Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-05
ARCHBIsHoP HENNEssY
A sketch Of the Life of the Dfstfn-
gufshed Scholar and Prelate--Was
aPioneer Church Dignftary fn the
Middle West.

Middle West.
DUBUQUE, Iowa, March Most
Rev. John Hennessy, first archbishop
OF Dubuque, died at 2:25 o'clock this
afternoon, aged IA years In March
Of last year, the archbishop was first
striker with partial paralysis OF the
brain. Although for days at the
point of death, he recovered and was
well until the evening of February
10, when he was again stricken. Fri
day night he was seized with another
stroke and although his attendants
expected death every moment, re raj
lied slightly and when Archbishop
Ryan, of Philadelphia, arrived this
morning, he showed signs of recogni-
ton, being unable to speak, however.
He then began to sink and at 2:25 p.
M, passed away quietly and without
sign of pain. Surrounding the bed
side at the time were Archbishop
Ryan, Monsignor Ryan, Fathers
Toomey, Coney and Dolan, the arch
bishops brother and sister, DR.. Stat
terry and four sisters of the Holy
Ghost order. Prayers for the dead
were read by Monsignor Ryan and re-
sponded to by Archbishop Ryan, the
priests and others present. Just as
death occurred the great bell on the
Cathedral tolled the notification to
the people of the city. The funeral
will take place Thursday morning at
10 o'clock. Archbishop Ryan, of Phil
adelphia, who preached the sermon
when Rev. Hennessy was made bish-
op, and at the silver jubilee, and again
when he was made archbishop, will
pronounce the eulogy. The body will
lie in state in the Cathedral on We'd
nesday. All the leading church dig
nitaries will be here.
Monsignor Ryan will administer the
affairs of the diocese until a successor
is appointed. There are several can
didates for the archbishopric but it is
intimated by churchmen that Arch
bishop Kaine, former rector of Wash
ington University, will be the man,
should the other archbishops recon-
mend him to Rome. Bishop Lenahan,
of Cheyenne, is also a strong proba-
billity, while DR.. John Carroll, presi-
dent of st. Joseph's College, Dubuque,
is the almost unanimous choice of the
priests of the diocese. Mgr. Ryan is
also proposed but it is probable he
would not accept because of his age.
A choice may not be named until next
fall
Archbishop John Hennessy was rec
ognized as one of the greatest orators
and most profound theologians in the
Catholic hierarchy, and because of his
zeal in educational matters has been
named "The Apostle of the American
Catholic Parochial School," His latest
work in the cause of education was
the founding of a seminary at Du-
buque designed to be one of the largest
in the country. Since he first came to
Dubuque, Archbishop Hennessy has
seen the Catholic church in Iowa in
crease from membership of few
hundred to a quarter of million.
Archbishop Hennessy was born in
County Limerick, Ireland, August 20,
1925. In 1847 he came to America, 60
ing to Corondolet seminary, near ST.
Louis, where he commenced the study
of theology and was ordained priest
November /, 1850. His first mission
was in New Madrid, Mo-, embracing
5000 miles of territory without mile
of railroad, and where he endured the
hardships and privations of pioneer.
In 1854 he was installed as professor
of dogmatic history at Carondolet, and
became president in 1857. The next
year he went to Rome as representa-
tive of Archbishop Kenrick. In 1860 he
went to st. Joseph, Mo-, where he re-
manned until appointed bishop of
Dubuque in 1856. He was consecrated
April Both of that year by Archbishop
Kenrick, of st. Louis. His silver jubi-
lee was celebrated with great pomp
in 1891. He was made archbishop on
September II, 1898, Monsignor Satolli,
then Papal delegate, and Cardinal
Gibbons, of Baltimore, conducting the
ceremonies. All the American arch
bishops except one, nearly all the
bishops and upwards of 400 priests and
hundreds of leading Catholic laymen
of the country were present