The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-27

thdt TIME imperallVeiy demanded the
erection Of new, and larger church.
You heartily seconded the pastor in his
great undertaking For two years you
n % n bg hs gh nem ana BY DAY and a9
the credit Of the good people be il said
that your list of subscriptions embraced
sums ranging from 500 TO $1,000.
When the new St Peters was near
ing completion new field of labor
awaited YOU
The populous parish of ST. Patrick's
rassed, the discerning eye of Bishop Bay
ley, aided by the keen judgment of his
of Rochester. discovered in you the
proper person to place in the breach.
Here you labored with ceaseless activity,
visiting the homes of your flock, adnoa-
ed reforming the drunkard ana lessening
the growing evil of intemperance by means
of societies for the old and the young.
Having brought St. Patrick's parish in
to a prosperous condition religiously and
financially. in 1870 you accepted COM
mission to build up new parish in this
tied suburb of Jersey City. Here You
found small frame chapel at the foot
of the hill: the work of the apostolic
Father Venuta. In this modest chapel
you conceived the grand idea of construct
ing this magnificent minister. worthy Of
Keely's architectural genius, as the la
mented Archbishop Bayley would call it.
"a truly noble poem built in stone under
chapel, together with the rectory So admir-
ably situated and so convenient for
clergy and people, is likewise your work
Yet this material monument. grand
though it be, would be as dross were it
not enlivened and adorned by that spir-
itual life which makes it acceptable in
the sight of God.
Grand temple, splendid music and touch
ing ceremonies would have little religious
value if the worshppers were not instruct
ed both in doctrine and practice. Hence
Ad hnN lc in Nrfn1rr~
parlors and in this chapel for the children
of your family, and continued this PASTOR
al work until your debt admonished you
to lessen your expenses by disseminating
your schools at least for a time. But it
is your fixed purpose very soon, now that
your debt is so much reduced. to reopen
your schools
AS a pastor of souls in the everything
church, you knew that your ministry
would not be for the present generation
only; you knew that what you sowed
others would reap, and hence you took
care to foster vocations to the priesthood
and to religious life. So, that now, wher-
ever you go, even beyond your own State,
you may find your spiritual children min
istering at the altar. teaching in the
class room or. nursing in the hospital
thus perpetuating you>- ministry.
In the midst of your. pastoral duties
you found time to study the word of
God as revealed to us. in the Bible, the
constitution of Gods church as transmit
ted to US through the Apostles, and the
wise enactments ef the holy church in
nef progress through the ages.
Your exact knowledge of these vast
subjects has often been displayed in
newspaper articles to which you were
too modest to append your name, but
which had often arrested the attention
of the learned and excited their curiosity
to discover the author.
Yet while your labors as pastor, your
mastery of the sacred science pertaining
bearing in every situation have elcited
bearing in every situpation have ELECTED
the esteem and admiration of your brother
fa~i1 re pr.ait 11E tn CO 6a+ roll
tried honesty of purpose, your unfiinch
ing adherence to principle, your incapa-
city to bend or bow before any force ex
eept justice and truth, have more than
all made your name revered at home and
far beyond the limits of this diocese.
AS all priests in large cities cannot. nelp
seeing the ruin wrought by saloons
amongst the laboring classes; you devoted
your energies to the God-lize work of
iessening if not extirpating this moral
plague which carries off to perdition SO
many priceless souls. In his day the zeal
GUS Archbishop Bayley fully alive 20 the
benefit of temperance societies, blessed
your efforts and encouraged the forma-
tion of State temperance unions and later
-of the confederation of all in the National
Union.
Thus have you been instrumental in
forming our State and National Unions.
which are so productive Of good amongst
the masses of our working people. For
twenty or more years you are the Spir
itual Director of the New Jersey State
Temperance Union.
In your parish you can boast of having
a confraternity of the Sacred Thirst num-
bering one thousand members.
So widespread in this city is the con-
vietion of your honesty of purpose, Year
solicitude for the advancement of every
enterprise calculated to benefit your
fellow citizens, that all, without distinc-
Worth so l. In one one Word, # any any person III this
whole city were ever tempted to swear at
all they would certainly swear by Father
Hennessy.
St Paul, the great Apostle recognized
the fitness of such celebration as ours to-
day; He says, LET the priests who rule
wei be este esteemed wSrny S OF ia couple dr fpp
the State. During your quarter Of CEN
tury right here your star has even been
in the ascendant; your people came TO
votion to your interests; they sought your
advice, they needed your admonitions,
and they felt relieved from their troubles
and encouragement.
No wonder that we see this hill crowned
with a cathedral-like church scarcely
equalled in any city of America.
In other ages and other lands almost
century and the Golfers of royalty would
be needed to complete this magnificent
pile. Ard yet your people, generous and
devoted to their pastor, in few years
have given of their earnings vast sums to
complete this noble temple, and they have
enabled you to reduce the debt to a sur
prisingly small amount when compared
with the magnitude of the undertaking.
What St Paul says of himself may be
here applied to you
"Nulli onerosus fuip' You never called
upon your people for aid until they as
well as you felt the feasonableness of the
call. Then they gave cheerfully, gen.
erously.
not hoarded up; scarcely mad it entered
your pocket before some work of charity
or the promotion of some public ben
eft became the beneficiary. Four years
ago, when at the point of death, your
last will and testament gave evidence
that there scarcely remained enough to
defrsy the funeral expenses.
In a few days hence you will steer
your bark for Erin's shore" you will
hills after an absence of forty years.
May the good God who has sustained
you thus far in your career conduct you
safely over the seas; may this first vaca-
ton trip since you entered the ministry
be filled with unalloyed pleasures and
may you return stronger in body and
spirit to commence another quarter cen
tury- of beneficents sway over your be-
loved flock is the .prayer. of ali those
around you this Joyful day.
A purse of 81 400 accompanied the ad-
dress from the clergy.
Otner tributes were paid to him at that
time
rather Hennessy was noted for his
charitable deeds. He was the devoted
friend and adviser of the poor of his
flock. No worthy person ever appealed
to him for help and went away empty
handed. So liberal was he in his dis
poor that he has not left enough of this
worlds goods to necessitate the f1la1Sir1,