New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-11
DEATH AND FUNERAL OF FATHER
MULLEN.

On Sunday afternoon last, at four O'clock
Reverend Father James Ignatus Mullen pastor
of st. Patricks Church, died at his residence in
this city. He bad lived longer than the period
usually allotted to mortas, being in his seventy
fourth year, and had suffered from protracted i'll
ness. His death was, therefore, to have been ex-
pected at any moment. Nevertheless, the an
nouncement evoked feeling of sorrow such as
can only be evoked by the departure of great
and good man, whose virtues as u minister of the
Gospel, and as a citizen, had endeared him to the
people among whom his lot was cast.
In accordance with the notice given through the
press, the body was placed, in state, in st.
Patrick's Church yesterday.
AT O'Clock High Mass was celebrated for the
repose of the soul, and the ceremony was highly
impressive, Father G. Raymond, vicar general,
officiating, assisted by Father John Flanagan, of
St. Therese's Church, as deacon, and Father
Ferec, of the Cathedral, as subdeacon.
During the day the church was visited by thou
sands. The remains, in plain mahogany coffin,
were placedo on an unpretendng catafalco, before
the altar, and there the multitude came, as pill
grims to shrine, to take last look at the face
of the beloved pastsr. The countenance was but
little changed from its aspect in life. There was
in its expression that blending Of courage and
beneyolence which distinguished the Father when
he moved among US in the vigor of health, per-
forming his ministrations. Death had only given
to that expression serenity and immobility.
The visitatious were not confined to the de-
nomination of which the deceased was so able and
exemplary an exponent. All classes and all sects
were represented in the tide that set in and out
of the church.
Four O'Clock in the afternoon was appointed
for the commencement Of the funeral ceremonies.
When the time came, the church was crowded.
The pews, the isles, the galleries were thronged,
and numbers, unable to find a place inside,
were compelled to remain on the streets. The
sad faces Of many, the decorous behavior of all,
bespoke grief for the loss of gifted, pious and
benevolent priest, and respect for the memory of
noble citizen.
A large number of the Catholic clergy of the
city were present at the obsequies. Among them
we observed Reverend Fathers ]. B. Dufie of St.
AlphOnse's Church, Jeremiah Moynihan of St.
Johns Church, John Hayden Of st. Josephs
Church, John Flanagan of St. Theresas Church,
Richard Kane, cha plain and professor of St.
Marys College, John James MCGEE of St. Pat
rick's, Charles V. d'Hemcourt Of st. Patricks,
ander. Several other reverend gentlemen, whose
names we did not learn, participated in the cere-
monials.
Father Duffy of st. Alphonsus Church, assisted
by all the clergy present, oficiated in performing
the ceremonies.
The clergy assembled on the altar chaunted the
sublime service, and the responses Of the choir
fell upon the great congregation in the most ex-
allied and harmonious strains of sacred song. The
exercises, so seldom witnessed on such scale of
grandeur, were profoundly interesting and, though
continued but little less than an hour, were OBJ
served with unabated attention.
The funeral sermon was preached by Father
Kane, of ST. Mary's college. The office vas ap-
proprately assigned to him, because, for many
years, he had been the intimate friend and CON
slant companion of Father Mullen. The discourse
was impromptu and brief, and Notwithstanding the
difficulties of the speaker to suppress his emotions
of grief as he stood over the lifeless form of his
which, with all his struggles,
occasionally oyercame him--the effort was
worthy of the occasion and the subject. We can
only give an imperfect outline of his remarks:
Father Kane, after short exOrdium, in which
he touchingly alluded to the relations between
himself and the late Rev. Father, called to the
mind of his hearers the services Of the deceased
to the congregation there assembled, He reminded
them of the trials and priyations Of priesttrials
and privations of which the multitude knew but
he besought them to cherish the
memory of their departed pastor as the memory
Of one Who from the day Of his ordination to the
Day he was called to render his last account per
ormed hia apostolic duties with exemplary tidel.
ty. The babe he had ehristened he had watched
md guarded against those temptations and errors
hat lead TO an unhappy life; the poor found in
lim abenefactor the rich an adviser; by the bed
side of the sick he was a Samaritan; to those op-
pressed with sorrow he was a solace. Whether
in public Or admonishng in private,
he was always earnest, sometimes severe. but
never in anger.
Father Mullen was born in Ireland, in 1893.
During his infancy, his parents emigrated TO the
United States. On the passage his mother died,
leaving him, the very threshold OF life without
BARTENDER care a mother only gives to her off.
spring. Despite this great loss, his native strength
and goodness Of character bore him strongly
through all the vicssitudes Of life. He lived for
his country and his faith.
He was but youth when the war of ls12-l5
broke out between England and the United States
He entered the American service as midshpman.
During the war he saw the decks of his ship en-
sanguined more than once, by conflict with the
public enemy, and bore himself so well under the
eye of Commodore David Porter, that that dstin-
guished officer became his intimate friend and
upon a recent occasion he adverted to that init.
macy and the cause of it, in conversation with
the speaker
Soon after the close of the war he resigned his
commission in the navy, and resolved to devote
himself to the church. ale studied and was or
dained at that celebrated institution, Mount ST.
Mary's College, in Maryland. In 1881 he was sent
to Cincinnati as missionary. He was there
during the terrible cholera visitation of 1882 and
showed himself as courageous as a priest as he
had proved himself as soldier, He was as brave
as soldier of the cross as he was as soldier of
his country He stood at his post fearlessly per-
forming his duty, and happily survived the dam
ger. He was then sent by his bishop on a mission
among the Michigan Indians at Sault St. Marie,
and his minisrations among those wild aboriginees
were long remembered by them gratefully IN
1888 he came to New Orleans, and soon after
commenced the building Of the temple in which
his remains were lying. Beneath that temple, by
his own express wish, to the speaker signifed
many years ago, he would be buried. No other
would commemorate his life, and none
other was necessary It's tower was the last oh. |