The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-05
DEATH OF AN EMINENT PRE1ATE.

Late advlces from India bring the sad III
telligence of the death of Right Rev. DR.
Fennelly, Bishop of Madras. The Orcrlomt
AthenGum, a Protestant journal published
i'll Madras, gives the following particular
of the life and services OF this emincn
servant of God:
| The brief announcement made i'll our col
| umns yesterday morning of the death OF tiii:
venerable prelate cast IL gloom over many
heart, and moved even to tears many who
| knew and loved this truly good and great
man. BY most people even the illness u
the bishop was unknown; many friend.
had seen and converscd with him only OIL
the previous Sunday, Notwithstanding thai
he,was ailing from an attack of bronchitis
an aftlictiOn to which for many years past
he had been IL victim. On Monday evening
his lordship was seen driving out i'll his
quiet, unpretentling manner, and in his ap
parcntly usual state of health, and not one
of any of those who then saw him could
have imagined that they would never sec
him again. On Tuesday last he sou2h,
medical aid, but all the medical skill and
| attention bestowed Oh him WAS insufficient
to afford relief, and on Thursday internal
Inflammation increased to such an extent
that it was deemed necessary to call i'll fur
ther medical assistance, but all was in vain
1t was deemed advisable in the early part
of the afternoon that the bishop should bc
informed of the dangerous condition i'll
which he was, and the solemn and painful
duty devolved upon the bishops excellent
brother. The bishop was resigned to his
Heavenly Fathers will, and the last offices
of the Church were duly administered to
him he then patiently and calmly awaited
the final summons, retaining full possession
of his senses until half past eleven eleven ut
night, when he breathed his last. The body
was laid out in the, bishops private apart
[-II
the course of the day hundreds of his flock
and members of other churches fastened to
take i, last farewell. Early in the afternoon
the body was removed in a coffin into the
cathedral, whereEit+ fested-en- elevated
platform, and the cathedral itself, in the
evening, was filled in every part with
nourners from every section and class of
the community, from the Chief Justice
downward. During the ceremony of the
funeral, the crowd was SO great that the
priests with difficulty could find standing
room The lower roof of the building was
crowded with people anxious to get a
glimpse through the ventilators of the pro-
ceedings inside. The cathedral was draped
in black, and at the appointed hour the
funeral rites of the Roman Catholic Church
were duly solemnized, the officiating priest
being Mr.. Sheridan, of st. Tkome, and the
body, being carried round the church in
procession, was finally deposited in its last
been prepared at the foot of the high altar.
The late bishop was sixty-two years old.
We cannot withhold from our readers the
commentary upon this event which is found
in leading article of the same journal. 1t
is no ordinary tribute to Il Catholic bishop
from Protestant editor i'll Il community
once so divided in religious opinion as was
Madras:
We trust that our readers will not con-
slider us unorthodoX if we, i'll our province
as public journalists, give to Il Roman
Catholic prelate that need of posthumous
praise which he, by II life of unsullicd
purity and exemplary self-denial, has more
than earned, nay, is entitled to. The breath
OF scandal never tainted his fair name, his
charity was bestowed in the truly Christian
spirit which was inculcated by our Saviour
his right hand knew not what his lett hand
did. We were~informed that out of his
salary of 50OrS. a month from Government
and $500 Il year from the Propaganda, all
that was not absolutely required to sustain
life, was spent III supporting, educating,
and placing out in the world IL certain num-
Der of poor orphans. Assisted by subscrip-
tions from the Roman Catholic community
of Madras, the late bishop supported two
orphanages attached to the Roman Catholic
cathedral in Armenian street, Madras, one
for Eurasians, and the other for military
phans. In the former nearly one hundred
children are fed, clothed, and educated; in
the latter upward of that number receive
a like boon, Government giving grant in
aid of 175rs. per mensem. In addition to
these two institutions, the Madras almanac
informs us that there were eighteen English
schools supported by DR.. Fennelly, eleven
being for boys and seven for girls, and these
are attended by fifteen hundred children.
There are seventeen Tamil and four Telugu
schools, in which six hundred children re-
ceive instruction. The late bishop had this
good work so much at heart that he used
daily to assist in the instruction of the boys
in the TIVE first mentioned institutions.
Bishop FenneIiy was the head, recognised