins a thousand lives.
"Ours is not the clash of arms and of battle, but a
struggle of intellects. The Church must not only hold
her own, but she must also win others.
"The Catholics of these United States have right at
their own doors one of the greatest of social questions:
Eight millions of negro people ask to be lifted up;
Catholics have it in their power to show forth in the
strongest manner the social power of their faith.
THE EVENING CELEBRATION 215
"Most Rev. Father, we pray only that the negroes of
these United States will soon understand that if prej-
udice is to remain for a season on earth there is one
place where it must be unknown and that is within the
sacred circle of the Catholic Church. We hope they
will soon learn that the solemn dogma of the Catholic
Church is the equality of all men before God, and they
should know the whole history of the Catholic Church
has been a ceaseless protest against slavery. Even today
the voice of Leo goes forth from the Vatican hoping
and praying that the last blow to human slavery be
dealt out by Christians amid the wilds of Africa.
"The question is often asked, is the negro susceptible
of education? Yes, answer the statistics. In the South-
ern States, in 1865, among one thousand negroes, you
could find one that knew the alphabet, whilst today,
more than twenty per cent of all over ten years old can
read and write. This proportion is so much the more
to be remarked as there are many illiterate whites in
those States.
"More might be said on this question, but suffice it to
say that we, the Negro Catholics of Chicago, will show
good examples of sobriety and charity to all men, for
no sermon is as powerful as the unspoken sermon of
good example preached by a model, Christian man.
"In conclusion, dear Archbishop, we turn to you, and
address ourselves by wishing you to have a long life,
and many years of uninterrupted happiness."
Mr. J. P. Beretta next read the address, in Italian,
presented by the Italian citizens of Chicago. He was
followed by Mr. P. C. Harbour, who spoke in the
language of "la belle France." Mr. A. C. Hesing made
his address in German, which was of more than usual
significance. Then followed addresses in Bohemian,
216 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Polish and Irish. Judge Moran's address came next
and he was followed by the Catholic Library Associa-
tion. The closing address was presented by the Catholic
Order of Foresters.
At the close of this memorable and historic meeting,
Archbishop Feehan arose, and coming to the front of
the platform, delivered the following beautiful address,
giving full expression to the gratitude of his heart for
all the manifestations of love shown him during the
Jubilee celebration:
"Would that I could invoke some spirit of eloquence
that I might express the thoughts and feelings of this
hour. This splendid assembly suggests a great lesson
as well as an inspiration.
"You are come together from a high motive, and also
from a kindly one. You come to give public expres-
sion to your Catholic faith, to declare your loyalty to its
Supreme Pastor, the Vicar of Christ; and then, in the
goodness of your heart, to express your affectionate
devotion to him who represents in your midst the au-
thority and teaching of the Church.
"In few, if in any, cities of the world could the scene
that is witnessed here tonight be realized. You rep-
resent many races and many tongues. Very many of
you were born here. Some have come from the con-
tinents and the isles of the ocean with memories and
traditions of some of the oldest nations and civiliza-
tions, but you are all united by one great principle, that
of a common faith.
"We have listened to the tongues of the newest and
the oldest of the nations; first the language of our own
great country, where human liberty, so long exiled from
earth, has at length found a home, beneath whose flag
men driven from other lands find generous shelter.
THE EVENING CELEBRATION 217
"You have heard it spoken by one of her distinguished
sons, whose cradle was fanned by the breath of free-
dom, and who has given eloquent expression not only
to his own, but also to the faith and loyalty of all of us.
"You have heard the tongue of the countrymen of
Sobieski and Pulaski, the gallant though unfortunate
Poles; and of Bohemia and Hungary, who have fought
and endured many a great struggle for their faith and
their country.
"You have heard the tongue of the descendants of
Arminius, of that sturdy German people who, in our
own day, have had the courage to unite and to defend
successfully one of the highest principles that of liberty
of conscience against one of the most powerful govern-
ments of modern Europe.
"You have heard the tongue of St. Louis, and of Bos-
suet, of that generous nation, France, to which was once
applied, and to which may still be largely applied, the
glorious words 'Gesta Dei per Francos.'
"We have listened to the sweet language of that match-
less clime of the land of highest art and genius, fair
Italy.
"And the son of the dark race came to express among
his brothers his faith and loyalty. You received him
kindly and generously. A happy omen of the future
of his race.
"And as you began with the newest tongue, so you
ended with the oldest, the ancient language of the Celt,
that which expresses a civilization far older than any
now existing, which had a form and a finish before
Cadmus brought letters into Greece, before Romulus
built the walls of ancient Rome, which was the tongue
of an eminently loyal race, which for seven hundred
years, notwithstanding the direst persecutions, has been
faithful to God and to its country.
218 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"But, though speaking many tongues and representing
many races, there is one common language which you
all speak; one great common country in which you all
claim fellowship, for each one repeats the same 'Credo'
'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.' But you
speak tonight for the Catholic people in our midst, you
come to express what each one of them would say.
"Fifty years ago Chicago had two hundred Catholics,
and one little frame church ; tonight you represent more
than a half million of Catholics in the archdiocese alone.
"And how much greater will it be in the future that
is approaching. That future will be when the tongues
we hear tonight shall mingle into one, when the children
of many races shall form one great people united by a
bond stronger than death that of their Catholic faith.
"As the mountain streams uniting form at length the
broad, deep river, so those streams of population com-
ing from many sources will make one great people:
strong, free, intelligent, Catholic. And as humanity
never before enjoyed conditions so favorable as in this
great Republic, so we may believe that its highest, best
type will be the people of this future, and we may well
prophesy that the historic Church never had within its
fold a nobler race than they will be. They will be
always found among the best and most devoted of our
citizens. And this not merely because their homes, their
families, all their material interests are here, but also,
and more especially because their religion will continue
to teach them that loyalty to the commonwealth is an
imperative and conscientious duty. They will be in the
future as their brethren have been in the past. The
fidelity of our co-religionists to the Republic for a hun-
dred years is more than sufficient answer to whatever
may be said to the contrary.
THE EVENING CELEBRATION
"I said you came from a kindly motive. Twenty-five
years is frequently used to mark a term, an epoch, in
the Church, in the State, in public and in private life.
"I have been twenty-five years a Bishop, and you
wished to commemorate this fact. The years have
brought their labors. Sometimes also their anxieties.
But these are all forgotten in an hour like this.
"Yesterday I heard the words of earnest loyalty from
the priests, words precious beyond price ; today, I heard
the voices that are sweetest of all, the voices of the chil-
dren; and now your voices, stronger than the murmur
of a mighty sea, come to tell your loyal and kindly
feeling. Amongst any rewards of this life, this is one
of the highest; and from my whole heart I thank you
again and again."
The entire audience then arose, and with bowed heads
received the Archbishop's blessing, and the magnificent
evening celebration closed with the hymn, "Holy God,
we praise Thy Name." Thus ended the public demon-
stration in honor of the Most Rev. P. A. Feehan's
Silver Jubilee in the Episcopacy, on the 30th of Octo-
ber, 1890, and we may well close this chapter with the
words of the editor of the "Catholic Review" from
Brooklyn, who wrote: "No Catholic community in the
peace and ardor of mediaeval piety ever offered to a
beloved and venerated prelate more impressive evidence
of their zeal for faith, or of their devotion to the prin-
ciples of the Church . . . The Catholic people of the
great inland metropolis have set to their brethren
throughout the country an example of union, brother-
hood, ability, taste and power, that ought to be every-
where studied and emulated. . . In the Silver Jubilee
of Archbishop Feehan there was neither wealth nor
poverty, neither pretension nor lowliness, neither class
nor rivalry. All were Catholics; all were Americans."
CHAPTER XVII
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH
INCREASE OF CATHOLIC POPULATION IN CHICAGO INCREASE IN
NUMBER OF CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZA-
TIONS THE "NEW WORLD" is ESTABLISHED LIST OF ORIG-
INAL PROMOTERS THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOP DUNNE
MASTERFUL ADDRESS OF THE ARCHBISHOP ON CATHOLIC ED-
UCATION HIS GENEROSITY HIS KINDNESS TO THE NUNS
HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS IN BEHA<LF OF THE OUTCAST OF
SOCIETY.
THE closing of the great Jubilee ceremonies marked
the end of the most remarkable decade of Church adminis-
tration, both in the spiritual advancement and material
prosperity, which had ever crowned the efforts of an
executive in the whole history of the Propaganda in
America. The same triumphant march of Catholicism
which signalized the first ten years of Archbishop Fee-
han's administration, continued under his masterful
generalship until the day of his death.
The Catholic population in the last ten years of the
Archbishop's life and labors increased at a rate that
would astonish the most sanguine optimist upon the
possibilities of human progress. Churches, schools, con-
vents and institutions of charity continued to multiply
and seemingly to evolve from the air just as the castles
of an enchanted world spring from the earth at the
magic touch of the Genii's wand. During the twenty-
two years of Archbishop Feehan's administration, the
growth of Catholicism in the Archdiocese of Chicago
assumed phenomenal proportions; in Catholic popula-
tion and number of churches the increase was threefold.
In 1880 there were but fifty churches in Chicago;
there were only a few parochial schools with but small
220
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 221
attendance, and the number of academies and colleges
was insignificant. During Archbishop Feehan's time
were erected,
Churches: St. Adalbert's, St. Alphonsus', St. Augus-
tine's, St. Bernard's, St. Cecilia's, St. Charles Bor-
romeo's, St. Elizabeth's, St. George's, the Church of
the Assumption, St. Gabriel's, Holy Angels', St. Jar-
lath's, St. John Cantius,' St. Malachy's, St. Mary of
Perpetual Help, St. Martin's, St. Monica's (colored),
the Church of the Nativity, St. Pius', St. Thomas', St.
Vincent's, St. Patrick's (Amboy), St. James' (Bel-
videre), St. Mary's (Freeport), St. Joseph's (Har-
vard), St. John the Baptist (Johnsburg), St. Patrick's
(Kankakee), St. Patrick's (Lemont), St. Mary's (Ore-
gon), St. Patrick's (Rochelle), St. Mary's (Rockford)
and St. Rose's (Wilmington).
Educational Institutions: De La Salle Institute, St.
Patrick's Academy, Loretto Academy (Joliet), St.
Francis Academy (Joliet), Our Lady of Mount Car-
mel Academy, Loretto Convent (Englewood), Normal
School (Irving Park), St. Agatha's Academy and the
Josephinum.
Eleemosynary Institutions: St. Elizabeth's Hospital,
large addition built to the Mercy Hospital, St. Joseph's
Hospital rebuilt, Alexian Brothers' Hospital rebuilt,
Ephpheta School, Houses of Providence on the North
Side, South Side and West Side, Chicago Industrial
School for Girls, St. Mary's Training School for Boys
at Feehanville, the News Boys' Home, and the Boys'
Orphan Asylum at Irving Park.
Since 1880 the growth of the city of Chicago in popu-
lation, commercial importance and material wealth,
stands alone in the world's annals as a marvel of human
achievement; yet under the masterful direction of the
wise Archbishop, the Catholic Church with all its great
16
222 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
volume of diversified interests, material changes, and
complexities of organization has wrought proportion-
ately still greater wonders in the field of Christian
civilization and spiritual progress.
It was about this time that great stress was laid re-
peatedly by Pope Leo XIII on the value of an able
Catholic Press. "A Catholic paper," His Holiness said,
"is a perpetual mission." Again and again, in speak-
ing to deputations of journalists, the Pope commended
the support of a strong Catholic press to the general
Catholic body and even laid down the lines upon which
such a press ought to proceed in order to be serviceable
to Catholic principle.
Feeling the need of a stronger organ than "The
Home," which was the only Catholic paper for the Eng-
lish-speaking people of the archdiocese, Archbishop
Feehan in July, 1892, called a meeting of all the pastors
and proposed the establishing of a more vigorous weekly
paper. It was decided to incorporate the "Catholic
Press Company" with a capital of $20,000. The Arch-
bishop wishing to keep the control in his own hands
subscribed for about $11,000 of the stock, while the
balance was subscribed for by the pastors in sums rang-
ing from $100 to $500 as follows:*
SHARES PAID
Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, D. D. (dec.), N.
State St c550 $11,000
Rt. Rev. E. J. Dunne, D. D., Dallas, Texas. . c5 100
Rev. A. J. McGavick, D. D., 364 Oak-
wood Blvd c5 100
Rev. P. J. Muldoon, D. D., 953 W. 12th St.. . clO 200
V. Rev. D. M. J. Dowling, V. G. (dec.), 2928
Archer Ave c50 1,000
Rev. T. F. Mangan (dec.), 2928 Archer Ave. 25 500
Rev. J. C. Madden, Highland Park c5 100
Rev. D. A. Tighe (dec.). 264 Oakwood Blvd. c25 500
Rev. Wm. Netstraeter, Wilmette c25 500
* The list here printed is dated Sept. 1. 1892.
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 223
SHARES PAID
Rev. T. P. Hodnett, 497 N. Park Ave c25 500
Rev. H. McGuire, 2942 Wabash Ave c50 1,000
Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons, V. G., 311 E. Supe-
rior St c25 500
Rev. W. J. McNamee, Joliet clO 200
Rev. T. P. O'Gara, Wilmington clO 200
Rev. J. E. McGavick, 264 Oakwood Rlvd c5 100
Rev. D. O'Brien c4 80
Rev. A. Evers, 274 Cornell St c5 100
Rev. M. O'Sullivan, 2928 Archer Ave c5 100
Rev. D. J. Riordan, 4049 Wabash Ave c25 500
Rev. M. Bonfield, 1235 Douglas Blvd c5 100
Rev. D. Croke, Freeport c2 40
Rev. Thomas Quigley (dec.) 2V 2 50
Rev. P. A. McLaughlin, 769 Lunt Ave 5 100
Rev. M. J. Sullivan c2 40
Rev. J. P. Aylward, 6530 Harvard Ave c2 40
Rev. J. A. Hemlock c!3 260
Rev. J. M. Cartan, 839 E. 37th St 25 500
Rev. P. A. Krier, S, J., 49 W. 19th St 5 100
Rev. H. P. Smyth, Evanston clO 200
Rev. H. Quinn, Woodstock c4 80
Rev. P. J. Agnew (dec.) c5 100
Rev. P. D. Gill, 859 Bissell St c!5 300
Rev. P. R. Bulfm, 3528 Hermitage Ave c5 100
Rev. J. Molitor, 186 W. Taylor St 2 40
Rev. J. L. Moloney, Fulton c8 160
Rev. M. O'Brien, 94 Palmer Ave c5 100
Rev. E. A. Kelly, 4515 5th Ave 2 40
Rev. J. F. Callaghan, 345 Walnut St 5 100
Rev. J. F. Barry, 311 E. Superior St 5 100
Total 991^ $19,830
After a long discussion the name "The New World"
was decided on for the weekly. The "Home" was pur-
chased from Dr. McGovern, owner and publisher, for
$5,000, and with the first issue of "The New World,"
ceased its publication.
For nearly thirty years this paper, which owes its
existence to the initiative and generosity of Archbishop
Feehan, has defended the cause of Catholicity in the
middle West, and has at all times encouraged every
Catholic enterprise.
224 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Chronology requires here the insertion of the consecra-
tion of the Right Rev. Edward Joseph Dunne, D. D.,
which took place in Chicago about this time.
The Rev. Edward Joseph Dunne, founder and pastor
of All Saints' parish, was born in County Tipperary,
Ireland, April 23, 1848, and ordained at Baltimore,
Md., June 29, 1871. Having labored most successfully
in the Archdiocese of Chicago for many years he was
selected by Rome to rule the Diocese of Dallas, Texas.
His consecration took place in his parish church of All
Saints, Nov. 30, 1893. The consecrator was the Most
Rev. Archbishop Feehan, assisted by the Right Rev.
James Ryan, D. D., of Alton, 111., and the Right Rev.
John N. Foley, D. D., of Detroit, Mich. The sermon
was preached by the Most Rev. Francis Janssens, D. D.,
of New Orleans, La.
Bishop Dunne died Aug. 5, 1910, and was buried in
Calvary Cemetery, Chicago, 111.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Follows the Archbishop's address to the clergy, while
in collaboration with the suffragan bishops on educa-
tional matters. It is a masterpiece of philosophical
reasoning and establishes the highest standard by which
Catholic parents should be governed in that paramount
duty which they owe to their children.
To the Clergy and Catholic people of the Ecclesiastical
Province of Chicago:
"Very Rev. and Rev. Dear Fathers ; Beloved Brethren
of the Laity:
"At a recent meeting, we, the Archbishop and Bishops
of the Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago, considered it
to be our duty to address you on the subject of educa-
tion.
"In zeal for education and in faith in its power to trans-
THE RIGHT REV. EDWARD JOSEPH DUNNE, D. D.
Consecrated in Chicago by Archbishop Feehan
Nov. 30, 1893
Died Aug. 5, 1910
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 225
form the thoughts and habits of individuals and peo-
ples, we yield to none; and it is because we recognize
what a mighty and far-reaching influence education is,
that we are solicitous to provide for those of whose souls
we shall have to render an account at the Tribunal of
the All-Just and All- Wise God, the kind of training
and discipline which true religion, pure morality and
a right view of human life demand.
"Man's origin and destiny are divine; he is godlike,
for he is a child of God; and it is only in the light of
this primal and radical truth that he sees rightly, thinks
truly and aspires nobly.
"Whenever this light dawns man perceives that he is
a religious being ; for religion is a deep-rooted faith that
we exist in God and through God, and that without
God we should at once cease to be. It is a living sense
of our utter dependence on Him for every thought and
movement of our life, and for the existence of all other
things. It is a love for Him, not as we love ourselves,
but as the absolutely Good and True One, Whose
perfection infinitely exceeds our power to conceive or
to love. It is therefore not an accidental something, but
the very essence of all our believing and hoping, of all
striving and doing.
"The consciousness of God's presence in the world
makes us men; fills us with thoughts which wander
through eternity, with longings which nothing but the
Infinite Best can satisfy; it gives strength and
courage, it awakens the sense of duty and brings peace
and blessedness.
"Whoever takes this view of man's life and how is
it possible to take any other? instinctively feels that
the attempt to exclude the influence of religion from the
school is irrational and unholy, and whoever under-
226 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
stands that this is so, must go still further and admit
that Catholics are consistent when they refuse to accept
for themselves and their children a purely secular sys-
tem.
"In our country, those who believe that education is
essentially religious seem at present to be a minority;
but we are persuaded that all Christians who have seri-
ously meditated on the subject know that we and those
who in this agree with us, are right. The arguments of
our opponents are arguments of expediency; but when
there is question of the highest human interests, what is
true and right is also the most expedient.
"Institutions are for man, and those which are most
favorable to the development of the highest type of man
are the best. To content one's self with an educational
system of which the tendency is to produce an inferior
sort of men (and mere materialists, secularists, indif-
ferentists must always be inferior), because there are
political and economical reasons for not establishing a
better system, is to be neither a statesman nor a philos-
opher. It is not right that we Catholics should have
to contribute to the support of both the public and the
parochial school; for the present, however, there seems
to be no escape from the double burden, for the law taxes
us for the maintenance of the secular schools, and reason
and conscience compel us to maintain our own religious
schools.
"While we are conscious of the wrong we are thus made
to suffer, we feel that it is our own business not to seek
excuses for not complying with the command of duty,
but to harken to the voice of conscience and to do what
we know we ought to do. To prefer life to honor, is
justly held to be base, and where there is question of
fidelity to truth and principle, financial and economical
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 227
considerations are out of place. To what nobler or
holier end can we devote part of our worldly possessions
than to the work of forming enlightened, reverent and
faithful Christian men and women? In doing this we
labor most effectively for the good of the State as well
as for that of the Church, and little by little this will
come to be recognized by all fair minded men.
"Experience and reflection will teach them that we are
all the more the true lovers of our country because we
prefer truth to current opinion, and have the courage to
be right when to be so is to be unpopular.
"Institutions are preserved by the forces from which
they originate, and since the Christian religion has been
and is the chief source of the vitality and strength of
Christian civilization, they who do most to make faith
in the life and teachings of Christ prevail, are our best
helpers in whatever concerns honor, justice, prosperity
and temperance, which are the virtues that make nations
strong and free.
"The world, it has been said, is governed from the
nursery; and certainly the worth in influence of a Chris-
tian home are inestimable. The man is formed at his
mother's knee; but she, if she be wise and noble, will
demand that the school assist her in the godlike work;
for if the teacher's attitude towards religion and moral-
ity neutralize her words and example, confusion will
arise in the soul of the child, and his view of the world
of truth and goodness will be darkened.
"It is conceded on all sides that the Catholic Church
has in other centuries rendered valuable services to man-
kind. By her the soul of man was redeemed from State
control and the principle of the supremacy of conscience
was established ; by her the barbarians were turned from
their aimless and unprogressive life into ways of light
228 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and gentleness ; by her the traditions and writings of the
classical ages were kept living; by her Europe was saved
from the blight of Mahommedanism ; by her faith, and
with the assistance of her devoted children, Columbus
was guided to the New World. But the heroic and
saintly men and women who were the leaders in all these
achievements and victories had but dim visions of the
far-reaching importance of the work they were doing;
they built better than they knew; they did the thing
which was given them to do, and God turned their deeds
into world-blessings.
"So shall it be with what we Catholics are now doing
in the United States. In our practical acceptance of
the principle that education is essentially religious, that
without it, however much the mind and body may be
cultivated, man cannot rightly be educated, we take the
true and deep view of this all-important subject, and
the influence of our schools will come to be a potent
moral and intellectual influence in America.
"We urge you, therefore, dear brethren, to cherish the
cause of Christian education as the cause of God and
our country. In building, maintaining and perfecting
our Catholic schools we are doing the most beneficent
work American citizens can do; a work which, like true
piety, is useful both for the life that now is and for that
which is to come."
Archbishop Feehan had a gratifying degree of suc-
cess in the building of parochial schools. There was
little stir made; there was no beating of drums or
no clashing of cymbals, but the schools were in opera-
tion before the public had heard of them. The im-
mense resources of the diocese, concentrated in the
hands of Archbishop Feehan, were for use rather than
exhibition and hence it is that one can say, "if ever
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 229
a prelate forsook all other interests for those of his
diocese, that prelate was Patrick A. Feehan."
The Catholic school life in the archdiocese made great
strides during his episcopate. He was always delighted
when a new school was opened and frequently said,
"Fill the schools now, and the churches will be filled
in the future." Whenever possible he endeavored to
have the church and school begin their careers together,
and hence as a beginning he favored the "combination
building" (church and school). He was, even at the
expense of energy, very gracious in attending the clos-
ing exercises of the schools and higher institutions of
learning. He never complained of the heat or the long
programs, saying, "why should not we the patrons of
education surfer a bit when we can be of such pleasure
to the graduates on the greatest day in their lives. Then
think how much our presence means to the hard worked
teachers."
After Confirmation he would always call upon the
religious who were working in the parish. He would
compliment them and thank them for the excellent edu-
cation they were affording the youth. On one occasion
he remarked after such a visit: "The non-Catholics have
no conception of the great value of our religious com-
munities and I often wonder if even our Catholics fully
appreciate the heroic work that these men and women
do. Slaves to the desk or sick-bed, and the majority
of our own people take it as a matter of course ! Youth,
refinement, good education and talent all pressed in
humility under the religious habit, that others may be
blessed and benefitted! In a certain sense it is a con-
stant miracle of grace and an evidence of the vitality
and power of the sacraments. Take away the Taber-
nacle and our religious communities would disappear.
230 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Oh, I can have no patience with priest or layman who
is uncivil or discourteous to the nuns. Such show an
utter disregard for the finer things of life. There is a
spiritual atmosphere in the convent that you find no
place else." Then turning to the two young priests who
were with him in the carriage, he said solemnly: "Fa-
thers, not in my day, but perhaps in yours, bold, bad
men may attack these handmaidens of Jesus Christ.
Then it will be your duty to shield and protect them
even with your life. Let me tell you a story," he con-
tinued.
"When I was a young priest in St. Louis, I was
seated one day in an omnibus near the driver. A big
Irishman, known as 'Red Simon,' was also there and as
I passed him he lifted his hat and saluted me. I paid no
further attention to him until two nuns also entered the
vehicle. No sooner were they seated than a violent dis-
turbance occurred. I could recognize 'Red Simon' in
action and with every punch he gave his victim on the
floor I could hear him say, 'You will insult those women
of God, will you.' After some mauling, 'Red Simon'
picked up the disturber and flung him to the street say-
ing, 'There's where the likes of you belong,' and then
turning to the driver he said, 'Go on.' After finding
his hat he came to me and begged my pardon for the
disturbance adding, 'I could not help it, Father; he in-
sulted those women of God and I would not insult you
by repeating what he said.' Now Fathers," continued
the Archbishop, "I cannot entirely approve of such mus-
cular Christianity, but really I somewhat enjoyed the
evidence of faith and respect for the nuns, and I also
felt that the ruffian had been properly treated. Some
people can understand only physical arguments."
But a more perplexing problem than the marvelous
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 231
concrete evidence displayed in the hosts of faithful
children of the Church who sought shelter under the ban-
ner of the good Archbishop, and the massive piles of
architectural skill and beauty which are now the lasting
monuments to his charity and zeal, is the apparently
almost impenetrable mystery of how a man of the Arch-
bishop's retiring disposition, abhorrence of notoriety
and display, could have accomplished so much and in
so imperceptible a manner as scarcely to attract the at-
tention of the world until after his death. As we shall
see, nearly all the great engines of publication seemed
at that time to have discovered with one accord, and
proclaimed to the whole civilized globe, the magnificent
character of the man, the greatness of his life's work,
and the irreparable loss sustained by his death. The
loss was felt by every element of which civilized society
is composed, regardless of creed, social station, or any
of the other barriers which too often separate men in the
fierce struggle for existence.
Those, however, of the clergy and laity who were in
a greater or lesser degree acquainted with the great Prel-
ate during his life-time, and who were familiar with his
remarkable characteristics of mind, his superb executive
talent, his inexhaustible energy and unflagging devotion
to duty, his penetrating interest in the most trifling de-
tails of his responsible office as well as into those mo-
mentous questions which exacted the full forces of his
analytical and vigorous intellect those, indeed, who
knew the man in the simplicity and holiness and child-
like piety of his private life, will see no mystery, but
rather the royal insignia of Divine Favor in the abund-
ance of golden fruits with which his pilgrimage through
the orchard of his Master has been rewarded.
There was no phase of human life too simple or too
232 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
complex for the great Prelate to inquire into and to
investigate, in order that he might be better qualified to
combat the numerous evils of life in the modern Baby-
Ions of the world.
The good Priest knew that in the great sinks of in-
iquity, the over populated cities, thousands of young
girls are annually sacrificed to the monster Moloch of
the lascivious, lecherous, and godless element of our
social system. Houses to reclaim erring girls he, there-
fore, had established and generously assisted; but to
stem the tide of the ever increasing flow of young women
(many of very tender age), from the paths of piety,
sobriety, and virtue into those of irreligion, intemper-
ance and moral degradation, presented to him a
problem so discouraging, because of the almost
insurmountable difficulties inherent in the social
system, that his great heart, while still throbbing
with sympathy and hope, was borne down with
pain and sorrow. He was untiring in his efforts to dis-
cover the cause of such widespread and wanton ruin of
young girls, and wherever an avenue of investigation
was open to him, he entered it with energy and zeal,
seeking information from the highest sources as well as
from the humblest. For this purpose he would often
take a twilight stroll from his residence and join the
policeman on the beat, and from him and others he
would endeavor to discover the conditions of life, the
environments or causes, whatever they may have been,
which were responsible for the degradation and de-
pravity of so many young people.
The dominant, unifying principle of the life of Arch-
bishop Feehan was his moral elevation of character. He
was raised as high above the common herd as Moses on
the summit of Sinai, communing with the God of eternal
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 233
truth and holiness, was elevated over the Israelites who
were prostrate before the golden calf in the plains be-
neath. By a natural affinity he was associated during
the entire length of his career with men of powerful
intellect and lofty ideals. Every impulse of his spirit
was lofty, far-reaching, masterful and free from subjec-
tion to accidental circumstances of time and place. Still,
his love of academic seclusion and dislike of notoriety,
which to many seemed rooted in his character, would
disappear before the needs of a situation as described
above. Then the vigor, enthusiasm, the splendid phys-
ical energy and the boundless resources latent in his
powerful personality came into play and remained in
evidence until he had brought order out of chaos.
The generosity of the Archbishop was well known
and he was often imposed upon. He was especially
generous and big hearted in his dealings with those who
worked for him and those in distress. About the only
papers found after his death, were promises of others
to pay, which of course, were never fulfilled. He was
well known to the men who used to help people with
their baggage at the depots, for he was generous in his
"tips." He acted in the same manner with the servants
at hotels and often said, "A few cents extra means so
little to us, whilst it makes them happy and the next
priest will receive better attention." When at table in
a hotel he always tipped the waiter at the beginning of
the meals. When asked why he reversed the usual
order, he answered: "Well, they know they have it, and
if satisfied will serve me with greater zest than if in
doubt." Then with a smile he would add, "It is entirely
proper to keep Novices on probation, but not waiters."
CHAPTER XVIII
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES
WHY CERTAIN SOCIETIES WERE CONDEMNED BY ROME THE
ARCHBISHOP GRASPS THE SITUATION HE ANTICIPATES THE
ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIII THE CATHOLIC
KNIGHTS OF AMERICA HIS LOVE FOR ALL CATHOLIC SOCIETIES
HE BECOMES THEIR CHAMPION HIS DEFENSE OF THE A.
O. H. THE TESTIMONY OF ARCHBISHOP IRELAND THE PRO-
MOTOR OF TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES HIS SPEECH AT THE
TEMPERANCE CONGRESS IN CHICAGO SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN
OF THE CATHOLIC ORDER OF FORESTERS.
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN'S broad knowledge of the wants
and needs of the Catholic laity, both in a material and
spiritual sense, and his substantial and practical assist-
ance and encouragement to every enterprise consonant
with the spirit of the Church, and tending to assemble
Catholics in fraternal intercourse and relation, sig-
nalized his long ministration as one of the grandest suc-
cesses that has ever crowned the life's efforts of any
great and illustrious churchman.
The pernicious effects of secret societies in Europe
and the overt and bold hostility of many of them to the
Vatican and the Catholic religion in general, need only
be mentioned here cursorily as the subject is so familiar
to the great mass of the reading world. However, a
few words on this subject cannot but tend to bring out
in bold relief the fine discrimination and pre-eminent
judgment of Archbishop Feehan in all his dealings with
questions of more than ordinary importance. It was the
bitter enmity of certain societies in Europe towards the
Holy Father and toward the Catholic Church, which
first caused their condemnation throughout the Catholic
world. The terrible part enacted by some secret socie-
234
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 235
ties during the French Revolution, which inspired many
of the almost unprecedented crimes against religion
and humanity, is familiar to every reader of history.
