The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-12
FATHER
SENEz DEAD.
Venerable Pastor Of st
Mary's Church Loved
Throughout the
Country.
FOUNDED MANY INSTITUTIONS
Priest for Sixty Years, Forty
of Which Were Spent In
This City.

After q most SucceSSIul career OI Sixty
years as priest the Rev. Louis D. Senez,
pastor of St. Marys R. c. Church, Erie
and Second streets, for the past forty
years, died at the rectory on Third street.
He had been i'll over a year. The cause
of death was general debility, incident to
old age. In the past year Father Senez
has been failing very rapidly, but he
was able to perform his duties until a
| few weeks ago.
| Father Senez was born in Paris, France,
| in 1913, two years before the battle OF
Waterloo was fought, and received his
early education in private academies. AS
| a boy he showed tendency towards a
clerical career, and his parents, influential
| citizens and devout Catholics determined
| to educate him for the priesthood He
received his theological training in st.
Sulpice College, the most famous institu-
ton of its kind in the world.
| After most brilliant career as a stu
dent, Father Senez was ordained by the
Archbishop of Paris, in the year 1910.
Bishop De Goesbrand, the late Bishop of
Burlington, VT, was admitted to the
priesthood at the same time. Father
Senez celebrated his golden jubilee in 1890,
and the occasion was a notable one be-
cause of the distinguished churchmen and
| laymen who attended. The sixtieth anni-
versary of his ordination was quietly OBJ
served about two months ago. This was
deemed advisable on account of the
priests great age and enfeebled condi-
| tion.
| After serving several years curate IN
various dioceses in France, Father Senez
\ Io ha-
came famous on account of his executive
ability and great learning, and today
many Catholic parishes in different parts
of the country owe their existence to his
power as an organizer. In his time he
has built churches schools. ofphanges
and Catholic clubs in Cincinnati, Ohio,
and Newark, Paterson, Lodi, Dover and
this city. He was first pastor of st.
Patrick's Pro4Cathedral in Newark and
lSt Johns Church, Paterson. He built
Iboth of these edif1ces.
1 Tt was he who organized st. Mary s
parish in this city, and the present church
| on Erie and Second streets is a monu-
ment to his power as church builder.
| ST. Francis de Sales Church in Lodi and
! ST. Mary's in Dover were also built by
/ him and today they are numbered among
the most fourishing in the State of New
Jersey
Father Senez has been pastor of st.
Mary's Church, this city, for over forty
/ years 1t was he who raised the funds
| to build the Catholic Institute on Third
4 street, the Catholic Club, st. Mary's
| Orphanage ON Jersey avenue and First
street and the rectory of st. Mary $
| Church The three first-named institu-
| tions have enjoyed career OF unoroken
| success. So
1 over 15O children and the Catholic In
stitute is recognized as one of the most
perfect educational establishments con-
nected with the Catholic Church in the
| in art, legal and ecclesiastical circles at
the present time received their early
| training in the Catholic Institute.
| Despite his great age and physical in
frmities Father Senez's mental powers
were as bright as ever they We're until
| a short time before his death. He has
| been unable to take an active interest IN
the affairs of the parish for some time
past, but his energetic assistant, Rev.
! Daniel j. Brady, has been conducting
matters in highly satisfactory manner
/ Father Senez was dearly loved by his
1 flock His life throughout has been one
| of self-sacrificing devotion to the cause OF
the Church. He has given, generously to
every good cause, and his life has always
/ been that of consistent Christian His
| abiding charity towards all mankind has
ever been recognized as his most beautiful
| trait Gentle and patient in his demeanor
| towards all, he has earned undying love
and esteem.
When in the full vigor of his early life
las pastor of st. Johns Church in Pater-
son. he thought nothing of touring the
country, conducting missions. He fre-
quently drove from Paterson to Ph1ladei-
| phia, giving missions at various places en-
! route He even journeyed as far as Mary
| land and Delaware in pursuance of his
1 work AS a pulpit orator he built up a
great reputation, and his knowledge OF
ldoctrinal laiw was recognized from one
| end of the United States to the other. He
was the Oldest pastor in the United States.
| Father Senez had the distinguished priv
lege of irstructing Archbishop n ~. Corrlgan ga
and during the intervening years ne
watched with considerable satisfaction the
successive steps in the distinguished pre-
late's career. The aged priest and ms
| former pupil have retained their old
/ friendship and it has increased with each
succeeding year The venerable rector OF
/ st. Mary's Church predicted many years
ago when Archbishop Corigan had first
set his feet on the clerical ladder, that lne
| latter would attain to an eminent position
| in the priesthood.
It was only last month that father
Senez was honored by a visit from his
| old friend Archbishop Corrigan- Their
FATHER Senez was pastor of St Patrlek's
Cathedral in Newark, and Archbishop
Corrigan served him as altar boy.
/ Father Senez rendered great service
during the cholera plague in 1S49. He was
| a lover of orphan children. 1t is said that
! once upon a time he wore an expensive
solid gold watch and when he heard that
money was needed for st. Mary's Orphan
| Asylum he disposed of it, and from that
day he wore a battered old silver one
| in its stead.
wherever Father Senez went he never
/ forgot the sick. A hospital was certain
/ to rise in his parish, st. Francis Hos
pital, in Jersey City. being one. Of these
/ benefactions. When he gathered the first
| orphan boys together in Paterson in a
/ s.haunted house." which he purchased
{, cheaply on account of its reputation, he
| had no one to care for them but himself.
| He washed Gle boys every morning with
/ his own hands.
Among Father Senez peculiaritses were
/ those regarding the money he received
lfrom his congregations In the first place
'fS}is never would accept a dollar in salary,
/ and secondly, if visitors came to see him.
/ helswould when meal time came, direct
i Them to the best hotel in the vicinity,
4 Jtneyer invite him to his own table.
\ This he did because he believed that tho
ErnfJfaey lie received from his parishioners
/ should not be spent on visitors to his
4 home II he was abstimious at his own
4 nome he was lavish In his provisions for
ffhe orphal7s. Their education was also
hooked after with the greatest care.