The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-22
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Vicar Generai OF North caroiiaa.


vicar Gcaera, OF North carolina.
In cablegram received by the Balti-
more Sun last night n correspondent in
Rome says the Pope has selected Very
Rev. Felix Hintemeyer OF tho Benedlctine
Order, vicar.genera Of the vicar late
apostolic of North Carolina, 10 be Bishop
OF Wilmington, Del, us the successor of
Bishop Alfred A. Curtis, who last year
forwarded his resignation to Rome.
1t had been generally expected ny tho
clergy of the Province of Baltimore that
Rev. g. +. Thomas, rector of the Cathe'
tlral in that city and for number of years
a member OF the Cardinals ecclesiastical
household, would be the priest appointed
to be Bishop Of Wilmington. Bishop
Curtis was anxious to return TO Baltimore
and resume pastoral duties, and 1t was
thought that the elevation Of Father
Thomas would easily accomplish this
change,
Father Thomas was one Of three canti'
dates named by the bishops of the PROV
iuce Of which Baltimore is tho metropoli-
tan head The method followed in the
Catholic Church of suggesting names OF
priests deemed suitable to fill vacant sees
Is, first, to have three nance selected by
the consulters and immoyable rectors OF
the diocese, then to have these names APP
proved by the bishops of the province, or,
In event Of non-approval, the addition OF
three names from the bishops.
The bishops of Baltimore province did
not approve Of the selections made In
secret session by the Wilmington priests,
and though these names not were given
to the public, IL was announced last fail
that the bishops had nominated Father
Thomas, Rev. John ]. Monaghan, Of
charleston, S. c., and Rev. Patrick Nc.
Hale, of Niagara City, n. Y, who was
formerly pastor of the Church Of the I'M
maculate Conception, in Baltimore.
II is stated that the Propaganda, in select
ing the successful priest for the papal
nomination, very rarely ignores the names
suggested by the diocesan priests or the
bishops of the province. This caused the
statement of the appointment of Father
Felix Hintemeyer to be received with sur.
prise and doubt by those priests of Balti.
more to whom 1t was impaired last night.
Very little is known of the new Bishop
of Wilmington by the Baltimore or Will
mington priests. He is u monk of the
Benedictine Order the only convent of
which order in Baltimore is that Of the
priests of Fourteen Holy Martyrs Church
Mount and Pratt streets. The Benellc.
tine Order, which is mainly composed OF
natives of Germany and Switzerland, has
entered largely into the missionary WORK
Of the Catholic Church in North Carolina
within the past fifteen years. The vicar
APOSTOLIC, Bishop Leo Haid is prominent
member of the order IN this country. His
residence Is at the abbey OF st, Mary Help
at Belmont. Easton county, n. g., 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, professor o
theology and philosophy, there, pastor OF
the Abbey church. secretary and chanccl
Tor of the vicarate apostolic and one o
the bishops consulters. His predecessor
ms vicar. general was the lac Rev. MARI
Gross, IA bro, her Of Archbishop Gross, o
Oregon and native of Baltimore, who's,
death occurred in Washington on Deem
Der lst, Father Gross resigned us vicar
general two years ago on account OF Ill
health.
II il stated that the appointment OF
Father Hintemeyer to the blshuprlc q
Wilmington will give general satisfaction
to the large element of German Catholics
In the church OF the United States.
1t Is expected that Bishop Curtis, u
soon AS he is relieved of the Diocese u
Wilmington by the conservation Of hi
buccessor, will come to Baltimore to assis
Cardinal Gibbons in the episcopal worl
ot the Archdiocese Of Baltimore, preach
ing, ordaining and confirming, and re
lieVing the Cardinal Of other duties.
The Diocese of Wilmington was c6tah
Nshed in 1865, and comprises the state
Delaware and the Eastern shores Of Mary
land and Virginia. 1t has Catholic pol
ulntion estimated at 10000, 81 churc 1t
u stations, chapes, % priests, u thee
logical tudcnUs 2acadcmies 9 par9Ghi'
schools and three orphan asylum, 1t III
had but two bishops Bishop Becker VIII
was cOnsectrated in 1865 and translnrr'
t. Savannah in 1856, ana Bishop Curt
who has since served 10 its head.