The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-12-31
DEATH OF BISHOP PHELAN.
Over Fifty Years Spent in Gods
Service.

Right Rev. Richard Phelan, Bishop
a. Pitsburg. died at noon December
20 after lingering illness
Bishop Richard Phelan was born i'm
* kenny county Ireland. near the
small town of Ballyragget, on January
1925 He was the son of Michael
Phoau and Mary Keoghan. whose
FAMILY consisted of nine children. ont
a. which number four dedicated Them
solves to vocations ecclesiastical or re-
IEi0Us. Richard Phelan was the MO
leer of his brothers and sisters in lead
ing the example of a Dious and inno-
cent youth, and In embracing a relig-
f.gs or sacerdOtal vocation. He re
coNed a good educational training in
private and in the local schools of
Eallyragget, and as he embraced the
holy priesthood "a an early age. he be-
came an ecclesiastical student at the
diocesan college of st. Kyran in XII
kenny. When the learned and jealous
Bishop O'Connor of Pittsburg visited
Ireland in 1S47 he went to St Kyran's.
and i'm the name of Him who had called
The fishermen to His apostolate. he ap-
pealed TO the students of the college
for recruits to join the needy missions
of the Allegheny regions of Pennsvl-
vania Six young missionaries Joined
The bishops company, ara amongst
them was Richard Phelan The good
prelate and his generous young COM
Ianions reached Pittsburg in January
1850 and soon after Richard Phelan
repaired to st. Mary's theological SEM
mary at Baltimore. HE sacred studies
were sound and thorough, so that he
was ready for ordination in the holy
Priesthood on May 4. 1854, when he
do v,a
Pjttsburg. AS Bishop O'Connor was an
example and model to his clergy. so.
It may be said, that the young priests
trained under his direction and guided
by his life and spirit, caught his in
SEPARATION and followed in his footsteps.
So too, Bishop Phelan now has proved
himself worthy successor of his for
mer superior.
Father Phelan's first mission was i'm
Indiana county, Pennsylvania. and
while thus earnestly and zealously la
boring, in 1854, he FASTENED to the CITY
of Pittsburg, on the breaking out of
the cholera, to share in the Iabors and
dangers of the priests of that city in
the scourge. To the sick and diving
he was a physician Of the soul as well
as a reliever of bodily suffering. He
thus became and remained one of the
assistant priests of the cathedral I'M
iii 1857, when at the voice of the bishop
he took charge of the large and heav- |
ly-indebted mission of Freeport. His |
of the embarrassed tenn |
)oralities Of this difficult mission was as |
successful as his spiritual charge. He |
next became pastor of the important !
post of Allegheny. where he became |
he successor of Father T. Mullen.
lfterward Bishop of Erie, at St.
Peters. He here erected. the new
'hurch of St. Peters in more eligible
ocation, and before leaving Allegheny
~ had nearly paid it's whole cost of
$4,000. He also built and paid off the
)arochial schools. When the new do
'ese of Allegheny was created, in 1876,
he new St. Peters became the bish-
p's pro-cathedral. When Bishop Tuigg
vas absent from the united diOceses of /
and Allegheny in 1881 in Eu-
ope, Father Phelan was appointed ad-
His experience in eccles-
astical affairs was now so extensive
hat he was next appointed vicar-gen-
raj of Bishop Tuigg. The constant
nd familiar participation which
'ather Phelan thus had with the ac-
i've and practical business of the
hurch, constituted, with a man of his
overs Of observation, mental acute
less and clear judgment, school Of
PREPARATION for the episcopal Office.
Bishop Tuigg, in 1885, became so en-
aebled by long sickness and especially
hen by a stroke Of paralysis. that the
ppointment of a co-adjutor bishop for
he united see of Pittsburg and Ale
heny became necessary, and the first
hoiee fell upon Vicar General Phelan
lis elevation to the episcopal office
az the generally expected result of
is previous varied experience, posi-
on and usefulness therein. and the I
rOwn OF life of labor and service. +
Ie was accordingly consecrated on the ,
acond day of August, 1885, by the Most I
.ev Patrick John Ryan, Archbishop Y
Z Philadelphia. at the episcopal city s
Pittsburg, under the title of Bishop
T Cebrya. Such was the extreme con- [
ition Of Bishop Tuigg's health that 2
ishop Phelan had to perform and ably il
nd cheerfully performed all the epis
opal labors and duties of the diocese q
Pittsburg and Allegheny. 1t was an
Intensive field. but the tiller of il left j
% portion neglected.
Bishop Phelan continued to reside at [
E. Peters church of Allegheny, while c
ishop Tuigg resided at Pittsburg On
ne death Of Bishop Tuigg, on Deem
7, 1889. Bishop Phelan. under the !
arms Of his appointment as so-adju-
'r which gave him the right of sue a
s-on. became Bishop of Pittsburg n
nd Allegheny. a
Bishop Phelan's Funeral