The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-09-13
UNFRocKED PRIEST IN JAIL.
Career of an Italian Priest ''Silenced'
bv Archbishop Ireland

Genoa, Sept. 9.-John J. Girimon-
d. an Italian, who has been nat
uralized an American citizen and
was formerly United States consul gem
eral at Santos, Brazil, but who is said
to have been dismissed or account of
alleged deficiency in the revenues of
his Office, has been arrested at Once
Oneglia
Girimondi, when he returned to Italy
from Brazil, pretended to have been
appointed a United States consul in
Persia, and asserted that he was also
commissioned to inspect the whole
United States consular service in Asia.
Later he acted as a priest and has
oeen daily celebrating mass. When ar
rested he was about to leave, accom-
panied by two italian girls Among
Girimondfs effects is a package Of
United States department stationery.
The Italian authorities are awaiting
information from the United States be-
fore deciding on his prosecution.
1t was announced from Washington
April rs, 1900, that on March % Pres
1dent Mckinley had sent the nominal
ton to the senate for consul at San
tos, Brazil, of John ]. Girimondi of
California. He was confirmed April 80,
and had just arrived in Washington
on the way to his post. In the Wash
lngton Post that morning april 28)
there appeared a statement that the
Rev. Father Girimondi, who had been
priest in Archbishop Ireland's do
cese, had stopped at the capital for in
structions prior to departing for Bra
zil. 1t was ascertained later that while
Girimondi formerly was a priest and
IL g
Archbishop Ireland, he had been "si-
lenced'' several years before and no
longer called himself priest. No
senator could be found who remem-
bered the circumstance of his appoint
ment or could explain how he became
credited to California, instead of Min
neSota.
Washington, Sept. 9.-The facts re-
ported from Italy as to Girimondi's ar
rest have been known to the state de-
partment for some time, although it is
said upon the point of his separation
from the United States consulship at
Santos that while a complete adjust
ment of Girimondi's accounts may yet
show some Irregularities, the principal
cause for his removal was the fact that
he spent the greater part of his time
in saying mass at various churches
and almost entirely neglected his con-
sular duties causing the Judgement of
many indignant protests at the state
department by the commercial inter
ests.
Some time ago the department was
acquainted with the fact that Girimon-
di was sailing under false colors in
Italy, using state department station
cry and representing himself to be
- 81
STA, as we'll as general inspector of
consulates. Consul Pierson at Genoa
was instructed to look into the case,
and going to Omaglapatrie he found
Girimondi. The latter tried to present
bold front but finally broke down
under the consul's searching inquiries,
confessed his receptions and surren-
dered the department stationery. While
the consul was considering his case
Girimondi was arrested by the local
authorities on the charge of betraying
the daughter of an influential Italian
house, and thrown into prison. The
Italian government also took note of
his fraudulent practices and sought to
know the pleasure OF the United States
in the matter of his prosecution.
After full consideration and seeing
that the man was already in the way
to be roundly punished for his other
offenses, the state department declines
to express any wish in the matter,
leaving Girimondi to be dealt with by
the application of the local laN. He is
said to have had a most extraordinary
career and, although almost inlet
tered, he had succeeded in attaching
himself to many persons of great
prominence in the course of his career
and using them to Secure his advance
ment He was appointed to the consul
lar service, it is said, upon strong rep
reservations from the Pacific coast
people to the effect that through his
influence with the large italian ele-
ment in San Francisco he had been of
great uSe pOliticallV