The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-07

kiiien, county teFhahaSB, 1ieiabh' "A en- pt."
of his eventful life il IN fact history OF the
early struggles Of the Church in the New
World and ~ beet told in his own words.
In May of lsst y ear, being totally bIind he
gave the following
ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE.
"I WAS born in the province OF Ulster,
the most northern province of fefahu. ~
EnniekiliiD, county Fermansgh, in l7e2,
and am at present the oldest Cathollc
priest in the United States and have been
for Ave years the oldest Jesuit In the Worlu.
A catalogue 10 kept the births. deaths,
and period Of ministTation of all the Jesnlts
throughout che world, aud hence am aole
to make the statement with accuracy. AT
the time of my birth Catholic emancipation
had made no Roadway 10 ireland, and hence
I received simply common educatlop,
such as was given to Catholics at that time.
1 left Ireland for America in 1903, when
twenty one years old
o'CoNNEII HAD JUST MADE HIS DEBUT
in the character of an emancipat6r, and
had given thus far but little promise of that
extraordinary vigor and power OF control
ing popular sentiment for which he after
wards became 30 famous. landed hTst In
Baltimore and went from there to George
town. Jefferson was President of the
United States when landed. / have met
him eeveral times and often bad occasion
to admire his republican simplicity. When
! took the stage in Baltimore to come to
Washington, it was an old, rickety open
wagon with leather curtains Tapping in the
wind and no springs to it. AS we came
down Capitol Huh and saw tho cattle brow
sing about Pennsy lvania avenue, 1 asked
when would we get To Washington and WAS
surprised to learn that We were there
already. The President's house was the
only place worth looking at in the city.
There was an old post Office where the
De- n t,vN and nny " Nr O
WHO COULDN'T SPEAK WORD OF ENGLISH
had squatted on the hill. Georgetown
was a much more active place of bust
n sss than Washington, aud Alexandria
was more important than either. l
knew Captain Hobart, the architect of the
White House. He told me he intended to
put another story on the building, but
Washington did not approve of 1t. When
camo to this country the Jesuits had been
suppressed. They were suppressed by
Clement XIV. in IVA, and not formally
restored until the restoration of Plus VII.
to his functions in 1914. Archbishops Car
roll, Neal, and n number OF others won't to
Europe in the eighteenth century to study
at jesuit college, but upon their suppress
sion these all returned. Jesuits, you will
understand, cannot. accept any honors, but
they are obliged to obey the orders of the
Pope. Both Archbishops Carroll and Neal
were Jesuits. Archbishop Carroll was at
the head of the Church when l reached
America, and the only archbishop in the
country. Bishop Neal was at that time
president OF Georgetown College. I knew
Archbishop Carroll we'll. He was above
the medium height, very grave aud slow in
speech, but very amiable and interesting
and very refined and gentleman'y in his
manners. He and Carroll of CarrolltOn
were first cousins, and not brothers, az has
been erroneously supposed by many. The
foS,, In from fh1A nj nj =
land. There was but
ONE CATHOLIC CHURCH In NEW YORK
at that time, and indeed for a long time
afterwaId. i said mass as late as 1918 IL
st. Peters, the old church In Barclay street
st. Patrick's church being then in course OF
construction, and there were only TIVE
priests in the whole city. st. Joseph's II
1909 was the only Catholic church In Phila
delphia. IL was in this church that Wash
iugton and HE staff assembled after the
battle of Trenton to hear mass. Now there
are as many churches in Philadelphia Al
there are in New York. went to George
town, az told you, and entered into com
merciai life. Just about this time Arch
bishop Carroll was directed quietly t.
establish noviciate for Jesuits in Mary
land, at Georgetown college. 1t continue
there for about two years, and was removed
to Whitemarsb, in Prince Georges county
Md. Subsequently it was removed e
Frederick for "a short time; after which
was again removed to Whitemarsh, wher
it remained until 1894. gave up mercan
tile life to go to the college in Georgetown
went there as treasurer, and attended +
all the temporalities of the college for eigh
or nine years. studied during my leisure
and was ordained priest in May, 1917, whei
thirty Ave years of age, fifty eight year
ago. I remained in Georgetown four yeare
filling the same office I occupied before
was ordained, and came from there here i
September 1922. The noviciate here (Fred
erick) commenced at the end of the las
century. When I came here in 1923, ther
was a small centre building The first oil
church which is now Incorporated with tn
main building,
WAS ERECTED BY FATHER DUBOIS,
one of the great pioneers of the Church j
&his country, the father who founded Noun
st. Mary's and st. Joseph's, and was after
wards a bishop in the Church. rename
here until Is45. During that time erecte
the centre building of the Academy of th
Visitation, over the way, for the Sisters {
Charity. The Visitation Sisters afterwar
took their place. The church which yo