And who can have forgotten the year 1884, when the
Freemasons of France, Belgium and Italy united to
celebrate in Rome the Apotheosis of Voltaire? It was
Antichrist triumphing over the Papacy in the very city
of the Popes. A statue had been erected in 1889 in the
City of Rome to Giordano Bruno, the apostate monk
and the apostle of atheism in Italy; in fact, all during
the nineteenth century Freemasonry, under the name
of Illuminism and various other disguises, had been
plotting and working indefatigably against the interests
of the Church.
In more recent times these societies, in Europe as
well as in America, had thrown off their satellites to
revolve around them like the moons of Jupiter swing
around his giant mass. All over the world these non-
sectarian orders had multiplied by leaps and bounds.
Some of them, it is true, were not explicitly condemned
at least in America but the vicious tendencies of the
older European orders very naturally inclined the Vati-
can to look with grave suspicion upon the inroad which
secret societies in general were making into the ranks
of the Catholic laity.
The more recently instituted non-sectarian societies
which were not condemned, recruited heavily from the
ranks of Catholic men, and their benevolent features
were, life-insurance, care for the sick and unfortunate,
and social recreation. The great masses of men living
under the high tension of a civilization, which to observ-
ing minds marks another sociological epoch in the his-
tory of the world, unless guided by a higher spiritual
power into channels of approved duty, will surely seek
236 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
protection from temporal ills to better their condition
by the most direct methods and along the lines of least
resistance.
Archbishop Feehan was not slow to grasp this salient
truth. When from his own observation and indefati-
gable habit of investigation he saw the practical benefits
of many of the features embodied in the organizations
of the non-sectarian orders, he determined to encourage
the organization of societies among the Catholic people
which would embody all the good features of the non-
sectarian orders, whilst preserving the spirit of the
Church and insuring a steadfast fealty to the ancient
faith. The Archbishop had worked with this end in
view years before the great Pope Leo XIII sent his
Encyclical Letter "Longinque Oceani," of January 6,
1895, to the Catholics of the United States. In it His
Holiness says among other things: "Now, with regard
to entering societies, extreme care should be taken not
to be ensnared by error. And we wish to be understood
as referring in a special manner to the working classes,
who assuredly have a right to unite in associations for
the promotion of their interests ; a right, acknowledged
by the Church and unopposed by nature. But it is very
important to take heed with whom they are to associate,
lest while seeking aid for the improvement of their con-
dition they may be imperilling far weightier interests. . .
Catholics ought to prefer to associate with Catholics,
a course which will be very conducive to the safeguard-
ing of their faith."
The Order of the Catholic Knights of America owes
its origin to Archbishop Feehan and he it was who was
its first spiritual director. Says Mr. Anthony Matre
in the Catholic Encyclopedia (Vol. Ill, p. 453) : " 'The
Catholic Knights of America' is a fraternal life-insur-
ance company chartered under the laws of the State
of Kentucky. It was founded in Nashville, Tennessee,
by James J. McLoughlin, D. N. Burke, John Brod-
erick, and John McDonald. The first meeting was held
April 23, 1877, at Emmett Hall, Nashville, with James
J. McLoughlin as temporary chairman. At the second
meeting, May 1, 1877, the first permanent branch was
organized with J. J. McLoughlin, president, and John
McDonald, secretary. The name selected for the new
organization was the 'Order of United Catholics,'
which was subsequently changed, on the recommenda-
tion of Bishop P. A. Feehan, of Nashville, to 'Catholic
Knights of America.' The bishop gave his cordial ap-
proval to the new society, and accepted the office of
spiritual director. In June, 1878, plans were drawn up
for the establishment of a supreme council form of gov-
ernment, and branches were organized in Grafton, West
Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; New Albany, Indiana;
and Galion, Ohio.
"The first session of the supreme council was held in
Louisville, Kentucky, July 9, 1878. Sixteen branches
were represented; a supreme constitution was adopted,
the Hon. W. C. Smith of Louisville was elected first
Supreme President, and Bishop Feehan was chosen
Supreme Spiritual Director. . . Financially the
Catholic Knights of America is today one of the strong-
est organizations of its kind in the United States. It
has a membership of 20,000, divided among 560
branches, located in forty-two states of the Union."
This grand organization came into being when one
day a few Nashville Catholics asked Bishop Feehan's
opinion about a society that many were proposing to
organize in Nashville and other cities of the South, and
about the propriety of Catholics undertaking to form a
17
238 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
society of this kind. Bishop Feehan looked over the
constitutions and by-laws of the proposed society and
said without hesitation: "I most cordially approve
your object. You have the material; go ahead, and I
assure you that I will give you all my support." This
encouragement, like seed cast into fertile ground, took
root ; the society was organized and grew and flourished
until today it is one of the most successful organiza-
tions among the Catholic laity in the United States.
The Hibernians and Catholic Knights both worked
under his guidance. These benevolent organizations
relieved many a suffering family during the plagues that
visited the diocese of Nashville, Tenn., in the '70s. They
moreover did notable work in promoting Catholic edu-
cation and charity, providing education and homes for
Catholic orphans, endowing scholarships in Catholic col-
leges, providing lectures on Catholic doctrine, endowing
hospital beds, and in general, performing the work of
the apostolate of the laity. The Archbishop, having
lived and labored so long amongst the people of the
United States and knowing so well their tempera-
ments, dispositions and environments, as well as
their social needs, was pre-eminently the prelate
to afford them all the advantages of collective fra-
ternal support. He also was the man to guide them,
with a masterly hand, safely away from the rocks and
shoals, which threaten with destruction those frail ves-
sels, laden down with cargoes of misguided fellowmen,
who trust their destinies to human means alone.
Not only was Archbishop Feehan an earnest and
zealous friend of all Catholic societies, but he was more
than that he was their fearless champion on all occa-
sions. By reason of some misconception, as to the real
character and genius of the organization of the Ancient
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 239
Order of Hibernians, the probability that the Order
would be condemned by the Council of Baltimore was
viewed with great alarm by all the friends of the order
in the United States, but especially so by Archbishop
Feehan. Consequently, he espoused the cause of the
order in the Council and delivered an address at once
so powerful, convincing and intensely earnest, that a
decided effect was produced upon the Fathers of the
Council, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians was
secured from all danger of condemnation. It has been
our good fortune to obtain the original letter of Arch-
bishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, dated February 27, 1904,
concerning this subject and also a verbal account of
Archbishop Ireland. Archbishop Ryan had been ap-
proached on this question and answered:
"Archbishop Feehan produced a decided effect on the
Fathers of the Council of Baltimore on the question of
the Ancient Order of Hibernians. I do not think that
the order would have been condemned even without that
address, but he secured it from all danger of condemna-
tion. I don't think I ever saw him so intensely in
earnest."
After the death of Archbishop Feehan, Archbishop
Ireland was also asked one day concerning this speech
made by Archbishop Feehan in defense of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians during the sessions of the Third
Plenary Council, and here is what was said by His Grace
from St. Paul: "By your question you bring to my mind
what I consider one of the most interesting moments
of the sessions and let me add it recalls one of the best
speeches I ever listened to. I do not know whether it
was my natural sympathy for Ireland and the A. O.
H. or the surprise at the enthusiasm and eloquence of
the usually silent man, but whatever it was, that speech
240 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
I remember as one of the most eloquent that I have
ever heard and I have in my time heard unusual speeches
in Italian, French and English.
"The discussion had continued for some time in regard
to the condemnation of the A. O. H., and many accusa-
tions were made that had no foundation, and also many
charges were made by those who did not understand
the constitution of the A. O. H. nor the Irish character.
The chamber was alive with strong emotions and the
friends of the A. O. H. feared that some condemnation
might be passed. Very good speeches had been uttered
in favor of the organization. The debate appeared to
be concluded and the chairman was ready to put the
motion when a rather weak voice asked for the atten-
tion of the chairman. Every one looked to ascertain
who the speaker was as that voice had not entered into
previous debates. Archbishop Feehan began in a
smooth, low voice and took up one by one the objections
made to the A. O. H. and answered each one in a con-
cise but striking manner. His voice increased in volume
as he proceeded and his stature seemed to grow with
his argument. We were all spell-bound, for we never
dreamed that he possessed such power of explanation,
refutation and sarcasm. Near the conclusion of his
plea, he turned to the accusers of the Irish organization
and told them that they neither understood the faith nor
the loyalty of the members they had been accusing,
and defied them to prove by a special committee of
investigation the charges preferred. He was like an
enraged lion defending its offspring, and as he shook
his head in denunciation his flowing locks gave truth
to the comparison. All in all it was for me the most
eloquent and powerful speech that I have ever heard.
Why, I can remember to this day how he dissected the
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 241
accusations and how he analyzed the Celtic character,
and what an accurate knowledge of Irish history he dis-
played.
"Well, when he had finished there was silence, and we
felt there would be no condemnation nor further discus-
sion. The chairman waited a few minutes and then
said: 'If there is no objection, this question will be
tabled,' and there was no objection to the suggestion.
The A. O. H. can always be grateful to Archbishop
Feehan for his noble defense of them and their organi-
zation."
Archbishop Feehan was also a helper and promoter
of Temperance Societies. At the Catholic Temperance
Congress in Chicago, the Archbishop opened the pro-
ceedings with the following address, which shows his
anxiety for the cause of temperance:
"I find a very great pleasure as well as a great honor
has come to me today in having the opportunity of
opening the Catholic Temperance Congress; in finding
here those interested in this great work of temperance,
coming from different parts of our country, inspired
by one great motive and united together by the greatest
bonds, the bond of common faith. To me it is a sincere
pleasure to welcome to the city the members of the
Catholic Congress.
"Our city at present is the center of many great activi-
ties. The great Exposition is bringing people not only
from this great, broad land, but from all the nations
of the world. There are represented all the develop-
ments of human genius and human industry, giving us
an idea of the condition of mankind toward the close
of our century. Men of great talent and great admin-
istrative ability have brought together here the products
of the land and of the sea, and they have brought the
242 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
lightning down from heaven and have given specimens
of man's highest and best genius and industry.
"And yet, after all that can be said in praise of this
wonderful work is uttered, we will acknowledge that
this, after all, is not the highest achievement of humanity
that there is something better, something greater, and
that above all this great material prosperity and ad-
vancement is the moral well-being of man. Whatever
tends to make human life better, higher, holier, happier
this is more to earnest, thinking men than the mere
material progress that we witness. And when earnest
men and women come together from various points of
this vast domain, it is an indication that these higher
ideas of human good and real human progress prevail
among men.
"You come together to hold a congress by which you
hope to benefit yourselves and your fellow men; to
advance as far as you can, each one in his own sphere
and place, the higher, better, greater interests of man-
kind. You come to meet, as far as is possible for you,
one of the greatest evils of the world the evil of in-
temperance. We all know there are in the world very
many evils that always have been and always will be;
and we are not dreamers nor do we fancy that we will
realize any "Utopia" or that we can remove and put
an end at once and in our generation to all the evils
of the world, but we believe that we can soften, lessen,
ameliorate some of them at least.
"Some men in our time, even men recognized as lead-
ers of human thought and distinguished in the world
men who are great philosophers, orators, great poets
look out upon the world where evil exists in countless
shapes, and disappointed many a time in their ideas of
the progress of mankind, or the amelioration of the hard
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 243
conditions of mankind, become pessimists, take an un-
favorable and depressing view of mankind and of the
world. Their ideas are not realized. The world goes
on. Its faults do not disappear. They find those men
of whom I speak no real remedies, I may say, even
no lessening of the evils touching humanity. And if we
were only to listen to those men our sanctuary would
disappear in gloom. One of the greatest poets of the
day acknowledges this, and sees in his old age nothing
better than this, and the refrain of one of his songs is:
'Chaos and cosmos! Who can tell the end of it?'
"But we do not accept this theory of pessimism in
view of the evils that afflict the world, for we know that
'the light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into
the world' is still in the midst of us. We know that God's
presence is in the world; that the light of His truth
shines through a divine society, through His Church
that will never disappear from the world. We know
that the presence He promised is always here, and that
the spirit of truth and light and holiness that He prom-
ised never disappears, and that the soul, the spirit, His
animating principle, is now and always in the midst of
men and in the midst of the world, and His spirit is
not only the spirit of light and truth, but it is also the
spirit of grace and the spirit of strength in man. Men
try to follow the guidance of the light; they try to avail
themselves of the grace and of the strength that comes
from their religion, and so long as men do this, their
souls rest on an immutable and infallible basis and there
is hope for every man who does so.
"Therefore, we hope for and believe in the benefit of
mankind, because we believe in something outside of
man, something better, higher, wiser, holier than he is,
and because we find this visible world of ours is sur-
244 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
rounded by an invisible and supernatural world, and
that man finds his highest, best and holiest inspiration
and strength and grace to come from God to carry out
His best and highest motives and wishes.
"Among all the evils of this world there is one which
we must reckon among its greatest, and that is the
evil of intemperance, which has been in the ages that
are gone, the curse of our fallen race. It is one of the
great evils of the world ; I may say, one of the greatest.
It is worse than war ; it is worse than famine and pesti-
lence; after the war, peace comes, and the famine and
pestilence cease when they have satiated their thirst for
victims.
"But intemperance does not disappear. It leaves its
evil trace upon all generations and I need not tell of
the woes that it causes, the widows and the orphans, and
the misery and disgrace and the evil deaths that it pro-
duces. They who take up this cause, as you intend to
do, strive as far as they can to put an end to it. It will
most likely never be utterly abolished in the world, but
certainly it can be lessened, and in places and localities
it can be made, perhaps, to disappear. To effect this,
to try as far as you can to lessen this great, monstrous
evil is what brings you together here today. You attempt
a great work. You attempt it in the name of religion,
under the inspiration and guidance of religion ; you hope
to carry it through with the aids and the grace and the
strength of religion.
"We can easily understand that when you teach men
to aspire to something more than the ordinary things
of life, as you try to teach a man that he must be
a temperate man in the ordinary sense of the word, you
show him that he must be a total abstinence man, that
he must abstain altogether.
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 245
"This is the highest virtue, and men do not, of them-
selves, naturally try to practice virtue in this sense. To
do this requires something better, higher, stronger than
man is himself, to keep him and guide him in the way
of this great virtue.
"We will all look forward to wise and practical meas-
ures to come from the deliberations of this congress. I
feel assured that in everything you do, you will work with
the highest light that enlightens the world and ask God
to aid and bless you in the work that all your delibera-
tions and your acts may be guided by prudence, wisdom
and charity. And when you go back to your dear homes
you will bear with you, I hope, pleasant memories of
the congress; you will go back strengthened and en-
couraged to continue this great work, and each one will
become, as it were, the center in his own place, among
his friends, his kindred and people, from which to prop-
agate and increase this great virtue of total abstinence."
Thus it was that Archbishop Feehan encouraged
every good work but especially the work done system-
atically by our Catholic societies. Small wonder, there-
fore, that under his administration the Catholic societies
throughout the Archdiocese grew, not only powerful in
numbers, but especially strong in faith, American man-
hood and exemplary charity. The Archbishop was
proud of his societies and always defended them.
A brief sketch of the origin of the Catholic Order
of Foresters, compiled by the Rev. Father James M.
Hayes, S. J., in 1891, incidentally shows our beloved
Archbishop, "the Friend of the Catholic Societies," and
at the same time is of sufficient historical interest to
warrant its entire insertion. The sketch appeared in
the "Chicago Catholic Home" May 30, 1891, and was
written by Mr. Thos. Taylor.
246 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
To the Editor of the Catholic Home. Mr. Editor:
"Having been requested by many members of the
Catholic Order of Foresters to write an account of how
the Order originated, and who is the father and founder,
I would say that I would not undertake this account
but for such requests made by my old friends, now
members of the order.
In the beginning of January, 1883, Thomas Taylor
invited John Quirke and myself to come together and
consider a plan prepared by him, for establishing upon
a broad and liberal basis a new social and beneficial
association, not limited to Catholics of any one nation-
ality, but to be composed of Catholics of all nationali-
ties. I must say that of the gentlemen invited to co-
operate with me, Mr. John Quirke was the only one to
make his appearance on the 15th of January, the day
appointed for our meeting. Mr. Quirke and myself
talked together for a long time on all kinds of benev-
olent associations, both great and small, and of what
benefit they were to the working classes. We finally
came to the conclusion that it would be a great good
to have some general association of the kind composed
entirely of Catholics. In such a society, when a member
died, his widow or orphans would receive one thousand
dollars ; and this sum, if properly managed, would make
them comfortable for the remainder of their days.
Hitherto Catholic workingmen were connected only with
small parish societies, each numbering from thirty to
one hundred members. In these societies, on the death
of a member, only a small sum could be allowed the
widow and orphans, indeed, generally very little more
than was necessary for proper funeral expenses, so that
in many cases the poor widow was compelled to seek for
some such employment as washing and scrubbing in
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 247
order to pay her rent and support her orphan children.
To remedy such a state of things was the object I
had in view in trying to establish the organization I con-
templated. I believed the idea was practicable here in
the West, as I knew that something similar was already
working well in some of the Eastern States. My friend,
Mr. Quirke, feared that if such an organization was
formed here, the politicians of the city would soon be
in it and would try to use it for their own purposes,
and not for the advantage of the working classes or for
the widows and orphans. I explained to him that in
my plan the clergy would be so connected with the
organization as to render such a misfortune practically
impossible.
A few weeks afterward I obtained from a friend in
the East a copy of the first Constitution of the Mas-
sachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters, the constitution
under which they were organized and with it a copy of
their second Constitution and other papers they had
revised. I then drew up some eight or ten new articles
and added them to the first Constitution."
A BOUGH CANVASS
"My friend, Mr. Quirke, and myself then agreed to
spend a certain time each night after our day's work in
canvassing St. Columbkill's, St. Stephen's, and St.
Malachi's parishes to see how many good men we could
get to join our new organization. We placed the initia-
tion fee of $3.00 (three dollars) and I must say that
after three or four weeks' time in tramping around at
night, in cold and wet, we could not raise as much as
one green recruit. Instead, we often received abusive
language, sometimes even from the men who were after-
wards glad to be taken into the C. O. F. when it had
248 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
been organized. Some parties objected that it was too
clannish, others hinted that I ought to be sent to a lun-
atic asylum; many said they would not belong to any
such organization unless I could first show them a writ-
ten letter from the Archbishop authorizing the project;
others, that I ought to wait on the aldermen of the
wards, or on prominent politicians who might advance
money to pay hall rent, printing and other such ex-
penses for organization, since to do so would be a good
way of advertising their names before the public. All
this kind of language made me feel depressed, and so
discouraged my friend, Mr. Quirke, that even he began
to give me the cold shoulder, and then left me to paddle
my own canoe as best I knew how."
DARK DAYS
"So depressed had I become that I came near throw-
ing the whole affair overboard and destroying all the
documents I had. I studied the matter for a while, and
I said to myself: 'I will visit Father Michael Foley and
ascertain his opinion of my plan.' Father Foley was at
this time assistant to Father Thomas Burke, pastor of
St. Columbkill's, my own parish. We came together
in the sitting room. I stated my mission and the object
of the organization. Father Foley expressed his ap-
proval of my design, but told me at the same time that
if I kept on alone, I would have a hard road to travel
before meeting with success. Father Foley's remarks
were, on the whole, so encouraging, that I began to feel
twenty years younger. He finally advised me to go
and see Father Gill at the priest's house in the Holy
Name parish. The good Father received me kindly,
and when I had explained matters, expressed his ap-
proval of my design if it could only be carried out. I
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 249
then requested Father Gill to lay the Constitution and
other papers before the Archbishop for examination.
This he promised to do. In about two weeks afterward
the books and papers were returned to me with the
statement that the Archbishop did not object to the
organizing of such a society in connection with the
Church, provided that it lived up to the laws and the
spirit of the Church.
I asked Father Gill if he would assist me to organize.
He replied that he would willingly do so if he had lei-
sure time, but that the great amount of work he had
then on hand made this impossible. He then advised
me to call on one of the Jesuit Fathers, either Father
Finnegan or Father Hayes, as the Jesuit Fathers, said
he, were generally well experienced in such matters.
'If your idea is practicable,' said he, 'I am confident
they will aid you in carrying it out; but if they advise
you that it is impracticable, I would advise you to give
it up.' I bade Father Gill good-bye and he wished me
good luck in my undertaking. The outlook was now
certainly far from bright, but I determined to keep on,
saying to myself that whilst there was life there was
hope. On the third Sunday of April, 1883, I made a
visit to the Holy Family parish.
("This visit of Mr. Taylor," adds the compiler, "was not
his first visit to the Jesuit Fathers concerning the same
subject. Some weeks previously he had called on the
Spiritual Director of the American League of the Cross,
Rev. Father Hayes, S. J., and explained his idea. Father
Hayes showed himself well disposed to such a project, if
it could be made feasible. He said he needed time to
reflect and invited Mr. Taylor to call again, telling him to
try in the meantime to get as many people as possible,
especially the priests of his own parish, to take an interest
in the matter. After Mr. Taylor's visit, Father Hayes, be-
fore taking any public action in the matter, went to consult
Most Rev. Archbishop Feehan. His Grace, with his usual
kindness, expressed to Father Hayes his entire agreement
250 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
with him as to the great need of truly Catholic organiza-
tions of the kind, and spoke of his great willingness to
foster them, illustrating his remarks by references to what
he himself had done in the same line whilst he was
Bishop of Nashville."
On his return from the Archbishop, Father Hayes re-
lated to his Superior, Rev. Thomas O'Neill, S. J., Rector
of St. Ignatius' College, the favorable result of his visit.
The mentioning to Father O'Neill of the warm approval
of the Archbishop naturally resulted in a promise from
him to do his best in favor of the new organization.
Such was the state of things at the time of Mr. Taylor's
next visit, namely, the visit mentioned in the text above,
the third Sunday of April.)
On the third Sunday of April, 1883, I made a visit
to the Holy Family parish and met by appointment
an old shop-mate of mine opposite the church, Mr. Wil-
liam Woof, who accompanied me to see Father Fin-
negan, S. J. The latter received us very kindly. I
explained my mission to him and the objects and aims
of the organization. I also laid before him the Con-
stitution and papers which I had received from the East,
and asked him permission to call a meeting in the Sodal-
ity Hall. Father Finnegan said that this could only
be granted by the Superior, Rev. Thos. O'Neill, but
that he would try to obtain it for us. He then went
to see Father O'Neill and brought him to meet us in
the receiving room where we were. Good Father
O'Neill, President of St. Ignatius' College, having
learned from Father Finnegan and ourselves the pur-
pose of our visit, said in a kind tone of voice: 'Well,
now, Mr. Taylor, what do you want me to do for you?'
'I want you, Rev. Father,' I replied, 'to give me
permission to call a meeting in the Sodality Hall to
see if we can form this organization.'
'You have my permission and I shall send word to
the janitor to let you hold your meetings whenever you
think fit.' So that through the good words of Father
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 251
Finnegan to Father O'Neill we got leave to form Court
No. 1 of the C. O. F. in the Holy Family parish. Father
Hayes and Father Finnegan were appointed by Father
O'Neill to assist in organizing and to attend the meet-
ings. I thanked Father Finnegan for his good work
and left for home as light and as swift as a March
mountain hare."
THE FIRST MEETING
"I made some calls on that untiring worker for the
interests of the order, Dr. F. W. Fitzgerald, at his resi-
dence at West Taylor Street, in order to have the doctor
engaged for our first meeting. I then got a few thou-
sand circulars printed calling the first meeting in Sodal-
ity Hall, corner May and llth Street, May 6, 1883. Mr.
George Bracken, the present Financial Secretary of
Court No. 1, and Mr. William Woof and his son,
volunteered their services to distribute these circulars
on account of my living so far away from the Holy
Family Church. In the afternoon of Sunday, May 6th,
we had our first meeting. It was well attended. Father
Hayes was asked to be chairman, but he explained that
in his opinion the office of the clergy in the new organ-
ization was rather 'to direct and assist,' and that the
active work of the order belonged to the Catholic lay-
men themselves. We accordingly invited Dr. Fitz-
gerald to take the chair, which he did, thanking the
meeting for the honor done him. At the request of the
Chairman, Father Hayes explained briefly the object
and aim of the new association and the advantages at-
tending its membership. Then began the subscription
of the names of those who desired to become members.
These amounted to sixty. This gratifying result of our
first meeting made every one feel confident that the new
252 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
order was already an assured success, and all left the
Sodality building mutually congratulating one another.
On the following Sunday Father Hayes had notices
read at all the Masses in Holy Family Church, inviting
attendance at the next meeting. This second meeting
was a very large one and quite a number of names was
added to the list. At our third or fourth meeting the
number of members already enrolled was found to be
so large that it was resolved to send to Springfield a
committee named by the Chairman in order to obtain
a charter. The first name proposed was that of Thomas
Taylor, but for personal reasons of my own, I respect-
fully declined the honor. We likewise appointed a com-
mittee of five (5) on Constitution and By-Laws. This
committee consisted of Thomas Taylor, Dr. Fitzgerald,
Father Hayes, Father Finnegan, and M. B. Bailey."
A CONSTITUTION ADOPTED
"After due consideration the committee adopted, with
some changes, the Constitution of the Massachusetts
C. O. F. A committee of eleven (11) also was ap-
pointed for the good and welfare of the order. This
committee met once a week in the Sodality Building.
Your humble servant attended every meeting night,
though he had to travel a distance of four miles to do
so, and often found an attendance of only three or four
members. Unpleasant as this was, I did not allow it
to discourage me, for I had become accustomed to see
black clouds hang over the C. O. F. for a while and then
pass away.
After the charter was received, Mr. J. C. Graham,
Dr. Fitzgerald and Thomas Taylor, being considered
to be men acceptable in every respect to the clergy, were
selected for the delicate task of visiting the different
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 253
parishes in order to get permission from the clergy to
form courts in them. Among the charter members of
Court No. 1, who gave freely of their time to the work
of organization were Bros. Collins, Clowry, Mat. Flem-
ing, Dooley and others, whose names I cannot just now
recall to mind."
THE PIONEER COURT
"On June 15, 1883, the first meeting of Holy Family
Court No. 1 was held and the following officers were
elected: C. R., Mat. Fleming; V. C. R., M. J. Dooley;
Rec. Secretary, Hugh Murray; Fin. Secretary, George
R. Bracken; Treasurer, J. L. Smith; Sen. Conductor,
J. J. Shannahan; Jr. Conductor, W. J. Carrigan; In-
side Sent., Thos. Dunnigan; Outside Sent., John M.
O'Neill; Court Physician, Dr. F. W. Fitzgerald.
This Charter Committee, appointed by Chairman
Fitzgerald, evidently lost no time in attending to busi-
ness, as we find that they obtained the Charter on May
24, 1883. Their names, in the order given in the State
document, declaring them 'the Directors to control and
manage said corporation for the first year of its cor-
porate existence,' are: Patrick Keane, John J. Collins,
Francis W. Fitzgerald, John K. Clowry, Michael B.
Bailey, Mathew Fleming, John F. Scanlan.
As a member of the first committee for framing a
Constitution and By-Laws, the compiler of the present
sketch wishes to record that the Committee was much
indebted for whatever success it attained to the great
experience in such work of Dr. Fitzgerald and Mr.
John F. Scanlan.
In July, 1883, I made a visit to Father Tom Burke
to get permission to call a meeting in the basement of
St. Columbkill's Church to form Court No. 2. The
good old Father cordially gave me the permission asked
18
254 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
for. Court No. 2 was organized with fifty (50) mem-
bers, Thomas Taylor being elected the first C. R. The
following is the complete list of first officers: C. R.,
Thomas Taylor; V. C. R., J. P. Malley; R. S., Thomas
Dwane; F. S., Thos. Ford; Treasurer, P. J. Sheehy;
S. C., Frank Brady; J. C., P. Fleming; O. S., Mich.
Soraghon; L. S., Patrick Hayes; Trustees: Edward
Hayes, Pat. O'Brien, Tim. Scanlan; C. P., Dr. J. B.
Phelan.
About this time the Board of Directors issued their
first public circular setting forth the advantages of the
C. O. F. and recommending its establishment in all the
parishes of the State. 'The first Subordinate Court or-
ganized under our charter,' says the circular, 'was that
organized in the Holy Family Parish, Chicago, June
15, 1883, under the chaplaincy of Rev. James M. Hayes,
S. J. To this reverend gentleman we would, with per-
mission, respectfully invite reference as to the thor-
oughly Catholic standing of the undersigned Directors.'
This circular was signed by Bros. John F. Scanlan,
Michael B. Bailey, F. W. Fitzgerald, Mathew Flem-
ing, Maurice J. Dooley, Daniel J. McMahon, Patrick
Keane, James C. Graham, John J. Collins, Wm. J.
Dormin, John K. Clowry, Thomas Taylor.
The history of the C. O. F. from this time forward
is so well known to your readers, that to continue my
narrative further would be superfluous."
Yours respectfully,
THOMAS TAYLOR,
Res. 668 W. Ohio St., Chicago. Court No. 1.
P. S. I would like to mention that I have letters
from the clergy recognizing my labors as the Father
and Founder of the C. O. F., as for instance the one
from Father Finnegan, S. J., after his removal to
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 255
Detroit to assume charge of the church of the Jesuit
Fathers in that city, (follows letter)
Detroit, Mich., January 14, 1886.
Dear Sir: Your note came to hand this morning,
and in reply I wish to state that I left the copy of the
Constitutions inquired for in the reading-room of the
Sodality Hall. Doubtless they have been taken up by
some of the C. O. F. I got my copy on application to
Rev. Fr. McNally, Secretary of the Catholic Benev-
olent and Insurance Societies of San Francisco. If
you get Father Hayes to apply for you to the priest
or apply yourself, I am sure you can get a copy.
I am sorry I did not hand them over to you as the
Father and Founder of the Catholic Foresters. If I
can, I will send you the Constitutions of the C. M. B.
A., the great Catholic Insurance Society of the Eastern
States.
Wishing you every success, I remain,
Yours in Christ,
H. M. FlNNEGAN, S. J.
NOTE BY FATHER HAYES, S. J., FIRST CHAPLAIN OF THE
FIRST ORGANIZED COURT.
In justice to the memory of Mr. Thomas Taylor, now
deceased, it seems but proper for the undersigned to
state that he has always regarded Mr. Taylor's account
of the origin of the Catholic Order of Foresters as in
every important respect correct and reliable.
