Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-08

| 'Ahh1v, III thldDfld-nOW many ycdt' 90
All. do not ask me. Mon~ignor must be
% years old. We came to America wneh
We were young. Now we are no longer
young. and the friend OF my youth Is an
archbishop md n Papa delegate
Father Anacleius IL one OF many priests
at the Church OF St Anthony OF Padua-
The entrance to the monastery Is at NO.
l5l Thompson street. Everybody In New
York knows the neighborhood. II Is
densely populated with Italians Only a
block away Is tho Italian retail quarter
where 'grosseri'' crowd i'm upon table
d'hote restaurants, and all the atmos-
phere Is redolent of the Latin countries.
WORKED AMONG THE POOR.
In this humble neighborhood the new
| delegate of Leo XIII. began his ecclesias-
teal career more than thirty years ago.
There are many memories Of the young
! italian in that neighborhood now. Not a
| few Of the older generation OF Italians
! received the sacraments from his hand.
| He is remembered as a young handsome.
and affable priest. His playmate and
brother Franciscan Father Anacletus re-
mains at the old post, baptizing the babies
and marrying the brides Of Thompson
street. as OF yore He has grown gray
/ and wrinkled I'm the service. Yesterday.
when | saw him. he had just sprinklei
the head of an infant. whose mother and
| father had been one Of Mgr. Faconio's
! parlshioners.
Father Anacletus said he spoke for the
whole colony when he voiced his glad
ness at the elevation Of his old playmate
and companion.
He is American TO the backbone said
the Father; "a citizen and devoted TO
our institutions. SO are we ALL Besides
we all love him"
But Mgr Falconio's record has not
been confined to New York city. He came
10 America in 1865 10 enter the College OF
Bonaventura, at Allegheny, Cattaraugus
county, ~ Y. He was then youth
OF q. and had already attended a SEMI
nary in his native province I'm Italy. Upon
the completion Of his studies at Ale
gheny he was ordained as a priest by
the then Bishop Timon. Of Buffalo. Then
he became a teacher in his Alma Mater
HIS FIRST PROMOTION.
After a few months the young priest
was sent TO the Diocese Of Havre ds
Grace, I'm Newfoundland, where he was
speedily elevated TO the rank Of vicar
general Of the diocese. Such advance
ment TO a rank surpassed only by that or
Bishop called speedy attention TO the
executive abilities Of the young man. II
occasioned little surprise when he was
drafted by his order 20 Italy, and by the
Pope created Bishop Of Accrenza and
Matcra.
This is no merely titular see, such as
was held by Archbishop Satoili and many
other prelates attached to the Papal see.
II was an actual b.shopric. vested with |
ell the rights OF the purple.
Early I'm 1855 Archbishop Falconio came |
20 M
and laborious work Of his order among |
the Italians Of the lower west side. His |
success here has already been remarked. /
Since then-namely, for the past eleven /
years-the Mons gnor's work has been /
wherever the head Of his order has called |
him, chiefly in Italy. He first returned /
on n mission OF flial p!ety 10 visit his |
father I'm Italy. At a meeting OF the |
general chapter Of tho Franciscans in |
1859 he was elected Procurator General OF
the order for the italian branch. II was
after he had served three years I'm this
office that he was created Bishop Of La
cedonia
SECULARS VS. REGULARS.
Mgr. Falconio's appointment to the
highest position in the Roman hierarchy
I'm America has been i'm measure already
Tseshadowed fin the dispatches. The
suggestion. when it first arrived from
sufficcd TO awaken all the latent
antipathy between the secular and the
regular clergy II was said that the
former would resist the appointment Of
one Of the latter to position virtually
In control Of the hierarchal situation in
this country.
Upon this point Father James ". Con-
nelly. private secretary TO Archbishop
Corrigan. spoke yesterday with much en-
phasis.
"No priest or prelate In this country"
said he, would for a moment think Of
protesting against any appointment made
by the Vatican. A private soldier I'm the
army would not think Of criticising his
general. in the Church the discipline is
just as strict in that respect, and the idea
Is utterly absurd Any such action would
be an insult to the Vatican. and it is
not likely that any American prelate
would be guilty Of it.
"As far as the regular and secular
clergy are concerned. their relations in
America have always been cordial and
none of them would object to Archbishop
Falconio on this ground. Such stories
always crop out at a time like this but
hey are simply gossip. and gossip In
which the clergy OF the Church take
absolutely no part"
At the ThompsOn-Street monastery. |
Father Anacletus spoke 10 me with great
warmth of his old confrere. He Is a
most scholarly and accomplished man."
said he. His manners are agreeable
and pleasing, and he IS an eloquent orator
and deep thinker. He speaks English al
most as fuently as a native. and. what
Is unusual in public speaking. he is just
as eloquent as In his mother tongue.
No man without great ability could have
secured the rapid advancement in the
Church that he has since his return TO
Italy.
HIS WONDERFUL TACT.
During his work I'm America he at
racted people to him with wonderful
tact. and as he demonstrated his great
sincerity Of purpose he became popular
n all his fields q labor I feel sure that
ne will succeed as the successor Of Car
linal Satolli IN the country, II he has
eally been appointed and as an old
friend / shall certainly be very glad If
he dispatches from Rome prove 10 be
rue"
The order Of Franciscans takes its :
lame from st. Francis. Of Assist. one OF /
he most rcvered Of the canoniZed saints ,
II the Roman Church. II was sanctioned I
~ Pope Innocent III. In 1900. commended ,
o the Fifth Lateran Council In l2l5. and I
inally established by Honorarius III. I'm q
223 In medieval Europe the Franciscans y
vent everywhere Then. as now, they 4
-ore the plain brown robe with a wisp :
f white about the waist. Then. as now, 5
hey entered every walk Of life. They 1
ave 10 the religious world the "Stabat
later" and the Dies lrae." To the See
2 ST. Peter they gave such popes as
Nicholas ". Alexander V. and Sixtus
r. Among the best OF their schoolmen
,ere Roger Bacon, Duns scotus. and II