The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-09
Deaal, of bishop whelan.

on Tuesday evening. at 8 O'Clock, Rt. Rev.
Vincent Whelap, Bishop of West Virginia,
| In the sixty-sixth year of his age. He was
| born in Baltimore on the 9th of January,
| 1909. The death of this universally estima-
| BILE gentleman and Jealous prelate, justItes
! us in devotiDg to his memory an unusually
| detailed narrative for newspaper notice,
the more especially as he was installed Bish-
op of Richmond before he became Bishop Of
| West Virginia.
Bishop Whelan entered Emmettsburg,
! guides such men as Dubois, Hughes, Pur-
cell, McCloskey, Mclaughlin, McCaffrey,
HilZelberger, and others of that order. In
1929 he was sent to st. Sulpice, Paris, where
be took rank in divinity with St. Mare,
Archbishop of Rheims, and other illuStrious
men Of the Church. In 1882 he was under
the ministration OF the Archbishop of Paris.
He was ordained al Versailles by the Bishop
| of that place.
He entered upon his first laborS in 1882, at
Mount St. Mary's College. Maryland, where
| he had in his class Bishop Elder and others
subsequently distinguished in the church.
| From '36 to 40 he had charge of West Vir-
giuia, from the Blue Ridge to the Ohio
river, except Wheeling, at that time an ad-
vanced outpost Of the Catholic church.
! His jurisdiction extended also over a part
of Maryland. No man ever labOred more
deyotcGly. He has been often seen on foot
bearing his sadde-bags on his shoulder,
| traverSing bis extensive field OF missionary
labor. Reaching the country towns it was
his habit to assemble citizens by the ringing
of the bell, and 10 address them wearing
| the surplice and stole.
| His zeal and success in bis labors singled
him out aS worthy Of the mitre, and in his
| SD year he was honored with the appoint
ment of Bishop of Richmond. The fourth
Provincial Council of Baltimore re.
commended that Virginia should be
erected into separate diocese, ana
nominated the deceased for the po-
silion of bishop of the new diocese.
The Pope approved, and on the I'd March,
flS41, Bishop Wheian was consecrated at
Baltimore, Archbishop Eccleston officiating,
aided by Bishops Wright and Lynch. He
Immediately came to Richmond, where he
was duly installed. He was received very
kindly by the Richmond congregation. and
entered upon his. office with fine prospects.
Father Tim. O'Brien, who was pastor OF the
| Catholic church, made over to him through
| Archbishop EccleSton the church property.
| Father O'Brien had founded the female
| school of ST. JoScph'$, and the Sisters were
conducting it in f1ourShng style. The
| bishop undertook at once to establish COL
lcge for the education Of young men for the
ministry, and built the wcll-known college
northeast of the city. 1t proved an eXpen-
| siye failure from its inaccessibillty as
school, and to its being in advance Of the
needs of the diocese. 1t was abandoned as
such-not, however, before contributing
some exemplary priests among them
Father Fox, who died at Lynchburg, where
| his memory is still held in yenelatlon !;
Father Devin, who died at his post while
miniStering to the sick in Norfolk. vicllm
of the memorfbte yellow fever plague in
1855, and Father Joseph Plunke, who died
| in Portsmouth, February, 1870.
| In 1912, he ordained his first young priest,
| in the Cathedral in Richmond-FaherJ John
Hewitt-srrrounded by corps of eleven
Levites, nine of whom were'in the class OF
Divinity. The same year were dedicated The
newly erected churches at Norfolk and Pe-
| tersburg, and missions were opened at Lynch
| burg and Wythevlle.
After brief period of ardent devotion to
| the interests of his diocese which began
course of great prosperity; Bishop Whelan,
| in 1916, went to Wheeling to take the place
of one of his priests expecting to be absent
| Il brief period. Having great confidence IN
Father O'Brien, one OF the most practical as
| well as one Of the best Of men, he left the
Richmond church in bis charge, and finding
Wheeling a prosperous aud promising held
| he never returned; West Virginia with
| Wheeling as its head being soon erected INTO
separate Diocese. While in Richmond, he
| won the respect of Protestant and Catholic,
and getting into brief newspaper contro'
| t,I I1I,y III n
Peasants, that distinguished editor pro-
| nounced him one Of the most polished 1ogl-
clans he had ever met with.
The seventh Baltimore Conference of
May, 1S49, proposed the division Of Virginia
into two dioceseS, and this, after some delay,
owing to the disturbed condition OF the pom
| titicll see, Was approved, and Bishop Whe-
Ian became bishop Of Wheeling in July, 1850.
Rev. John McGil was made bishop OF Rich
mond, Bishop Whelan, at his own request,
remaining bishop OF Wheeling.
| In 1S4S the church, afterwards called the
cathed dral, was begun, and schools were pro-
iected in Weston, Lewis county, and Par
ker>burg. The growth Of churches and
schools was rapid after the appointment of
Bishop .Whelan, and be leaves it with fifty
| five churches and chapels, twenty-nine
priests, twelve seminarians, six academies,
four converts, one hospital, one college and
seminary, one orphan asylum, and over forty
mission stations.
For a model and patron saint be adopte q
st. Vincent Of Paul, whose name he fook on
assuming the mitre. Hence the palronship
of the same saint over both the Flrs7nias.
An enemy to pomp and parade, be discoun-
tenanced all notice of his acts through the
LnI,. ,.,,S hi,,, nn1a n n In-
ccsan statutes which will familiarize and per-
petuate his name amongst ecceSlastlcs.
Of the forty-two years Of his life as priest
he never lost day. He gave himself up TO
his vocation and shrank at no labor. he OIL
ten labored with his hands. In his duty as
priest of village church in early days he
built church with his own hands ana cui-
tiyated an acre garden. 4 candidate for gov
ernor stumpisg the State, learning the fact,
made him a gift of $50 to help him along.
| When the cross was about to be placed on
the ball at the top of the spire of his cathe-
drll in Wheeling. workmen hesitated TO run
| the peril of the act of placing it there, when
the Bishop ascended the scatlold and put the
cross in its place with his own hands. Ii
was this same church that, during tue war,
he refused to let the Federal flag, or any
| banner save that of the cross, to be phced
ON. and the calmnesS AMI frmness of his
manner deferred the officers from the exer-
else of force for that purpose.
! Positive in his own views and ready 10
suffer for them, he displayed that grace OF
charity, that gentleness OF humility which
commended him to all men. Though he
was great lover of the Episcopal vocation,
he more than once desired to resign his ofnce
of bishop and share the labors of his pastoral
| S.no, or tho humblor Grade His doce.