The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-26
BISHOP DIED POOR
Rt. Rev. Winand M. Wig
ger Gave All He Had
to Charity.
AND CHARITY MUST PAY FOR FUNERAL
His Benevolence Envoloped
All Who Were Needy and
None Heard Of His
Deeds.
Ind CHARITY MUST PAY FOR FUNERAL
Especial to .aThe Jersey city News."l


Especial to "The Jersey City News."l
I NEWARK, Jan. 2S. 1901 Although it
lay within his power to accumulate for
tune, it develops that Bishop Winand M.
Wigger left an estate amounting to only
Ss5o, and this accumulated while he was
~ Had he died suddenly, it is likely he
would have left practically nothing, as
al his income went to charities as fast
as he received it.
For nineteen years Bishop Wigger was
at the head of the Roman Catholic Dio-
cese of Newark. During that time he
never told what he did with his money,
but now it becomes known that he gave
II all away to the poor, to the educa-
tion of worthy young men and to hos
spltais, orphan asyluns and other chari-
table institutions. 1t also leaks out that
the unknown donor of many gifts received
by the poor of the diocese was their
Bishop
His funeral expenses. which are eaid to
have amounted to more than his estate,
are to be paid by the societies attached
TO the various churches in the city. Each
will pay an equal amount.
His income was between $4,000 and
5000. This came from yearly assessments
upon the various parishes in the diocese
for the purpose Of providing a suitable
salary for the Bishop. There were prob
ably other sources of small income, and,
though Bishop Wigger had it in his power
to accumulate fortune of generous sse,
he died possessed of not a dollar in real
or personal property except about $3.50 in
money which accumulated during his last
Illness.
His executors, his friends say, would
not have found even that much had he
been able to get around during the last
few weeks of his life, for he would have
given it away just as he gave away every
dollar which found it's way into his hands
during his bishopric, save what was ac-
tually necessary to clothe him. That was
a small amount. He wore the same silk
hat year after year, and was content
with the most modest changes of clothing.
He did not keep horse and carriage, but
travelled about the diocese on trolley
cars and hundreds of persons besides
those of his own church came to know
him.
Bishop Wigger's hand and pocket We're
ever open for the benefit of worthy char
more to give. He had never thought
for the ACCUMULATION Of wealth. His
money seemed to go as soon as he got IT..
I'VE all knew that every bit of the
Bishops income went to the poor" said
one OF the prominent priests of the dio-
eese last night. THAT is as near as any
one can come to giving definite informa-
ton about it, for the Bishop never told
what he did with his money nor to whom
he gave. 1t went all over the diocese,
mostly in the form of almsgiving for the
relief of needy and worthy persons
Aside from individual cases of destitu-
ton of lesser degrees of want which the
Bishops salary went to relieve, it is
known that hospitals. orphan asylums
and other charitable institutions We're his
constant beneficiaries. Any institution
organized with his consent was invariably
in receipt of portion of his income. So
.modest was he that he frequently gave
10 charity anonymously, and where his
identity was known as the donor he got
away, if possible, before the blessings of
those he helped could be bestowed upon
him.
Many poor persons and families received
gifts from an unknown source which We're
really from the head churchman of the
diocese. Besides all this. Bishop Wigger
gave much toward the education of
worthy young men who had not the
necessary few hundred dollars a year
with which to pursue their collegiate
studies for the priesthood. The students
who are priests or assistants today and
who owe to Bishop Wigger's charity their
education are not few. The Bishop of
late years has been very enthusiastic
over the building of cathedral for the
Newark diocese.
The edifice is now well under way, but
about three years ago, before the corner
stone was laid, and when plans were be-
ing made under the direction of the Bish-
op for the financing of the undertaking,
he arose in public meeting of priests
and prominent and wealthy residents of
the parish and announced that he would
give 81, ,oO0 a year from his income to the
cathedral building fund.- This he did.
Though the Bislop of the big and
wealthy diocese of Newark, he died prac-
ticaliy penniIess, because of his lifelong
but quiet work of charity. There was
not enoughg to even pay the expenses of
his funeral.
tors under his will are Archbishop Corri-
gan of New York, Bishop McQuaid of
Rochester, and Bishop Mcdonnell of
Brooklyn. They will have to do. however.
with only the property of the diocese
which was in his possession, as there is
nothing else.