The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19
Eugenie at Chiselhurst-Father 0connell.

Eugene at Observation-Disclosures O'Connell.
One of the New York Worlds correspon-
dents recently had an interview with Fa-
Their O'Connell, the pastor of the Catholic
Church at Chiselhurst, England. The Rev.
Father has just arrived in New York from
Chlselhurst, where he was almost daily in
company with the Empress Eugene. Our
readers WIN be pleased to learn that Eu
gene, touched by the chivalrous respect
manifested towaras her by the Irish resi-
dents of Chiselhurst,h warm in the expres-
sion of her regard for Ireand and it's brave
people, We subjoin a porson of the re-.
port:
Father CurIan's pretty little A,tho,ic
Church of st. Andrew, near the CitSdall
park, is locally we'll known, but outs.,e
New York throughout the two hemispheres'
it is probably the best known of all the
Roman Catholic churches of tho city, for
from whatever. part of the globe the pill
grims ecclesiastic of that faith comes to
New York, it is there that he almost Ger
| tainly says his private mass or breaches his
first sermon to an American audience. Its
rectory may be described as the temporary
headquarters of the numerous Roman &C.
| clesiastics who annually pass through this
city on their way to missions in all parts OF
| the globe. "TO the ends of the earth its
fame hath gone forth" AS consequence,
the Sunday sermon is preached frequently
by some distinguished Catholic clergyman
preacher of the day in this church taught
| from the portion of the gospel read during
iHhga rnfUHg1 ffe. s.ae shs trials
skill. and with an earnestness which could
| not fail to add to his argument in pro-
ducing conviction on bis hearers. 1t was
| within his power to allude TO- matters
which had come within his knowledge du-
| ring the past few months which would have
| been the most convincing evidence OF the
vanity of human joys and the poignancy OF
human trials, but he closed his sermon
without touching on them and after Fa-
Their McCready had concluded the mass, the
congregation departed without any suspl-
cion that the last time the preacher had ad-
dressed a Catholic audience an exiled En-
press was among his hearers. The preach
| er was the incumbent of the Catholic par
| ish of Chiselhurst in kent-thc Rev. Peter
j. O'Connell, now on a visit IN the Uuiteo
States. A World writer, who has seen HIM
on a former occasion, believed that the
pastor of Chiselhurst and the preacher OF
the day in st. Andrews were the same per
son, and, on making inquiry, found tha'
his surmise was correct. Indeed, there
could not be doubt of it, for, once known
Dr. O'Connelrs face could never be forgot
| |
tesy of the pastor of st. Andrews, an OPP
portunity of renewing his acqualntanc
with him. After some remarks on old
time topics, the conversation naturali.
turned to Chiselhurst and its imperial visl
tors. So full of interest were Fathe
O'Connell's recollections OF the dethrone'
i. Empress that the writer requested perhi's
, | sion to make public some OF them =.
Y Twelve miles from the busiest metropoll
r in the universe, on the Southeastern Rail
@ road. is the pretty inland village of Chisel
hurst. Its beauty of hill and dale Is prooabi
!, unrivalled in England.
,, In an English parish where there are
q MANY rich residents it is safe to suppos
IT that there could not be many Roman Vi
h tholics, and the Catholics of Chiselhur
~ are, compared with those of a New Yol
it parish, very few, being chiefly the vel
rich and the very poor. The rich are t
converts who in England are daily goi
of over" to Rome, and a few OF the very q
=. !" families who are Catholic since before t
al. Reformation, and the poor are some
, a Irish residents of the villages on the lit
The river Cray. All the region was once
&C. tholic, and.the Catholic names of the '
urn iages are still unchanged. There are
,lic the st. Mary's Cray and st. PauPs Or
for The village church owes its existence to
md charity Of a gentleman once Protesta
,ess His wife had become Catholic, and graz
Ben ally led over him and all his family exc
are one son. This son, an officer in the Guar
ime laughed at what he called the superstit
,les of his parents, and during long years raj
n SO at Rome and Romanlsm. Ahree mon
since. he. a convert to this superstit
like Ignatius of Loyola, laid down
,,c., sword, and in the order of which Fat
"a Newman was so great light was ordai
, sn a Catholic priest, y member of the "ora'
TO of St. Philip NerI."
.r.S Such is religious life in England
- n
~. torian. One of the FIRST duties of Mr.. BO
ON hecoming q Catholic Was to crown OF