(Signed) REV. JAMES M. HAYES, S. J.
Chicago, February 4, 1903.
APPENDIX
In connection with Mr. Taylor's account of the origin
of the order, the following document written on the occa-
THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
sion of the Order's first public display, will not be with-
out interest. It was written by Father Hayes, S. J.,
for the Holy Family Court, but was adopted by the
General Committee as expressive of the sentiments of
the entire order.
CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS OF THE ORDER OF FORESTERS TO
MOST REV. ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN ON THE OCCASION OF
HIS SILVER JUBILEE, OCTOBER 29, 1890.
"Most Rev. Archbishop:
"Amid the general rejoicing of Your Grace's Jubilee,
the Catholic Order of Foresters gladly avail themselves
of the short time allowed them to offer to Your Grace
their heartfelt congratulations for your special kindness
to their Order.
"This they do all the more affectionately as it was
under Your Grace's kind patronage that the Catholic
Order of Foresters itself came into being. A Catholic
society which has for its object 'the charitable work of
aiding the sick and relieving the widows and orphans,'
could not but recommend itself to one so deeply pene-
trated with the spirit of Christian charity as is Your
Grace.
"Your approval was the more readily given that the
objects of our society accords with the recommendation
of the Plenary Council of Baltimore, of which Your
Grace was a distinguished member. 'We esteem,' says
the Council, 'as a very important element in practical
Catholicity, the various forms of Catholic beneficial so-
cieties and kindred associations of Catholic working-
men. It ought to be and we trust is everywhere their
aim to encourage habits of industry, thrift and sobriety ;
to guard the members against the dangerous attractions
of condemned or suspicious organizations, and to secure
A FRIEND OF CATHOLIC SOCIETIES 257
the faithful practice of their religious duties, on which
their temporal as well as their eternal welfare largely
depends. With paternal affection we bestow our bless-
ing upon all these various forms of Catholic combined
action for useful and holy purposes. We desire to see
their number multiplied and their organizations per-
fected.'
"Remembering also that the Council says: 'The more
closely pastors and people are united in good works,
the more abundantly will those associations be blessed
and their ends accomplished, the more perfectly will all
Christians be united in fraternal charity,' we have
sought ever to strengthen the bonds between us and our
chief pastor, and now, Most Rev. Chaplain, we most
heartily come to salute Your Grace on the festival of
your Silver Jubilee."
CHAPTER XIX
THE WORLD'S FAIR
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN PRESIDENT OF THE SECOND CATHOLIC CON-
GRESS TOPICS TREATED HIS WELCOME SPEECH THE
GENERAL INTEREST IN THE CONGRESS THE CATHOLIC EDUCA-
TIONAL DAY THE ADDRESS OF THE ARCHBISHOP THE MAG-
NIFICENT CATHOLIC EXHIBIT THE "PROTECTOR OF OUR
SCHOOLS."
IN the United States there have been held two con-
gresses of Catholic laymen during the nineteenth cen-
tury. In conjunction with the celebration of the cen-
tenary of the establishment of the hierarchy of the United
States by Pius VII in 1789, and the dedication of the
Catholic University at Washington, the first Catholic
Congress of the United States met in Baltimore, Mary-
land, on November 11 and 12, 1889. The sessions of
the second Catholic Congress were held at Chicago on
4th, 5th and 6th of September, 1893, as incidental to
the World's Congress Auxiliary of the Columbian
Exposition and World's Fair of that year. Archbishop
Feehan and Mr. William J. Onahan were president and
secretary of the committee on organization, by which
it was decided that three topics should be treated during
the sessions: The Social Question as outlined by Leo
XIII in his encyclical "Rerum Novarum," Catholic
Education, and The Independence of the Holy See.
The busy western metropolis had during the summer
months been the theater of a stupendous "World's Fair"
of arts and industries, held under government auspices
in honor of the quarto-centenary of the discovery by
Christopher Columbus. Visitors from all nations
thronged to this Columbian Jubilee and advantage was
258
THE WORLD'S FAIR 259
taken of the occasion to hold a series of congresses of
more than national interest, the beautiful Art Palace
provided by the exposition authorities being devoted to
their sessions. Here, accordingly, was held the Catholic
Congress, which was the Mecca, from day to day, of
vast crowds of the faithful, and was honored by such
an attendance of our prelates and clergy as was never
before present at an assembly of the kind. In many
respects, indeed, the gathering was unique even in the
history of the Church of God; and in the addresses and
papers delivered on the occasion may best be learned
the aims, the inspiration and glorious work of this great
Catholic Congress.
On the morning of September 4th, the first day of
the assembly, the Holy Sacrifice was offered for its suc-
cess at St. Mary's Church, in the presence of His Emi-
nence, Cardinal Gibbons, the Most Rev. Archbishop of
the diocese, and many illustrious prelates and priests,
besides the body of the delegates who were to participate
in the congress. The Solemn High Mass was celebrated
by Rev. E. J. Dunne, of Chicago, with Rev. J. Ball-
man, of Sag Bridge, as deacon, and Rev. J. P. Dore,
as sub-deacon. The discourse of the occasion was made
by the Rev. P. J. Muldoon, Chancellor of the Chicago
Archdiocese.
On the conclusion of the sacred services the delegates
marched in procession to the Art Palace, the Cardinal
and other dignitaries accompanying in carriages. These
were welcomed at the door of the beautiful edifice by
President Bonney of the World's Congress Auxiliary,
and other officials. The decorations were rich and ap-
propriate, the colors of the Sovereign Pontiff being in
striking evidence.
The first day's proceedings were promptly inaugu-
260 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
rated by Hon. W. J. Onahan, of Chicago, secretary of
the committee on organization, who said:
"Gentlemen, and I am happy to add, Ladies for
there are ladies among the appointed delegates to the
Catholic Congress: It is my pleasant and honorable
duty, representing the committee on organization, to
call to order the Columbian Catholic Congress, which
I now cordially do. The first words to be addressed to
you are naturally words of hearty welcome. By no one
may those words be more graciously or more appro-
priately spoken than by the venerable and Most Rev.
Archbishop of Chicago."
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN'S WELCOME
"Members of the Catholic Congress both the ladies and
gentlemen composing it:
"It is for me a most happy occasion that it becomes
my duty, in the name of the Catholic body of this city,
and also in my own, to welcome you to Chicago. You
are assembled here from various portions of our coun-
try, not only from the parts that are near but also from
the most remote. You must have been brought together
by a strong, high motive, as you are bound together
when you come here by the strongest of all bonds, that
of a common faith. You come in the spirit of our faith,
actuated, directed by our faith. You come not to ques-
tion or to affect, in any way whatever, the ancient faith
and discipline of the Catholic Church, but you come to
discuss some of the great questions and problems of life
and of our time that are intimately connected with, and
that spring from the teaching of our Catholic faith.
There are no questions of our time more interesting or
more important than those that are on the programme
of the Catholic Congress.
THE WORLD'S FAIR 261
"We have that great question of the independence of
the Holy See ; you have that great question one of the
greatest of all that of Catholic education. Then you
have the great social questions of the day, the ideas of
which have been taken in a great measure, at least, from
the encyclicals of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII.
You come here then with very grave responsibilities.
You come, as it were, as the center of the Catholic
Church. You come representing its thought, its life,
its interests. You do not represent yourselves individ-
ually, nor do you represent any special theories or fan-
cies of individuals of our times; but you represent par-
ishes, congregations, bishops, whole dioceses, great
states you represent all these vast and mighty in-
terests, and as a vast body you represent at least the
ten million members of the Catholic Church, if not more.
You come then as to a great center. You come as
brave, wise men, to discuss great questions for the in-
terests of those millions.
"You don't come to please yourselves; you don't come
for the mere pleasure of coming, nor for recreation,
as so many multitudes are coming just now to our city,
though these need not be excluded; but you come prin-
cipally for that grand, high work that has been placed
in your hands of looking after the interests that are
involved in some of the great questions that will be dis-
cussed and spoken of in this assembly. You assemble
here today in a high spirit of loyalty to the Catholic
Church, of loyalty to its supreme pastor, Pope Leo
XIII. You come together as sons of the great head
of the faith. You come mindful that God's Church is
your great mother, and, as the loyal sons in a family
will always uphold the dignity and honor of the family,
so will this vast assembly uphold before the whole world
262 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
the honor, the nobility, and the dignity of the Catholic
Church. Not less are you concerned for the interests
of our common country. The men of other lands are
today, and tomorrow will be, looking to the results of
this Catholic Congress in Chicago. The world is full
of agitation. Men's minds are everywhere active, and
men in every civilized land today and tomorrow will be
looking forward to know and to see what free men in a
free land can feel and think about the great questions
that are agitating our times, and that are everywhere
pressing for a solution. You have then at heart the
honor and the dignity of the Church and of the whole
Catholic faith. You will watch over them carefully in
your addresses and in your deliberations. We know
and believe, all of us, earnestly and firmly, that no word
will go out to the world from this Catholic Congress
that will wound or offend in the slightest degree the
Catholic conscience or Catholic feeling of our people
throughout the United States.
"We know that all your deliberations will be guided
by that spirit by which you were influenced today. With-
in an hour or so you have been in God's presence and in
His temple, and you have asked the Spirit of God to
come down to your souls and guide your deliberations.
We all hope that the Spirit of God and the spirit of
light will be with you, and that everything you say or
do will be guided by that high, strong fidelity of Cath-
olic sons to our Catholic faith, and that everything
you say or do will be distinguished by the dignity and
the harmony that we have the right, as we have every
reason, to expect from this great representative body
of the Catholic faith and the Catholic people. You will
have the pleasure now of hearing from Mr. Bonney, the
gentleman who has been the life and soul of all these
THE WORLD'S FAIR 263
organizations and congresses, except the Catholic Con-
gress, connected with the great Exposition."
Hon. Chas. C. Bonney, who was a non-Catholic law-
yer, then delivered what may be termed the "official"
welcome. He welcomed the delegates "on behalf of the
World's Exposition and the fifty million non-Catholics
who loved justice and religious liberty." Cardinal Gib-
bons also spoke, and on the second day Archbishop
Satolli, who represented the Pope at the World's Ex-
position, greeted the congress in the name of the Holy
Father. Other visitors were Archbishop Redwood of
Australia, and Count de Kaefstein of Austria. Letters
from Cardinals Vaughan and Logue were read.
The various congresses were watched with interest,
attended in large numbers, and reported in a princely
manner, but none received such marked attention from
people and press as the Catholic Congress. From the
opening prayer to the last word of the strong resolu-
tions, the halls were filled and seeds were sown that were
sure to bring rich fruit.
THE CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT
The Columbian Exposition gloriously surpassed all
former efforts in the same line, and unmistakably the
Catholic Church never worked so energetically or dis-
played herself so conspicuously to engage the respect,
admiration, and love of the world as in this exposition.
All classes and creeds, some in praise, others in criticism,
announced that the Catholic Church had caught every
inspiration, and had taken advantage of every oppor-
tunity. We feel that this was nowhere more conspic-
uously patent than in the Catholic Educational Ex-
hibit. Catholics visited the section, and beheld in as-
tonishment the abundance, variety, and general perfec-
264 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
tion of the Exhibit. They departed proud that they were
of the fold, and silently promised to be more generous
in the future in aid of the good cause. Non-Catholics
found their way to the Catholic Exhibit, and some will-
ingly, others by forced conviction, pronounced it a reve-
lation, a lesson, and a herculean task wonderfully well
accomplished. Among Catholics the Catholic educa-
tional display had advanced at one bold stroke the cause
of Catholic education a quarter of a century ; and among
non-Catholics it had undoubtedly dissipated prejudice
that in the usual flow of events would not have been
obliterated in fifty years.
Listen to the statement of the Popular Educator,
published in New York: "The parochial school system
has scored a point at the Fair, giving much good reason
for the erasure of the past criticism that parochial schools
teach sewing and catechism. Sewing and beautiful em-
broideries and water-color drawings are there, to be
sure, making the aisle rich with tints, but there is also
plenty of good work in the line and apparently accord-
ing to methods of the public schools." (Nov., 1893.)
The Chicago Herald of June 5, 1893, says: "In the
southeastern section of the Manufacturers' Building, on
the gallery floor, is an exhibit which should attract the
attention and excite the admiration of all good people,
be they Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, or the peo-
ple who are responsible for the show. The Catholic
Educational Exhibit is the feature referred to. It is
not extended as a religious propaganda; it is simply a
material exposition of what the people of one great
faith can do in the way of promoting humanity and the
world's progress. All together, when fully installed,
the Catholic Educational Exhibit will be one of the
most interesting features of the great Fair."
THE WORLD'S FAIR 265
We might quote indefinitely the highest encomiums
passed upon the Exhibit from non-Catholic sources, but
we refrain, and beg to place before you the kind and
strong commendation of Dr. Selim H. Peabody, the
Chief of the Liberal Arts Department. From his of-
ficial capacity and his intimate knowledge with the
various exhibits in his department, his judgment implies
far more than that of any other.
In his speech of reception of the Exhibit from Right
Rev. John L. Spalding, D. D., as President of the Cath-
olic Exhibit, Doctor Peabody was frank and generous
to state that he considered the Catholic Educational
Exhibit not only one of the choicest of his department,
and a revelation to the American public, but also one of
the great features of the Exposition. At another date,
in response to Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, D. D., who
presented the Educational Exhibit of the Archdiocese
of Chicago, he said: "It affords me much pleasure to
be present today, as I stand before you, the Chief of
the Liberal Arts Department, to receive in the name of
the great Columbian Exposition the Chicago Educa-
tional Exhibit. None save those who have labored in
this field can value the vast amount of labor of such an
Exhibit, and one so neat, and so tastefully arranged.
Without flattery, I can honestly say and feel that the
compliment is justly given that the Chicago Exhibit is
the gem of my department. We may have different
views in school policy, still I feel that all true educators
will be greatly benefited by our entire Educational
Exhibit. You may see what we are accomplishing and
we may examine the result of your school system. The
result of such intercourse in the Exposition will be a
broader conception of education and a larger love for
all who are tending to one end, namely, to make our
youth holier, truer scholars, and better citizens."
266 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
We feel it incumbent upon us to record the written
testimony of the Apostolic Delegate, Most Rev. Francis
Satolli, D. D., made after a careful scrutiny of the ex-
hibit. It is as follows: "I admire the evidences of good
methods of teaching in so many branches of instruction,
but most particularly do I admire the perfection of all
the work exhibited. I regard the Catholic Educational
Exhibit as the glory of the Church and Catholic Insti-
tutions. The whole American country will appreciate
it."
CATHOLIC EDUCATION DAY
World's Columbian Exposition,
Chicago, 1893.
Most Rev. P. A. Feehan, D. D., Archbishop of Chicago,
Presiding.
Rt. Rev. J. L. Spalding, D. D., President Catholic Educa-
tional Exhibit, Director of Ceremonies.
ORDER OF EXERCISES
AMERICAN REPUBLIC MARCH (Thiele)
Brand's Cincinnati Band
WORDS OF WELCOME His Grace, Archbishop Feehan
THE CATHOLIC VIEW OF EDUCATION
Most Rev. John Hennessy, D. D., Archbishop of Dubuque
ORGAN SOLO Tema Con Variazioni (Mossowski)
Harrison Wilde
VOCATION OF THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR
Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D. D., Archbishop of Philadelphia
WHAT CATHOLICS HAVE DONE FOR EDUCATION IN THE
UNITED STATES
Hon. Morgan J. O'Brien, New York State Supreme Court
ORGAN SOLO OVERTURE "Guillaume Tell" (Rossini) . . .
Harrison Wilde
PATRIOTISM A SEQUENCE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Hon. Thomas J. Gargan, Boston, Mass.
HY^N TE DEUM (Holy God We Praise Thy Name) . .
Organ Accompaniment
FINALE American Airs (Catlin) .Brand's Cincinnati Band
At the conclusion of the American Republic March
THE WORLD'S FAIR 267
by Brand's Cincinnati Band, Archbishop Feehan de-
livered the address of welcome. He spoke as follows:
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN'S ADDRESS
"We are assembled today, ladies and gentlemen, in
a very noble cause. We are come together as Catholics
and as good citizens also. We are assembled as Cath-
olics, deeply and earnestly interested in that great cause
and I may say one of the greatest of causes, that
of the Catholic education of youth. And because we
are interested in the matter of education in its great,
grand, true sense, therefore are we also assembled as
good citizens of the Republic; because we believe most
thoroughly that the more perfect education of the young
in every true sense is, the more perfect will be the order
of citizenship in this great country.
"As we know that the stream coming from the moun-
tain bears with it its own purity and freshness, so this
great intellectual training and education of the young,
coming from the first fountain and the purest of all
knowledge the fountain of religion we believe, must
give to the young its own freshness, its own holiness,
its own beauty, its own completion and finish.
"Within a few months there has arisen here this won-
derful exhibition of man's enterprise and genius. Men
come from every clime to see it, not only with pleasure,
but with wonder. And when we look around and see
these wonderful material things, indicating the material
progress of the world up to the time of our era, we
are pleased, also, to understand and to know that there
are signs and proofs of a higher development and of a
nobler work than that merely material one, and that is,
that during this great Exposition there are so many
proofs given of the intellectual, the moral and religious
268 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
welfare, and, I may say, progress of man. It is a great
advantage to enjoy these improvements of modern
times, and yet we know that men might be highly cul-
tivated and highly civilized even without these, as they
have been in the past. We know that Plato and Aris-
totle and St. Thomas never saw a steamer they knew
nothing of the great wonders of electricity, and yet they
were highly civilized and cultivated.
"Amongst the wonderful things to be seen here that
tend to the higher things of man to the higher develop-
ment and the higher cultivation and civilization, I may
mention with great and supreme pleasure, that great
exhibition of our Catholic schools, of the methods and
the systems employed throughout this broad land by the
Catholic Church in the education of the young. There
could be no higher or greater object lesson than this.
We, who have witnessed have diligently examined
the Catholic exhibition from every part of the country,
have acknowledged its excellence. And whoever earn-
estly and impartially examines even a little of this proof
of the methods of the training and education of the
Catholic youth, from little children to the highest finish
of our schools and colleges whoever does this earnestly,
can never again say, and should not permit it to be said
in our generation, that Catholic schools and Catholic
education are inferior to any other to be found in the
whole country.
"Those wonderful works of this strange city; those
great proofs of talent and genius, that have formed the
delight and the pleasure of all who have visited this
great Exposition these will soon pass away: in a few
brief months there will be none of them here. They
will all pass from man's sight, it is probable, before the
snows fall upon the ground here. But we know that
THE WORLD'S FAIR 269
everything that this great Exposition has brought for-
ward and developed, and that it represents, will not
pass away; that the higher things concerning the wel-
fare and the benefit of man will not be covered up by
the snows of winter, and that they will not disappear.
There are many things connected with this wonderful
Exposition that will live, not only for our time, but for
the generations that are coming after. And amongst
the things that will not perish, that will certainly live,
not only for our times but for those that come after us,
will be the lessons and the results of this grand exhibi-
tion of the teachings and the methods of Catholic schools.
They will give a development to Catholic education.
This exhibition will give encouragement to those who
devote themselves to Catholic education. Catholic edu-
cation will acquire from them new springs of wealth, a
new force and new development to increase and spread
over the whole land; and we look forward to the time
when this wonderful system of education of our schools
will be everywhere, and we know that the effects will be
holy, beautiful, beneficent; that it will make men wiser
and better than they would be without it; that it will
make them good citizens and strong and conservative
men; that its influence will be for good and for the
highest order that it will be like the beneficent effects
of those dews that God sends to make the earth fruitful.
"It is in order to emphasize the great work of the
Catholic exhibit, and to emphasize also, this great system
of Catholic teaching and training, that those so much
interested thought well of having what they call 'Cath-
olic Education Day,' and then notified distinguished
men and orators, some of them from distant parts of
the country to come to speak to you, to say a word of
encouragement and advice to all the people to all of
19
270 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
us, and in a special manner, must I not say, to all those
who have made this a possibility amongst us; and they
who have made this a possibility amongst us are the
members of these great teaching communities that are
doing this wonderful work throughout the land every-
where of Catholic education.
"In connection with our interests as regards this great
Fair, it will not, I am sure, be considered out of place
for me, as representative of the Catholic interests of
this great city, to express our thanks to the managers
of the Exposition to the gentlemen connected with it
with whom we have had occasion to come directly in
contact. All who are interested in the great work of
the exhibit of Catholic education have experienced, I
believe I am sure at every time, the greatest kindness
and the greatest courtesy from the gentlemen connected
not only with educational matters, but with all the busi-
ness of this wonderful Exposition. And, therefore, I
take the liberty today, in the name of our people of our
section, to say this word of thanks and gratitude to all
these gentlemen.
"You will have the pleasure of hearing eloquent voices,
who will speak to you a good deal better than I can,
though they cannot be more interested than I in the
great cause of Catholic education."
Director General Davis by reason of his many en-
gagements was unable to be present, and Dr. Selim H.
Peabody, Chief of the Department of Liberal Arts,
responding to the words of welcome, said :
DR. SELIM H. PEABODY'S ADDRESS
"No one will regret more than I that the distinguished
gentleman who stands at the head of this Exposition as
the Director-General cannot be present this morning
THE WORLD'S FAIR 271
to accept the thanks which the Archbishop has so cour-
teously presented to him and to his colleagues, and to
express to you his gratification at this large audience
on this auspicious day.
"The Exposition, which celebrates the coming of Co-
lumbus over the water and the discovery of this con-
tinent, would not be complete in its recognition, in its
preparation, in any of its results, if it should forget the
auspices under which Columbus came to America. We
remember that, in 1492, the last of the Moors passed
away from Granada, and Spain became one kingdom.
The last, the long, contest between the Cross and the
Crescent culminated in the victory of the Cross in Spain ;
and the monarchs, who then were united in one family,
governing one kingdom, earned the title, which they have
ever since worn, The Most Catholic Majesty of Spain.
"Now, Queen Isabella, when she sent Columbus across
the waves that he might discover a new continent, or a
new way to an old one, remembered that this continent
would be peopled with men and women having souls,
and she cared for what she understood to be the welfare
of these souls, by sending with Columbus the represen-
tatives of the Catholic Church, which she loved. I
might say further, that no body of people counting
themselves Christians has so fully responded to that
great commission, 'Go ye into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature,' as this body represented
before me today. And so we find the paths of the mis-
sionaries who went out without force of arms behind
them, to open the way before them to other nations ; we
see them treading their course across these prairies and
teaching Indians the way of life. So, while we learn
of LaSalle, we remember also Father Hennepin and
Pere Marquette. So, I say, that this Exposition could
272 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
not do otherwise than recognize the force, the under-
lying powers, the great results which have been brought
to America by the Catholic teachers, carrying with them
the Cross and the symbols of the Catholic faith. It is
not necessary for you to attempt to make any specific
ecclesiastical exhibit other than such grand exhibits as
you bring on a day like this, when you bring your own
highest dignitaries ; when you bring those who represent
your orders of men and women; and when you bring
representatives of your people; bring all those orders
who reverence your symbols, who hold your faith those
are your exhibits.
"But I should speak more directly of the Catholic
Educational Exhibit. It has been my fortune to look
after that in some directions ; to see that it had a position
and a suitable one ; and I have observed the great skill,
the wisdom, the patience, the care, the consideration,
which have been exhibited by all of those who had charge
of gathering this Exhibit, of putting it in place, and of
keeping it before this great American people. You have
done admirably in all these respects. I think of the
hundreds and thousands of fingers and of minds and
teachers who have cared for the general exhibit. My
friends, I believe we have the most wonderful, as we
have the most extensive, educational Exhibit which this
world has ever seen. I expect that its influence upon
all phases of education will be stimulating, will be en-
couraging, will be developing, and that your portion of
it will receive the rewards which naturally follow from
the labors presented in such an exhibit. We rejoice in
all its beauty and in all its completeness, in all the great
excellence that it exhibits. It will not be necessary for
me to enter into detail here. Most of you have seen it;
others who have not seen it will take the opportunity
]
THE PBOTECTOB OF OUK SCHOOLS
THE WORLD'S FAIR 273
today to look through it carefully and see what it pre-
sents.
"I must then, Your Grace, thank you, in the name of
the Director- General for the kind expressions which you
have stated for him and for his colleagues, and express
my belief that all which you have said in regard to this
educational exhibit will be found to come true in the
fruitions which are to follow."
CHICAGO CATHOLIC SCHOOL EXHIBIT
This Exhibit differed from others in having in its
midst the statue of its Archbishop. Pictures of this
treasure of art have appeared in so many places as to
make its main features familiar; still, that statue must
be seen, in the purity of its marble loveliness, to be
appreciated for its great artistic merit, and its perfect
fidelity to nature. It is His Grace in very truth, only
it lacks his tender heart and noble soul, yet the impress
of both is visible in the expression of the marble features.
The artist had admirable success in catching, without
any artificial ideality, the spirit of the double character
of father and lord, the tenderness of the one and the
dignity of the other, supplementing, indeed, but in no
way effacing each other. Pedestals are of small moment
perhaps, and yet the beautiful object that is well placed
is made more beautiful thereby, so it is not an altogether
insignificant fact that beneath the Archbishop's marble
feet was a support in perfect taste, and in admirable
harmony with the idea of His Grace, as "Protector of
Our Schools." The shields, on the base of the pedestal,
bore the names of the branches taught in the schools;
the front and rear of the shaft were decorated with edu-
cational emblems of every variety, from harps to micro-
scopes. The two school children, the boy at the right
274 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAJST
and the girl at the left, are truly typical; he, with his
eyes bent downward, intent on the things of earth, rep-
resented by his book, on which he gazes so earnestly;
she, with her eyes turned Heavenward, her expression
one of rapt attention to higher thoughts, has closed her
book in order to reflect. Thus, with hands outstretched
in benediction, stood His Grace of Chicago in the midst
of the educational results he had done so much to fur-
ther. This statue is a work of art and reflects credit
on the great-hearted priests who secured it as the central
attraction of the gigantic and exceptionally fine Exhibit,
which was installed and supervised by Chancellor P. J.
Muldoon.
The Chicago space was divided by two broad passage
ways, one of which ran due North and South; the other
running East and West, joined it at its middle point,
forming with it two right angles, thus affording the sec-
tion three fine entrances at North, West, and South
terminals of the passageways ; the statue standing at the
East point, and surrounded by the fine open space, had
the art work of the diocesan academies for a background.
The entrances were elegantly formed by a guard at
each side consisting of a tastefully carved, square, oaken
pillar; extending from pillar to pillar of each entrance
was a head piece of stained glass, framed in harmony
with the wood and carving of the pillars, and bearing
the inscription: "Catholic Educational Exhibit of the
Archdiocese of Chicago" ; above this, in a circular frame,
and painted on glass, was a picture of Our Blessed
Lady, surrounded by a Latin inscription, making the
petition, "Blessed Lady, pray for us." From the top
of each pillar rose a tall pole bearing a banner ; of these
there were six, two of the United States, one of Erin,
one of Canada, two not national. The last two were of
THE WORLD'S FAIR 275
heavy white watered silk on which handsome designs
were painted with water colors ; one of them, a contribu-
tion of the Dominican Nuns at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin,
presented in rich colors, and with artistic taste, a rep-
resentation of the Western Hemisphere and the Amer-
ican Eagle, surrounded by masses of lovely pansies and
exquisite wild roses; the rich gold trimmings and the
heavy gold cord and tassels gave the proper finish to the
beautiful artistic work: the other was equally rich and
beautiful, but the contributor was not named.
The wide area around His Grace's statue was hand-
somely carpeted, and was adorned with portions of ex-
hibits from the academies of the Sisters of Notre Dame,
of Bourbonais Grove and Kankakee, and of the School
Sisters of Notre Dame of Longwood. At the right and
at the left of the statue were alcoves, divided by low
partitions, and containing the exhibits of all the acad-
emies of the archdiocese, also Miss Starr's art display,
and the exhibit of the Ephpheta School for the deaf
and dumb.*
The parochial school work presented to public judg-
ment in the Catholic Educational Exhibit had, without
the exception of a single paper, the features that an
exacting and experienced teacher would wish to see in
such work and yet would be surprised to see presented
in such perfection. These features were neat, correct and
beautiful penmanship, exact and original expression of
ideas and facts, orderly methods of arrangement, and
the manifest reserve power of a thorough information
which knows more than it tells ; also a decided, unmistak-
* As the exhibit work was voluntary, all the schools of the arch-
diocese did not participate. The exhibit embraced the work of sixty
parochial schools, one college, nine academies, two houses of the Good
Shepherd, two orphan asylums, one Ephpheta school, and one infant
asylum.
276 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
able and admirable mingling of love for God and for
country. The cross and the flag, religion and patriot-
ism, Church and Country, these emblems, standing for
these lofty sentiments, were on every map and in every
volume; the inspirations awakened by them breathed in
every paragraph; and reverence for the sacred realities
of faith and patriotism stamped every object in the
Exhibit with the united characteristics of their holy
partnership.
In fact every argument against parochial schools,
every belittling assertion regarding them, every fault
found with the methods pursued in them, every adverse
criticism of their relation to the nation, found a refuta-
tion, a contradiction, a correction and a denial in the
Educational Exhibit. In all truth it can be said that
the Catholic Exhibit during the World's Columbian
Exposition was the greatest, the most imposing and im-
pressive manifestation of the love of American Catholics
for education that this country had ever seen.
CHAPTER XX
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND
SPEECH ON MOORE SERMON ON ST. PATRICK SPEECH IN
ANSWER TO THE TOAST: "THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY AND
CLERGY IN IRELAND" HIS LOVE FOR THE IRISH SOCIETIES
COLONEL FINERTY'S COMMENT HIS LOVE FOR AMERICA THE
TRUE AMERICAN HIS LOVE FOR THE AMERICAN FLAG.
As an Irish patriot, Archbishop Feehan had no supe-
rior among the men of his race, whether clerical or lay ;
he loved her ancient religion, her history, her language,
her music, her oratory, and her song; he sympathized
with her aspirations and never hesitated on proper occa-
sions to lift up his voice against the crimes and intrigues
of her oppressor. Who that heard him can forget, while
life lasts, his noble address as chairman of the Moore
anniversary celebration held in Central Music Hall,
when he placed before the great audience the question
of Irish independence in language at once simple and
sublime?
