The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-20
AT HIS OLD HOME.
The Rev. Father Corr Tells of His
Trip to Ireland.

Father Patrick NJ. Corr, the beloved
pastor Of st. Bridget's r. G. Church and
one Of the most eloquent preachers in the
steamship Alaska a few days ago. The
pastor has been away four months, all oil
which time he has spent in Ireland.
When a reporter for The JERSEY CITY
NEWS called at the pastoral residence on
Montgomery street last evening he was
greeted cordially. The reverend father
looked the picture of health, but when he
spoke there WIS q tinge of sadness In his
voice hat was soon explained.
1T was not a pleasure trip that / made
TO Ireland, rs has been. enormously
reported" said Father Corr. about
four months ago l received a cablegram
from the Rev. DIR. MeGuiness, Bishop of
Fillmore, ia which l was Informed nut If
/ wished to see my father alive / should
lose no time in going to Ireland. sailed
on the City of New YORK. We had a
peasant voyage, but l was constantly
troubled with the fear that | would be
too late TO see my father.
II was not, however, but he was q very
sick man indeed wnen | reached his bed
side. He is s~eventy-eight years old, and
the physicians had given up all nope of
saving his life. For over two months he
lowered between life and death, and then
there was a marked change. He began
to improve and when l lett he was out of
danger.
"On account of being in constant at
tendance on my father" the pastor con-
tinued, there was little in the trip to in
terest me inc did not have much time
to make any observations. The Catholic
Church, however, is as strong as ever
among the Irish people aud their faith
and piety are wonderful to behold. In
the county which l visited, Cavan. which
is my native home, aud where
for years / labored as n priest,
there are but seventeen Protestant
voters. There are at least 5000 Catholics.
The most conclusive argument that | can
advance that no religious prejudice ex-
lists there. is the fact that The county is
represented in Parliament by a Protest.
ant. a Mr.. Knox. and a most gentlemanly
and upright representative he is, too. He
Is very young. being scarcely twenty-four
years DID,"
How is the feeling toward Parnell in
Ireland, Father" | asked.
PARNRLL las FEW FRIENDS.
Father Corr reflected q moment, as II
undecided, then he saudi
"Parneil has few friends in Ireland to-
day, all reports to the contrary notwith-
standing. know the Irish people better
than a great many, n perhaps was
more Intimately associated with Parnell
thoh . ~ Ott@tt f
at the Rotunda Convention, which was
held at the Gresham Hotel Dublin, and
at which Convention Parnell was pres
emit, l represented the clergy and James
Redpath the laymen. AT that time and
until this very day | looked upon Parnell
as being an exceptionally clever leader.
He was possessed OF all the qualities that
90 to make a statesman Of the first order.
At the time he was iucarcerated in Kill
m imam Jail I visited and con oiled with
him. But now all is changed" the
reverend father continued, and his voice
was filled with piety. "Parnell has
sacrificed his country, home rule and
everything. For what? A m This
was not all If, after the expose. he had
stepped down and out for a
year it is extremely likely that
he would be forgiven. But to pur-
sue the course he did only proved
one thing. and that was his insincerity.
On my trip / stopped at the Gresham
Hotel in Dublin and when my arrival be-
came known one of the first to call on me
was Mr.. ParnelLtiI treated him cour-
teously. That was all l could not help
but notice a change in his appearance He
is indeed n broken man aud | could not
but pity him
"As for the statement that Parnell is
still enshrined in the hearts of the Irish
people il is not borne out Nv what saw. "