The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-11-20

morning by the Right Rev. Bishop John
]. O'Connor of the Newark diocese, ap-
pealing for aid among the Catholics sf
tho diocese
November 1, 1902.
Rev. Dear sir
During the year 1908 the Catholics of
this diocese will celebrate the fftieth an
niversary of the erection of the See OF
Newark and the appointment of its first
bishop. 1t is certainly fitting that we
should observe with appropriate cere-
monies the golden jubilee of so notewor-
thy an event in the history of religion in
this State. The formation of the new
diocese marked the beginning of more
prosperous era. 1t was hailed with de-
light as a triumph of our faith and the
fulfllment of an ardently cherished hope.
1t crowned with success the self-sacri-
fcing efforts of the early pioneers, who
in spite of difficulty and discoufagement
laid deep and solid in the soil of New
Jersey the foundations of the spiritual
eaiice of which we are at present justly
proud and for which we are deeply CRATE
ful to Almighty God.
On 0ctoberk3o, 1858. James Roosevelt
Bayley, a distinguished convert to our
faith. who was revered and loved by all
who knew him, and whose name will be
held in grateful remembrance by all fu-
tnre generations of Catholics in this do
cese, as well as in the archdiocese of
Baltimore, to which he was subsequently
transferred, was consecrated first bishop
of Newark in the Venerable church of st.
Patrick, New York, by Archbishop Be
di1Ii, apostolic nuncio to Brazil. Two
days later he appeared ON the scene of
hispew labors in the city of Newark, to
which in 1927 the Rev. George Pardow
had been sent by Bishop Dubois to build
It's aFsk Catholic church.
Sod alone knows, and He alone can
adequately reward, the priEations, the
trials tbe sutfesings which the few scat
tered Catholics heroically sustained dur
ing tn period which elapsed from the
day of their coming to New Jersey in
the reign of James the Second, until the
advent of their first resident bishop.
When he arrived among them, the pros
pect which greeted him was not encour-
aging. HE found says the late Arch
bishop Corrigan, "a diocese with twenty
five priests and as many churches, but
unprovided with single house of learn
ing, with no religious orders, and no
charitable institutions except small
T..c, L,xs1
orphan asylum under the care of five sis
ters of charity. The field MAS large and
inviting, but not only was the harvest not
ripe, the seeds were hardly yet planted.
Situated between two great cities, the
new bishopric received the surplus of an
overflowing tide of immigration, rich in
deed in prospective blessings, like the
inundations of the Nile, but bringing also
nultitudinous wants demanding instant
attention. To meet and direct the rising
flood it was necessary to multiply the
number of devoted laborers and to intro
that churches, schools, hospitals, asylums
might everywhere be erected
At that time Catholics were not only
destitude of worldly means, they were a
despised race, often contemned by their
neghbors and prosecuted by fanatical
bigots. But they were of sterling char
acter, unimpeachable in morals, loyal to
the faith of their fathers, and anxious to
cooperate by every means in their power
with their new chief pastor in promoting
the interests of their holy religion, for
which he and they were willing to suffer,
or, if need be, to die.
1t is scarcely necessary to inquire what
results were accomplished by those who
sowed in tears that we might reap in joy
The answer is evident in all the glorious
record of fifty years of apostolic zeal, of
answering fidelity, of sublime devotion
worthy of the earliest and most sanity
adherents Of the Christian faith. So as
tonishing was the growth of the church
in this diocese that single parish had
to be divided eighteen times in as many
years-thirty-six priests doing duty in a
district where Few years previously
only three stood watch and guard over
the interests of souls
The territory in which Bishop Bayley
and a mere handful of priests labored so
zealousiy for the glory of God and the
salvation of souls, now comprises two
large and, fourishing dioceses. In fact,
it is difficult to realize the almost incredi-
dible achievements of Bishops Bayley,
Corrigan and Wigger, and of their faith
full and devoted priests and people, the
worthy successors Of the heroic confess
sors of the faith, whose spiritual needs
were ministered to BY Fathers Farmer,
Beeston, Keating, Graesel, Malon, Bull
ger, Brennan. Conroy, Pardow, oDnahue
and Herard. We can only marvel at the