We take great pleasure in being able to reproduce
the speech, which will serve to keep the good Arch-
bishop's memory green in the hearts of his kindred peo-
ple.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "we are assembled
tonight on an occasion that is most interesting. A year
ago we met here to commemorate almost the centenary
of Moore, the great Irish poet, and having had on that
occasion the pleasure of saying a few words to those
who were present, I think I expressed a thought that
such meetings might take place, at least occasionally,
with pleasure, and likely with profit in many ways to
277
278 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
all of us. It was a very sincere pleasure to me when
I learned the idea was taken up of continuing the meet-
ing of last year by having a meeting this year to continue
also the memory of the Irish poet.
"We meet together tonight with a view and a desire
of originating the work of erecting a statue in some
public place of our city to the memory of Moore. In
doing this we are entirely in accord with the feeling
and the sentiment of men in every age, so far as time
gives us any record. All men and races have desired
to commemorate in some substantial way, so far as they
could, the memories of their great men great in what-
ever way it may have been, great soldiers, great orators,
great poets and the like. Even in the ruins of some of
the ancient cities of history explorers in our day find
monuments erected ages ago to the memory of some
great man. We have already, as you may have noticed,
in some of the parks of our city monuments of this kind
suggested by the sentiment of the people, to whom the
man whom they represent belonged. We have the
monument of the great German poet, Schiller, and of
the great French explorer, La Salle, the great Scan-
dinavian, Linnaeus, and others, and why not some-
where, as we pass by, cannot we look upon some monu-
ment of some great man of our race?
"There have been in the history of Ireland many men
who were great in the various degrees and ways of
greatness. As yet, among us in the new world, we
have made no effort to commemorate and perpetuate
their memories If we go back, even to the later cen-
turies, how many and many a distinguished name can
we find to whom we would be glad to build a monu-
ment. But some one may say to me : Why build monu-
ments to men whose lives as a rule were failures? The
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 279
greatest Irishmen for many generations did not succeed
in their efforts for their cause, notwithstanding they
had great genius, great talents, great courage, and great
devotion to their country. Their lives went out in de-
feat, and some say, why build a monument to a defeated
hero?
"Neither you nor I will, I am sure, admit the truth of
this. Men have built monuments to great men even
though they did suffer defeat. We glance back through
the ages and were not those Greeks, who died at Ther-
mopylae in defense of their native land, nobler than the
hosts of Persians who destroyed them? What name
more illustrious than that of the great Roman general,
taken captive, defeated in battle, and brought in chains
to Carthage, and when he was ordered from thence to
go back to his native place, to Rome, to make a treaty
of peace with his enemies? He went to discharge this
mission, and when he stood among his fellow-country-
men in the Roman senate, he said: 'You must not
make the treaty;' and he went back to chains and to
die in torture, because he had promised he would not,
and did not, break his word, and the world from that
time to this has honored the memory of Regulus.
"We read with great pleasure how that same senate
in Rome's splendid day voted a triumph to a defeated
general because he had not despaired of his country;
and so would we, so far as we could so at least we
ought build monuments even to men who were de-
feated because they did not despair of their country.
They were men who believed and acted upon the great
truth, a truth that can never perish, that
Freedom's battle once begun,
Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son,
Though baffled oft, is never won.
280 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAJSf
"When we reason thus and desire to erect monuments
to the great of our history and our race, and when we
show our patriotism, our love of country in this man-
ner, let no one say, as none can say with truth, that be-
cause we are devoted in this manner to the land of the
forefathers of many who are here, that we are therefore
less loyal to the country of our adoption, for this would
not be true; for the man who is most devoted to the
country of his birth, or of his forefathers, is the man
who would be most devoted to the country of his adop-
tion.
"If we can imagine for a moment some man, who has
in his heart no love for his native land, a man who does
not love in his very soul the place where he was born,
the home of his forefathers, of his kindred, of his race,
he is a selfish as he is a heartless and soulless man. He is
a man whom men would not respect nor honor, but dis-
like ; he is such as the Scottish bard describes as one who
'goes down to the vile dust from which he sprung, un-
wept, unhonored, and unsung.'
"We desire then to honor the memory of a great man ;
a man who was great by reason of his gifts and of his
genius ; for no one can question the genius of Moore, the
Irish poet; and the greatest and most capable have
placed him as a living force among the great, not only
of our time and all times, but among the greatest lyric
poets of all nations. When I said a few words a year
ago, I think I expressed the wish that Moore's melodies
would be cultivated; that the young who learn music
would be taught to sing those beautiful Irish airs to
which Moore's melodies have been adapted. It is not,
I think, generally so ; and if we try to find a reason why
we love the music of France, of Germany, of Italy, and
justly so magnificent music why not love the music
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 281
of Ireland? We may, perhaps, find a reason in this:
that Ireland for many generations has not been great
and prosperous as other nations, and unfortunately, it
is human nature to bow down before and to worship
material greatness and success, and men do not realize
that something which is infinitely higher than material
greatness that greatness of spirit and of soul, like the
soul of Ireland, which has never lost its faith, and never
yielded up its spirit and its desire for independence.
"And there may be, perhaps, another reason. There
may be some who are influenced by the English tradi-
tion regarding Ireland. This tradition is a false one.
It would decry and make little of everything that is
Ireland's, and some perhaps may be weak enough to
yield to this base tradition.
"We know very well that when England, being
stronger than Ireland was, destroyed her temples and
her monuments, she also robbed her of her jewels, and
then placed upon her shoulders a robe of mockery, and
attempted to point her out to the derision of the nations,
and said: 'See how poor she is now, and how ignorant
her people are' when she had made them so. This
tradition, which has been a false one for three hundred
years, we, in our day, should not yield to, and the time
ought to come when all should know better and should
resist it honorably in every way they can.
"We all believe, as we hope, that the long, cruel night
of darkness and oppression has passed away from Ire-
land. We hope that we will behold the dawn of a day
that \vill be a bright one, and, in the fulness of that day,
when it comes, may we not wish, as I trust the Irish
people will strive, to inscribe the tombs and to build the
monuments of their great men, and that in that day
Moore's melodies may be sung with pride all over the
earth in the homes of our music-loving people."
282 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
However, Archbishop Feehan manifested his great
love for Ireland not only in words but also in deeds.
We already referred to his activity at the Council of
Baltimore in behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
and may also call the reader's attention once more to
the memorable speech delivered by the Hon. Henry
F. Sheridan, at the time of the Archbishop's return from
Rome. Archbishop Feehan was always deeply inter-
ested in the Ancient Order of Hibernians and was its
National Chaplain for many years.
The only manuscripts, aside from his official papers,
that were found among the Archbishop's belongings
after his death, was a sermon on St. Patrick, and some
notes for a patriotic speech on Ireland. The sermon
was first delivered on St. Patrick's day, 1862, and had
apparently been used since many a time with various
modifications. The text is: "Ecce Sacerdos magnus"
. . . etc. The sermon:
"These words read in the liturgy of the Church
these solemn ceremonies the numbers congregated here
proclaim that we celebrate no ordinary festival but
it is one that to you needs no explanation. The festival
we celebrate is to honor St. Patrick, the apostle, the
patron of Ireland. It is one that enkindles all our
faith; that brings before our minds the memories of other
days, the brightest images, the fairest associations of the
past; one that brings us back to other times and other
scenes in a far-off land, where today upon ten thousand
altars the name of 'Patrick' is pronounced with rever-
ence; where with the music of ten thousand choirs the
fervent prayers of millions ascend to heaven to our King,
God, Who sent the great apostle and sealed the covenant
with their fathers and made them sharers in His bene-
diction. No other festival is so universally celebrated,
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 283
no other evokes so much enthusiasm. Because no other
people has been scattered through the world as the
Irish, no other has so singular and eventful a history.
"Ireland is small compared with other countries ; it is
but a speck on the surface of the globe, yet it has a
history of many centuries and one that is an object not
only of curious research but of interest to most other
nations of the world. Today her children are congre-
gated in every portion of the globe; they are found by
the Ganges as by the Mississippi. Today they search
for the shamrock under polar snows and the sands of the
Equator. Some are honored, ennobled in the courts of
the Old World; some occupy places in the councils of
the New World. Some are watching beside the camp
fires, perhaps dreaming how they will achieve a future
for Ireland. But from every point within this wide cir-
cumference their hearts today turn as to their center, to
the emerald isle of the ocean, their beautiful, but perse-
cuted mother.
"Love of country is one of the noblest emotions of the
human soul. And why should we not love Ireland?
They sometimes tell us that she has no history, nothing
in which we can glory, nothing to justify this enthu-
siastic devotion of her children. But I need not tell you
how false are these assertions.
"Our Island was civilized and had a history and a glory
centuries before most modern nations had an existence,
and of this, no matter what may be said to the contrary,
there is more than sufficient evidence. The spoiler in-
deed was stronger than we were and robbed us of almost
all the records of our glory and when we would speak
of the actions of our forefathers, attempted to decry
us as impostors. But they could not destroy all; for
though the parchment should be shriveled to ashes in the
284 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
flames, though the sceptre should be stricken from the
Monarch's hands and the crown torn from his dishev-
eled head, still the memory of facts will live and the
traditions of a people are indestructible ; and the names
of places and of families, the hills, the cliffs, the valleys
of Ireland strengthen this memory, confirm this tradi-
tion: 'that our forefathers came from the East, from
Phenicia, through Spain more than three thousand years
ago, not long after Moses brought the Israelites out of
Egypt, about the time that Cadmus introduced letters
into Greece ; that they had a written language and laws
and civilization.'
"It was long before the Roman ruled the world, before
Greece became the seat of science and of learning, be-
fore the hunter of Northern Asia directed his course to
the West ; when Siberia was still shrouded in untrodden
snow, when neither Russian nor Moscovite was known;
centuries before the swarms of Asia emerging from their
hills and plains, traversing a pathless forest and a
mighty waste, found themselves some in Scandinavia
and some further South, where their descendants under
the name of Saxons afterward held their sway. All
these were different from our fathers. Their gods were
not the gods of Erin ; their language was not the same,
nor were their manners and customs.
"The worship of Ireland, the pagan, was compara-
tively pure. It was the fire worship of the Phenician.
She had a regular government, a monarch, a legislative
assembly and written laws ; and it was a singular feature
of these laws that not one of them decreed punishment
of death ; the offender was punished by a fine in propor-
tion to his offense. And this tenderness for human life
evidently, was not a characteristic of a barbarous peo-
ple.
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 285
"I would wish to dwell upon the history of our fore-
fathers, upon the civilization of ancient Ireland, if time
permitted and this were the proper place. But there is
one great fact, peculiar to our nation, which I cannot
leave unmentioned. All other nations, whether civilized
or barbarous, persecuted the first apostles of Christian-
ity amongst them. They who preached the faith, gen-
erally did so at the sacrifice of their lives. The seed was
to be watered by the tears of the sower, and the germ
was nurtured with his blood before the plant could
flourish. But to this, Ireland is a splendid and solitary
exception. Her soil would seem to have been already
prepared for the seed; the island of shamrocks bloomed
in the verdure of cultivation, the venom of religious
hatred and persecution did not exist there.
"Like the other nations she was still in darkness, yet
she had the twinkling of science to adorn her firmament,
and her mild mythology would seem to have caught some
rays from the sun of justice, which it reflected, though
imperfectly, on her children. The day star beamed upon
them and they began to behold the light approaching
from the East. It may be that the mists of the ocean
served to refract and mellow the glories of the rising
sun and that having been long accustomed to a little
light they were better prepared to endure and to exam-
ine that brilliant orb which now rose above their horizon
in the gorgeous majesty of truth. Whatever may have
been the cause, the fact is certain: Ireland did not slay
her apostles. It was reserved for that nation which was
barbarous when she was civilized, for England, to give
a martyrology to Ireland. So it was in Erin 1,400
years ago; but she is about to witness a change, to as-
sume new robes of loveliness, to become the very center
of truth and science.
20
286 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"A captive youth is guarding flocks upon the hills of
Ulster, far from his own bright home in the sunny land
of Gaul, for this was most probably his birthplace. In
the solitude of the mountains, in the caverns of the for-
ests, in summer's heat, amid the winter's snow, in the
sunshine or the storm he keeps anxious and faithful
watch, and yet he finds leisure for holier watches and
holier vigils and if he sighs for his deliverance, he prays,
oh I how fervently, for the liberation of his masters. His
captivity ends at length, he has been restored to home
and to kindred ; and when we next behold him, the scene
is changed indeed. It bursts upon us like the dream
of the imagination, or like the vision of sleeping Israel,
or like the light of God flashing upon the eyes of Saul,
when 'the lion was changed into a lamb.'
"Ah! who is he that stands upon the hill of Tara so
venerable and with looks of majesty amid the as-
sembled great ones of the nation where once he had
been a slave the shepherd's crook is transformed into
a crozier the guardian of the flock of Milcho is be-
come the shepherd of the fold of Christ!
"It is Patrick the captive, now a Bishop and Apostle.
"Years have passed, but they were years of study, of
toil, of labor. Patrick never forgot the scene of his suf-
ferings, the vision of his earlier days ; and he heard 'the
children of Erin from their mother's wombs calling on
him to come and deliver them.' He did not go forth
unauthorized; his mission was from Him Who com-
manded the fishermen of Galilee to preach His Gospel
to every creature. The same God had whispered to the
soul of Patrick: 'Go and preach My faith to this na-
tion, to this people of My choice and I will be with you
and them to the end.'
"And at Rome, the city of martyrs, where Peter was
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 287
crucified, at Rome, the center of Catholic unity, Patrick
appeals to Celestine, the successor of Peter, the Father
of the faithful, the Vicar of Christ and Visible Head of
His Church on earth, and from him he receives his
mission for the conversion of Ireland. So ancient is our
connection with Rome, and from that day to this it has
never been severed. So with a power greater than Elias,
bearing a commission more glorious than that of Moses,
inspired with a wisdom and an eloquence more capti-
vating than the strains of the prophet king, he comes,
an Apostle, to awaken a nation to a new life.
"Need I mention details with which you are all so
familiar; need I tell you of the Easter even when he
kindled the sacred fire, emblem of a diviner light which
the blood of centuries could not extinguish; need I
tell you of Tara, its Monarchs, its Druids, etc. ; of the
multitudes who listened; how with words more sweet
than the murmuring waters of their own fountains he
persuaded, convinced them; how the druid worship dis-
appeared before the Cross and temples to the living God
rose up as by enchantment? Patrick has made the soli-
tude to flourish; he made a garden of the wilderness;
he transferred the glory of Libanus and Carmel to the
Irish vales, where religion and virtue found a sanc-
tuary and a home ; he made Erin the garden of the uni-
verse, the Spouse of Christ, he made her shine as a light
among the nations.
"A noble race became his children and the truths of
faith were implanted deeply; and with prophetic vision,
perhaps, he foresaw that neither length of nor strength
of temptation, nor might of persecution could ever de-
stroy or weaken that faith, but that it would go down
unsullied through the generations, guarded by courage,
constancy and magnanimity.
288 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"Oh! land of my fathers, how beauteous were your
hills, how lovely were your valleys, how pure were your
streams in that day before the eye of Heaven. The
hand of the spoiler did not desolate your fields ; the foot
of the stranger (Saxon and Norman) was not upon the
necks of your children; the sword of the persecutor did
not stain your temples with blood, but flourishing in
beauty, lovely in peace, decorated with virtue, you were
the gem of the ocean, the sanctuary of truth, the orna-
ment of the Church of God.
"Oh ! it was a bright and brilliant chapter in a nation's
history, and would that I might close the narrative here,
for scenes of aftertimes rise before the vision, scenes
from which the mind recoils; the land is convulsed, the
horizon is darkened, the storm gathering in the distance
then bursting with terrific fury and the sun of Erin's
glory seems setting in a sea of blood.
"The Dane came there, the pirate sea-king from the
North. This was the beginning of the storm, but its
violence was checked for a while. You have read of
the Good Friday when the Danes, flushed with success,
met the Irish on the plains of Clontarf . The Irish were
victorious, the Danish power was broken forever, but
the strings of the harp gave only the note of lamenta-
tion and the green flag floated in the imperfect triumph
of a joyless victory. The grand old Monarch, Brian
Boru, had been slain as he knelt before the crucifix,
thanking God for the triumph of his people.
"And then came a later time and a fiercer storm and
a more unrelenting enemy than the Dane; there came
the stranger from a hostile land with tyrant rule and
savage laws and the fanaticism of a hostile creed. And
this was no passing blast, no gale destroying for the
moment; it was the hurricane of centuries that swept
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 289
the land, and old men fell and young men in the pride
of manhood, and there were virgin martyrs and the
fight was lost or won; and the cloister was in ruins and
the sanctuary was desecrated and the faithful people
had no temple for their God, but under the broad canopy
of heaven the rude stone was the altar on which the
Spotless Lamb was offered. And the children of Ire-
land were hunted as wild beasts and their bodies fed the
vultures; and their bones whitened, shroudless and cof-
finless in the hills, and they were cast into the gloomy
prisons and fetid dungeons and perished amid the rocks
and caves and caverns, until the liberties of Ireland were
destroyed and her children reduced to slavery.
"She was seated in the dust, her glory tarnished, her
face bedewed with tears; the testimonies of her great-
ness were torn away and destroyed. She was sprinkled
with obloquy and strangers were brought to laugh at
her woe, to mock at her affliction. Her proud neighbor
plundered her of her jewels, then flung the garb of folly
on her shoulders and pointed her out to the derision
of the world. Yet, there is no stain upon the fair brow
of Ireland; in the unequal and unparalleled struggle
of seven hundred years she has never yielded; she has
saved her honor; she has preserved her national virtue
and the lamp of faith burns there as bright today as it
did when Patrick and Bridget and Columba were its
guardians.
"Oh ! surely Ireland has a history. She has much in
which we can glory, she has enough to explain the en-
thusiastic devotion of her children. And we, though at
a distance, should not be cheated out of our recollec-
tions; today at least we can recall the memories of our
native land. We can hear the sound of our fathers'
voices from their Irish graves and though that sound
290 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
be but an echo that we gather from the ruins of the
tomb, still we love to hear it and it reaches to our souls
and enkindles in them a love for Ireland and a devotion
to her traditions and her faith. And hence, this day
should be for us not only a national, but also a religious
festival. And before you leave the temple, will you
not pray to the God of your fathers, that you in your
day may be worthy of those who are gone before you?
Oh ! I trust in God, there are no recreant Irish here !
"Pray not alone for yourselves, pray for your children
who will take your places, that they too may be worthy
of their race; that they may never blush for Ireland;
that Ireland may never have cause to blush for them.
Oh! wherever they may be, may they so uphold the
honor of the old land, that she might clasp them to her
bosom and with pride claim them as the children of her
children."
We also have at our disposal in the Archbishop's own
writing some notes of a patriotic speech delivered by
His Grace, we know not on what occasion.
"Gentlemen : I rise with more than ordinary feelings
of pride and pleasure to respond to the toast you have
just pledged. I feel proud and pleased because of those
whom I see around me here; because of the manner in
which you honor the day we celebrate ; because you pro-
claim your devotion to the country and faith of your
fathers, when you honor those who have been the noblest
defenders of both.
"When you mention the Catholic Hierarchy and
Clergy of Ireland, what a crowd of memories rise and
circle round the soul. It brings me back to the time
when I felt the breezes of the hills and inhaled the
fragrance of the valleys of my native land; to the time
when I listened with awe, yet reverence to the teachings
HIS LOVE OF IRELAND 291
of venerable men ; to the years spent beneath the shadows
of the ruined castle of the Geraldines, the great school
of modern Ireland.
"It brings before me the vicissitudes of Ireland's his-
tory, her glories, her triumphs and her sufferings from
the hour that St. Patrick kindled the sacred fire near
the hill of Tara to the present. I think of the time when
she was shrouded with the drapery of death, yet want-
ing but the living voice that could impart the quicken-
ing spirit. The voice spoke, and I behold the bonds
loosed, the winding sheet cast aside, and the nation ris-
ing from the grave in all the glory of her resurrection
and appearing in her new light, beautiful almost as
paradise on the morning of creation.
"Ah! that time was she truly the fairest gem of the
ocean, the brightest ornament of the Church, when her
illustrious children the Hierarchy and Clergy of those
early days were the princes of civilization, the sages,
the legislators, the apostles of Europe.
"Here I need not mention their names, I need not re-
late their history. Christianity bears testimony to the
facts; their names are in the book of life; their deeds
are written in the archives of Heaven. It was a grand,
a glorious chapter in the nation's history. But the fair
vision of those early days fades before the dark picture
of those that succeeded, which exhibits the land con-
vulsed, the storm gathering, then bursting in its fury,
and the sun of Erin's glory setting in seas of blood.
Of the tree of knowledge there remains but the shat-
tered trunk; the branches and leaves are torn off and
scattered. The bark of faith is laboring in the billows ;
its sails are crimsoned, its masts are shattered, it seems
to sink into the flood. But no, it rises over each coming
wave and the sacred standard is still visible; the sacred
treasure does not perish.
292 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
"And it was no passing blast, no gale destroying for
the moment ; it was the hurricane of centuries that swept
the land, and brave men feared, not indeed for life for
they gave it freely in the struggle, but for that which
was dearer to them, for the faith of St. Patrick, for the
birthright of their fathers. The old men fell and the
young men in the pride of manhood, and there were
virgin martyrs, for the cloister was invaded and the
sanctuary was desecrated. The bloodhounds traced the
victims to the wilds of the desert, to the caverns of the
mountains. OhJ this is a bloody picture, yet one of the
grandest in the book of time. The people yielded not,
they did not sacrifice their birthright, they did not
abandon their holy faith. For them there was no death
more glorious than to be buried beneath the ruins of
the altars of religion. At home they were faithful until
death and to other lands they bore the sublime motto:
'Semper et ubique fideles.'
"Honor to the heroes who preserved untarnished the
glory of the sacred Isle. Honor to the Catholic Hier-
archy and Clergy of those stern times. Nobly did they
discharge their duty; nobly were they sharers in all the
perils and sufferings of their people. In the forests,
in the caverns, in the battle strife, in exile or flood, the
Irish priest was with his people. He blessed the ban-
ner of the patriot, whether in his native land or there
on the red fields of Europe, he avenged the wrongs of
ages on the oppressors of his race and faith.
"The storm is passed, the scene is changed again. The
tree of knowledge, of science, blooms as in the olden
times ; the branches may have been cut away, but others
strong and fresh have grown from the aged stem. The
rivulets were dried up for a time, but the source of the
fountain was not dried. The rays may have been dimmed
HIS LOVE OF IRELA1ND 293
but the lamp of faith still burns with as pure a
luster, as when St. Patrick and Columba and St. Brid-
get were its guardians. Yes, even though clothed in
suffering and poverty, the faith of Ireland was dearest
to her children, and fairer to their eyes than the bright-
est diadem that ever glittered in imperial coronet. And
well might it be so, as it shed a luster over her great-
ness, it encouraged her in her struggle, it even cheered
her when she fell. And today it beams over the land,
the Cross glitters from the lofty spires, the people as-
semble again in noble temples to adore the God of their
fathers.
"We ourselves have witnessed the second resurrection
of Ireland. We can bear testimony to the noble efforts
made in modern times to revive the ancient glories of
the land, to build up the ruins of a thousand years.
"Honor to the men who have been the great agents
in this mighty work. Honor to the Hierarchy and
Clergy of Ireland!
"The Irish priest has watched over the faith of Ire-
land. He has been its faithful minister at the peril
often of the sacrifice of his life. He has done more.
He has written the record of his country's glories and
of her wrongs. His hands have touched the lyre and
swept the harp strings. He has tuned the feelings in
his soul to music soft as the murmurs of Erin's foun-
tain, or wild as the war-cry of her clans in battle. He
has taught the people the undying principles of relig-
ion, of liberty. He has pleaded the cause of the in-
jured poor in the face of the oppressor. He has never
been afraid of the frown of the tyrant.
"He may have studied in the greatest schools, he may
have filled the highest places in the Academies, his brow
may be encircled with laurels, he may have won the
294 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
highest triumph, those of the superior mind, but there
is no pride of caste, no pride of intellect, no assumption
of superiority. He enters the cabins of the poor, he
consoles, he encourages them. He understands them.
He can enter into their feelings. He can sympathize
with them in the day of distress, in sickness; in the
fever-shed, where the atmosphere is pestiferous, he is
present even though he feels that he enhales the poison.
He is not afraid. He does not imagine that he is per-
forming an heroic act ; it seems to him an ordinary duty.
"Oh! how few except those that have seen or exper-
ienced it, can appreciate that sublime sentiment of the
beautiful song in which the peasant speaks of his priest :
'Who in the winter night . . .' etc.
"But if he is the consoler of their sorrows, he is also
the sharer of their joys. At the marriage feast, at the
christening, his presence is the signal of peace, of joy;
in a word, in every place, at every time, in every cir-
cumstance, that feeling comes gushing from the rich
depths of the Irish heart. He is ever and always 'the
Soggarth aroon.'
"Long, long may it continue so; long may the people
of Ireland repay a faithful priesthood with so devoted
an attachment. Long may that priesthood watch so
disinterestedly over the faithful people."
Another proof of the Archbishop's love for Ireland
may be deduced from the action of the United Irish
Societies and the words of their spokesman, Colonel
Finerty. When the executive committee of the United
Irish Societies met on the night of July 12, 1902, to
make arrangements for their annual demonstration on
August 15th, the meeting adjourned on learning of the
death of Archbishop Feehan. Colonel John F. Finerty,
who made the announcement, eulogized the dead prelate
HIS LOVE OF AMERICA 295
in eloquent words. He said that Archbishop Feehan
had always proved himself a sincere lover of Ireland.
"His heart and purse were always at the service of
the land that cradled him. While he was known and
respected generally as a distinguished Churchman and
conspicuous for his learning and piety, those engaged
in active work for the cause of Ireland had a close
acquaintance with him and always knew him as a man
whose devotion to the old land had never faltered. His
last public utterance, perhaps, was a letter in which he
gave his encouragement and benediction to the United
Irish League."
HIS LOVE OF AMERICA
However, the intense affection of Archbishop Fee-
han for his native land did not in any way interfere
with his devoted patriotism for the land of his adoption.
He was fond of repeating this sentence: "The love of
the son for his mother does not preclude his love for
his wife. On the contrary, if he is a good son, he will
also be a good husband." He knew Ireland, with its
trials and the unjust restrictions by the British Gov-
ernment, and consequently rejoiced in the freedom of
man and of the Church in the United States. Unfor-
tunately with the exception of the frequent references
in speeches and sermons from which we have quoted,
there are no written records that preserve his public
utterances in this regard. If it is true that he is the
best citizen who fashions others in such a manner that
their lives will give vitality and stability to the govern-
ment, then surely Archbishop Feehan must be ranked
high among the most loyal subjects of the Republic.
His whole life was spent in making men realize that
in all their actions they are responsible to God. This
296 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
especially in a Republic is the foundation of all else
as far as the morality of citizens is concerned. Fre-
quently he said:
"Our non-Catholic brethren do not understand our
system of education or our desire to form a clear and
correct conscience in the hearts of our people. If the
conscience is correctly formed all else will be right. The
only thing that the United States need fear is corrup-
tion of morals. Our institutions will deteriorate and
our flag be lowered, unless we have men who fear and
love God. A good Catholic is always a good citizen,
for he is obedient to law, believing that all just au-
thority comes from God. Far better to vote for and
place in office a decent and God fearing non-Catholic
than a Catholic who neglects his religious duties."
Archbishop Feehan had a constant fear of the so-
called professional Catholic and said, "he is a nuisance
in every community." To such men he gave scant
notice and always suspected their motives. He thor-
oughly despised those who endeavored to grow fat on
their Catholicity. He called such a behavior, "a sort
of sacrilege."
On one occasion when asked his opinion of a speech
that had received much publicity and in which very
vehement protestations of patriotism had been uttered,
he said: "No doubt, it will be read widely and favorably
commented upon, but I do not relish such speeches. It
seems to me the speaker went too far in professing his
loyalty and the patriotism of his fellow- Catholics. It
seems to me, it smacks of apology and in a delicate way
insinuates that we Catholics are perhaps different from
other citizens. I refuse to accept such a position. I
am of my own choice simply an American citizen, with
no explanation or apology." Then he went on to show
HIS LOVE OF AMERICA 297
how in every war, in every epidemic and disaster, and
above all in every moral issue, Catholics had always
proved their undying loyalty to the Republic. "Let
them," he said, "scrutinize our works and we will stand
by the verdict. To wave the flag too often and too
violently, to prate too much about patriotism and to
seek to force our patent claims too often, does more
harm than good and, I believe, weakens our position.
I may be wrong, but such are my views."
On another occasion he said: "It is surprising and
disheartening to find otherwise fair and apparently edu-
cated men give countenance to those who calumniate us,
and who seek to isolate us in politics, in the professions,
and even in social life at times, because we profess the
Catholic faith. One would not wonder at such actions
in the rabble and mob, but it is difficult to analyze this
seemingly ingrained repulsion to all things Catholic.
They praise our organization but vilify the officials and
members of the organization. Though, perhaps it is
not so strange when we consider that there is a personal
devil who is ever striving to sow discord; or when we
remember the unfair and biased group that has writ-
ten all that is called history, much of which is false,
during the last three hundred years; or when we call
to mind the fact that the great missionary people, whose
blood has so largely entered into the fabric of America,
were first robbed of their educational rights and then
passed around the world as examples of ignorance, cul-
tivated and fostered by the Catholic Church. Perhaps
we too, if we had been deluged as they have been with
misinformation, and if a false erroneous conscience had
been made for us ; if only vile books had been placed in
our hands, would be no fairer. As I see it, we must be
patient, await the rewriting of history and in the mean-
298 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
time trust in God. We must make our lives so fair,
upright and moral that even the most prejudiced will
be forced to admire us. Many of the most violent
against every thing Catholic are, I believe, sincere but
misguided and we must exhibit the charity of Christ in
dealing with them."
On one occasion many church societies came to greet
the Archbishop, carrying their banners and national
flags through the streets of Chicago. Through some
oversight there were but few American flags and those
were at the end of the line and the Archbishop could
not see them. He sent for the one in charge of the
parade, and said: "I do not see any American flags,
how is that?" The priest replied that there were sev-
eral in the parade but all happened to be scattered
through the second division. To which the Archbishop
said: "Father, we are Americans and our flag should
always have the most prominent place. I know it was
only an oversight in the hurry of formation but others
may not think so. I will wait here until the bearer of
the flag of our country takes his proper place at the
head of the procession."
No better words could I find than the following, to
express the real sentiments of Archbishop Feehan to-
wards his country:
"Thou, my country, write it on thy heart:
Thy sons are those who nobly take thy part.
Who dedicates his manhood at thy shrine,
Wherever born, was born a ;son of thine."
