Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-20
AN IMPOSING CEREMONY
New Rector of the Catholic Uni
verSity Of America /
INDICTED INTO OFFICE
An llustriOus Assemblage Witnesses the Ever
Pontifcal Brief of Appointment-Car-
dinal Gibbons Presided.

Washington JAN 19-Rev DR.. Thomas
]. Conaty, Of Worcester, Mass, was IL
stalled as rector of the Catholic UNI
versity of America this afternoon. The
exercises took place in the assembly
room of the Mcmahon hall of Philosophy,
where a large and distinguished audi
ence had gathered Among those com
posing it were Senator and Mrs Carter,
Senator and Mrs. Roach, Senator Smith,
Hon. D. I. Murphy, commissioner of PEN
sions; the wives of the Brazilian and
Mexican ministers; Senior AnCrade, the
Venezuelan minister; and Sonora An
drade: the Marquis and Marquise De
Chambrun, Gen. Thomas o. Vincent;
Bishop Hurst, of the Methodist univer-
sity, and representatives. of local and
nearby educational institutions.
A large delegation from New York,
Worcester Brooklyn, Springfield and
other places were also present. Among
the members were Maj. John Byrne, OF
New York; Maj. Jno. d. Kelley, of Brook
Ign; John H. Mcguire, surveyor of the
port of New York; Rev. Father Lavelle,
rector of the New York cathedral; Gen.
Lloyd Bryce; Rev. B. S. Conaty OF
Springfield. a brether of DR.. Conaty;
Miss K. C. Conaty, his sister, and sew
eral friends from Massachusetts. Mr..
rector, who accompanied the party to
Washington, was unable to attend on
account of fatigue.
On the platform with DR.. Conaty We're
q number of distinguished Catholic cler-
gymen, including Cardinal Gibbons,
Archbishop Ryan, of Philadelphia; Arch
bishop Elder, of Cincinnati; Bishop elect
Prendergast, of Philadelphia; Monsignor
Martinelli, the papal delegate; Bishop
Donohue, of Wheeling; Bishop Beaver,
of Springfield; Right Rev. John Farley,
auxiliary bishop of New York; Monsig-
nor Griffin, of Worcester; Monsignor Nc
Mahon, of the Catholic university, and
Monsignor McGinnis, of Boston. All
were arrayed in their robes of office.
The proceedings began at o'clock.
The pontifcal brief of appointment was
read by Professor Daniel w. Shea, sec
rotary of the university senate, as fol-
lows: ~
To cur beloved son, James Cardinal Glib
bons, Archbishop of Baltimore:
Beloved son, health and apostolic bene-
diction.
1t Is with pleasure that we have re-
ceived the letter which you sent us from
the meeting held in Washington to desig-
nate another president of the university,
evincing, as it does, your eager desire to
provide for the welfare of the great seat
of learning. Yielding to your request we
have considered the names of three can
didates whom you have proposed as
worthy to discharge the Office of rector.
OF these we have deemed fit to choose,
and, by our authority, we do hereby APP
prove the first on the list, namely.
Thomas J. Conaty, heretofore parish
priest in Worcester and president of the
summer school, Both the learning and
zeal for the Advancement of religion
which characterizes this distinguished
man whom you by your joint suffrages
recommend, inspire us with the we'll
grounded hope that his efforts will not be
without abundant fruits in watching over
the interests of the university and in en-
HANGING it's lustre
How dear to our. heart is this matter
cannot be known to you, for you are
aware how unyielding was our solicitude
in founding this institution, that we
might deservedly reckon it among those
works which in the interest of religion
and science we have, out of our loving
affection, undertaken for the further
ance of the glory OF your country, and
which We haves1with Gods help, been
able to bring to a happy issue. Mean
while, as an earnest of heavenly grace
and as an evidence of our spirit of good
will. we most lovingly in the Lord I'M
part to you, our beloved son, to the new
president Of the university, and to all
its faculty, the apostolic benediction
Given at Rome, at st. Peters On the
twenty-third day of November, 1896, the
nineteenth year. Of our pontificate.
(Signed.) LEO XIII.
An address by Cardinal Gibbons fol-
lowed. His reference to Bishop Keane
and Dr. Conaty We're applauded.
DR.. Conaty was applauded loudly when
he rose to deliver his inaugural dis
course s--'-lsaf -
After the exercises DR.. Conaty held a
reception in the rotunda of the Mcmahon
hall f-s.sses5