The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-06
GOOD CHURCH WORK.
Priests Whose Labors Have
Won Undy1ng Craft
tude.
FATHERS HENNEssY AND sHEEHAN
Events Of Interest in the Religious
Field-What the Shepherds
of Hudson Find to Do.

suppose you are passing through some
crowded street on the Heights, constant
streams of people going this way and
that; you see the little boys begin to take
off their hats and older mems faces light
up with recognition, and if the crowd be
great, there is clear path formed through
the middle, down which strides a tall,
erect figure, with iron-grey hair and mar
tial bearing. If you are stranger you
think it must be some great dignitary--
If you live in Jersey City you know it can
be none other than the Rev. Father Pat
rick Hennessy. His staunch figure stands
out in as strong relief against the back.
ground as his grey stone church against
the blue sky at its back; and the Heights
would not be itself were either removed
from the landscape.
The secret is his human sympathy. No
sorrow is too deep for Father Hennessy to
share, no joy so bright that his approval
may not make it brighter, no evil so pow
erful that he dare not attack it. He has
spent his life in fighting intemperance-
not by staying indoors and waiting, but
by going outside and taking part In the
combat. He does not believe in moon
light picnics and late hours for young
folks-ten o'clock is late enough, he
thinks-and SO he meets the younger
members of his flock and escorts them
home, with plenty of good advice on the
way and wise recommendation to par
ents or guardians at the end. He thinks
that public exhortation is very well. but
personal efforts are better, and SO instead
of resting content with denouncing in
temperance he goes to each individual,
John Doe or Richard Roe, and by main
f1o I1e, :, ,f,,~z 1f . to-, la
on his feet, and tells him what ne thinks
about it.
HAS FRIENDS EVERYWHERE.
There is not priest in the Sta te, IL in
the country, who numbers more ardent
friends, supporters and admirers among
adherents to the Protestant form Of re-
ligion. For one reason, good govern
ment is necessary 10 Father Hennessy's
peace of mind, and he won't be happy till
he gets it. The force rec cognizes this and
rejoices, and the tire d public school
teacher halls him as an Indispensable
ally.
II could not teach school without
lie school within his parish in the course
of recent conversation with the writer.
when great hulking boy grows un-
ruly, and l can no more manage him than
hippopotamus, sim ply suggest that
perhaps Father Henn essy might like to
hear of his doings, and he grows per-
feet lamb. II he doesn't grow lamb at
once. do write to Father Hennessy. and
then he is sure to. And am not q mem
ber OF the Roman Catholic Church
either"
Father Hennessy is frequent, loved
and honored visitor at the houses OF
prominent members of Protestant
Churches. and when he takes his walks
abroad, the hats which fly of on his ap-
nroarh q re NOT all Roman Catholic hats.
by any means.
AN EVERY DAY SANTA CLAUS.
All the children know too, the Rev.
Father Sheehan, who assists the Rev.
Father Hennessy in his iebors at St.
Patrick's. They think he Is sort OF
ever-blooming Santa Claus plant He
knows just where sugar pluns grow on
bushes, so they think, and appreciates
the state Of hunger for candy in which
the average child is perpetually plunged.
When you see crowd of children clus-
tering about kindly faced man. and stay.
ing clustered as long as he chooses to keep
them, you know that Father Sheehan is
the centre of that group. even If, as is
sometimes the case, the encfrcling
Youngsters conceal him from view. ALI
young people know and reverence him,
and he enters into their everyday affairs
with as much interest as if they
were his own, and with the
rare personal sympathy tnht maihs 1no
regime of St. Patrick's. There is many
little girl not of his fold or church who
can be calmed from fit OF Juvenile
wrath by what would Father Shcehan
say?" and many story of sadness and
suffering told to him has found ready
listener and certain helper. No WON
der that St. Patrick's holds the place that
it does among the city's churches. IL
has won it by the devoted labors of its
priests. not only ia the pulpit, but out In
The highways and Dyways-principally
byways-wherever there is a sorrow that
needs comfort, or a wrong that needs