OF JHt
*wwr OF
THE RIGHT REV. ALEX. J. McGAVICK, D. D.
In the year 1899
CHAPTER XXI
BISHOP ALEXANDER J. McGAVICK'S CONSECRATION
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN'S FAILING HEALTH CONSECRATION OF
BISHOP MCGAVICK THE DINNER SPEECH BY THE ARCH-
BISHOP SPEECH OF BISHOP MCGAVICK ILLNESS OF THE
NEW AUXILIARY PETITION FOR OTHER AUXILIARY.
ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN was in his seventieth year when,
failing in health, and pressed with the constantly multi-
plying cares of the archdiocese, he asked Rome for an
episcopal assistant. In answer to this request the Rev.
Alexander J. McGavick was chosen auxiliary bishop
of the diocese and consecrated titular Bishop of Nar-
copolis, May 1, 1899. The consecration took place in
the Holy Name Cathedral. The Consecrator was Arch-
bishop Feehan, assisted by Bishop JDunne, of Dallas,
and Bishop Ryan, of Alton. The sermon was preached
by Bishop Spalding, of Peoria.
At the banquet which followed the consecration,
Father Kelly, toastmaster, proposed the health of the
Archbishop who, in reply, gave a beautiful speech on
the work the Catholic Church had done in Chicago dur-
ing his administration. The Archbishop spoke as fol-
lows:
"Most Rev. and Rev. Fathers:
"I thank you most cordially for the very kind manner
in which the toast has been received. Now permit me
to take a brief glance at the Archdiocese of Chicago for
the last few years. It will explain the solemn and
beautiful ceremony of this morning, and why you are
assembled now.
"Less than twenty years ago Chicago was supposed
299
300 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
to have a Catholic population of about two hundred
thousand. Now, at a moderate estimate, it has more
than six hundred thousand. For this rapidly growing
number of people it has been necessary to provide every-
thing pertaining to their religion. Churches had to be
built everywhere. And lest this labor would in time
become fruitless, schools had to be provided for the
Catholic education of the young. Then, so far as means
and circumstances permitted, it was necessary to care
for the weaklings of so large a flock ; for the helplessness
of infancy, for the feebleness of old age, for the orphan
and dependent child, for the sick and suffering, for the
erring and unfortunate; to provide training schools for
the growing youth.
"The secret of the work so far done, I think, lies
chiefly in this, that in all those years there has been an
entire unity, an unbroken harmony between the au-
thority of the diocese and the clergy. I have had an
unchanging trust and confidence in the priests, and I
have good reason to believe that trust and confidence
have been mutual. Then, there were the great teaching
bodies and the number of devoted religious who gave
their whole lives to the .various works of charity.
"And so, as the years passed, this work of religion
went on, quietly, peacefully, laboriously. There were
no failures; everything undertaken has been carried to
a successful issue.
"And today, looking out upon the whole work done,
one is inclined to apply the words of the great Latin
poet, 'Tanta molis erat Romanam condere gentem.'
"In the splendid day of ancient Rome her consuls were
warned to see that the Republic suffered no detriment.
A bishop, admitted to a share in the government of that
world-wide Kingdom, the Holy Catholic Church, has
BISHOP McGAVICK'S CONSECRATION 301
a care and a responsibility that no Roman consul ever
had even in Rome's palmiest time.
"And thus when the work of the Archdiocese of Chi-
cago became so great that it would be very difficult, if
not physically impossible, for one person to attend to it
properly and its various necessary details, the situa-
tion being made known to the Supreme Pastor, Our
Holy Father, the Pope, He graciously granted the re-
quest made for assistance. He appointed an Auxiliary
Bishop, and in the person of one who for several years
has been known amongst his brethren, as a priest zeal-
ous and devoted to his priestly duties, one of studious
habits and unaffected gentleness of character. He
comes today into a higher place, and filled with a new
spirit, since we are assured, 'Vos posuit Spiritus Sanc-
tus Episcopos regere Ecclesiam Dei/
"And now the work of religion will continue. And
as Chicago is becoming one of the greatest cities of the
world, in population, in civic and commercial activity,
so, with the blessing of God, we will labor together to
make it one of the greatest centers of Catholic life and
strength and energy in the whole world."
To this speech of Archbishop Feehan Bishop Mc-
Gavick replied as follows:
"Permit me in the first place to thank you, Most
Rev. Archbishop, for the kind words you have just
uttered. They are a source of strength and encourage-
ment to me, and I shall remember them with pleasure
as long as I live.
"I desire likewise to thank you all, prelates and priests,
for the honor of your presence at the ceremony today.
You have come from the weary rounds of pastoral toil ;
many of you, no doubt, have laid aside pressing and im-
portant work, and some have journeyed from remote
21
302 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
places, bearing the fatigues of long travel in order to
be here. These inconveniences and sacrifices cheerfully
endured demand from me an expression of gratitude,
a sentiment which I feel deeply and sincerely towards
you much more so than any words can tell.
"The honor, however, which this large and magnifi-
cent presence implies I do not claim as mine. I realize
fully that there are reasons, other than personal to
me, why so many distinguished prelates and such a mul-
titude of priests should gather here on this occasion.
The consecration of an auxiliary bishop for any diocese
is a matter in itself diocesan. It is something which
touches the diocese itself, and in which the diocese as
such is interested. It is an event of some importance
in the history of that diocese. I would be blind indeed
then, if I did not see that one of the chief purposes of
your presence today is to testify your appreciation
of the greatness of this splendid archdiocese, as well
as to pay a tribute of respect to the great Archbishop
who presides over it.
"Here we have a flourishing Church, one which is the
marvel of the country for the development which it has
attained to in its short existence; which has all along
not only kept pace with the phenomenal material growth
of this great city, but at times would seem to have
stepped forward and led the way on the onward march.
Here we have the spirit of religion deep in the hearts
of the people, a fact evident from the vast multitudes
in regular attendance at divine services ; multitudes that
fill our churches to overflowing on Sundays and Holy
Days, and sweep along our streets in veritable human
floods. Here we have temples of worship, beautiful,
magnificent, and growing constantly in numbers, each
year adding new gems, fairer and more soul-inspiring
BISHOP McGAVICK'S CONSECRATION 303
than any known before. Here we have those parochial
schools as efficient as any in the land, and with a larger
attendance than that found in any other diocese of the
United States. More than fifty thousand children we
are training and educating here daily in the spirit of
Christ under the shadow of the cross. Better than all
we have here a faithful, united priesthood, devoted to
their duties, rejoicing to waste their strength in the
cause of God, and yet working harmoniously together,
all cheerfully uniting their efforts into one mighty effort
to promote the interest of religion, to extend the au-
thority and influence of the Church, and give glory to
Almighty God.
"A truly great archdiocese where God's work is being
done as well as human hands can do it, and where the
results accomplished are a credit and encouragement to
human endeavors. Now, while many heads and hands
have united to achieve these wonderful results with
many glorious deeds of self immolation and self f orget-
fulness unrecorded and unknown save but to God, on
the part of individual priests, still the credit belongs
most to him who with wise and gentle rule harmonized
those various forces and directed them along such lines
as to make success a certainty.
"At your feet, therefore, Most Rev. Archbishop, I lay
the honor which this splendid presence implies. It is
yours. Your untiring labors through many years, your
wisdom, your uniform kindness to the least as well as to
the greatest among your priests, a quality which has
drawn all our hearts to you, have earned the honor well.
"It has fallen to me, however unworthy, to assist hence-
forth in the work of this archdiocese in a larger measure
than heretofore. The former field has been enlarged
somewhat, a few more acres have been added to it, and
304 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
the duties correspondingly multiplied. But labor how-
ever difficult in itself becomes comparatively light when
done under another's direction, and particularly when
that other, as in this case, is one who while still carrying
the heavy burden of responsibility will watch over us
in all we do with a fatherly care and a fatherly in-
dulgence.
"In a letter which I received a few days ago pertinent
to this occasion, the writer said that since my work would
be to help souls while not responsible for their direc-
tion, I would be as one gathering roses without feeling
the thorns. Now I am not quite sure that my new
duties will all be as sweet roses, but I am sure that the
writer touched the truth closely when he implied that
the thorns lay chiefly in the responsibility. That con-
sideration brightens this occasion for me. It sweeps
away the clouds and lets the sunlight in. If it were
otherwise, I think, I should stand appalled on the thresh-
old of this new career.
"Besides immunity from responsibility there is another
advantage which I shall happily enjoy and from which
I draw courage and hope. It is the fact that I shall
be closely associated in my work with one whose splendid
Christian character, whose shining example both as an
individual and as a guide and ruler of the faithful, and
whose wise counsel will be a light for me along the way,
a light which will lead ever onward and upward ; a bright
light which it will be well for me, if I can, faithfully
to follow. With such a light close at hand the shadows
which may beset my path will not be so deep or dense,
and the way of wisdom will be more easily determined.
I shall work as in the noon day, an advantage invaluable
when the road that is to be traveled is one that has so
many turns.
"Allow me to ask you for the help of your prayers.
BISHOP McGAVICK'S CONSECRATION 305
We are all weak vessels of clay without divine help. In
leaning upon ourselves we lean upon broken reeds.
Man is never so impotent as when doing that which
concerns him most, the work which alone will count, the
work of upbuilding and perfecting himself. We seem
to be strong as giants in material things; we seem to
be veritable gods in building cities, in founding and
overturning empires, in conquering and putting to use
the forces of nature, but when it comes to making of
ourselves wise and worthy men intelligent enough to
know our duty under all circumstances and brave enough
to do it, then we appear indeed like little children totter-
ing and stumbling on their first feeble steps. But the
duty of men truly is a work which in every individual
refers immediately to God. It is the work He has
marked out for us with His own divine hand, and He
aids those who invoke Him and they become strong in
the strength of His omnipotence.
"May I ask you today to beseech Almighty God that
He may give to me such graces as will enable me to
do His work as well as human weakness and frailty will
permit, and that I may work before Him as a faithful
apostle in all things pleasing."
Alas! Bishop McGavick on account of continued ill-
ness was not to be the support of Archbishop Feehan
in his declining years. In fact, the consecration had
scarcely taken place when Bishop McGavick became ill
and incapacitated for any active work. Consequently
the Archbishop looked to Rome for another Auxiliary
Bishop and from a letter of Cardinal Ledochowski,
dated June 22, 1901, we learn that on May 4th, His
Eminence had placed before His Holiness, Leo XIII,
the petition of Archbishop Feehan that Rev. Peter J.
Muldoon be named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, which
petition was granted.
CHAPTER XXII
BISHOP PETER J. MULDOON'S CONSECRATION
IMPRESSIVE SCENE AT THE CATHEDRAL OFFICERS OF THE MASS
THE NUMBER OF BISHOPS AND PRIESTS THE CELEBRATION
THE REV. TINAN'S SPEECH ANSWER BY ARCHBISHOP
SPEECH OF REV. THIELE ANSWER BY BISHOP MULDOON
THE GREAT DEMONSTRATION AT NIGHT.
AMID deeply impressive ceremonies the Rt. Rev.
Peter J. Muldoon was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of
Chicago July 25, 1901, by His Eminence, Cardinal
Sebastian Martinelli, the papal delegate at Washing-
ton. In dazzling display of vestments and insignia of
Church dignitaries, and in the elaborate and rich decora-
tions of the church within the sanctuary, the scene of
that day at the cathedral has seldom if ever been equaled
in the city of Chicago.
At 9 o'clock the procession of 600 priests moved up
the center aisle of the cathedral and as it advanced
opened out, permitting eight visiting bishops, the bishop-
elect, three archbishops and Cardinal Martinelli to pass
through their ranks to the sanctuary and take their
places at the right and left of the high altar. The clergy
were placed around the side altars and in the front pews.
A large number of sisters of various convents and rep-
resentatives of other religious orders occupied pews to
the rear of the clergy. The bishops in their costly robes,
the priests in their surplices, the religious in their re-
spective garbs, made the ceremonies both brilliant and
impressive.
To the left of the main altar was the episcopal throne,
draped in red, where preceding the ceremony, the dis-
tinguished representative of Pope Leo sat, surrounded
306
THE RIGHT REV. PETER J. MULDOQX, D. D.
In the year 1901
IKE LiBRW
OFTHt
ONIVERSin OF ILLINOIS
BISHOP MULDOON'S -CONSECRATION 307
by his chaplains and other attendants. On the opposite
side of the chancel was the throne of Archbishop Fee-
ban, draped in purple. His chaplains were the Rev.
P. V. Byrne, C. M., and the Rev. J. Molitor.
The officers of the Pontifical High Mass were:
His Eminence, Cardinal Sebastian Martinelli, Conse-
crator and Celebrant of the Mass, attended by the
Right Rev. Henry Cosgrove, Bishop of Davenport,
Iowa, and the Right Rev. James Ryan, Bishop of
Alton, 111.
Assistant Priest: Very Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons, V. G.
Deacons of the Mass : Rev. F. S. Henneberry and Rev.
Ed. A. Kelly.
Deacons of Honor: Rev. J. D. Riordan and Rev. J.
M. Scanlan.
Masters of Ceremonies : Rev. F. J. Barry, assisted by
Rev. David McDonald and Rev. J. J. Code.
Notary: The Very Rev. Andrew Morressey, C. S. C.,
of Notre Dame University.
Chanters: Rev. J. F. Callaghan and Rev. John P.
Dore.
Preacher: The Rev. M. J. O'Connor, S. J.
Cross Bearer: The Rev. J. J. Dennison.
Chaplains to Bishop Cosgrove; Rev. T. Moreschini;
O. S., and Rev. W. Netstraeter.
Chaplains to Bishop Ryan: Rev. C. Fournier, C. S. V.,
and Rev. T. F. O'Gara.
Chaplain to Bishop-elect Muldoon : Rev. Francis Gor-
don, C. R., and Rev. J. A. Coughlin.
Among the prelates who attended the consecration
service with their chaplains were:
Archbishop F. X. Katzer, of Milwaukee, with Father
George Heldman.
308 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Archbishop W. Henry Elder, of Cincinnati, with the
Rev. J. A. Beil, C. SS. R.
Bishop C. P. Maes, of Covington, Ky., with the Rev.
T. E. Cox.
Bishop Maurice Burke, of St. Joseph, Mo., with the
Rev. J. J. Jennings.
Bishop John Janssen, of Belleville, 111., with the Rev.
A. L. Bergeron.
Bishop E. J. Dunne, of Dallas, Texas, with the Rev.
Richard Dunne.
Bishop John L. Spalding, of Peoria, 111., with the Rev.
J. Nawrocki.
Bishop J. F. Cunningham, of Concordia, Kas., with the
Rev. P. C. Conway.
Bishop P. J. Donahoe, of Wheeling, W. Va., with the
Rev. P. J. O'Reilly.
Bishop Dennis O'Donaghue, of Indianapolis, with the
Rev. L. Campbell.
Bishop A. J. McGavick.
The Right Rev. Abbot N. Jaeger, O. S. B., of Chicago,
with the Rev. V. Kolbeck, O. S. B.
The Right Rev. Abbot E. M. Obrecht, of Gethsemane,
Ky., with the Rev. L. Moloney.
Monsignor F. Z. Rooker, of Washington, D. C., Sec-
retary of the Cardinal.
Monsignor M. P. Abbelen, of Milwaukee.
Monsignor Revoux, of St. Paul, Minn.
Besides these dignitaries there were a large number
of priests present from Chicago and elsewhere together
with a number of the most prominent laymen.
The banquet in Cathedral Hall, which followed
Bishop Muldoon's consecration ceremony, was one of
the most notable gatherings of Church dignitaries and
clergymen that ever assembled in the city of Chicago.
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 309
Cardinal Martinelli, three archbishops, eleven bishops,
and over 600 priests enjoyed the feast of wit, wisdom,
eloquence, and good fellowship that flavored the sump-
tuous menu throughout. The decorations of the banquet
hall, which were the work of the Ladies of the Sacred
Heart, were beautiful, artistic and inviting.
The first toast, "Our Holy Father," was responded
to by the distinguished Bishop John L. Spalding, of
Peoria, and we regret that we are unable to give a
verbatim report of his eloquent tribute to Leo XIII.
The Rev. N. J. Mooney, of St. Columbkill's, re-
sponded to the toast, "His Eminence, Cardinal Marti-
nelli," and in acknowledging the toast in his honor, the
Cardinal spoke of the kindness of Archbishop Feehan
and also of the royal welcome that had been given him.
He said as long as he lived he would affectionately
remember the goodness of the Chicago clergy. He
expected great works for God from this magnificent
diocese. These mighty things would be accomplished
through a loyal and obedient priesthood. He concluded
by saying that he never saw a larger gathering of clergy
at any Church function.
The Rev. P. J. Tinan, of Holy Rosary Church, re-
sponded to the toast, "Chicago and its Archbishop," as
follows :
"Your Eminence, Most Rev. Archbishops, Right Rev.
Bishops, Very Rev. and Rev. Fathers:
"In being chosen to reply in the name of my brethren
to the toast, 'Our Most Rev. Archbishop,' I appreciate
the great but unmerited honor conferred upon me. I
am at a very great loss to know how to proceed, for
I am deeply sensible of the delicacy of my position. I
know that while I speak, tongues much more eloquent
and vastly better equipped to address themselves to this
310 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
splendid theme are silent. I know, moreover, that the
venerable subject of this sentiment, like every great and
good man, instinctively shrinks from anything like the
parading or publication of his virtues and good deeds;
that he abhors flattery ; and that he despises the flatterer.
"My one coigne of vantage is the fact that his life in
this western metropolis for well nigh a quarter of a
century a life active and fruitful in works, grand,
beneficent and holy is of public record; and I feel he
will gainsay me neither the privilege nor the right to
speak of it. That record is writ in every line of those
wonderful monuments to Catholic faith, to Catholic
zeal and to Catholic generosity which are everywhere
visible throughout this great archdiocese.
"It is writ in those many splendid fanes built to God
and God's holy worship; it is writ in those magnificent
institutions of Catholic education and upbuilding of
Catholic manhood and Catholic womanhood, whether
college, academy, high school or modest parish school
which nestles 'neath the shadow of every church tower;
it is writ in those numerous homes, over which charity
and brotherly love are the presiding genii, and wherein
the afflicted, the outcast, the orphaned, the friendless
find sympathy, shelter, refuge, and are, as it were, born
again to hope. For his aid and encouragement have
given to many of them their beginning, have helped all
of them in their progress, and have brought most of
them to their completion.
"Hence, when we study the history of this portion of
the Lord's vineyard for the last twenty-two years, with
its multitudinous demands and diversified interests;
when we estimate the arduous labors and vast resources
to keep pace with the phenomenal growth and develop-
ment and meet its many pressing wants; when we con-
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 311
sider its peculiar composition, made up of people so
radically different in language, in taste and environ-
ment, we may judge of the wisdom, the prudence, the
firmness necessary to draw in on converging lines forces
traveling ways so divergent, and we may well stand
amazed at the grand, symmetrical whole which has
evolved from elements so uncongenial. Must we not,
in justice then, admire and give full credit to the great
central figure, the master mind, who, in the Providence
of God, has planned and carried to successful accom-
plishment this wondrous work?
"Such is the character, and such, in brief, is the his-
tory of the archiepiscopate of our revered Metropol-
itan. For, I opine, that it is no detraction from the
glory and merits of his sainted predecessors, to say that
when Archbishop Feehan at the bidding of his illustrious
Chief, assumed the shepherdship of this widowed See,
he found the Church in process of formation. Count-
less thousands of the faithful were flocking from the
four winds to this rapidly growing city as the Mecca of
their earthly hopes. Well might he hesitate at the
magnitude of the task before him and ask: 'Whence
shall we buy bread that these may eat?'
"But, 'he knew what he would do/ nor did he waste
precious time in discussion with questioning Philips.
His great mind rose equal to the occasion, his genius
conceived the plan of action, his wisdom and firmness
directed its carrying out, and his prudence and fore-
sight conserved the results. He was quick to appreciate
fully the difficulties of the problems continually present-
ing themselves; he has ever had the courage to meet
them squarely and manfully; he has shown the ability
and resourcefulness to solve them successfully.
"In that profound humility and spirit of self-efface-
312 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
ment which so eminently adorn his sacred character, we
heard him frequently decline the credit for the great
work, the growth of which he has watched to such happy
fruition. He would rather generously attribute those
glorious and splendid results to the zeal and self-sacrifice
of a devoted clergy and people. This magnanimity
has made him dear to all of us clergy, religious and
laity for we know its genuineness and have often felt
its encouraging influence; but nevertheless we refuse
to acquiesce in his abdication of the honor and glory
so justly his, and we feel amply repaid to be permitted
to humbly share them with him. We regard this honor
as our sacred trust, his glory as partly our own, his
success in doing God's work, in upbuilding God's Holy
Church as part and parcel with ourselves. This inter-
confidence, this fraternal regard, this mutual good feel-
ing between His Grace of Chicago and his clergy and
people have grown out of the beautiful relations so long
existing between them. By the mildness and justness
of his government, by his greatness of head and good-
ness of heart, by his tender consideration for the feelings
and welfare of others he has won the confidence and love
of priests and people.
"Herein we touch the chord finer, more tender, holier
upon whose pure note it is sweet to linger ; for brick
and stone and mortar are soulless things at best, which
must needs have genius and love and sympathy to give
them form and shape and beauty, and tongue to speak.
The members of his flock have ceased to look upon their
Archbishop as a superior with power to command and
exact obedience; nor altogether as a father, for that
title comes with the idea of absolute sovereignty; but
rather as he so beautifully expressed it himself on a
memorable occasion, they look upon him as the elder
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 313
brother on whose shoulders has fallen the mantle of
power to rule the household, but who generously shares
with his brethren the responsibility of its management.
"This tender relation is to my mind, under God, the
great secret of the wonderful progress of the Catholic
Church in this archdiocese. This community of interests
has been a stimulus to individual effort; it has begotten
a sense of personal responsibility two forces which
when centrally and wisely controlled are irresistible and
when crowned with the blessing of God in God's work,
know no limit to their endeavor. What in the rewards
which come with years can be dearer to the heart of a
father than the consciousness that he holds the love and
reverence of his children? What dearer to the heart of
the superior than that he possesses the confidence and
generous support of his subjects? What more consoling
to the heart of the Bishop than that he has the unswerv-
ing loyalty of his clergy, and a place deep down in their
affection? As father, superior and bishop, all these and
much more have been the happy heritage of our beloved
Archbishop. Need we now pledge their continuance?
No! Pledges are empty things, easily made and easily
broken. Deeds speak louder than words and are more
enduring. It has been said 'Not by their words, but
'ex fructibus eorum' you shall know them/ and we
prefer to stand by the record.
"Today, our Good Shepherd, now in the autumn of
life and seeking a well merited respite from his hard
labor, gives us yet another evidence of his unremitting
solicitude for the flock entrusted to his care, in choosing
a young, energetic, zealous and honored auxiliary to
share his labors and bear a portion of his heavy burden.
We assure Your Grace that we shall give to him, as
your representative, the same hearty, loyal support that
314 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
we have given to yourself, yet, we trust that while you
allot to him of the physical work of your administration,
it will be yours still to lead us as of yore, 'firmiter sed
suaviter ad multos annos.' '
In responding to this toast the Most Rev. Archbishop
gave unmistakable evidence of his great pleasure at the
sentiments expressed in the toast offered, and referring
to his Auxiliary, said when he found need of assistance
in the work of this great archdiocese he looked among
the clergy and found in the priest, who was consecrated
today, one who had proved himself at all times and
under all circumstances generous, faithful and unswerv-
ingly loyal. Every trust confided to him had been
faithfully fulfilled, and unostentatiously every duty per-
formed. From the time of his boyhood days I have
followed his acts and his zeal for things of the Church,
and now I am happy that Rome so willingly acceded to
my request for aid, and I feel that the newly conse-
crated bishop will be my right hand in all the works
of the diocese and will be an interested laborer in this
vineyard. He was loyal and obedient as a priest,
and I know that the same qualities will only be in-
creased, if possible, by his new dignity.
The Rev. Aloysius Thiele, of St. Aloysius' Church,
responding to the toast, "Our Auxiliary, the Rt. Rev.
Bishop Muldoon," said:
"Our Auxiliary Bishop! The first sentiment which
pulses in our breast at these words is joy and satisfac-
tion. Joy and satisfaction first of all when we direct
our eyes to the venerable and beloved Archbishop whose
dearest wish has been fulfilled by receiving his long
looked for auxiliary. Schiller, the great German poet,
in his immortal ballad, 'Damon and Pythias,' says these
words: 'And love, oh, it is only an empty dream/ It
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 315
has always been claimed for the clergy of this arch-
diocese that they were bound up in their Archbishop
with a great and abiding love. But this love, would it not
be an empty dream if we did not rejoice with him now
that the son of his declining years has been given to him
by Mother Church as the staff of his old age? That
one, too, of his spiritual sons who in his opinion was the
fittest to share in his wise and gentle rule, fitted for this
exalted but none the less arduous position by years of
work under his very eyes, work calling for the utmost
self-denial and the sacrifice of all the energies of body
and soul and for the greatest prudence and boundless
tact and diplomacy. All of us, nay, the whole city and
Archdiocese of Chicago, can bear witness to it how
Bishop Muldoon bore up under the immense burden of
work confided to his hands during all the years that he
was our Chancellor, never complaining, but on the
contrary giving one the impression that he had time and
strength left for even greater tasks.
"To exemplify, let me only remind you of that year
during which our archdiocese and this metropolitan city
was the cynosure of all eyes not only in the United
States, but all over the world the year of the Colum-
bian Exposition. At that time the honor of the Catholic
Church as an educator of her children was at stake. 'To
be or not to be,' that was the question. We all know
what the results were of that year, and that during its
course one of the brighest pages in the history of our
archdiocese was written. But who was it that wrote
this page almost with his heart's blood? At the word
of our great chief, who with a wonderful sagacity had
comprehended not only the importance of the hour, but
also the possibilities at his command, our Chancellor
bounded forth; like young David, he went to meet
316 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Goliath. Discouragement, nay contempt, from the out-
side, timidity and inexperience in our own ranks all
had to give way before his great zeal and patience, his
prudence, his talent for organization, and he never
rested day or night until the triumph of Catholic edu-
cation was complete and until with the acclaim of clergy
and people and amidst the applause of an admiring
world he could place a crown of honor upon our Arch-
bishop's brow, prouder than which no Prince of the
Church ever wore and of which no one will ever be able
to rob him, that crown that bears for its motto: 'The
Protector of Our Schools/
"Next to the satisfaction which it would undoubtedly
give each one of us if this 'bonum opus' would fall to
our personal share stands the pride to see it come to
one of our number. This pride we may well feel today
in looking upon our dear auxiliary who, if anything, is a
typical Chicago priest. They state that he was born
in California, and I was very sorry to make up my mind
that he was not a Chicago boy. But he came to Chi-
cago as soon as he could. Chicago was his goal; he was
attracted by Chicago as iron by the magnet. It was his
ambition to be a Chicago priest, and again I say he has
succeeded in a most supreme degree. Has he not? Let
me prove it for the benefit of those from abroad who
may doubt it. What does the public say of our auxil-
iary? They call him a wise and learned man, a pro-
found theologian. They say that he is pious and gentle,
that he has an immense fund of patience, that he be-
longs to the ranks of the 'nonpercussores.' And in
order to prove that he is 'domus suae bene praepositus'
they show us the majestic church which he has built,
show us his crowded schools, and tell us, all this was
done hand-in-hand with his people and without any
apparent effort, simply by the 'savoir faire' of Bishop
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 317
Muldoon, and is today almost paid for. All these and
many more complimentary things are said of Bishop
Muldoon.
"He, if any man, thoroughly knows our cosmopolitan
archdiocese and all the peoples that form its parts. And
to judge from his past I take it for granted that all
of them are not only known to him, but also dear to his
heart. Not the noble army of young American Catho-
lics alone, but with them also the faithful children of
old Erin, the God-fearing sons of Germany, the brave
and heroic Poles, the loyal children of France and
sunny Italy's devoted sons, our industrious Bohemians
and frugal Lithuanians and many other races, with
their needs and necessities and their peculiarities are
well known to our Auxiliary Bishop. Will he improve
his chances? He can do it and he will do it by simply
being just and fair to all."
In responding to the toast in his honor the newly
consecrated Bishop thanked the Cardinal for his good-
ness of heart in coming so far at such a torrid season
to rejoice the heart of the clergy of the diocese, and to
lend dignity to the ceremony of the day. He also ex-
pressed his gratitude to the many bishops, who on such
short notice and at great personal sacrifice graced the
occasion. His gratitude was expressed to his pastor
of boyhood days, who came from California, and also to
his friends and classmates who hastened from all parts
of the United States in order to render happy the day
of the consecration.
The Bishop stated that his heart was filled with happi-
ness both as a priest and as a man; as a priest for the full-
ness of the priesthood conferred, and also for the large
field of graces that is opened up by the consecration.
He stated that he had just enough Irish blood in his
22
318 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
veins to love a combat, and what a combat to engage
in! To war unceasingly against the devil, where so many
souls are in question. As a priest to have a minor part
in helping and encouraging the 60,000 parochial school
children to knowledge of God and country. The heart
of a priest must enthuse at the wonderful possibilities
for good in the parochial schools. As a priest he be-
held all the nations of the earth gathered around the
feet of Christ in this matchless City of Chicago. All
nations are represented and from out this mosaic of
nations how beautifully are springing forth the features
of Christ Jesus.
He expressed the hope that at all times he would be
broad enough and Christian enough not to question or
ask the nationality of any man, but rather ask the ques-
tion, "Is he a man;" that is, is the soul free from all
things that savor of only the human and filled with the
true love of Christ.
As a man, he was also happy, to enjoy the love and
affection of every true follower of Jesus obedient unto
death, and the presence of the clergy of the diocese in
such great numbers inspired him with new courage for
the tasks of the future. As a man also, and most of all,
he appreciated the confidence and trust of the loving,
generous and always kind Archbishop Feehan, as evi-
denced in his selection the greater the man, the greater
the gift when presented. In conclusion, he expressed
the hope that God might allow him to serve long and
faithfully one who had been so universally kind. At
some far distant day, he said, when God may call to
the reward of his labors the honored head of the diocese,
he wished to deserve from the clergy of the diocese this
encomium that he had been a faithful, loyal and grate-
ful son, to such a magnanimous, generous and kind
father.
