The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-19
PRIEST HAS GONE.
Strange Pastor Came
From New York
State.
HIS NAME STILL A MYSTERY.
North Brookfeld Is Still
Curious AS to the
Mans Idendity.
HIS NAME STILL A MYSTERY.

\ =
French priest whose sudden appearance
here created such g sensation, left town
this morning for his home station
4 When ne will return is not known, but
it is expected that he will come back to
be the permanent pastor of the seces-
sionists from ST. Joseph's Catholic
church.
The mysterious air which surrounded
him during his stay here still prevails
and very little has been found out as to
his identity. The Spy was the only Wor-
cester morning paper to have the par
| ticulars of his visit here, and this morn
| ing there was an unprecedented sale of
| Worcester's best paper at Samuel A.
| Clark's news room.
Long before 10 o'clock it was impos-
sible to buy copy of The Spy, and at
| that hour people were all eagerness to
read The Spy's story on the great eli
max to a great fight. AS was the case
yesterday the committee and leading
spirits in the secession movement were
| as silent as so many sphinxes and they
grew even more reticent today after
they had found how hard a task 1t is
to keep news from The Spy when the
news is wanted.
The committee pursued its course and
refused absolutely to divulge the name
of their guest of the past three days, as
also they refused TO tell whence he
came.
However, The Spy reporter discovered
today that the missionary came here
from New York state, where he has
been located. Also another very import
ant fact, namely that the Rt. Rev. Thos
ID. Beaver has refused within a very
short time to grant him parish in this
diocese. This information was given at
the meeting Wednesday night by the
stranger himself.
He showed a letter purpol ting to be
from Bishop Beaver and in answer to
one he had sent to the bishop after find
ing himself interested in the bitter
struggle that has been so prolonged
here
He told the French speaking people
that he had read so much about their
attempt to get church and pastor of
their own that he wrote to Bishop Bea-
ven asking for q parish here The letter
he showed and which he said was an
| answer to this, stated that there were
no vacancies to fill in the Springfield
/ diocese as there were enough priests ir,
every parish.
strange priest was sent by neither
bishop nor pope and though this state
ment seemed strange to many who read
it, the reporter was able to verify it to-
| day. The missionary, whoever he may
| be, came here of his own accord. The
committee has been in communication
with him for some time, as he wrote to
them saying he would like to have some
of the representatives call upon him to
talk over the difficulties existing in this
| parish
The committee responded with an in
vitation to come to North Brookfield,
Offering to pay his expenses for tile
journey. This invitation was accepted
and the priest came. He told them
among other things that he had built a
church in Saltwater, Mimi, and as near
as the committee can learn his state
ment is correct. At Wednesday night 5
meeting collection was taken to de-
| fray his expenses and before it was
taken up the stranger told the audience
not to contribute much as his expenses
| for the journey were only about six
dollars. He has been in close conference
with the leaders here and they are sat
| isfied that all ne has told them is the
| truth and that the man is in no way an
| impostor, but as a countryman has es-
| poused their cause as a common one.
| He told them where, when and by
whom he was ordained priest in
| France, and encouraged them to look
up his record while he has been in this
country, in order that they may feel
perfectly sure of themselves before en-
gaging him. 1t was his expressed wish
that during his absence for the pres
ent time, the members of the commit
tee should avail themselves of every
possible information to make them
selves certain that they are not being
| imposed upon, and that he is exactly
what he has represented himself to be-
The secessionists are full of enthusi-
assn that what they have striven SC
stubbornly to obtain for nearly three
years is now within their grasp. They
believe they will soon be vindicated
before the world for the stand they
have taken. They are confident that
they will shortly be in possession OF
the rights which they maintain are
theirs, and they are joyous to an ex-
| IRENE degree, because they consider
themselves on the eve Of scoring a great
victory over Rev. James p. Tuite, pas
tor of ST. Joseph's church, and great
friend Of Bishop Beaver.
Conservative people about town view
the matter far differently from the en-
| thusiastic revolutionists. The secrecy
connected with the strange priest ano
the fact that he does not want the pub
1 lie to know his name, causes suspicion
to come to the minds of the people
Naturally. such proceedings are not
looked upon favorably by outsiders, but
when The Spy reporter presented this
view of the case to Secretary V. P.
Bowler he smiled complacently and
said it would all be known in good
time.
Before leaving North Brookfield
which he did early this forenoon the
missionary told the French leaders that
he intended to see Bishop Beaver to
see If he could gain his consent to allow
| him to remain here to build a church
and be pastor to the French speaking
Catholics. Should the bishop not grant
this request, he informed them that
there is no law or ordinance Of the
church TO prevent his coming here with
out the consent of the bishop of Spring
field diocese. What the upshot Of the
matter will be- Is purely a matter of
conjecture, but there is good reason to
believe that it viii result in the ex-
communication from the church of
Rome of some of the leaders in the Sc
cession.
Those who have been prominent in
the affair and who have not hesitated
even to question the authority of Bishop
Beaver, say they do not fear any such
action, as they have received informa-
tion that Bishop Beaver Is powerless
to excommunicate them for anything
they have done.
A fire Of mysterious origin consumed
the house owned and until recently oc-
cupied by Mrs. Julia Heffernan of
Warren street. The fire was necessa-