The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-09-09
AN UNFORTUNATE PRIEST.
Rev. John H. Hennes, Whose Apostasy
Has Been Given Wide Publicity.

Rev. John II. Hennes, Whose Apostasy
Has Been Given Wide Publicity.
The secular press of the country
has recently given wide publicity to the
apostasy of an unfortunate priest, the
Rev. John H. Hennes, who labored at
one time in the Diocese of Cleveland,
says the Cleveland Catholic Universe
To correct false impressions and
mis-statements made in connections
with this deplorable occurrence. the fol-
lowing facts, obtained from the most
reliable sources, are given. They will;
serve to explain why this unfortunate
man left the church; for in his case,
as i'll that OF the few who like him are
led away from the truth, the cause is.
altogether personal, and not, as is in
simulated, because of anything like
conviction that he has hitherto walked
i'll the path of error.
John H. Hennes is native of Ger
many. and was ordained for the Carme-
lite Order i'll San Antonio, Texas, by
Bishop Neraz, March, 1888. Just two.
years after his ordination-Marcf,,
1Soo-rovcd. no doubt. by the same
spirit OF restlessness which has cl1arac--
terized the whole of his priestly life,
he left Texas and abandoned the Car
melite Order and went to the Diocese
OF Newark, New Jersey. where he
labored i'll various places as secular
priest, until September, 1895.
Troubles real or. more likely, imag-
mary, caused him to leave the Diocese
OF Newark at tlattime. He then went
ito Green Bay, Wisconsin. where he
remained about four months.
In February 1894. Bishop Horst
mann received him OH trial into the
Diocese OF Cleveland, placing him in,
charge OF the congregation of Payne
and its missions. The following Sep
TENDER Father Hennes was trans
ferred to the German congregation of
Sheffield. where he did excellent work
for more than two years. OF his own
voltion he asked to leave the Diocese
OF Cleveland for that of Newark, and:
did SO in January, 1897.
Again. in September of the same
year, he implored Bishop Horstmauns
to take him back and give him place
i'll his diocese. saying that he had made
serious mistake in leaving. The
Bishop, being badly in need of priests,
at the time, received Rev. Hennes
again, placing him i'll charge of Shelf.
field a second time, in September, 1897
In March, 1900, he was transferred
to Navarro, Stark county, and labored
there until June 20, 1902, when he gave
up his pastorate and apostatized. He
then went to New York, joined the
notorious O'Connor and soon a sour
rilous letter appeared over Rev. Hen
mes name i'll pamphlet published by
the same O'Connor), the authorship
OF which he afterward disowned.
On September 26, Immediately fol-
lowing his apostasy, the "Universe"
published letter of retractation, writ
ten by Rev. J. H. Hennes for publica-
ton to Bishop Horstmann, from the
Trappist monastery at New Mellery,-
Iowa.
Rev. Hennes' subsequent career as a.
priest, under the name of Herbst, has
been rather nomadic. He worked l.ere.
and there in Western dioceses for a..
while, but has always shown a ten
dency to restlessness. Hence this Sec
ond apostasy is not great surprise to-,
those who know him. His apostasy,-
we think, is due rather to mental de-
feet than to malice, as the foregoing.
history of the unfortunate priest
clearly indicates.
The intellectual attainments of Rev.
]. H. Hennes are rather below the or
binary. SO there is no question of hp
breaking. on some deep theological
problem. His morals, as far as known
were good. Hence we see no cause.
for his rash act except his own pccu-
liar mental makeup. Let lis hope that:
he may soon see his error and returrx
to the church.