BISHOP MULDOON'S CONSECRATION 319
In the evening the cheers of thousands greeted Bishop
Muldoon as he rode at the end of a procession, a mile
long, to his home at Twelfth and Cypress Streets. Thou-
sands more crowded the lawn in front of the rectory to
receive his episcopal blessing. The procession and the
gathering at the house were the closing events of this
great day. In the procession which escorted the Bishop
to his home were local Courts of Catholic fraternal,
temperance, and religious societies. Three thousand
men were in the line, which began its march at Twelfth
Street and Ashland Boulevard, proceeded north to Jack-
son Boulevard and there met the newly consecrated
Bishop, whom they had gathered to honor.
Accompanied by Vicar-General Fitzsimmons and
Fathers Baart and Kearney, the Bishop arrived at 8 :30
o'clock. His carriage, preceded by a delegation from
the Patriotic Sons of F. M., and followed by a squad
of policemen, took its place in the rear of the procession
and the march to the Bishop's home began. Policemen,
mounted and on foot, led the way, and were followed by
a brass band of sixty pieces. The line of march was
lighted by rockets, Roman candles and colored lights;
strings of gay Chinese lanterns hung from many of the
verandas along the streets.
Bishop Muldoon, despite the ordeal of the day, seemed
fresh and vigorous as he mounted the veranda and
listened to the cheering which greeted his appearance.
After the clamor had subsided he expressed his appre-
ciation to his parishioners and friends for this enthusias-
tic welcome demonstration, spoke of his happiness in
being left pastor of St. Charles Borromeo's and lastly
imparted his episcopal blessing to all present. Thus
ended the memorable day of Bishop Muldoon's conse-
cration in Chicago.
CHAPTER XXIII
SICKNESS AND DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
HIS SUDDEN DEATH COMMENTS BY VICAR-GENERAL FITZSIM-
MONS AND MR. LUTHER LAFLIN BODY LIES IN STATE NO-
TICES FOR FUNERAL CONDITION OF THE ARCHDIOCESE
STATISTICS TRIBUTE BY NEWSPAPERS LETTERS OF CON-
DOLENCE.
IT was about this time that a change was noticed by
many in the physical condition of Archbishop Feehan
and grave fears were entertained that the good Prelate
would never again recover his robust health, although
the great affliction which followed within a year, was not
anticipated to be so soon visited upon a devoted people.
Daily, at all the Masses, from thousands of loving hearts
supplications arose to the Father of us all that the
health and strength of the good Prelate might be re-
stored and that he might be spared to continue his life
of usefulness and mission of mercy; but such was not
the will of God, "Man proposes and God disposes."
At the age of 73, on the 12th day of July, A. D.
1902, at 3:00 o'clock P. M., the great Archbishop died
suddenly at the archiepiscopal residence in the City of
Chicago. The immediate cause of his death was apo-
plexy. On the morning of his death the Archbishop
arose in his usual cheerful spirits and after having trans-
acted his customary business with his clergy and laity,
partook of his dinner and shortly after retired to his
apartments for a rest. Soon after retiring he was seized
with violent pains in his side accompanied by great
weakness and languor which resisted every effort on the
part of the attendants and physicians for relief. The
members of his household noticing the pallor of death
320
SICKNESS AND DEATH 321
and other unmistakable symptoms of rapidly approach-
ing dissolution, summoned the Rev. Francis J. Barry,
the Archbishop's secretary, who administered to him the
last Sacraments. After the last Sacraments had been
administered the aged Prelate looked lovingly for the
last time upon the faces of those who surrounded his
bedside, a gentle smile suffused his noble countenance
and he sank back upon his pillow in a state of coma from
which he never rallied. Gathered around his bedside,
in tearful anguish watching for the sainted spirit to
burst its mold of clay, were his two sisters, Mother Cath-
erine, Superior of St. Patrick's Academy, and Miss
Kate Feehan; present also were the household officials,
the Rev. Father Barry and the servants.
Scarcely had the last spark of life vanished when from
the deep throats of the cathedral's tolling bells the sor-
rowful news was carried from one parish to another
until the bells of every Catholic church in the city
mingled their mournful tones in sad refrain. Soon the
whole city was apprised of the (Aifchbishop's death.
Clergy and laymen flocked to the archiepiscopal resi-
dence until far into the night bearing messages of con-
dolence to the bereaved household. The death of Arch-
bishop Feehan was felt to be an irreparable loss not only
by those of his own faith, but by the entire community.
We here reproduce extracts from a sermon upon
the death of our illustrious Prelate, by the Rev. M.
J. Fitzsimmons, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese, a
representative Catholic priest, followed by the comments
of Mr. Luther Laflin Mills, a representative American
lawyer.
Said Vicar-General Fitzsimmons : "I cannot leave this
pulpit on this occasion without saying something to you
of the man whose death the whole Catholic Church
322 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
mourns today. Death has cast its gloom of sadness over
this city and this diocese, and its shadow hangs like a
pall and cloud over every one who knew the virtues of
the dead Archbishop. We have not every one been
fortunate enough to claim him as a personal friend, but
we all knew him for his ceaseless labors in the Church.
"His stewardship was great, but no matter how bur-
densome were its cares, he was ever true to his trust.
Laboring and battling ever for the Church, he was one
of God's noblemen. To know him was to love him;
he had those noble qualities that made him lovable. He
was broad, yet faithful to the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
He was ever one of the highest ideals in the episcopacy
of God's Church.
"Broad, liberal, kind of heart, possessing all virtues,
he had endeared himself to every one that came in con-
tact with him. In the administration of this diocese he
governed not by superiority, but by love and affection.
Walking faithfully in the footsteps of his Divine Master,
his pre-eminent characteristic was kindness of heart and
love for mankind. He was indeed a faithful disciple
of the Savior.
"In all his actions his motives were the highest and
purest that ever actuated any human being. I believe
that in the Church of Christ there was no one greater
in the eyes of God than our beloved Archbishop.
"I have not time to tell you the story of his noble life.
I can speak only the sentiments that my own heart
dictates. I probably knew the Archbishop more inti-
mately than any one, and during all the years that I
worked with him I never knew him to take a narrow
view of anything or act impulsively. He was always
calm, careful, considerate, and reason guided his every
action. He was wise, judicious and prudent, and he
THE VEKY KEV. M. J. FITZSIMMONS
Vicar General of Archbishop Feehan in the year 1900
IKE LIBRARY
OF THE
URMERSItt OF ILUSQfS
SICKNESS AND DEATH 323
gave to this diocese the best administration that was
ever given it.
"His heart was with the people of this whole arch-
diocese, but he loved especially the people of this parish.
Often he united his supplications to God with ours,
and as he knelt there by his throne before the altar of
God his heart went out in love for his parishioners.
"We shall miss him; the people of Chicago shall miss
him ; yes, the Catholic Church of America shall miss him,
for he was eminently a prince of the Church. Twenty-
two years he labored among us; he gave this diocese an
administration second to none in any See of the world.
"Most ably did he perform his labors on earth, and
now he has gone to his reward; but our hearts will go
with him to the throne and judgment seat of God."
The comment by Luther Laflin Mills in the Chicago
American of July 14, 1902, read as follows:
"The entire community citizens of every class, every
creed and all conditions feel the great loss and join in
mourning over the sudden death of Archbishop Patrick
A. Feehan, the devoted Churchman, true citizen and
noble friend.
"His loss is mourned alike by the rich and the poor,
young and old, humble and great, Catholic and Prot-
estant. All mourn, not alone because he was the highest
representative among our people of the Church in which
he devoted his life, but because of his noble character,
his brilliant mind and noble deeds, which won for him
the love and the admiration of all.
"To the Catholics of Chicago, of the United States and
of the whole world the death of this great leader comes
as a double loss. To them and to their creed he was
ever true and faithful. With him the interests of the
Church were always first and uppermost, and he never
324 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
wavered, no matter what the task or how great the
sacrifice.
"But the Protestants they do not mourn because an
archbishop has been called from this life. They mourn
the loss of a great man, a man great in the faith in
which he believed, but always true to the cause of
humanity, the creed of all men and all denominations.
"They mourn for Patrick A. Feehan, the true Chris-
tian, who, devoted as he always was to the Church he
represented, was broad and liberal in his estimate and
treatment of those who were adherents of other reli-
gious denominations.
"During his long residence in Chicago, Patrick A.
Feehan did much to cultivate a spirit of fraternity and
Christian love among all Christian believers. He was
loved, honored and respected by all, and his death came
as a shock wherever his noble work and devotion are
known.
"In the devoutness of his life Patrick A. Feehan was
a constant example and personal guide for the better
living of the thousands with whom he came in contact
and to many more thousands who had never seen him,
yet loved him for what he had done for the betterment
of the world.
"The charitable heart and noble deeds of this great
man; his ever ready hand when work was to be done in
the cause of the poor and unfortunate; the kind words
of encouragement and love which were left wherever
he went, were a blessing to the world for which he
worked.
"Patrick A. Feehan will be remembered and mourned
for himself. The old and young will join in tributes
of praise, tempered by words of grief for that high and
honored, as well as most able, dignitary of the Church
SICKNESS AND DEATH 325
he represented and for that great man who lived a pure
and beautiful life of piety and philanthropy.
"Living, Patrick A. Feehan devoted his time and
energy to the humanity he loved. Now that he lies
dead, that same humanity mourns him with tears that
spring from loving hearts inspired by Christian souls."
For days the remains of the Archbishop laid in state
in the Cathedral where they had been taken by a pro-
cession of priests. Thousands of grief stricken people
formed an unbroken procession, threading their way
continuously around the bier, their heart-broken sighs
and sobs only breaking the solemn silence of the scene.
Men and women, bending under the weight of years,
inmates of the various institutions which were established
and fostered by the Archbishop, blended their tears with
those of devoted nuns, monks, priests and laymen of
every nationality. Way into the small hours of the
night the muffled tread of these thousands of grief-
stricken children of the good spiritual Father was heard
like the monotonous swish of the waves lapping the
ocean's sandy belts. From all parts of the United
States poured in high dignitaries, priests and laymen of
the Catholic Church, all eager to look for the last time
upon the benign features of the holy man, and before
the altar of the Cathedral, which he honored in life, to
supplicate the Almighty for the repose of his soul.
At night especially was this scene very impressive.
The great nave of the Cathedral was dark save for the
candles which flickered beside the casket; on either side
of the bier stood six soldiers ; below stood the represen-
tatives of the Catholic societies in their gorgeous uni-
forms; while through the Cathedral knelt a score of
priests, who prayed during the long night as they
watched.
326 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
The body of the Archbishop was dressed in his epis-
copal robes. His hands were folded across the breast
and in them was placed the cross that the Archbishop
for so many years had worn around his neck. The
casket, which was of carved mahogany, lined with cop-
per, had been made to order. As soon as the arrange-
ments for the funeral had been completed, Bishop Mul-
doon mailed to each priest in the diocese a copy of the
following letter:
Rev. Dear Sir:
The funeral service of our beloved Archbishop, P. A.
Feehan, will be held at the Cathedral, Thursday, July
15, 1902, at ten A. M. The decedent will be removed
from his residence on Tuesday at 3:00 P. M., and as
an evidence of respect all the clergy and brothers are
kindly requested to be at the residence at the above
named hour, where they will form in procession two
by two and proceed to the Cathedral as escort. To
preserve uniformity, the clergy are requested to wear
a Prince Albert coat and, as far as possible, a silk hat
or at least a hat with mourning band.
The Office of the Dead will be recited, not on the day
of the funeral, but on the evening preceding, Wednes-
day, at 8:00 P. M. The clergy will assemble in the
school hall at 7:30 P. M. and vest in cassock and sur-
plice and then proceed in procession to the Cathedral
On Thursday morning the procession will start from
the school hall at 9:30 A. M. All the priests except
those who are to act as chaplains will meet in the school
hall at 9 :00 A. M. The funeral cortege will move one
hour after the conclusion of the church ceremonies.
The funeral will be at Calvary. Owing to the limited
accommodations, admission to the Cathedral will be by
SICKNESS AND DEATH 327
ticket, and two tickets will be sent to each pastor in the
diocese for his parishioners.
P. J. MULDOON,
Administrator.
Before proceeding with a description of the solemn
and imposing funeral service, I wish to insert here a
short review of the work of Archbishop Feehan in the
Chicago diocese. During the twenty-two years of his
administration the growth of Catholicism in the arch-
diocese assumed phenomenal proportions. In Catholic
population and number of churches the increase was
threefold. In 1880, there were but fifty Catholic
Churches in Chicago; there were only a few parochial
schools, and the number of academies and colleges was
insignificant.
The following statistical table exhibits the status of
the archdiocese in 1880 and in 1901, and is taken from
the Catholic Directory of the years 1881 and 1902.
STATUS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO!
1881 1902
Archbishop 1 1
Bishops . . 2
Mitred Abbot . . 1
Secular Priests 153 379
Priests of Religious Orders , 62 159
Total 215 538
Churches with resident priest . . 247
Missions with churches . . 51
Stations ' . . 17
Chapels . . 48
Total churches 200 363
Ecclesiastical Students 34 130
Seminaries of Religious Orders ' . . 2
Students .. 65
Colleges and Academies for boys ... 2 7
Students .. 1,048
Academies for young ladies 15 21
Females educated in higher
branches . . 3,511
328 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Parishes and missions with parochial
schools . . 166
Pupils 26,000 62,723
Convents 13
Orphan Asylums 3 6
Orphans . . 1,156
Infant Asylum . . 1
Inmates . . 200
Industrial and Reform Schools 4 4
Inmates . . 855
Homes for the aged poor 1 4
Hospitals 3 11
Other charitable institutions 2 3
Total of young people under Catholic
care .. 80,000
Catholic population 230,000 800,000
Said the "Inter-Ocean" on the day of the Archbishop's
death: "The late Archbishop Feehan's life was a most
eventful one and his work in Chicago gives some idea
of the capabilities of the man. He entered upon his
labors when the city was making its greatest strides and
the immigration of Roman Catholics to this diocese was
at its fullest. The problem of establishing church serv-
ices and schools in different languages was growing in
importance. The financial question of permitting new
parishes to buy property and build, and how far they
should be permitted to buy, was a feature of the com-
plex problem. The ordination for each church of a
priest using the same language as its parishioners was
a necessity. The establishment of schools before
churches should be built, was a policy on which the
Archbishop insisted.
It was the ability to solve these great questions, as
well as his personal qualities, which endeared him to the
hearts of the Catholics of Chicago. He preserved unity
and harmony in this diocese by giving to the different
nationalities the service of the Church, their own schools,
and priests of their own tongue."
SICKNESS AND DEATH 329
In the same number of the above mentioned paper
was also found the following tribute to the Archbishop's
charity, by Representative M. J. Kelly. He held that
Chicago had lost one of its best citizens and the Irish
people their best friend. "I knew Archbishop Feehan,"
he said, "since he first came to Chicago and had learned
to love him for the kindly acts he had done for people
of all creeds. I remember an instance when I called at
the home of the Archbishop on business. We were
seated in a bay-window overlooking a path that led to
the house. While we were talking an elderly man came
up the path and rang the door bell. The Archbishop
noticed the man and after he had rung the bell went
into the hall to where one of the servants was talking
to him at the open door. The day was cold and con-
siderable snow lay on the ground. The man was beg-
ging, and when he asked for something to eat the Arch-
bishop instructed the servant to let him in and feed him.
As the man passed the Archbishop noticed that he
limped, whereupon he caught his arm and asked what
crippled him. 'My feet are frozen,' the man said as
he exhibited a pair of shoes that were full of holes, and
had hardly a sole left on them. The age and miserable
condition of the man touched the Archbishop so that
he kept him at his house for several days, and then,
finally, obtained a position for him as sexton in one of
the churches."
The "Record Herald" contained among other trib-
utes the following: "There was no man in Chicago
more popular with policemen than the late Archbishop.
He was known to every bluecoat that ever traveled out
of the Larrabee Street station as the soul of hospital-
ity. The officer who traveled the post which included
the archiepiscopal residence was considered a fortunate
330 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
man by his comrades. Many years ago His Grace gave
orders to those in charge of his cuisine that the police-
man on the beat must be taken care of, and as the orders
were never rescinded the cook saw to it that a good
lunch was always got out for the preserver of the peace.
Many an evening in summer the Archbishop would
be waiting for the policeman on the beat to join him in
his walk around his post, and he was deeply interested
in everything that pertained to police matters. He
often talked of the causes that led young men, and
women, too, to enter upon a life of crime."
True, Archbishop Feehan contributed little or noth-
ing to the literary or controversial riches of Catholi-
cism. He never delivered what one may call a famous
sermon nor by stroke of pen or word of mouth, incurred
the ephemeral plaudits of either publicist or public.
But, although lacking in all of those striking gifts which
have made for the temporal eminence of so many of his
ecclesiastical contemporaries, Feehan transcended them
all in three qualities which cannot be measured by the
small standards of popular appreciation. In wise and
unstudied humility; in calm, confident, and yet wholly
simple spirituality; in a loving tenderness for all hu-
manity which, in its incessant and intense manifesta-
tion, in its unutterable gentleness, and in its exquisite
unselfishness, made of him the ideal of the priesthood,
transfiguring his whole character with a glory beside
which the pomp of princes and the meteoric brilliance
of mere intellectual achievement seem small and cheap
indeed.
Follows a selection from the letters of condolence and
telegrams received, regarding the death of the Arch-
bishop, as they appeared in the "New World" at the
time.
SICKNESS AND DEATH 331
Ottawa, July 15, 1902.
To the Right Rev. P. J. Muldoon,
Bishop of Tamasensis, Chicago, 111.
My Dear Lord:
With sentiments of deep sympathy I beg leave to
acknowledge the receipt of your telegram regarding the
death of His Grace the Archbishop. May God grant
eternal rest to his soul. I sincerely regret that matters
over which I have no control prevent me from assisting
at his funeral.
Praying Almighty God to bestow upon you His
choicest blessings, I beg to remain,
Truly Yours in Christ,
D. FALCONIO,
Archbishop of Larijsa, Apostolic Delegate.
Montreal, July 16, 1902.
To the Right Reverend Peter J. Muldoon, D. D.,
Titular Bishop of Tamasensis,
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago.
My Dear Lord Bishop:
On returning home from my pastoral visitation I
learned the sad tidings of the death of Archbishop Fee-
han. I offer you and the Catholics of Chicago my
heartfelt sympathy in the loss which you have sustained.
Owing to my numerous appointments, prior to my de-
parture for Europe next week, it will be impossible for
me to attend the funeral obsequies. Still I shall not
fail to pray for the repose of Chicago's eminent Prelate.
May his soul rest in peace.
Yours faithfully in Christ,
PAUL BRUCHESI,
Archbishop of Montreal.
332 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Toronto, July 15, 1902.
Right Reverend Bishop Muldoon.
My Lord:
I am much pained to hear of the death of your good
Archbishop, of whose illness I had not even heard. I
offer to you and the clergy my deepest sympathy. I
shall not be able to attend the funeral, but on that day
I shall offer the Holy Sacrifice for the repose of his
soul.
Praying God to give the deceased a worthy successor,
I remain, my Lord,
Yours very sincerely,
DENNIS O'CONNOR,
Archbishop of Toronto.
Rochester, N. Y., July 14, 1902.
My Dear Bishop:
I see by the papers this morning that the funeral of
the late Archbishop will take place on Thursday. I have
tried to see my way to be able to be present, but appoint-
ments and work at home will deprive me of an oppor-
tunity of showing publicly my esteem and veneration for
the distinguished and worthy Prelate, for whom I enter-
tained the highest regard.
This morning I offered up the Holy Sacrifice for the
repose of his soul.
Very sincerely in Christ,
B. J. McQuAiD,
Bishop of Rochester.
Montreal, July 16, 1902.
Right Reverend Dear Bishop:
Not being able to attend the funeral of your late
lamented Archbishop, I write you a line from here, on
SICKNESS AND DEATH 333
my way to Ste. Anne, to express to you and to the great
archdiocese of Chicago the sympathy I feel for you in
your loss. Archbishop Feehan has done an apostle's
work in the large and growing diocese entrusted to his
care for so many years. His zeal for the Catholic edu-
cation of the new generations suffices alone to endear
his name to the faithful of America and to the Church
everywhere. May his meek spirit enjoy the peace of
the Lord!
Fraternally yours in J. C.,
H. GABRIELS,
Bishop of Ogdenburg.
Worcester, Mass., July 16, 1902.
Monseigneur:
With the Episcopate of the United States I regret
and mourn the death of the great Archbishop of Chi-
cago. Important and necessary imperative business has
kept me away from home.
Yours truly in J. C.,
JOHN C. MICHAUD, .
Bishop of Burlington, Vt.
Chicago, 111., July 14, 1902.
Rt. Rev. P. J. Muldoon, D. D.
My Dear Bishop:
I have just at this moment returned from Wisconsin,
where I have been spending a few days since the Con-
ference, and am on way tonight to Denver, Colo., where
I have University work to do on Wednesday and Thurs-
day.
I write to extend my very sincere sympathy to your-
self and the diocese in the death of the good Archbishop,
23
334 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and I regret exceedingly that my engagement at Den-
ver prevents my being present at his funeral.
With much esteem, I am
Yours very sincerely,
THOMAS J. CONATY,
President of Washington University.
Cleveland, July 16, 1902.
My dear Bishop Muldoon:
I have just returned from Toledo and Sandusky and
find your two telegrams about dear Archbishop Fee-
han's death. I remembered him this morning, will say
Mass for him tomorrow. Official appointments will
prevent my being present at the funeral. Requiescat
in pace ! and may the Holy Spirit appoint his successor
for the great Archdiocese of Chicago.
Please tell Archbishop Ryan why I have not come.
Sincerely Yours in J. C.,
IGN. F. HORSTMANN,
Bishop of Cleveland.
Albany, N. Y., July 15, 1902.
Right Rev. Bishop Muldoon, Cathedral.
Just boarding train to attend funeral of your la-
mented Archbishop. Serious strike threatened. Re-
quested to act as arbitrator. May yet reach in time for
funeral.
BISHOP BURKE.
The Right Rev. Bishop Muldoon,
Chicago.
Dear Sir:
The news of the sudden demise of the head of this
Archdiocese, the Most Rev. Patrick A. Feehan, has
SICKNESS AND DEATH 335
filled my heart with deepest sorrow, and has brought
back to my recollection the numerous incidents of gen-
uine interest which the deceased always showed to the
numerous Austrians and Hungarians in Chicago who
are members of our Holy Church.
I join you, and all the other Catholics of Chicago, in
prayer for the soul of the late lamented Archbishop, and
beg of you to accept from me the assurance of my most
distinguished consideration for your Grace.
Your obedient servant,
H. LEHWEZEL,
Acting Consul-General of Austria-Hungary.
Denver, Colo., July 14, 1902.
Rev. Bishop P. J. Muldoon
of St. Charles Borromeo:
The delegates from Illinois of the Ladies' Auxiliary
and of the Ancient Order of Hibernians beg to express
their sympathy and sense of loss sustained by the order
in the death of Archbishop Feehan.
JOHN F. QUINN.,
State President.
D. S. TWOHY,
State Secretary.
JOHN BIGANE,
President of Cook County.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL
A MOST IMPOSING CEREMONY OFFICERS OF THE MASS DIG-
NITARIES PRESENT SERMON BY ARCHBISHOP RYAN THE
RELATIVES OF THE ARCHBISHOP PROCESSION TO THE CEME-
TERY REMOVAL OF THE BODY THE MONUMENT.
ON July 15, 1902, the "Chronicle" said editorially:
"Chicago's estimate of the late Archbishop Feehan will
be shown in the magnitude of the funeral which will be
given him. It is probable that the obsequies will sur-
pass any similar ceremony in the history of the city.
Perhaps respect is the sentiment which was most gen-
erally held towards Archbishop Feehan. Naturally
dignified almost to the point of austerity, he evoked the
veneration rather than the affection of those with whom
he came in contact. He was tenacious of his spiritual
authority, which he deemed a Divine trust.
In this as in other matters Archbishop Feehan was
inflexible, He would not temporize. For him it was
enough that he held the approval of his conscience. He
held his way serenely and unfalteringly regardless of
consequences. This was the spirit of the early Fathers
of the Church, of whom Archbishop Feehan was no
unworthy descendant."
The ceremony which took place in the Holy Name
Cathedral on July 17, 1902, was indeed the most im-
posing that ever had been witnessed on the American
continent. Pontifical High Mass of Requiem was cele-
brated in the presence of an immense assemblage of
distinguished prelates, priests, members of religious
orders and laity. At 9:45 o'clock the procession, com-
336
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 337
posed of 800 priests, preceded by cross-bearer and aco-
lytes, wended its way from the Cathedral Hall along
Cass Street to the Cathedral rectory, where the Cardinal,
archbishops and bishops fell into line and proceeded to
the main entrance of the Cathedral.
The clergy officiating at the Mass were:
Celebrant, Rt. Rev. J. L. Spalding, D. D., of Peoria.
Assistant Priest, Very Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons, of the
Cathedral.
Deacon of the Mass, Rev. P. Fisher, St. Anthony's.
Sub-deacon of the Mass, Rev. E. A. Kelly, St. Cecilia's.
Masters of Ceremonies, Rev. N. J. Mooney, St. Columb-
kill's, and Rev. E. M. Griffin, Annunciation.
Acolytes, Rev. J. J. Jennings, Presentation; Rev. P.
Rhode, South Chicago; Rev. M. T. Mackin, St.
Brendan's.
Thurifers, Rev. J. J. Morissey, St. Rose of Lima's,
and Rev. T. Bobal, St. Cyril and Methodius.
Cross-bearer, Rev. T. E. Cox, St. Jarlath's.
Church dignitaries present were :
Cardinal Gibbons, Chaplains, Revs. D. J. Riordan, and
A. L. Bergeron.
Archbishop Ryan, Chaplain, Rev. E. A. Murphy.
Archbishop Ireland, Chaplain, Rev. J. M. Dunne.
Archbishop Keans, St. Louis.
Archbishop Elder, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bishop Fitzmaurice, Erie, Pa., Chaplain, Rev. A. K.
Meyer, S. J.
Bishop Richter, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Bishop Cunningham, Concordia, Kansas.
Bishop Hennessey, Wichita, Kansas.
Bishop Ryan, Alton, 111. ; Chaplain, Rev. T. O'Gara.
Bishop Janssen, Belleville, 111.; Chaplain, Rev. G. D.
Heldman.
338 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Bishop Dunne, Dallas, Texas; Chaplain, Rev. P. M.
Flannagan.
Bishop McGavick, Chicago; Chaplain, Rev. B. Gil-
martin.
Bishop Burke, St. Joseph, Mo.; Chaplain, Rev. A.
Vandelaar.
Bishop O'Donoghue, Indianapolis; Chaplain, Rev. P. C.
Conway.
Bishop Scannell, Omaha; Chaplain, Rev. D. Hayes.
Bishop Foley, Detroit, Mich.; Chaplain, Rev. M. J.
Dorney.
Bishop Glennon, Kansas City; Chaplain, Rev. J. Mc-
Cann.
Bishop Alerding, Fort Wayne; Chaplain, Rev. T.
O'Sullivan.
Bishop Burke, Albany; Chaplain, Rev. F. S. Henne-
berry.
Bishop Schwebach, LaCrosse, Wis.; Chaplain, Rev. A.
Evers.
Bishop Byrne, Nashville, Tenn.; Chaplain, Rev. J.
Cartan.
Bishop Trobec, St. Cloud, Minn.; Chaplain, Rev. M.
Farnick.
Bishop Eiss, Marquette, Mich.; Chaplain, Rt. Rev.
Mgr. Langnier, V. G.
Bishop Quigley, Buffalo, N. Y.
Rt. Rev. Abbot Jaeger, O. S. B.; Chaplain, Rev. Boni-
face Verhegen.
The sermon was delivered by the Most Rev. Arch-
bishop Ryan of Philadelphia, Pa., and is here recorded
in full. It was a tribute to the greatness of the good
Archbishop; it was so eloquent and just, so replete with
the pathos of poignant grief whilst urging a humble
submission to the will of God, that it will never be for-
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 339
gotten by the vast concourse of mourners who listened
with bowed heads and rapt attention to the consoling
words as they fell from the lips of the great orator.
Sermon preached by the Most Rev. Archbishop Ryan
of Philadelphia, at the funeral of His Grace, Arch-
bishop Patrick A. Feehan.
Text : "Behold a great priest who in his time pleased
God, and was found just; and in the time of wrath be-
came an atonement. There were none found like him
in observing the law of the Most High. Therefore by
an oath did the Lord make him great amongst his peo-
ple. He gave him the blessing of all nations, and estab-
lished his covenant on his head. He acknowledged him
in his blessings; he stored up his mercy for him; and
he found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Ecclesiasti-
cus, 44th Chapter.)
"Venerable Fathers of the Episcopate and Clergy and
dear brethren of the Laity :
"The words of inspiration which I have read are those
that bound naturally from the heart and the lips, as
we gaze on the lifeless body still clothed in the vest-
ments of his order, of the great priest who ruled from
this place one of the greatest cities and dioceses in the
world. He pleased God in his day, and appeased His
anger, and kept the law of the Most High. Therefore,
did God increase in numbers and sanctity, and bless the
people committed to his care.
"We are here for two purposes first to pray for your
dear dead Archbishop, which you have done during the
Holy Sacrifice just offered, and which I am sure you
will continue to do as the best expression of your love
for him and sense of your loss. We have come also to
think together and to recall what we know of his char-
acter, and his career, as justifying our admiration and
340 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
our gratitude. I come from afar to lay at his feet the
garland of my esteem and my love.
"For fifty years I have known him, and never dis-
covered anything to diminish, but much to intensify, the
impression produced on me at our first introduction.
The natural basis of his character was such as we would
expect in a great ecclesiastic. Gentle, pure, yet with a
power that was almost provokingly reserved, you felt
yourself in the presence at once of a superior personal-
ity. You felt that behind that silent modest exterior
there was a power that in a great exigency might be a
revelation. You felt how consummate were his judg-
ment and prudence and how perfectly he could be
trusted. He was pre-eminently the gentleman gentle
and yet manly manly and yet gentle. The most per-
fect human character had its human individuality for
he was like unto us in all things except sin. Because
the natural basis of characters like those of St. Francis
of Assisi for instance, is so like that of Christ, the peo-
ple of all denominations admire and love him. The
rare combination of such characteristics was found to
a great extent in the late Archbishop. God having so
fashioned him, He gradually prepared him by providen-
tial apparently accidental circumstances for the ex-
alted position for which he was called.
