Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-23

within the borders of the state of
- Nebraska was given form and
kEks8QL government by the nation Chris
- tian missionaries had followed
the trapper and hunter into the haunts Of
the Indians. For years the humble mission
airy had walked from tepee to tepee spread
ing the gospel of love and good will and later
founded small settlements where communi-
ties Of the converted Indians and the white
men of the frontier congregated between
the seasons of their labors, but II was not
until after the territory Of Nebraska had
been organized that the population was of
such a character as to require, in the
opinion OF the churches, the supervision Of
persons gifted with greater powers than the
priest and missionary.
1t was in 1859 that the first bishop Of any
church was given immediate jurisdiction
over the territory now embraced within the
borders of the state. In that year the
Roman Catholic church sent to Omaha Rt.
Rev. James O'Gorman. Bishop O'Gorman
had been selected by the then bishop of
Dubuque as the man above all others fitted
for work In a missionary diocese, or
vicariate, as the territory nov embraced
within the confines Of the states of Ne
braska, Montana and the Dakotas was then
known.
Chosen from Monastery.
Bishop O'Gorman was a monk OF the
Order OF Trappists, the most austere of the
orders OF the church, whose members are
not only bound by the usual rules OF pow
erty, chastity and obedience, but are com
manded to refrain from conversation except
such as is necessary for their existence.
There were but two houses of the order In
the United States, both founded by Irish
Trappists. A party, Of which Bishop
O'Gorman was a member, had, about 1850,
come from Mount Malleray, in Ireland, and
established n community near Dubuque. la
which they had named New Malleray. The
first prior OF the new house was the man
who afterward became the bishop OF
Dubuque. He was followed as head OF the
house by Bishop, then Father, o'Gorman.
The bishop OF the Iowa see looked on his
successor as an able man and when, at a
ceremony held in Cincinnati, Father O'Gor
man, by a sermon showing deep learning
and much reflection, attracted the attention
OF Bishop Purcell, a man who at that time
was one OF the most prominent bishops In
the Catholic church in America, the bishop
of Dubuque pressed the name of the Trappist
prior for advancement, with the result that
in 1859 he was consecrated bishop at st.
Louis by the late Archbishop Kendrick and
sent to the vicariate of Nebraska, which
was at that time separated from the
vicariate Of Kansas.
Bishop O'Gorman came to a poor Vicariate,
The largest In extent of any in the coun-
try, IL contained fewer Catholic families
than any other and they were so separated
that they looked upon the visit Of a priest
as a direct blessing from Providence. The
church at that time In Omaha was at the
corner Of Eighth and Howard streets and
it became the cathedral OF the bishop, who
resided with the parish priest in a small
house in the rear OF the church. Old resi-
dents Of Omaha say that Bishop O'Gorman
was a most lovahle man, and one OF these
a non -Catholic, said: HE came near tC
personifying the description OF the bishop
given in Hugo's novel. Les Miserables.' 0
man who would give his last possession Il
another and who seemed to unite the power
Of a bishop with humility seldom seen"
UphuI Work In Diocese.
1t was dimcult work to organize a diocese
in those days and the bishop could only
work as he was given opportunity. oveI
the western country he would drive in 4
buggy, visiting the outlying parishes. OF
go to those along the river by steamboat
II is recalled that he was kept rather
busy hnding priests to serve in thu
cathedral, as Il was not a desirable place
when the parish contained not only a pas
tor, but the personal presence OF the bishoI
at all times, producing a division Of au
thority which was irksome to the subordi
nate, so II came to pass that the parishion