The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-08
OBITUARY..
Death OF Father Divine at Seneca.

No event in the history of our ncighborlng
city of Seneca ever caused such deep felt sorrow
among all classes of people as the death Of the
talented young clergyman, the Reverend James
p. Divine. He died on the LIST inst at the par
sonage near the handsome church when he hau
mainly through his own ndomitable energy
erected, and the funeral, which VIII be more par
ticularly mentioned below, took place on Monday,
the 3D. He was born near Boston, Mass, in is43,
and consequently at the time OF his death, was
about 81 wears old. His family removed to Blu
rcau County, in this state, when he was u mere
lad They were in poor circumstances. and the
how had 10 work his own way to an education as
hest he could Mostly by his own efforts, he
managed to 20 to Ireland the land of his fore
fathers, where he received collegiate education
in part He then returned and finished his studies
in the languages. These completed he returned
to his early intention of becoming priest, by
attending st, Mary's College Chicago, under DR..
McMullcn, and after six years study, passed his
examination with high honors, and was ordained
10 the PRIESTHOOD attaining the early wish of his
bOyhood.
He was first sent upon duty rs coadjutor to The
priest then in charge of the parish of Blooming
ION. Remaining there bnt short time, develop
"a his remarkable abilities as manager organ
iZer and other qualities which are required in the
head of any well governed congregation, and he
vas sent to Seneca. The people of his faith there
were few, scattered far apart and had been de
pendent upon such help from clergymcn in cases
Of last sickness or funeral services as could he
got from the priests at Morris or Ottawa. The
young priest entered upon his new field with all
the enthusiasm and industry that youthful en-
ergy and ambition could prompt. lie laborcd
lay and night. No sick call was ever ncglectcd.'
whether it came BY day Knight, in rain orsnow
N the binding slcct or The most fearful cold ,
The young priest was ever on duty and always
cheerful. He had 4 pleasant word for every one
he met whether man or boy young or cid as he
passed them on the way he seemed lnstnctycly
% know each and all, and how To appreciate
tht.r peculiariics. He made no distinction of
persons. He was ready to hear The woeful tale
Of imaginary Ills of some childish cid woman, or
hat with some innocent child, or talk sense and
business with the prosperous citizen. lie would
not take OF his hat to the President of the United
States or Governor with more pleasure ;than to
his humblcst parshioncr. He seemed 10 be
neither proud nor to assume humility, bat was
frank and outs pokcn at all times and hypocrisy
was not in his nature, As cvid 2ncr Of his non.
ularity his death was lsmenied by protcstants
and catholics alike; the Methodist church bell
was toiied when his death was known to have
occurred, and it is believed that there was not n
person in Seneca OF any religious faith who lid
not sincerely mourn the loss OF the talented end
faithful young clergyman.
Returning to other facts ia hi, Ai.rasy, Il !
should be mentioned that he once went FOR sea.
son to take charge Of the church at Morris but
was sent back to Seneca TO comrlctc the large
church building the foundation of which had
Just been laid AS ia, already been said, the
catholic people OF S'ctcca poor, but grow in o
d1iiy more numHrnus it became necessary ia
erect large church edifcc to accommodate
Them. 1t wa: very serious undertaking TO erect
4 twenty thousand dollar church in a village
which then did not contain. catholic and nrot,st.
ants, believer and non.bclicvcr population of
'hree hundred. Yet this young diviuc--wbosr
hamc singularly has the same meaning as that of
his calling-i0rcsaw that it would be bad policy
10 put up 4 temporary concern, either good or
bad, but that it would be the wiser course to
build for the future, SO he had to labor hard and
many an hour he pondcrcd how to accommodate
some needy creditor, and yet none were ever
wronged to the extent OF penny, and the 500
900 church is built and paid for! As Il fitting tcs
timonial Ia its founder, the young clergyman was
buried by the eastern side of Observation-Disclosures
alone furnishes III itself fitting monument 1t ,
should also he mentioned that Rcy Father Di-
vine had lcharSe Of the church at Highland, |
Grundy Co., which he regularly visited.
THE FUNERAL.
The church comfortably holds 1900 pcoBle, and /,
yet far from all who came could enter the build |
ing. Such demonstration Of grief was never
seen in Seneca before. The Emerald Benevolent
Association, branch No. j, turned out in mourn |
ing, with their banner appropriately draped. !
The Highland Total Abstinence Society also
came in proper order.
After the Office for the dead, grand Rcquiem
Mass was celebrated Rev Bishop Foley.
Rev. p ]. Conway, Celebrant Rev. p W. Rior.
Ian, Deacon, and Rev. Jos. Cartcn, Subdcacon.
all Of Chicago, officiating.
An impressive sermon vas delivered by Bishop
Foley, taking as text, l. Ps. |. Among the cler
gymcE present were Rev. John NcMuIlcn, d. d. .
Chicago, Rev. +. Kinscla, Burlington, Iowa. Rev.
VI. Anthony, c. NJ. La Sale, Illinois, Rev. Edward
Nc Nerhany, D. d. Joliet, H., Rev. P. Terry. OF
lava, H., Rev. Walter Power Joliet, ILL.,, Rev.
T. McDonough, Strcator, H., Rev. Thomas Muir.
ply, Aurora, ILL.,, Rev. John Nackip. Joliet, ILL.,,
Rev. Thomas +. Lcydon, Chicago, Rev, Thomas /
oFarrell, Mendoza, H., Rev. Joseph Mcmahon,
rockford H. Rev. Thomas Shccdy, Seneca, Rev.
i Gray, Peru, Ill.,, Rev \. Balluf, Chicago, Rev.
VIM Murphy, Lockport, H., Rev \. O'Conncr,
Bloomington, Ill.,, Rev. T. Twohcy c. sc
In BlShop Folry's culogy on Father Divine, he
paid him the highest praise gwen to any prizes;
in his diocese. Having such confidence in his /.
eapability' Bishop Foley, knowing his ability, had
been about to remove him 10 bennington, the
largest parish in his diocese outside Of Chicaro