"We find him at an early age at the admirable Sem-
inary of St. Vincent, Castle Knock, near Dublin. The
priests who conducted it, were men fully imbued with the
spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. That great Saint is popu-
larly regarded but as a mighty philanthropist, founder of
the Sisters of Charity and many benevolent institutions ;
but more than all this, he was a great reformer in the
true sense of the word. He was a reformer from with-
in. He knew that the doctrines of the Church needed
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 341
no change, for God Himself had formed her. But he
knew that the morals of men needed reformation, and
he believed that, 'as the clergy so the people,' and the
great change must begin in the Sanctuary. But farther
back, he knew that, 'as the ecclesiastical student so the
priest,' and he ascended to the fountain spring and re-
formed the seminaries.
"In one of these this young student received his first
impression of the great National Seminary of May-
nooth with its 500 students from every diocese in Ire-
land. In this great institution his remarkable talents,
in spite of his modesty, made him a marked man, and
he received some of the highest honors and premiums.
The fact that among 500 students selected for their
superior abilities from every portion of an island famed
for the talents of its children, he was so honored, is an
unerring criterion of genuine merit. At the same time,
his personal character was as high, if not higher, than
his literary position. Men instinctively trusted him and
sought his counsel.
"At the head of this great institution of ecclesiastical
learning was a man of transcendent merit, the Very
Rev. Dr. Russell, uncle of the late Lord Russell, of Kil-
lowen, the Chief Justice of England. Cardinal New-
man stated that to this Doctor Russell more than to
any other man, he owed his conversion to the Catholic
Church.
"When young, Mr. Feehan determined to come to
St. Louis, and this president of Maynooth gave him a
letter to Archbishop Kenrick, in which he stated that
no student had left that college in his day with a higher
record of ability, and the ecclesiastical spirit, than the
bearer. Archbishop Kenrick soon discovered for him-
self the truth of this statement, and appointed him at
342 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
first professor of theology, and then rector of his dioc-
esan seminary.
"During the thirteen years of his priestly career in
St. Louis, in the seminary and on the mission, I knew
him intimately, and had ample opportunity to judge
him, and in trying circumstances he was always the same
strong, gentle, self-possessed, self-sacrificing priest.
After these thirteen years he was elected at the early
age of thirty-five, to be Bishop of Nashville a post of
much responsibility at the time. With admirable pru-
dence he restored order and confidence. In the trying
times following the war, he had much to suffer and was
extremely poor. During the dreadful visitation of the
yellow fever he saw his priests and people fall around
him, and his great paternal heart was moved to pity and
to succor.
"After fifteen years of successful administration in
Nashville, he came to this city as its first Archbishop
in 1880. You, brethren, are the witnesses of his life
and labors here. I need not enter into details. A few
facts are sufficient and suggestive of many others. In
1879, the year before his arrival, there were in the diocese
of Chicago 204 priests. Today there are 538. In 1879,
there were 194 churches. Now 298. In this city alone
there were only 34 churches. Now 150. I know of
nothing in any city of this or any other country to even
approach this last item of progress.
"The advance in the all-important department of
parochial schools, colleges, benevolent institutions has
been in proportion to the clergy and churches. The Arch-
bishop's first solicitude on arriving in Chicago was con-
cerning the schools which he visited in person. Those
who beheld the splendid exhibit of Catholic schools in
the Columbian Exposition of 1893, will remember the
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 343
strikingly beautiful, life-size statue of Archbishop Fee-
han in Carrara marble presented to him by his priests
and bearing the inscription, 'The Protector of our
Schools.' No more glorious monument could be erected
to any man, and I trust that it will always occupy a
prominent place in this great city.
"Few people know and still fewer appreciate the silent
labor and mental strain unavoidable in the establishment
of so many churches, schools and institutions. People
judge by newspaper accounts of the movements of
bishops on occasions of Confirmations and Visitations,
etc., but the silent home work which is little noticed, is
the severest of all. And we must bear in mind that,
unlike the bishops in any other country of the world,
the prelates who rule in our great cities, and this is
especially true here, have to deal with people of many
diverse nationalities. The Church in a city like this is
similar to the whole Catholic Church in miniature. It
combines two of the marks of the Catholic Church,
proofs of its Divine origin, its Catholicity and Unity.
We behold in her all the discordant elements of the
world unified into one institution. Now in our great
cities we behold so many diverse nationalities in the
same faith and same essential discipline and under one
head.
"But, of course, the human elements are there and
cause differences of a minor, but often of a vexatious
character. Similar difficulties are found in the political
mission of the United States in unifying all the different
nationalities. *E pluribus unum' is Catholicity and
Unity in the State. Some one may urge the only way
in both cases is to thoroughly and immediately Amer-
icanize politically as well religiously. But prudence
says be slow in this process; old prejudices and old ways
344 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
cannot be rudely interfered with. Do not tear up the
cockle lest the wheat should also be destroyed.
"The bishop, like a good father, has to respect all his
children united 'in the consanguinity of the Faith.'
Their language hallowed by a thousand sanctifying
associations must be respected; their old customs and
wise old laws, often the accumulated wisdom of cen-
turies, have a conservative influence on our later and
more material civilization. There must be, of course,
progress but it should be gradual, conservative prog-
ress to be truly permanent and to attain the final end
of being at once truly Catholic and truly American.
"But, venerable Fathers and dear Brethren, no char-
acter and career can be perfected without the chasten-
ing hand of suffering. This was not wanting to our
dear father and friend. His was one of those high
natures that are deeply, silently sensitive. He com-
plained little, but bled internally, and only God wit-
nessed the heart struggle. The greatest, heaviest cross
of his life he had to bear on shoulders worn out by the
burdens of seventy years. This is not a fit occasion
to discuss the sad episode.* I feel that I act more in
harmony with his nature and with what he would say to
me, by stating that there from his bier he whispers to
all who loved or opposed him the episcopal salutation,
'Pax Vobis,' 'Peace be to all.' Only pray for me and
ask our Heavenly Father that He send a successor who
will love the people, and especially the little children
whom I leave behind me, that we may all meet in the
eternal home of God. Amen."
James, Cardinal Gibbons, Primate of the American
* The Rt. Rev. speaker here refers to a coterie of priests who en-
deavored to impress their will upon the Archbishop in the selection
of an Auxiliary, and when they failed in their endeavors, created grave
scandal by ventilating their views in the public press. (The Author)
See Appendix, Nos. 7-8.
MOTHEE MARY CATHERINE FEEHAN
Superior of St. Patrick's Academy
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 345
Church, pronounced then the last absolution, as did the
four suffragan bishops of the archdiocese Bishop
Spalding, Bishop Muldoon, Bishop Ryan of Alton,
and Bishop J. Janssen of Belleville. After this
the prelates and priests all knelt at the bier of the
dead Archbishop, and while the Cardinal, the Bishops
and the Clergy were preparing for the journey to the
cemetery, those in the Church were given the oppor-
tunity to view the face of the Archbishop. Slowly, the
members of the religious order and of the laity filed
past the bier and gazed once again and for the last time
upon the face of their beloved superior and friend.
The relatives of Archbishop Feehan, who during the
services had occupied pews close to the bier, were:
Mother Catherine, Superior of St. Patrick's Academy,
and Miss Kate Feehan, sisters; Mrs. Annie E. Feehan,
widow of the Archbishop's brother; Sister Ambrose of
St. Catherine's and Sister Edward of St. Patrick's; the
Misses May and Annie Feehan, nieces; Edward and
P. H. Feehan, nephews; and J. H. Locke, John Bennan
and Miss Nellie Bennan, cousins.
At 1 :15 P. M. began the sad journey to the tomb in
Calvary Cemetery, where the remains of the Archbishop
were temporarily placed. The procession to the cem-
etery was composed of an immense number of people,
whilst throngs lined the streets and stood with bared
heads, in reverential silence, as the cortege passed slowly
along. The order of the procession was as follows :
Two companies of police.
The Seventh Regiment, I. N. G.
Catholic Knights of America, Uniform Rank.
Clan-na-gael Guards.
Ancient Order of Hibernians, Uniform Rank.
Knights of Columbus.
346 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
Catholic Order of Foresters, Uniform Rank.
Sons of Father Matthew.
St. Michael's Society, Uniform Rank.
St. Stanislaus' Cadets.
Seventy carriages, priests of the diocese.
Honorary Pallbearers.
Active Pallbearers.
Funeral car.
Members of the Archbishop's family and household.
The Cardinal, Archbishops and Bishops.
The solemn requiem services of the day were closed
at the cemetery by the Right Rev. P. J. Muldoon, who
officiated in the last offices for the dead in conformity
with the ancient rites of the Church.
A short time afterwards the Archbishops' body was
removed from the public to the private vault of Charles
A. Plamondon. The ceremonies were presided over by
Bishop Muldoon, and attending them were Mother
Catherine, Father F. Barry, Father M. J. Fitzsim-
mons, V. G., and Father Callaghan. With these
were a few friends and those who happened to be in the
cemetery at the time. "The Calvary vault was not a fit
resting place for our Archbishop," said Bishop Mul-
doon. "Many of the people desired an opportunity to
offer prayers, and it was not right that this should be
done in the common vault." There were no ostentatious
ceremonies associated with the removal, and only the
relatives and close friends were present. However, the
body of the Archbishop was placed but temporarily in
the vault of Charles A. Plamondon, as it was the ex-
press wish of the Archbishop to be buried in Mount
Carmel Cemetery. In his will, made on May 10, 1902,
it is stated: "I further will and direct my executors
(Right Rev. P. J. Muldoon, Rev. M. J. Fitzsimmons,
THE SOLEMN FUNERAL 347
and Thos. Brennan) hereinafter named, to see to it
that my body is interred in Mount Carmel Cemetery
and shall cause to be erected a suitable monument."
This transfer of the Archbishop's body from Calvary
to Mount Carmel Cemetery took place on October 7,
1912.
The suggestion of Archbishop Ryan that a fitting
monument to the memory of Archbishop Feehan should
be erected led to various speculations and plans. The
beautiful marble statue of Archbishop Feehan, the
"Protector of Our Schools," which had been the cen-
tral figure of the diocesan exhibit at the time of the
"World's Fair," had been donated to Mother Catherine,
of St. Patrick's Academy. It was suggested by some
to have this statue erected in some public place in the
city of Chicago; others suggested to have it removed
to the Holy Name Cathedral, while others wished that
a new monument be built.
Thus ended the earthly pilgrimage of this chosen
child of God whom the world will ever remember as the
munificent patron of education, the wise mentor and
comforter of his people in the saddest hours of their
bitter trials ; the Father of the abandoned and the poor ;
the just and merciful judge; the faithful friend and
devoted priest who presents to our view a splendid
model of the Christian hero who has no peer amongst
all the celebrated characters of the pagan world.
And when contemplating the sublime actions by
which he had honored God and blessed the human race,
can we not exclaim with Chateaubriant: "Such deeds
are beyond the praises of men; we meet them with the
silent tear of admiration."
CHAPTER XXV
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL
EDITORIAL COMMENT BY SECULAR PAPERS: TRIBUNE, INTER-
OCEAN, DAILY NEWS, JOURNAL AND EVENING POST CATHOLIC
PRESS COMMENT : PITTSBURGH OBSERVER, CATHOLIC JOURNAL
AND NEWS, MEMPHIS, TENN., IOWA CATHOLIC MESSENGER,
THE REVIEW, ST. LOUIS, MO., THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSE, THE
CATHOLIC TRANSCRIPT, THE WESTERN WATCHMAN, THE NEW
WORLD.
THE passing of Archbishop Feehan received much
editorial notice. The "New World" printed at the time
the following editorials taken from the leading news-
papers of the country:
(The Chicago Tribune)
"Archbishop Feehan was a man who cared little for
notoriety. Notoriety, though, is, perhaps, not quite the
word that should be used to express the kind of prom-
inence he avoided. He did not seem to care even for
fame. It mattered nothing at all to him whether his
name became a household word or not. He devoted
himself to the diocese to which his consecration as Arch-
bishop had bound him. With public questions beyond
the interests of his diocese he seldom meddled. Pub-
licity was for others. The affairs of the Church as
found in Chicago were for him. Although said to be a
sound scholar, he never wrote on Church history like
Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore. Although a man to
whom it was given to help in the bringing of many
diverse nationalities into a united American life, he
never wrote and spoke on the American Church like
Archbishop Ireland of St. Paul. Although a man of
great activity, his unobtrusive manner of work brought
348
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 349
him less general recognition than was the lot of Arch-
bishop Corrigan of New York.
The public, especially the Protestant public, knew
only that the Archbishop of Chicago was called Fee-
han, and that the prosperity of the Archbishopric would
seem to show that the administrative officer was a man
of great powers of mind. The presumption was that
Archbishop Feehan was responsible for and was to be
credited with the condition of the great diocese of which
he was the head. To Catholics, especially to Catholics
in Chicago, the Archbishop appeared in a clearer light.
To them he was known in his public capacity as a most
tireless and efficient worker, in his private life as a kind
and gentle guide and friend.
What Archbishop Feehan accomplished in Chicago
will seem to the observer to have two features which are
particularly worth mention. There was, in the first
place, a diplomatic handling of the Irish, German, Po-
lish, Bohemian, French and Italian elements in the
diocese. There was, in the second place, an insistence
upon parochial schools. In both cases the Archbishop
had a gratifying degree of success. There was little stir
made, however. In his relations with foreign priests
and laymen, in his erection and maintenance of schools,
as well as in his encouragement of charitable and phil-
anthropic enterprises, there was no beating of drums,
there was no clashing of cymbals. The Catholics built
homes and hospitals. They seemed to spring up in a
night. They were in operation before the public had
heard their names. The immense resources of the dio-
cese, concentrated in the hands of the Archbishop, were
for use rather than for exhibition.
Hence it is that one can say that if ever a prelate
forsook all other interests for those of his diocese, that
24
350 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
prelate was Patrick A. Feehan. From the time he
received the ring and the crozier he labored but to one
end, he put his energies into but one channel, and they
were fruitful in good works. His successor will enter
into an inheritance accumulated for him by the wise,
devout administrator of a great religious trust who has
gone peacefully and painlessly to his rest."
( The Chicago Inter-Ocean)
"When Archbishop Feehan, who died on Saturday,
came to Chicago, the newly erected archdiocese needed,
above all, an administrator and an organizer. It found
both in the new Archbishop. He was business man, as
well as scholar and Churchman. With a firm grasp on
Church polity, he gave the closest attention to the de-
tails of organization and management. With no liking
for controversy, he succeeded in a field where contro-
versy had been rife for years. Not aggressive himself,
he dominated aggressive men. Coming from a field
where the question of nationality had been of little im-
portance, he became popular in a field where the ques-
tion of nationality was most important.
Under his direction the archdiocese flourished as no
other in the United States. All its affairs were managed
admirably. Prominent Catholics were not in the habit
of speaking of Archbishop Feehan as an exceptionally
strong man, but they were in the habit of referring to
him as a Prelate of high and gentle spirit and an admin-
istrator with a most extraordinary grasp of a difficult
situation. Certainly in no other field of Church activity
have the affairs of the Catholic Church been more ad-
mirably managed than in Chicago.
Towards other denominations, Archbishop Feehan
was tolerant and courteous. He joined with Protestants
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 351
in most of the movements of the last twenty years for
the benefit of Chicago. He took great interest in edu-
cational affairs, and was conspicuous in the movements
that culminated in the World's Fair. Protestants will
join with Catholics in mourning the death of so able a
Churchman and so good a man."
(The Chicago Daily News)
"It would be difficult to fix limits defining the extent
of the influence exerted upon this community by Arch-
bishop Feehan during his long and useful life. The
vital factors in the social or religious evolution of a
people are frequently those which are not most con-
spicuous. Archbishop Feehan seemed to shun the public
prominence which naturally would have been his had
he chosen to play a positive part in the more obvious
and superficial concerns of public life. Personally of
a retiring disposition, he lived the life of the Church-
man and of a kindly benefactor of his fellow men, per-
forming his countless good deeds in a way to escape
notice.
In spite of this rare quality of self-effacement, or
perhaps partly because of it, the public at large as well
as the members of the Catholic Church have recognized
for years in Archbishop Feehan a powerful and positive
force for good in the community, working deep in the
undercurrents of the community life. Few of his con-
temporaries have been more devoted to the Church or
more gentle and kindly in their attitude toward man-
kind. His administration of his high office, with its
many and difficult problems, testifies to his exceptional
ability, but his purely personal qualities both as man
and as Prelate have been even more a source of strength.
The growth of this diocese, whjeh has more than trebled
352 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
the number of its churches since he became Archbishop,
may have been due largely to his administrative ability,
but the influence of his kindly personality and example
has been no less effective for good.
The sorrow and regret occasioned throughout the
country by his death will be peculiarly felt in Chicago,
where the venerable Prelate for nearly a quarter of a
century had exercised the authority and prerogative of
the highest office in the archdiocese."
( The Chicago Journal)
"The late Archbishop Feehan was a good man, full
of charity and loving kindness; a pious and learned
Churchman, and an administrator of great acumen and
executive ability. More than most of the distinguished
and powerful prelates who were his contemporaries, he
lived in as well as for the Church to whose service his
life was dedicated. The things of this world were of no
moment to him except as they concerned the growth of
his diocese ; which is the answer to the frequent question
why he took so small a part in the great civic move-
ments of his time. But, if Archbishop Feehan cared
less for the city of Chicago than for the Archdiocese of
Chicago, he cared greatly for the city's greater part and
lifted it up among the great ecclesiastical provinces of
the Roman world. May he rest in peace, for he has
fought the good fight; he has kept the faith.
It were hardly decorous as yet to discuss the candi-
dates for his seat in the hierarchy. But it is not im-
proper to say that his successor ought to be a big man,
a statesman as well as a scholar, and a man of business.
No man, no dozen men, can exert so powerful an in-
fluence upon the city's future as the Catholic Arch-
bishop of Chicago; and Archbishop Feehan's successor
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 353
should be a man who realizes this and is not too languid
or too timorous to exert that influence to the utmost."
(Chicago Evening Post)
"Archbishop Patrick A. Feehan, whose sudden death
has deeply affected the Catholic community and is re-
gretted by all thoughtful people, was in the best sense
of the word an ecclesiastic. He was devoted, pious,
gentle and self-sacrificing. His heroic work in Nash-
ville during the ravages of the cholera epidemic in the
late '60s brought him great and deserved fame, and
naturally led to his appointment as the first Archbishop
of the diocese of Chicago.
For nearly twenty-two years Archbishop Feehan ad-
ministered the affairs, spiritual and temporal, of this
great archdiocese, the second in the United States. The
legislature of Illinois was liberal and generous enough
to pass an act making the Catholic Archbishop of Chi-
cago a corporation sole, and the privilege has certainly
been of great benefit to the Catholics of the archdiocese.
The Archbishop's investments were invariably prudent,
and the wealth of the organization has steadily grown.
Personally the late Archbishop was poor, and he prob-
ably left very little property to his relatives.
In politics, secular and ecclesiastical, Archbishop
Feehan never dabbled. He was liberal, and the politico--
economic beliefs of his flock did not concern him. He
had no ambition beyond that of faithfully performing
his important duties and looking after the welfare of
his churches, schools and charitable institutions within
his jurisdiction. He avoided controversy and general
public questions, though he was doubtless in sympathy
with what is called 'Americanism' in Catholic teaching
and tendency."
354 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
CATHOLIC PRESS COMMENT:
(Pittsburgh Observer)
"The death of Archbishop Feehan removes one of the
strong pillars of conservatism from the Church in this
country. His loss is one to be mourned for several
reasons."
(Catholic Journal and News, Memphis, Tenn.)
"Scarcely were the sods green upon the grave of New
York's great prelate than the Catholic heart of this
country was again saddened for another of her most
honored and beloved sons. The death of Archbishop
Feehan is keenly felt and sincerely mourned. Because
he was the ideal 'Sogarth Aroon,' the faithful, simple
father, adviser, as well as the august prelate of one of
the greatest dioceses in America.
The people loved him, for they could always approach
him and he was ever as ready to give ear to their plaints
as when he was a plain parish priest. He sought not
worldly honor or glory, but rather the eternal glory of
the God that he served so faithfully and the people
whom he loved so dearly.
Archbishop Feehan, unlike some other prelates, had
no ambition to be the central magnet in an episcopal
galaxy; he craved not the honor of high position and
power; all he sought was simply the love of his Creator
and his fellowmen.
Archbishop Feehan would rather be a true, faithful,
lowly priest than a great, ambitious Pope. He was not
so great a prelate that his ambition ever burned his
surplice, but he was a good man in the fullest sense of
the word.
In his death America lost one of her best and most
loved prelates ; a man of scholarly mind and great force
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 855
of intellect. His priests and his people alike loved and
revered him, for the great labors of his life were for
and among them. They saw and knew him as he was,
the real priest of God."
(Iowa Catholic Messenger)
"The death of Archbishop Feehan occurred Saturday.
He had had charge of the Chicago Archdiocese for
twenty-two years, and goes to his grave leaving as great
a monument of accomplishments as any who ever
devoted their lives to the work of the Church. He left
a diocese with 1,000,000 Catholics, with the best of edu-
cational and charitable institutions in every part of it.
The churches, the schools, both collegiate and parochial,
the hospitals and orphanages which he has given to Chi-
cago alone, represent millions of wealth and years of
devoted labor. These institutions, the work which with
the aid of his clergy and religious orders he has done, the
souls he has saved, the men and women whom he has
educated, the orphans that he has reared, the sick and
unfortunate that he has cared for, we believe will merit
a greater reward at the hands of the Master to Whose
service he consecrated himself, than that of the proudest
of these who build nations and palaces and go to their
graves in purple.
Archbishop Feehan did his work without ostentation,
devoted all his days to the work of his holy office and
is followed to the grave by the prayers of thousands
of those whose lives he has made better."
(The Review St. Louis)
"We are pained to be compelled to chronicle the rather
sudden death, on last Saturday, of the venerable Arch-
bishop Feehan, of Chicago, under whose benign crozier
The Review was founded and prospered for over three
years, despite the attempts of its enemies to move him
356 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
to muzzle it. The departed Metropolitan, in the words
of his and our friend, Father G. D. Heldman, 'had that
special gift which won him the absolute confidence and
the deepest love and affection of every nationality of
his diocese. He possessed that subtle spiritual power
which united them all in himself. He was the kindest
of fathers to his priests. The poor and downtrodden
found in him a kind and compassionate friend at all
times. No one in trouble ever went to him but came
away blessed by his words and helped to bear their sor-
rows'. . . Under his hand the parochial school system
of Chicago has been so perfected that it is second to
none in the world. There are more children in the par-
ochial schools of the archdiocese than in any other in
the United States. Not in vain was he called the
'Protector of the Schools.'
May he rest in peace !"
(Catholic Universe Cleveland, O.)
"Last Saturday afternoon Archbishop Feehan, of
Chicago, died rather unexpectedly, though he had been
in poor health for more than a year. Twenty-two years
ago he was called from the See of Nashville to preside
over the great and rapidly growing diocese of Chicago.
From his student days he had been noted for his talent
and ability. His new field of labor demanded the
exercise of his recognized administrative ability. He
sought not applause nor did he court the attention of
the public. He worked almost as silently and as faith-
fully as the forces of nature. Dignified almost to the
point of austerity, yet he won his way to the affections
of his clergy and of the people. Hence there is mourn-
ing in the great city and throughout the immense dio-
cese. The magnitude of his funeral testifies to the place
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 357
he won in the respect of the people of Chicago irrespec-
tive of creed or nationality.
Archbishop Feehan realized early and strongly the
truth emphasized by the Scriptures: 'Unless the Lord
build the house, they labor in vain that build it.' Hence
he directed that the school should precede the construc-
tion of the Church edifice. This was his glory and his
crown.
Strange indeed it is that the two largest dioceses in
America are now vacant, Chicago and New York. All
should pray that worthy successors be sent to succeed
Archbishop Corrigan and Archbishop Feehan."
(The Catholic Transcript Hartford., Conn.)
"The death of Archbishop Feehan leaves the two
greatest sees in the American Church widowed. Chi-
cago, under this great Metropolitan, prospered as mar-
velously as did New York under the late Archbishop
Corrigan. The growth of each diocese was something
altogether phenomenal and unrivaled, we believe, in the
whole history of the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Feehan was a singularly dignified and
retiring Prelate. Of late years, his declining health had
kept him well out of the public mouth. He sought re-
tirement and was seldom seen even on occasions when
great ecclesiastical functions were in order. He had
earned these few years of repose, for in his day he was
in the very center of events which were calculated to
break the strength and try the soul of the devoted Prel-
ate.
The wondrous development of the great Metropolitan
See of Chicago under his direction is an evidence of
his exceptional ability and worth. He ruled wisely and
with hardly a shadow of opposition till age had pro-
claimed that his work was done. He was not, however,
358 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
suffered to die in peace. For a gadfly penetrated his
seclusion and harassed him sorely for months. The
people under his episcopal care had, however, the dis-
cernment to know where real merit and justice resided,
and those who foolishly opposed his wise rulings met
with the condemnation and rejection which they so
abundantly deserved.
The first Archbishop of Chicago honored his ministry
and deserves to rank among the most illustrious founders
of the great American Church."
(The Western Watchman)
"Following so quickly after the death of the Arch-
bishop of New York, the news of the sudden demise of
Archbishop Feehan struck the Catholics of the country
like a visitation from God. To those who knew the
precarious condition of the latter Prelate's health, the
announcement of his death was no surprise. Archbishop
Feehan has been hovering between life and death for
four years. Two years ago the Propaganda was al-
ready taking steps to fill the vacant See of Chicago.
Archbishop Feehan had had three severe attacks of
pneumonia, from which only the best care and a natu-
rally rugged constitution saved him. But they left his
bodily health seriously undermined and a final break-
down was inevitable.
Archbishop Feehan was a man of methodical, but
constant occupation. He began his ecclesiastical career
as president of the St. Louis' Diocesan Seminary. He
developed in that position the sterling qualities that
afterwards marked him for promotion. Mildness and
amiability were his chief characteristics. It was said
then that he lacked 'push.' Archbishop Kenrick had
promoted Bishop Duggan from the most fashionable
parish in this city to the See of Chicago and he was
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 359
not long in selecting a successor in the parish. He called
Father Feehan to the Immaculate Conception Church.
As a St. Louis pastor, he was easily head and shoulder
above all his fellows. He was the most revered and
respected priest in St. Louis in his day. His habits
were simple, his life austere, and his manners gentle
almost to womanliness. He had but one way of talk-
ing to everybody. He had no society tones; no man-
nerisms. As he talked to a beggar at his door he talked
to the lady in silks; and as he talked in the parlor he
talked in the pulpit. Not even in his singing did he
ever vary his intonations. He sang the Preface in the
same artless and unaffected way he sang an Irish mel-
ody. He never posed. He was not moved by flattery.
We shall never forget the morning of his consecration.
He had been lauded to the skies by the preacher. The
people had made in his honor a grand demonstration.
The pageant was calculated to impress the most stolid
nature. As the new bishop sought his room after the
ceremony a number of his personal friends were wait-
ing to greet him. He threw himself into a chair and
asked for his pipe. 'I am dead for a smoke/ was all
he had to say. While others were thinking of his learn-
ing, eloquence, worth and promise, he was thinking of
his dudeen. We say this to illustrate the intense natural-
ness of the man.
After spending fifteen years in Nashville, the Bishop
was called by the Holy Father to take possession of the
See of Chicago, then raised to the rank of an Arch-
bishopric. For twenty-two years Archbishop Feehan
has ruled over that great diocese. During that time it
has more than trebled in Catholic population and the
number of priests and churches has grown in propor-
tion. Chicago is today the second See in this country
360 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
and perhaps in the world. It has 550 priests and 247
parish churches. It has 65,000 children attending
Catholic schools and a Catholic population of nearly
one million.
It has been said of Archbishop Feehan in Chicago,
what was said of him when he was president of St.
Louis' Diocesan Seminary, that he lacked 'push.'
Bishops do not need 'push.' None ever said that he
lacked ecclesiastical spirit; that he was not devoted to
the interests of religion; that he failed in love and duty
to his priests and people. He was gentle, and at times
when it might be considered proper for him to assert
himself, he was painfully diffident, and even awkwardly
bashful. When he spoke in public his voice was low
and weak. His monotonous utterances would seem to
indicate coldness. But those who would sit near him
would observe the man's intense agitation. He appeared
slow and placid ; but a cauldron of pent-up feeling was
seething within. He could not make others feel what
he felt, and many, therefore, thought him callous. He
was as candid as a boy, and as sensitive as a maiden.
He is dead, and he did not regret to leave a cold and
noisy world, or the pomp and trappings of an office
he never coveted and which he left enriched with the
luster of one more generous sacrifice ; one more shining
example of the devotion that lays down life for Christ's
sheep."
(The New World)
"A life, noble, beautiful and good in thought and
action, in the secrecy of the home as well as in the
sanctuary and in the chair of episcopal administration,
has reached its term. Few prelates have better earned
the double honor that, as St. Paul declares in his letter
to Timothy, attaches to probity in private life and
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 361
integrity in public office, than the Most Reverend
Patrick Augustine Feehan. Few ecclesiastics have
been rendered more illustrious, not only by the nobility
of their personality, but also by the moral elevation of
their public policy. A retrospect of that life so fruit-
ful in acts of beneficence, so attractive to all who had
the dignity of character to appreciate it, impresses us
most of all by its unity, continuity and symmetry. We
discern the Archbishop in the priest, and the priest in
the student. St. Gregory of Nazianzen said of the
great St. Basil that he was a priest before he received
episcopal ordination. Even in Archbishop Feehan's
boyhood the innocence of his disposition, the gravity of
his demeanor, his solid virtue and his love for the Church
and its sacred ceremonies, had consecrated his soul be-
fore the hands of the Bishop had communicated to him
the sacramental character.
The equipoise of that grand and noble life, which
opened in the year of Ireland's emancipation, in the
shadow of the historic Rock of 'Cashel of the Kings'
and peacefully closed in the archiepiscopal residence
last Saturday afternoon, could not lose or suffer altera-
tion in a single element without the moral beauty of its
balance and proportions being disturbed. The gentle-
ness and sense of justice, the apostolic sweetness and
dignity, the unostentatious zeal and quiet enthusiasm in
every noble enterprise, that won unbounded admira-
tion during his episcopate, had established an inviolable
sanctuary in his soul from his earliest years. The com-
plete absence of self-seeking was as evident in the boy
as in the Archbishop, and he accepted academic honors
in the same spirit of gentle reluctance in which he after-
wards accepted the highest ecclesiastical dignities. Yet
the magnificent gifts with which nature had lavishly
362 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
endowed him were cultivated with conscientious care, so
that one of his professors in Maynooth said of him, what
was once said of St. Athanasius, that he surpassed the
most brilliant by his industry and the most diligent
by his brilliancy.
