The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-06
STAT Terry
TO RETIRE
The Much Denied Statement
Seems After All to
be True.
THE HEAD OF josEpHlT E:
Position has Been Delicate One
Since His Remarkable Sermon
Nearly Two Years Ago.
THE HEAD OF JosEpHlTE E:

III As forecast exclusively In The Tlnes-
Dispatch many months ago. the Very
Rev. John r. slattery, once Of this city,
and now head Of the Society OF St. JOS
cph for Negro Missions, wiz retire and
new superior for the order will BIO chosen.
A statement to this effect was made
In this paper five or six months ago, and
\ It seemed to create considerable Of q sen
sation in Catholic circles. At all events,
1T was cried down in every quarter, and
generally declared to be untrue. The
statement Is now revived and semi
officially announced in q paper commonly
looked upon as something Of a Catholic
organ. as .3s{ 81 3.}
"A General Meeting.
In the Baltimore Sun Of yesterday there
appeared upon the subject OF the retire
ment Of Father Slattery nearly a column
the following Is part Of what the sun
says i "A.
a general meeting of the Society Of st.
Joseph for Negro Missions wills be held IN
this o1ty during the fall for the purpose
of electing SUCCESSOR to Very Rev. John
4 r. Slattery as superior Of the order. The
meeting will likely befheld at st. Joseph
Seminary, on Pennsylvania Avenue. the
headquarters of the society. cal for
tho meetings has not yet been sent out
but. as three months notice will have
4 to be given, the call may be made In the
near future. z5l
This will be the first general meeting OF.
the society since 1t became independent
OF the nglish order, and the call for the
meeting wils likely indicate that ia ther
slattery will retire from active supervi-
sion Of the society Father Slattery viii. I
however. be elected superior emeritus Of
the society, and will likely make his
home at st. Joseph's Seminary.
Father Slattery's position as active head
OF the society has been rather delicate
one since his famous sermon which he
preached June %, 1902, at st. Francis
Xavier's Catholic Church on the occasion
of the first mass Of Rev. John Henry
Dorsey colored. That sermon and sub
seouent expressions by Father slattery
on the negro question caused no little
criticism, and while no one ever ques-
toned Father s.attery's sincerity in his
effort to help the negro, his expressions
! were characterized as III advised.
Father Mccarthy in Charge.
Last June Father slattery went to Eu-
rope. Before leaving he appointed Rev.
Justin Mccarthy, rector Of st. Joseph's
4 Seminary, as his vicar and acting supe-
! ror OF the society. Father Slattery Is
4 now In Berlin, and 1t Is understood that
l the general Getting will be called under
his direction. and that he will then Sig
! Nifty his intention of retiring from the
| active work Of the superiorship. Indeed,
i IL Father slattery did not wish to take
I, this action. and NJ he would be willing
i to permit the use of his name, he would
4 ,ikely be reelected superior, a all OF the
1 mem bers OF the order realize that he de-
serves we'll of the society having de-
! voted his whole work in the ministry to
i Its interests.
| st. Joseph's Society became independent
| OF the English Josephte Order In 1892.
! Father Slattery was then elected supe-
| rlor. According to rule of the order.
an election for a superior should be he'd
every ten years. When the ten years
had expired, and as Father Slattery was
the first superior. and as all OF the MEM
bers Of the society Wished him to con-
tnue In that Office, no election was held.
| The action of the general meeting or
chapter Of the society will have to be sub
Fitted to the Congregation Of the Propa-
4 ganda at Rome for approval, as the so
q clety IS directly under that congregation
1t is likely that Rev. Justin Mccarthy
rector of st. Josephs Seminary and act1nt
!, slperior, or Rev Thomas B. Donovan
rector Of Epiphany Apostolic College
!, Walbrook, will be elected as the new
z superior. 5% 8,S III 55