Evening journal., 1897-01-22
WILMINGTON'S BISHOP
Father Hintemeyer, of North
Carolina, Has Been Named.
THE APPOINTMENT A SURPRISE

1T WAS THOUGHT THAT FATHER
THOMAS, OF BALTIMORE, WOULD
SUCCEED BISHOP CURTIS-LIT-
TIE KNOWN OF THE NEW
BISHOP.
Very Rev. Felix Hintemeyer. of the
Benedictine Order. vicar-general Of the
vicariate-apostolic of North Carolina,
will be bishop OF Wilmington and The
successor Of Bishop Alfred A. Curtis,
who last year forwarded his resgna-
ton to Rome.
10 had been generally expected by the
clergy of the Province Of Baltimore
that Rev. c. e. Thomas. rector of the
Cathedral in Baltimore. and for num-
Der of years a member of the cardinals
ecclesiastical household. would be the
priest appointed to be bishop OF Will
mington. Bishop Curtis was anxious
to return to Baltimore and resume pas
toral duties, and it was thought that
the elevation of Father Thomas would
easily accomplish this change.
Father Thomas was one of the three
candidates named by the bishops of the
province, of which Baltimore Is the
metropolitan head.
The bishops OF Baltimore province
did not approve OF the selections made
in secret sessions by the Wilmington
priests, and though these three names
were not given to the public, it was an
nounced last Fall that the bishops had
nominated Father Thomas, Rev. John
j. Monaghan, of Charleston, S. c., and
Rev. Patrick McIiale. of Niagara City,
n. Y, who was formerly pastor of the
Church of the Immaculate Conception,
in Baltimore
Very little is known OF the new
bishop of Wilmington. He Is a monk
of the Benedictine Order. The Bene-
dlctine Orderwhich is mainly composed
OF natives Of Germany and SwitZer-
land, has entered largely into the mis-
sionary work of the Catholic church I'm
North Carolina within the past fifteen
years. The vicar-apostolic, Bishop Leo
Haid Is a prominent member OF tho
order in this country. His residence
Is at the abbey at st. Mary-Help, at
Belmont. CASTOR county. N. c.. OF
which he is also the mitred abbot.
Father Hintemeyer has been one OF his
chief assistants, being within the past
eight years prior OF the abbey, profess
, sor Of theology and philosophy there
pastor of the abbey church, secretary
| anu ilAlll'ilA0i VI Ah' NAltI A4tN-dlJ
tolic and one OF the bishops consult
7 ors His predecessor as vicar general
was the late Rev Mark Gross. a bro
ther OF Archbishop Gross, Of Oregon,
A and a native OF Baltimore, whose death
occurred In Washington on December
a 1. Father Gross resigned as vicar
general two years ago ON account of i'll
health
= It is stated that the appointment Of
? Father Hintemeyer to the bshopric of
, Wilmington viii give general satisfac-
tion to the large element of German
% Catholics i'm the church Of the United
States.
1t IS expected that Bishop Curtis, as
soon as he is relieved of the Diocese
/ Of Wilmington by the conservation of
= his successor, will go to Baltimore to
b assist Cardinal Gibbons in the Episco-
: pal work of the Archdiocese of Balti-
d more, preaching, ordaining and con-
Z hrming, and relieving the cardinal of
I other duties.
p The Diocese Of Wilmington was es-
F tablished in 1868. and comprises the
. State of Delaware and the Eastern
p Shores OF Maryland and Virginia IL
has a Catholic population estimated at
2O,000 81 churches, II stations, 8 chap
els. 20 priests. "a theological students.
+ 2 academies, parochial schools and 9
s orphan asylums. 1t has had but two
k bishops Bishop Becker. who was con-
k secrated in 1868 and transferred to Sa-
o vannah in 1886, and Bishop Curtis, who
Il has since served as its head.
d A reporter Of the Evening Journal
j. called on Bishop Curtis this morning
in regard to the appointment. The
bishop said: 81 do not think that such
an appointment has been made. II
must be a mistake. Father Hintemeyei
is unknown, and besides his name was
= not presented. IL may be a conjecture
8 but it may be so. / will wait unit
k Cardinal Gibbons confirms the ap'
IS pointment" Further than this the
bishop refused to talk.