Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-08-20
Has Lost One of Its rlOst
Powerful and Devoted
Supporters
By the Death of the Most Rev. John
Walsh, the Late Archbishop OF
Toronto, Canada.
A Great Prelate, a Great Patriot, a
Born Leader and Organizer
of Men.
HOW HE UNITED IRISH CANADIANS

The cause of Irish Home Rule has lost
one of its most powerful and devoted
friends in the death of the Most Rev.
John Walsh, d. D., Archbishop of To-
ronto, Canada, says the editor OF the Bos-
ton Pilot. A native of Ireland, born in
the County Kilkenny, May %, 1880, OF
old martyr and patriot stock, DIR. Walsh
came to Canada in his early manhood,
and for forty-six of his sixty-eight years
was thoroughly identified with the best
interests of the land of his adoption. No
one could question his patriotism, and
the most thoughtful and far-see:ng dis
cerned fresh proof of it in his unfailing
practical interests in the question OF Irish
Legislative independence.
He saw what Home Rule had done for
Canada. He would have the Imperial
Government realize, were it but for self
interest, the value of free and contented
Ireland.
lie u0llCu tUC AdluOliN NohobAahS VI
Irish blood so strongly in defense of their
rights, and of the respect due to their re-
1igious convictions, that the Prince of
Wales, on his visit to Toronto in 1860,
felt compelled to rebuke and decline an
alleged "loyal" demonstration in his
honor by the local Orangemen.
The Archbishop in his later years was
grieved at the disunion among the Irish
leaders, and proposed the Irish Race
Convention of '96 to heal discussions,
and make the Irish party once more
tower of strength to the Irish people.
That his efforts had but partial success
is the shame of men who preferred their
own petty ambitions to the common
good, and in so far forth denied their
-stness for self -government. -----
Agreat prelate, great patriot, born
organizer and leader of men, forceful
speaker and writer, tender, kindly,
generous friend, there is mourning
wherever he was known for Archbishop
Walsh, of Toronto. May he rest in
peacel
The following are extracts from a
sketch of his life, written at the time of
his silver jubilee:
Evincing at an early age desire to
study for the priesthood, John Walsh
was sent to St. Johns College, Water
ford, where he made his preparatory
studies with great success, standing first
in his class of philosophy. He remained
at st. Johns one year, when he decided
that his vocation lay in the vast field of
foreign missions. Accordingly, break
ing all the endearing ties of home, friends
and native land, he left for Canada in
April, 1852. The following autumn,
when studies began, the young MIR.
Walsh entered the Grand Seminary of
Montreal as student of the Diocese of
Toronto.
On November /, Feast of All Saints,
1854, he was ordained priest by Bishop
Charbounel, in St. Michael's Cathedral,
Toronto. In 1855 he was appointed to
the Brock mission, bordering on Lake
Simcoe, of which parish he was the first
resident pastor. In 1857 Father Walsh
was removed from Brock and placed in
charge of the more important parish of
St. Mary's, in Toronto. Here he made
his first notable manifestations of his
great gift for preaching the Word Of God.
Very soon after the conservation of DIR.
Lynch, in 1859, Father Walsh was APP
pointed rector of St. Michael's Cathedral.
On Easter Sunday, 1862, Father Walsh
was made Vicar General of the Diocese.
The following spring Vicar General
Walsh, after having been twelve years
away, determined on visiting Ireland.
His friends availed themselves of the OPP
portunity to testify their regard by pre-
senting him with gold watch. They
also, with great delicacy and thoughtful
ness, sent to Father Walsh's mother
present of gold cross, very massive and
beautifully wrought with wreaths of
shamrocks.
While abroad, the Vicar General paid
his first visit to the Eternal City. He
was received most graciously. After
travelling some time in Europe, Father
Walsh spent few months in Ireland,
visiting again the home Of his childhood.
Sorrow had thrown its shadow over the
hearthstone by removing his father, who
had died the year previously. But he
had the JOY of offering up beneath the
parental roof the holy sacrifice for those
from whom he had been so long sepa-
rated, but with whom he was ever closely
united in ties of affection and bonds of
faith.
The health Of DIR. Pinsonneault, Bishop
Of Sandwich, becoming impaired, 1t was
necessary to select successor. Accord
inRly the hierarchy of the ecclesiastical
province OF Quebec unanimously nomi-
mated Vicar General Walsh as future
Bishop. The choice was in due time
ratified by the Holy See. The consecra-
ton took place in St. Michael's Cathe-
dral Tosonto, November 10. On Novem-