The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-21
THE BISHOPS CONSIDERATION.
ST. PETERS CATHEDRAL, RICH
M0ND, SELECTED by FR. KELLEY.

The Ceremony VIII Take Place on
PcntecOst sunday, June 3-Cardi-
nal Gibbons VIII Oaiciate Assisted
by Bishops Northrop and Monnhan.
At st. Peters FL Years AEo Father
Kelley Was Ordained n Priest by
the Late bishop Becker, Bishops
Gibbons and Gross Assistins-Invi-
tntions to the Consecration VIII
BE Issued by the Bishop Elect.
The conservation of the Right Reverend
Benjamin ]. Kelley. bishop-elect of sa-
vannah. will take place in st. Peters Ca
thedral. Richmond Va, Pentecost Sun
day, June 3, next. The ceremony of con-
secration win be conducted by Cardinal
Gibbons, and The assistant consecrators
will be Bishop Northrop Of Charleston, and
Bishop Monahan of Wilmington, Del,
Invitations will be issued In a few days
by Bishop Kelley to his friends among
both the clergy and laity to attend the
conservation.
AS Savannahs new bishop is well
known and highly esteemed by the Cath
ole clergy of the country there viii doubt
less be a number of bishops and other
clerics who will be present and take part
in the ceremonies.
There were peculiar personal reasons
which animated the Bishop-elect in the
selection of st. Peters Cathedral in Rich
mond as the place of his conservation. He
is a native of Virginia, but IT was not this
alone which determined his choice. Dec.
81, 1878, he was ordained a priest in st.
Peters Cathedral. The conservation was
Performed by the late Bishop Becker, then
Of the Wilmington Del, diocese, and the
assis ants were the present Cardinal Glib
bons, then Bishop of Richmond. and the
late Archbishop Gross, then Bishop of Sa-
vannah. The present bishop-elect was con-
secrated by Bishop Becker for his then
diocese of Wilmington and accompanied
him when that prelate was transferred to
Georgia. This was only natural, but is an
interesting coincidence that the then
Bishop of Savannah to which diocese the
young priest then consecrated has now
succeeded, should have assisted in the
ordination and that the Bishop of Rich
mond who also assisted should now be
the cardinal who will preside at his con-
Sec alton as bishop.
1t is customary for a new bishop TO
choose the place of his conservation and
the places are almost invariably chosen
animated Bishop Kelley in the choice OF
St. Peters. While The people of savan-
nah would much have preferred to have
the Conservation take place here they will
readily acknowledge the hold which the
sacred associations of the past have upon
their new prelate and acQuiesce in the
selection which he has made.
After his ordination at Richmond Father
Kelley returned to Wilmington, where he
spent several months at St. Pauls Church.
He then went to Newcastle, Del, where
he remained seven years. From there he
was transferred to the Cathedral at Will
rington, where he spent six years. When
Bishop Becker was transferred to Georgia
he brought Father Kelley with him, sta
tioning him at Atlanta, where he remain
ed for ten years, and where he formed
very pleasant associations, which st5A
have very strong hold upon him. Four
years ago he was transferred to Savannah
as vicar general and rector of the Cathe-
dral. in which capacity he continued un-
til his recent appointment as Bishop,
being also administrator of the diocese
during the interim between the death of
Bishop Becker and his own appointment.
During his service In the state, Bishop
people, and there was a general demand
for his appointment.
1t will be of interest to many people
who have been somewhat in doubt upon
this point, to know that the Bishop-Slect
now enjoys all the authority conferred
By the office his authority as such, do ting
from the moment that his appointment
was recognized by the Pope. The author
ity was not exercised. of course until
official notification of the appointment
had been received. The impression pre-
walls in some quarters, especially among
non-Ca tholics. that a bishop IS not in
vested with the authority of his office UNI.
til after his conse Grafton. but Bishop
Kelley stated yesterday that this impress
sion is erroneous.
Bishop Kelley is a native of Virginia.
having been born at Petersburg, Oct. Ii,
1S47. He was a private in Gen. Kempers
command in the Confederate army at II
years of age, and is stIn true adherent
of the principles of the Lost Cause After
a short and probably unsatisfactory ex-
perience a newspaper reporter he be-
gan to prepare himself for the priesthood,
his theological studies being completed
at the American College at Rome.
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