The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-09-13


was brought by his parents to Philadeiphlah
while still babe; bis mothers recent CONVEX
3sion to the Catholic faith and the persecutionE
: she had to sufser 'on that account, being theE
$chief reason which induced his father to emil (
CRATE. Every quality that makes boyhoodk
Hloveable was quickly discerned in him-thisk
boy was emphatically the father OF the man
4 noble, generous and fearless by nature, fall OF
innocent glee and gentle humor, he challenged
4 the love and esteem of teachers and school. Z
fellows, and daily endeared himself more and :
4 more to his devoted parents.
4 There being then no Catholic school In (
philadelphia his parents were forced to send +
him for a time to the public schools, and 1t T
was his own experience of these institutionsS
that made him their lifelong enemy. Often
have we heard him recall with emotion the
+ solicitude with which they strove to ward off
the pernicious effects of the goddess educstionl
piysn in these schools. Catholic education, I
Z said he on the occasion of his jubilee, " has
: been the idol of my life. The saddest conse
Aquence of my illness to me is, that it prevents
me from exertipg myself, as in former days, in2
the schools. 1 myself had the misfortune of
&being placed in public school, no other being!
Awithin my reach, and tell you that, had II
Sheard nothing of God. or of my immortal soui,
Sbut what l heard in these schools, should
auow be ignorant that L have "a soul to save,I
Hand heaven to gain or lose. But thanks toI
$my good old Irish parents, was taught con-
33tinualiy that to love and serve God was thet
#great end for which was created"
81 These pious parents saw that their boy wasI
q in his place at Church aud at Sunday school,
hand that he regular approached the hoiyi
L. 30 fr-,, h
{ and modest department attracted, was the latel
a Bishop OConnor, of Pittsburg; and the VeryI
q Rev. DIR. James O'Conuor, now of Homesburg, Il
#Pa., was his best beloved Sunday school
\ teacher.
a Even then he was quite conspicuous for
sSdocilty to his parents and superiors, vlrtueI
s. which accompanied him through life, He
Areally honored his father and mother, and to
s. the last loved to repeat the simple lessons OF
= christian charity that habitualy fell from their
alps. Sc 1 always like to be kind to the poor,
N5said he to the writer few weeks ago, " be-
E|cause my dear father often said to me: John,
never refuse to assist the poor;' and my poor
+ mother, too: John, always speak gently to
+ the poor, and do all you possibly can for them,
because they are the nearest to Cod What
L good example they gave me-" he added, they
oe'
now people put the world first and God last,
and that is what grieves me most"
All this was not lost on the pure-minded and
fervent youth. Though destined by his father
for q brilliant career in the world, he soon felt
the priestly vocation. With him to resolve
was to act. Bishop Kenrick, to try him. Re
ceved his application coldly, saying the Semi
nary was already toe much crowded. Oh
n. ~ ;,%a tad fha
1 are three priests to be ordained, why cannot
have one of the vacanciesY" Upon this the
a holy prelate looked upon him and loved him
\ Ia few moments conversation impressed him
d so favorably with the earnestneGs and rea
, ability of the pious applicant, that he joyful!
Fl admitted him to st. Charles Seminary.
: On a closer examination of his heart, Mr.
Duffy felt that there was still sacrifice he
8 could make for God, and presently we find hin
lin the Redemptorist novitiate. He made his
vows on the Feast of onr Lady of Mercy, 1s4s
land was ordained by Archbishop Chen Bishop
Hughes the following year. He was immedi
lately appointed teacher of English literature
e. lin the Redemptorist House of Stndies in Cum
berlaud, being then in his twenty-fourth year
d Three of his former pupils, Rev. Father
y Giesen, Neithart and Girardey assisted at hi
s. Sent to New Orleans in 1851, his career sine
has been peculiarly glorious for God and hi
- HChnrch. No spot in America, perhaps pre-
sented more thoruy field to the apostoli
- husbandman, bnt, under his fostering care
" the desert blossomed like the rose." Obsta
u Giles of every species beset him, but the youni
: priest no sooner came and saw" than b
IT |" conquered" In his hand, the cross was a
ot the wand of an euchanter. Churches an
,r schools sprang from the earth, like the gour
of the prophet, and the people felt, with til
ar Jows of old, that " no man could do these thing
, unless God ,rere tcitk him."
Bat, important and brilliant as have bee
his labors and successes, they are not the mos
touching points of his intercourse with h
deeply cherished flock. Profound veneratio
l. and warm gratitude he readily inspired, but Til
81 was not all. A mother rather than a father i
: his tenderness, one had for him o feeling {