The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-11-23
FATHER GAFFNEY'S Jul
BILEE.
A Useful and Laborious Life
Beloved by All

Next Sunday an event of I'M.
usual interest will take place in
st. Johns Church-the celebra-
ton of the golden jubilee of the
Rev. John b. Gaflney. On that
occasion Father Gatluey will eel.
citrate solemn High Mass III com
memoration of his tiItieth year OF
religious service i'll the vine
yard of the Master.
1t is proposed to celebrate the
event with becoming Solemnity.
Father Gaflney will sing the
mass, the music of which will be
chanted by about one hundred
young men from the Novitiate
accompanied 10y select orcheS-
ira. The Rev. j. ii. O'Rourke
will preach on the occasion. I'm
mediately after the service Father
Gat1'ney will be in the rooms of
the public library to receive the
congratulations of his many
friends Both the church and
library will be decorated with
plantS-teYnS and cut flowers
everything i'll fact will pnt on
gala day attire to do honor to one
so highly esteemed in Frederick
County.
His friends have on foot a
movement TO collect sufficient
funds to erect a memorial altar
commemorative both of Father
Gaifney'S useful life and services.
So far quite a good sum has been
raised. His Eminence, the Car
dinal, heading the list 10y a dona-
ton of fifty dollars. Many of
the good Fathers friends in
Philadelphia and New York have
already shown their appreciation
by contributing to the fund.
His many friends in Frederick
County, where he is best known
and has labored longest, are also
generously swelling the fund. 1t
is expected that next Sunday at
the service in the church when
the collection for the altar will
be taken up, the well-known lib
erality Of the Frederick people
will surpaSS itself.
The story of Father Gali'ney's
life is soon told. Born i'll Ireland
i'll 1927, he came to this country
about the middle Of the torties
and having finished with diStinc-
ton his studies at the Holy Cross
College, Worcester, he entered
the Noyitiate in Frederick in
1880 Since that time, with the
exception OF some years at two
different periods of Father Gaif.
ney'S career as Il Jesuit, he has
been connected with Frederick
County. His whole career as a
priest, we may say, has been
spent in the valley green walled
by the hills of Maryland and
within the shadow of the Catoctin
and Blue Ridge. The Rev.
Father renovated the church at
Petersville- built the churches
at the Manor and at Urbana. He
also erected a church at Middle.
town and aided i'll the construc-
ton of a sacred edifice at
Point of Rocks. Years ago when
the Catholics were scattered, the
Fathers territory extended from
the Sugar Loaf to Emmitsburg,
and from the Linganore to the
Blue Ridge, and many time
were his trips extended to Harp
er's Ferry and far into Virginia,
Father Gatfney is known through
out the entire county and his
tall, straight, figure has been a
familiar object to all of the old
residents of the valley for years.
His kind word, his pleasant
smile and obliging manner has
endeared him to all, irrespective
of religious creed or belief, while
his lifelong spirit of self-sacri-
flee for the spiritual welfare Of his
flock has won for him in the
hearts Of the people of Frederick
a place in their love and aflec-
ton, that they themselves will
only appreciate when the good
and sanity man has been called
to a reward of well spent life
and may the day of the call be
far off, so that he may still tarry
with us long, to help by his
words and example, the thou
sands who respect and love him.