Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-08-13
Death Of a Good Man,-Rev. Fother

Walters died at Wheeling, West Virginia.
on Monday August I'd. The subject of this
notice was born in this county and is no
doubt remembered by great many of our
citizens. In his thirty-fifth year he ADAM
doned the pillow and entered devoutly and
earnestly into theological studies and in af-
ter years graduated with credit at colleges
OF learning, and at once entered upon the
active duties of clergyman in the Catholic
church. The Wheeling Iataligencer, of the
Sd inst, gives the following brief though in
teresting history of this devout christian;
The death of the venerable Father John
Henry Walters has taken this community,
as we'll as his very numerous friends
throughout the State, with surprise. Rest
to his pure spirit is the fervent wish of all
who knew him.
This most exemplary clergyman was born
over sixty years ago in Montgomery county,
Maryland. His father was most respect
able farmer, The subject of this notice fol-
lowed the same business until his thirty-fifth
year, when he commenced his studies for the
ministry of the Catholic Church He made
his studies of the classics in st. Mary's Coll
lege, Baltimore, and those ofphilosophy and
theology in the ecclesiastical seminary con
nected with the same institution. At the
close OF those studies he was ordained priest,
August 49, 1858, in the Wheeling Cathedral
by the late Rt Rev. DIR. r.. V. Whelan, and
sent to the missions of the Sweet Spring dis
trict, where he labored most effectively and
acceptably for some fourteen years. Then.
he was stationed for some seven months in
the Western district, always manifesting
zeal and disinterestedness that endeared
him to the people, non-C Catholic as well as
Catholic. In or about 1868 he was appointed
by DIR. Whelan pastor of the f1ourishing par
ish of Grafton and its dependencies. Here
again his life was that of pastor, beloved
most justly by those to whom he ministered
for about ten years. The fine church which
the Catholics of Grafton now possess in lieu
OF the old frame one, owes its existence to
good Father Walters energy and hard work.
About 1878, when age began to tell ON his
once vigorous frame, when he no longer felt
entirely capable for the work of the pastor,
when his Bishop judged that the faithful
priest was entitled to a life of less labor, he
appointed him to the position of Chaplain
to West Virginia's great educational estab-
lishnlent, Mt. De Chantal Here his duties
were comparatively light, but he was ever
ready to aid the clergy Of the Cathedral
Now that his great and good spirit has fled,
one cannot be found of his associates of
school days, Of his Pensioners, of the many
personal friends he had among the non
Catholics, will not cheerfully proclaim that
in all his walks of life he was most up
wright man and most exemplary clergy
man. All feel as if the words of Holy Writ
may well be quoted in his case. "Well
done, thou good and faithful servant-enter
into the joys of thy Lord" His brother
priests are not slow to proclaim his sterling
worth, and they do not hesitate to avow
that venerable Father John Henry Walters
around whose remains they will assemble
tomorrow for solemn requiem services, and
on whose bier they will shed the tear of
sacerdotal life Wheeling htelIigencer, Au-
gust 3.