The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-06
SOME FACTS ABOUT HIS LIFE
us II . Comparatively Young Man OF
Scholarly Attalnments who wss
Educated In This City
aud at Rome

| ceived from London what can be safely
taken as a sure confirmation and for
warded It to this office at o'clock this
morning. II was az follows:
row will publish dispatch from Rome
announcing the appointment OF Rev.
Michael ]. Hoban, of Ashley. Luzerne
county, Pa, as bishop Of the diocese OF
I Scranton.
The word bishop in the above
should be coadjutor. Of course, The
mistake no doubt occurred in the diff
ferent, translations which the message
underwent between the Vatican and
this country. The language of the
Vatican Is Latin. and no doubt the in
formation was first couched in that
language. Then to be transferred by
wire it, was turned into French. In
which language cablegrams are for
warded from the continent. Then in
London 1t was turned into English
and either through the confusion Of
synonym or of some translators ignor-
ance of the distinctions 1t Is quite pal
pable that the error occurred in this
way.
At all events coadtutor Is the Office
to which Father Hoban has been ap-
pointed as The Tribune was positively
assured at the Episcopal residence,
The messages merely failed to make
| the nne distinctions.
Sketch of Rev. Farther HObun.
Rev. Father Hoban was born in 1868
in Waterloo, N. j.. where his father
Patrick Hoban, was engaged OIL con-
, tract work on a railroad. On the com
! pletion Of the work his family moved to
Hawley, where his father was APP
pointed to the position Of superinten-
dent Of the Pennsylvania Coal COM
| Enthnc unhnp pf nod
until he arrived at the age of thirteen
when he began his collegiate career.
His preparatory and classical studies
| were pursued under the direction of
the scholarly Jesuits. first at st. Fran
| els Xavier. Sixteenth street. New York
then at Holy Cross college, Worcester
Mass. and finishing at ST. Johns col
lege, Fordham. N. Y.
He began his theological studies upon
reaching his majority in 1874 at st.
Charles Borromeo seminary In Phila-
delphia, having been accepted az a
candidate for the priesthood by Rt
Rev. Bishop O'Hara. After one year
at the seminary he was selected by
Bishop O'Hara to study at the Amerl-
can college in Rome and in the fall of
| 1875 he sailed for Rome. He studied
there for five years. at the end Of which
time he was ordained to the priesthood
the ceremony being performed In the
Church of st. John of Lateran. one OF
the Oldest churches in Rome. One OF
his preceptOrs at the American college
was Cardinal Satolli.
After three months Of travel on the
continent he returned to Scranton and
was assigned to the parish Of Towanda
as assistant to Rev Charles A. Kelly
D. d. Subsequently he was trans
ferred to Pittston as assistant to Very
Rev. John Finnen, V. c.; then he waS
sent to the parish Of Troy and Canton
as pastor and after several years he
was transferred to Ashley to establish
the now fiOurishing ST. Leo's parish
where he Is at present located. During
his pastorate at Ashley he has erected
a fine church. costing $4,000, and a
handsome parochial residence.
Was Unanimously Nominated.
When Bishop O'Hara decided to ask
for coadjutor. Father Hoban, by rea-
son Of his peculiar fitness for the Of
flee. was unanimously nominated as the
most worthy by the convention of i'm
movable pastors who were assembled
to choose three names to be sent to
Rome. The canvass of opinion which
naturally preceded the convention
showed that the choice lay between
Rev. Father Finnen and Rev. Father
Hoban. Father Finnen's earnest re-
quest that his name should not he con-
sidered virtually decided that Father
Hoban would be the choice. This fore
cast was verified when the action OF
the convention was made public and II
was seen that Father Hoban was
nominated as "dignissimus'' Rev
Father Garvey. of Williamsport. as
"dignior." and Rev. Father Coffey, OF
CarbOndale, as "dignlls"
| While Father Hoban IL not one OF
the most prominent Of the priests of
the diocese in the eyes of the general
public he Is such nevertheless and Is
regarded by his fellow priests who
know him best as one of the most H.
lustrious Of their number. That he
has not attained more prominence be-
fore the public is due to his retiring dis
position and the fact that he is a great
student, spending all the time he can
! spare in the company Of his books In
his somewhat obscure pastorate in Ash
ley. One of his greatest distinctions is
his thorough and extensive education
| Possesses Fine Library.
He is an omniverous reader and it IS
said possesses one Of the finest private
libraries in the state. which contains
In addition to the books Of the modern
press many old. quaint and rare vol
umes picked up by him during his resi-
dence in Rome and on his travels. As
traveller. too, he has some renown
having had excellent opportunities of
enjoying his tastes in that direction
His summer vacations while at school
In Rome were spent in touring Europe
and about two years ago he made an
extended visit to the Holy Land. max
| Ing quite thorough tour of Egypt al
| the same time. These accomplish
ments coupled with his piety. execu-
tive ability. earnestness and atfability
make him peculiarly fitted for his
great dignity.
The exact meaning of the term "as-
sistant bishop which the cablegram
contains is not thoroughly clear. 1t ID
thought O mean suffragin bishop. but
this Is believed to be q mistake, as a
cOadjutor was asked for and it Is to be
expected that the request would be lit
orally adhered to In the granting of 1t
The difference between assistant
bishop" and suffragin bishop and CO.
adjutOr to bishop is quite marked
The distinction will be seen by peru
sal OF the definitions OF both terms
given below in full as printed in Adds
& ArnOld's Catholic dictionary. a stan.
dard authority on such matters:
Suffragin Bishop.--The term has two
meanings. according to the two-fold sig
MITIGATION of the Latin verb from whcI
1t Is derived. In the more common sense
1t means an auxiliary bishop who Ia con
secrated to assist another bishop. who
from age. III health or other valid req
son has become unequpl to the admins
tratiOn Of his diocese. But the suffra gin
unlike the coadjutor. cannot exercise
Jurisdictions; ne only performs thos.
things which belong to the episcopal Of
flee and order: he may, however. he nom
mated by the bishop. whom he assists q.
his vicar-general. In which case he ha.
the right to exercise Jurisdiction. In the
other sense those are gin bishop.
who are members Of q college havins
equal deliberafiye and decisive rights
under O metropolitan. 81
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