The dominant unifying principle of his life was his
moral elevation of character. He was raised as high
above the common herd as Moses on the summit of
Sinai, communing with the God of eternal truth and
holiness was elevated over the Israelites, who were
prostrate before the golden calf in the plains beneath.
By a natural affinity, he was associated during the entire
length of his career with men of powerful intellect and
lofty ideals. The late Lord Russell, of Killowen, was
his classmate at Castle Knock College and his life-long
friend. Among his intimate associates in the great ec-
clesiastical Seminary of Maynooth, especially after his
promotion to the famous Dunboyne establishment, were
the Rev. Dr. Murray, author of the classic work on the
'Church;' Rev. George Crolly, the celebrated jurist;
Rev. Dr. Callan, the distinguished scientist, and the
Rev. Dr. MacHale, afterwards the great Archbishop
of Tuam, 'the lion of the fold of Judah.'
From the day of his affiliation to the diocese of St.
Louis he enjoyed the friendship of its illustrious Ordi-
nary, the scholarly Archbishop Kenrick, and the intimate
companionship of the late Archbishop Hennessey, of
Dubuque, and Archbishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, 'the
American Chrysostom,' who came from the Atlantic
coast to the funeral to offer the unique tribute of his
eloquence to the illustrious dead.
Every impulse of his spirit was lofty, far-reaching,
masterful and free from subjection to accidental cir-
cumstances of time and place. That love of academic
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 363
seclusion and shrinking from notoriety, which to many
seemed rooted in his character, would disappear before
the needs of a situation like that in which he found him-
self when he became Bishop of Nashville immediately
after the Civil War. Then the vigor, enthusiasm,
splendid physical energy and boundless resources latent
in his powerful personality came into play, and remained
in evidence until he had brought order out of chaos and
reorganized the Church on a magnificent scale within
the sphere of his jurisdiction.
That such a man would be popular with that strong
and enduring popularity that captivates the mind and
heart rather than the fancy, was inevitable, and the love
and admiration of his people on special occasions, no-
tably when he celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his
Episcopate, flamed up with an ardor and intensity al-
most unparalleled in the history of this country. Public
men are often most admired where they are least known.
The deceased Archbishop awakened the deepest rever-
ence and most enthusiastic affection in the minds and
hearts of his priests in Chicago. For more than twenty-
two years they have been the chief beneficiaries of his
wise and gentle rule. Never has there been a happier
combination of the suaviter in modo and fortiter in re.
In no diocese of the Catholic Church has a more perfect
equilibrium been attained and preserved between per-
sonal liberty and the administration of ecclesiastical law.
No prelate better learned to discern when speech was
merely silvern and when silence was golden. The mag-
nificent results of this wise policy appeared in a zealous
and contented clergy, a devout and reverent laity, under
the patriarchal chief to whom all his subjects rendered
ready homage and cheerful obedience. It was condi-
tions like these that contributed to the unprecedented
364 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
growth of Catholicity in our midst growth of Catholic
population, multiplication of churches, schools, relig-
ious congregations, charitable institutions in a word,
of everything that constitutes and consolidates the
Catholic Church among a people. Hence every priest
of the archdiocese could truly say, 'My lines have been
cast in pleasant places.'
The charm of his personal character, his deep and
unostentatious piety, his truly southern dignity and
suavity, his enthusiasm for every noble ideal which is
a native inheritance of the children of the Gael, and his
serene mind and tranquil judgment would ennoble
human nature in any profession, but dignified it with a
peculiar grace in the person of a Catholic Bishop. God,
in His providence, we may well hope, will always give
great archbishops for this great archdiocese. But in
our most sanguine moments we cannot look for a prel-
ate who will be in better accord with the legitimate
rights, or in closer harmony with the noblest and loftiest
aspirations of his priests, than was the Most Rev. Arch-
bishop Feehan.
Peace, beloved Archbishop, to thy gentle spirit! The
lyric poet of your native land, whose melodies you loved
so well because they touched every chord of your ex-
quisite Celtic nature, describes the dying daylight in
mystic language that aptly symbolizes the closing years
of your life. The sun is set, but its lingering rays will
irradiate many a mind and heart in future years.
As the tens of thousands of mourners filed past the
casket to take a last look at the noble face that so beau-
tifully mirrored the lofty virtues of his soul, many a
glowing tribute was paid to the illustrious dead. First
came the orphans bereft of nature's guardians to whom
he was the beneficent instrument of God's Providence,
ECHOES OF THE FUNERAL 365
sheltering them, clothing them, feeding them. Will not
their deceased mothers gratefully and eloquently plead
the cause of this Apostle of Charity before the Throne
of Mercy? Then came the poor whom he succored, full
of the liveliest recollections of his countless benefactions
known only to them and to God. They will fervently
supplicate Him Who promised to reward even a cup of
cold water given in His Name to be mindful of one
who never beheld want and suffering without alleviat-
ing and solacing it.
Little children were there, because he loved them,
even as his Divine Master loved them. For innocence
always attracts innocence. What joy he felt at Con-
firmation time, when with heart overflowing with pater-
nal tenderness and affection, he mingled with them, his
face radiant with kindness and his words enkindling
the sweetest emotions in their bosoms ! What an admir-
able representative of Him Who said, 'Suffer little chil-
dren to come unto Me, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven.' Young men occupying honorable and re-
sponsible positions came to take their last farewell of
him who rescued them from material and moral degra-
dation and despair, and educated them in knowledge
and hope and virtue in that magnificent institute on the
Desplaines river, whose name will perpetuate his apos-
tolic memory in the State of Illinois.
From hospital, asylum and academy grief -stricken
Sisters, without distinction of congregation or language,
gathered around the bier of their deceased father in
God, of whose sympathy, solicitude and kindness almost
every one of them had some personal reminiscence.
They will remember him when others have forgotten
him, and will be united with him in the communion of
saints by the loving prayers which they will address for
366 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
him to Jesus in the tabernacle. But most expressive,
even in death, was that face for his priests, who were
nearest and dearest to him in life What a history of
kindness, of sympathy, of tenderness, of paternal affec-
tion and sage counsel for every one of them, from the
oldest to the youngest, dating for many of them from
the moment they entered the ecclesiastical seminary, was
written in that noble face! They, at least, will never
forget him in their prayers, and especially in the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass. They will give thanks to God,
the Father, in Christ Jesus, that He has caused to arise
in our days a priest so holy, so innocent, so zealous, so
patient, so assiduous in prayer, so indefatigable, self-
sacrificing and wholly consecrated to the interests of
the Church. May his spirit be upon them for genera-
tions!"
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF THE
MOST REV. P. A. FEEHAN
1829 August 29th, born at Killenaule, County Tip-
perary, Ireland.
1845 Enters Castle Knock college, (ecclesiastic.)
1847 Enters Maynooth College.
1852 Accepts a call from Archbishop Kenrick and
comes to America. November 1st, ordination
to the priesthood in St. Louis, Mo.
1853 Appointed assistant priest to St. John's Church,
St. Louis, in July. Ministers to cholera vic-
tims in St. Louis.
1854 Succeeds to the presidency of the Seminary at
Carondelet.
1858 Appointed to the pastorate of St. Michael's
Church and subsequently to the pastorate of
the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
1862 Establishes hospital for wounded soldiers.
1865 November 1st, Consecrated Bishop of Nashville.
1866 Participates in the Second Plenary Council of
Baltimore. Ministers to the stricken during
cholera plagues and the yellow fever visita-
tions in the South.
1880 November 28th, Nominated first Archbishop of
Chicago.
1883 Summoned to Rome to prepare the work for the
Third Plenary Council of Baltimore.
1890 October 29th, Observes the twenty-fifth anniver-
sary of his Consecration.
1902 July 12th, Dies in Chicago.
367
368 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
BISHOPS OF CHICAGO
1845-1848 Rt. Rev. William Quarter, D. D.
1848-1853 Rt. Rev. James Oliver Van de Velde, D. D.
1854-1856 Rt. Rev. Anthony O'Regan, D. D.
1856-1857 Rt. Rev. Mathew Dillon, Administrator.
1857-1859 Rt. Rev. Clement J. Smythe, Adminis-
trator.
1859-1869 Rt. Rev. James Duggan, D. D.
1870-1879 Rt. Rev. Thomas Foley, D.D.
1880-1902 Most Rev. Patrick A. Feehan, D. D.
1903-1915 Most Rev. James Edward Quigley, D. D.
1915 Most Rev. George W. Mundelein, D. D.
APPENDIX
No. 1 Testimonial Letters of the Ordination of Pat-
rick Feehan:
PETRUS RICHARDUS KENRICK, Dei et
Apostolicae Sedis gratia Archiepiscopus S. Ludovici,
Universis et Singiilis praesentes inspecturis fidem faci-
mus atque testamur Nos die prima Mensis Novembris
Anni MDCCCLII Missam in Pontificalibus sine cantu
celebrantes in Ecclesia Cathedrali S. Ludovici Ordina-
tionem extra tempora a jure constituta, dispensatione
super interstitibus, habuisse, atque dilectum Nobis in
Christo Diaconum Patritium Feehan ad Sacrum Pres-
byteratus Ordinem praevio examine idoneum repertum,
atque dotibus a S. Cone. Trid. requisitis praeditum,
adhibitis consuetis solemnitatibus ac caeremoniis juxta
S. R. E. Ritum in Domino promovisse, praesentibus
RR. DD. Simone Aug. Paris, Josepho Renaud, Ed-
mundo Saulnier, Jacobo Duggan.
In quorum testimonium praesentes manu Vicarii
Generalis Nostri subscriptas, nostroque sigillo, atque
Cancellarii nostri subscriptione communitas fieri jus-
simus.
Datum S. Ludovici ex Aedibus Cancellariae, die 2a
mensis Novembris, MDCCCLII.
De Mandato Illmi. ac Revmi. Archiepiscopi
JOSEPH MELCHER, V. G.
EDM. SAULNIER, Cancellarius.
369
370 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
No. 2 Brief of Nomination of Father Feehan to the
See of Nashville, Tenn., July 7, 1865:
Dilecto Filio Patritio Feehan Presbytero Hiberno.
PIUS PP. IX.
Dilecte Fili Salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem.
Apostolatus officium meritis licet imparibus, Nobis ex
alto commissium, quo Ecclesiarum omnium regimini
Divina dispositione praesidemus, utiliter exequi, ad-
juvante Domino, cupientes, solliciti corde reddimur, et
solertes, ut cum de Ecclesiarum ipsarum regiminibus
agitur committendis, tales eis in Pastores praeficere
studeamus, qui populum suae curae creditum sciant non
solum doctrina verbi, sed etiam exemplo boni operis
informare, commissasque sibi Ecclesias in statu pacifico
et tranquillo velint et valeant, auctore Domino, salu-
briter regere, et feliciter gubernare. Dudum siquidem
provisiones Ecclesiarum omnium nunc vacantium, et
quae in posterum erunt vacaturae, ordinationi et dispo-
sition! Nostrae reservavimus, decernentes ex tune irri-
tum et inane si secus super his a quoquam quavis auc-
toritate scienter vel ignoranter contigerit attentari.
Postmodum vero Episcopali Ecclesia Nashvillensi, cui
venerabilis Frater Jacobus Whelan ultimus illius An-
tistes praesidebat, per renuntiationem ejusdem Venera-
bilis Fratris, quam mense Septembri Anni MDCCC-
LXIII ratam habuimus, Pastoris solatio destituta, Nos
ad ejusdem Ecclesiae provisionem celerem, atque feli-
cem, in qua nemo praeter Nos se potest, poteritve im-
miscere, decreto et reservatione obsistentibus hujusmodi,
Paterno et sollicito studio, ne ilia exponatur diuturnio-
ris vacationis incommodis, intendentes post delibera-
tionem, quam de praeficiendo eidem Ecclesiae per-
sonam utilem ac fructuosam cum SS. Fratribus
APPENDIX 371
Nostris Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalibus, nego-
tiis Fidei Propagandae praepositis habuimus diligen-
tem, demum at te qui ex legitimo es matrimonio pro-
creatus, et in aetate etiam legitima es constitutus, et
cujus de doctrina, pietate, et studio, in animarum salute
procuranda, cum prudentia, consilio, et rerum gerenda-
rum peritia conjuncta, praeclara extant documenta,
oculos mentis Nostrae direximus. Quibus omnibus se-
dulo perpensis, teque ab quibusvis excommunicationis,
et interdicti, aliisque ecclesiasticis censuris, sententiis,
et poenis quovis modo, vel quavis de causa latis, si quas
forte incurristi, hujus tantum rei gratia absolventes, et
absolutum fore censentes, eamdem Nashvillensem Eccle-
siam, de persona tua Nobis, et memoratis Cardinalibus,
ob tuorum exigentiam meritorum accepta, de Fratrum
eorumdem consilio, Auctoritate Nostra Apostolica pro-
videmus, teque illi in episcopum praeficimus et Past-
orem, curam, regimen, et administrationem dictae Ec-
clesiae tibi in spiritualibus et temporalibus plenarie com-
mittendo, in Illo qui dat gratiam, et largitur dona con-
fisi, quod dirigente Domino actus tuos, praefata Ecclesia
per tuae circumspectionis industriam et studium, utili-
ter et prospere dirigatur, grataque in ipsis spiritualibus
et temporalibus suscipiat incrementa. Jugum igitur
Domini tuis humeris impositum, prompta devotione
animi complectens, curam, et administrationem prae-
dictas ita studeas fideliter, prudenterque exercere, ut
praedicta Ecclesia provide se gaudeat gubernatori, et
fructuoso administratori fuisse commissam, tuque, prae-
ter aeternae retributionis praemium, Nostram quoque,
et Apostolicae Sedis uberius exinde consequi merearis
benedictionem et gratiam. Ceterum ad ea quae in tuae
cedere possunt commoditatis augmentum, favorabiliter
intendentes, tibi, ut a quocumque quern malueris An-
372 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
tistite Catholico, gratiam et communionem Sedis Apos-
tolicae habente, accitis, et in hoc illi assistentibus duobus
Episcopis, et nisi reperiri commode queant, duobus pres-
byteris saecularibus, seu cujuscumque ordinis efc in-
situti regularibus, similemque gratiam, et communionem
Sedis Apostolicae habentibus, munus Consecrationis
libere et licite possis, et valeas; atque eidem Antistiti,
ut receptis a te prius Catholicae Fidei professione, juxta
articulos pridem a Sede Nostra propositos, ac Nostro,
et Ecclesiae Romanae nomine fidelitatis debitae solito
juramento, praedictum munus tibi, Auctoritate Nostra,
impendere licite valeat, eadem Auctoritate, plenam, et
liberam harum scire tribuimus facultatem. Volumus
autem atque praecipimus, ut nisi receptis a te prius fidei
Catholicae professione, et fidelitatis, per dictum Anti-
stitem, juramento hujusmodi, ipse Antistes consecra-
tionis munus tibi impendere, tuque illud recipere prae-
sumpseritis, idem Antistes a Pontificalis officii exercitio,
et tarn ipse, quam tu ab regimine et administratione Ec-
clesiarum vestrarum eo ipso suspensi sitis. Non ob-
stantibus Apostolicis, ac in universalibus provincial-
ibusque, et synodalibus Conciliis editis generalibus vel
specialibus Constitutionibus, et Ordinationibus, necnon
dictae Ecclesiae Nashvillensis etiam juramento, con-
firmatione Apostolica, vel quavis alia firmitate roboratis
statutis, consuetudinibus, ceterisque contrariis quibus-
cumque. Datum Roame apud Sanctum Petrum sub-
annulo Piscatoris die VII Julii Anno MDCCCLXV.
Pontificate Nostri Anno Vigesimo.
(Seal) N. CARDLIS PARACCIANI CLARELLI.
APPENDIX 373
No. 3 Letter of Cardinal Simeoni informing Arch-
bishop Feehan of his elevation to the Arch-
bishopric.
Illme ac Rme Domine,
Valde gratulor Ampl. Tuae, eo quod ad dignitatem
Archiepiscopalem evehi meruerit. Porro Emi Patres
hujus S. Congnis de Propaganda Fide in comitiis gen-
eralibus die 16 p.p. Augusti, sede Chicagiensi in archi-
episcopalem evecta, Te primum Archiepiscopum nun-
tiarunt. Hanc vero resolutionem S. Smus Dominus
Noster ratam habuit atque confirmavit. Hinc quam
primum fieri poterit literas apostolicas in forma Brevis
ad te mittam. Interim Tibi significo atque totis viribus
hortor ut votis S. Congregationis respondendum cures,
magno animo ad novam diocesim accedas ac omnem dili-
gentiam adhibeas ut, rebus compositis, tarn electa Ec-
clesiae Catholicae in America portio, tandem optata
pace fruatur.
Interea Deum precor ut Te diutissime sospitet.
Romae ex Aed. S. C. de Ppda Fide, die Tbris, 1880.
A. T.
Uti frater addictissimus,
JOANNES CARD. SIMEONI,
Praefectus.
R. P. D. PATRITIO FEEHAN,
Episcopo Nashvillensi.
No. 4 Second letter concerning the same subject:
Illme ac Rme Domine,
Inclusum hisce literis accipies Aplcum Breve quo ad
Sedem Archiepiscopalem Chicagi SSmus Dnus Noster
Te transferre dignatus est. Cum rursus Tibi gratulor
de hoc novo honoris testimonio quo ab Aplca Sede
cumularis, precor Amplitudinem Tuam, ut omnia in
374 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
diocesi Nashvillensi ita disponat, ut durante Sedis vac-
antis tempore, nullum detrimentum Ecclesia capere
possit.
Interim precor Deum ut Te diutissime sospitet.
Romae ex Aed. S. C. de Pnda Fide, die 30 Septem-
bris 1880, A. T.
Uti frater addictissimus,
JOANNES CARD. SIMEON i,
Praefectus.
R. P. D. PATRITIO FEEHAN,
Episcopo Nashvillensi.
No. 5 Bull of the Elevation of Bishop Feehan to the
Archdiocese of Chicago, September 10, 1880.
Venerabili Fratri Patritio Feehan,
Episcopo Nashvillensi.
Venerabilis Frater salutem et Apostolicam Benedic-
tionem.
LEO PP. XIII.
Apostolatus officium, meritis licet imparibus, Nobis
ex Alto commissum, quo Ecclesiarum omnium regimini
Divina providentia, utiliter exequi, adjuvante Domino,
satagentes, solliciti corde reddimur et solertes, ut cum
de Ecclesiarum ipsarum regiminibus agitur commit-
tendis, tales eis in Pastores praeficere studeamus, qui
populum suae curae creditum non solum doctrina verbi,
sed etiam exempli boni operis sciant informare, com-
missasque sibi Ecclesias in statu pacifico et tranquillo
velint et valeant, auctore Domino, salubriter regere, et
feliciter gubernare. Dudum siquidem provisiones Ec-
clesiarum omnium nunc vacantium, quaeque in poste-
rum vacabunt, ordinationi et provisioni Nostrae reser-
vavimus, decernentes ex tune irritum et inane, quidquid
secus super his a quoquam quavis auctoritate scienter
APPENDIX 375
vel ignoranter contigerit attentari. Postmodum vero
absolute, ratione gravis diuturnaeque valitudinis ejus,
Venli Fratre Jacobo Duggan a vinculo quo tenebatur,
Ecclesiae Chicagiensis, eadem Sede ita vacante, ad
honorem et dignitatem Archiepiscopatus evecta, Nos ad
ejusdem Archiepiscopalis Ecclesiae Chicagiensis pro-
visionem celerem atque felicem, in qua nemo praeter
Nos se potest, poteritve immiscere, supradictis decreto
et reservatione obsistentibus, ne ilia longae vacationis
exponatur incommodis, Paterno ac sollicito studio in-
tendentes, post deliberationem, quam de praeficiendo
eidem Ecclesiae Archiepiscopali personam utilem et
fructuosam, cum Venlibus Fratribus Nostris S. R. E.
Cardinalibus negotiis Propagandae Fidei propositis,
habuimus diligentem, demum at Te, Venlis Frater, qui
zelo Domus Dei, sempiternaeque animarum salutis sol-
licitudine, doctrina, prudentia conspicuus, Nashvillen-
sem Ecclesiam summa hucusque cum laude es modera-
tus, oculos mentis Nostrae convertimus. Itaque Te a
vinculo, quo Nashvillensi Ecclesiae adstrictus detineris,
de Apostolicae potestatis Nostrae plenitudine solventes
necnon a quibusvis excommunicationis et interdicti, aliis-
que ecclesiasticis censuris, sententiis et poenis quovis
modo vel causa latis, quas si forte incurreris, hujus tan-
turn rei gratia absolventes, ac absolutum fore censentes,
de eorum Venlium Fratrum Nostrorum consilio, Apos-
tolica Auctoritate Nostra, hisce Litteris ad praedictam
Metropolitanam Sedem Chicagiensem transferimus,
tibique ad illam transeundi licentiam impertimur, Teque
dictae Ecclesiae in Archiepiscopum praeficimus et Past-
orem, curam, regimen, et administrationem Ecclesiae
ejusdem in spiritualibus Tibi ac temporalibus plenarie
committemdo in Illo, qui dat gratiam et largitur dona
confisi, quod dirigente Domino actus tuos, praef ata EC-
376 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
clesia Chicagiensis per tuae circumspectionis industriam
et studium, utiliter ac prospere dirigatur, grataque in
spiritualibus ac temporalibus orthodoxa religio suscipiat
incrementa. Jugum igitur Domini tuis impositum hu-
meris prompta devotione animi amplectens, curam et
administrationem praefatas ita studeas fideliter pruden-
terque exercere, ut Ecclesia praefata gaudeat se provide
gubernatori ac fructuoso administratori esse commis-
sam, tuque praeter aeternae retributionis praemium,
Nostram quoque et Sedis Apostolicae uberius exinde
consequi merearis benedictionem et gratiam. Non on-
stantibus, quatenus opus sit, Benedict! XIV Praedeces-
soris Nostri super Div ne Mat m aliisque Constitutioni-
bus et Ordinationibus Apostolicis, necnon dictarum Ec-
clesiarum etiam juramento, confirmatione Apostolica,
vel quavis firmitate alia roboratis Statutis et consue-
tudinibus, ceterisque contrariis quibuscumque. Datum
Romae apud S. Petrum sub Annulo Piscatoris die X
Septembris MDCCCLXXX. Pontificatus Nostri
Anno Tertio.
(Seal) TH. CARDLIS. MERTEL.
No. 6 Bull of Erection of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
September 21, 1880.
LEO PP. XIII.
AD FUTURAM REI MEMORIAM. Postquam
Venerabilem Fratrem Jacobum Duggan a vinculo, quo
tenebatur, Chicagiensis Ecclesiae ob gravem diuturn-
amque ejus infirmitatem absolvimus, eademque ideo
Ecclesia suo mansit viduata Pastore, considerantes
Chicagiensis Civitatis celebritatem, Christifidelium ipsa
in Diocesi degentium multiduninem, liberamque, qua
inibi, uti par est, Ecclesia fruitur, temporalia bona pos-
sidendi facultatem, in id consilii venimus, ut Episcopa-
APPENDIX 377
lem Sedem Chicagiensem ad Metropolitanae dignitatem
evehamus. Itaque, suffragantibus quoque Venerabilibus
Fratribus Nostris S. Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalibus
consilio Propagandae Fidei praepositis, memoratam
Chicagiensem Ecclesiam in Archiepiscopalem Sedem
Apostolica Auctoritate Nostra, harum Litterarum vi,
evehimus, eique dioceses Altonensem et Peorensem suf-
fraganeas assignamus et constituimus. Verum novi
hujusce Archiepiscopatus fines seu limites aliquantulum
immutamus; a meridionali enim illius territorii parte
Comitatus LaSalle, Bureau, Putnam, Henry et Rock
Island divellimus et distrahimus, eosque Peorensi ad-
jicimus Diocesi, cujus Ordinarius turn ob distantiam,
turn ob minorem Fidelium numerum spiritualibus eo-
rumdem Comitatuum necessitatibus facilius et satius
consulere poterit. Haec constituimus et edicimus,
decernentes has Litteras firmas, validas et efficaces
existere et fore, suosque plenarios et integros effectus
sortiri et obtinere ; atque illis, ad quos spectat et in f utu-
rum spectabit, in omnibus et per omnia plenissime suf-
fragari; sicque in praemissis per quoscumque Judices
ordinaries et delegates, etiam cautarum Palatii Apos-
tolici Auditores, Sedis Apostolicae Nuncios, et S.
Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinales etiam de Latere Legatos,
sublata eis et eorum cuilibet quavis aliter judicandi et
interpret andi facultate et auctoritate, judicari ac de-
finiri debere, atque irritum et inane si secus super his a
quoquam, quavis auctoritate scienter vel ignoranter
contigerit attentari. Non obstantibus Nostra et Can-
cellariae Apostolicae regula de jure quaesito non tol-
lendo, aliisque Constitutionibus et Ordinationibus Apos-
tolicis, necnon dictae Chicagiensis Ecclesiae, aliisque
quibusvis etiam juramento, confirmatione Apostolica,
vel quavis firmitate alia roboratis statutis, consuetudini-
378 THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP FEEHAN
bus, ceterisque licet special! atque individua mentione ac
derogatione dignis in contrarium facientibus quibus-
cumque. Datum Romae apud S. Petrum sub Annulo
Piscatoris, die XXI Septembris MDCCCLXXX.
Pontificatus Nostri Anno Tertio.
(Seal) TH. CARDLIS MERTEL.
No. 7 Letter from the Apostolic Delegate concerning
the Rev. Jeremiah J. Crowley.
Washington, D. C.
Apostolic Delegation,
United States of America.
No. 1393.
Cum Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide cog-
noverit quosdam Archdioceseos Chicagensis sacerdotes
electionem Rdi. P. J. Muldoon ad Episcopatum aegro
animo sustulisse, et contra ejus consecrationem totis
viribus, pertinaciter, injuriose, protestatos esse, litteris
sub. No. 45708, Romae datis die XXI Augusti, 1901,
huic Apostolicae Delegation! onus commisit stricte vigi-
landi ne res adeo scandalose procederent, simulque can-
onice monendi, et, quatenus opus sit, ecclesiasticis cen-
suris plectendi quoscumque reos invenire accideret.
Nunc autem, cum tuto cognoverimus Rdum Jeremiam
Crowley, ejusdem Archidioceseos sacerdotem, praedictae
election! et consecration! acerrimam oppositionem prae-
buisse, et ab ea neque modo desistere, siquidem prae
oculis habemus:
lo, libellum tribunal! civil! a se oblatum,
2o, defensionem quam ejus advocatus parare conatus
est,
3o, promissionem a se scripto f actam de proximo pub-
licando opere quo tristis Archidioceseos status,
in sua mente existens, narraturus sit,
APPENDIX 379
Eumdem Rdum Jeremiam Crowley pro sui ipsius
bono et ecclesiae decore in Domino rogamus ut a sua
pertinacia desistat, eumque simul peremptorie, una vice
pro tribus, monemus ut signa certa resipiscentiae et
reparationis ostendat. Quod si noluerit, et si infra
decem dierum spatio a die hujus monitionis eidem noti-
ficatae computando scandalum non reparaverit,
lo, desistendo a lite coram tribunali civili prose-
quenda,
2o, ominimode libri promissi impressionem prohi-
bendo, vel, si jam impressus fuerit, eumdem
non publicando,
3o, reparationem publicam publici scandali dando,
4o, seseque auctoritati Archiepiscopi subjiciendo, eum
EXCOMMUNICATUM IPSO FACTO
declaramus, quamque excommunicationem huic
Apostolicae Delegationi reservamus.
Mandamus praeterea Curiae Archiepiscopali Chi-
cagensi executionem hujus decreti, cui igitur onus
committimus has presentes litteras praedicto Rdo Jere-
miae Crowley consignandi, servatis jure servandis; quod
si idem Rdus Jeremias Crowley absens sit vel reperiri
non possit, edictis penes ecclesias vel alio loco publico
propositis, post decem, uti diximus, dierum spatium, a
pertinacia non desistente, volumus hoc decretum eff ec-
tum suum similiter sortiturum.
Datum Washingtonii, Ex aedibus Apostolicae Dele-
gationis, die XIII Octobris, 1901.
(Seal) SEBASTIANUS, CAKD. MARTINELLI,
Pro-Delegatus Apostolicus.
No. 8 Excommunication of the Rev. Jeremiah Crow-
ley.
Chicago, October 26, 1901.
Rev. Dear Sir:
Whereas, the Rev. Jeremiah J. Crowley, a priest exer-
cising faculties in the Archdiocese of Chicago, has griev-
ously violated the laws and discipline of the Roman
Catholic Church and of the Archdiocese of Chicago,
and as he persists contumaciously in his unlawful con-
duct, therefore, after due warning from the Apostolic
Delegation of the United States, as shown by the above
document, which was delivered to the Rev. Jeremiah
J. Crowley in person, on Wednesday, the 16th day of
October, 1901, and the said Rev. Jeremiah J. Crowley
having failed to comply with the conditions laid down
by the Apostolic Delegation within the period of time
allotted to him in the said decree,
We hereby declare publicly and solemnly that the
Rev. Jeremiah J. Crowley is excommunicated from the
Roman Catholic Church and all participation therein,
according to the decree of His Eminence Sebastian
Cardinal Martinelli, Pro-Delegate Apostolic.
The Effects of this most grave censure of the Church
are:
1st. He is cut off from the communion and society of
the faithful.
2d. The faithful are forbidden under severe penalty
to hold communion with him or assist him in
his unlawful conduct.
3d. He cannot receive or administer any of the Sacra-
ments of the Church. Should he attempt to
give absolution in the tribunal of penance, said
absolution is invalid and sacrilegious.
APPENDIX 381
4th. He cannot be present or assist at any of the public
exercises or offices of religion in the Roman
Catholic Church, nor can he be present at
Mass, Vespers, or any other public services in
the Roman Catholic Church.
5th. He cannot receive or fill any office within the
gift of the Roman Catholic Church.
6th. Should he die whilst under this excommunication
he will be deprived of Christian burial.
All the Pastors of this Archdiocese are hereby com-
manded, sub poena suspensionis, to attach the above
decree and this letter on the walls of the sacristies of
their churches for thirty days, in such a manner that
it may be easily seen and read by all.
This order goes into effect immediately upon receipt
thereof. Given at Chicago on this, the 26th day of
October, 1901.
PATRICK A. FEEHAN,
Archbishop of Chicago.
By order of the Most Rev. Archbishop,
F. J. BARRY,
Chancellor.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBAN*
B.F295K C001
THE LIFE OF PATRICK AUGUSTINE FEEHAN, 31
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