The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-12
PRIESTS FUNERAL
IMPRESSIVE SERVICES FOR
FATHER H0R9IGAN.
Kansas City Priest, Who Died at Home
of Mother in Orange, Buried Today
from st. Antoninus's Church.

Especially solemn and impressive were
the funeral services of the Rev. Michael
A. Horrigan, the Kansas City Dominican
priest who died Monday ut the home of his
mother in Orange, conducted this morning
at ST. Antoninus's r. C.. Church, South
Orange avenue and Ninth street, this city.
A feature was the presence of an un-
usually large number of priests. The SER
mon delivered by the Very Rev. c. IL. Me
Eenna. Q. p, Of New York. was an earn
est eulogy OF the dead clergyman's life
The body was taken to the church last
evening from the home Of Father Horri-
gans mother, Mrs. Catherine Horrigan, -
Central avenue, Orange, and was met at
the door of the editce by sixteen Domini-
can priests. who chanted the Liberia.
Twenty members of the Holy Name
societies of the Orange church TO when
Mrs. Horrigan belongs and of st. An
toninus's Church accompanied the body
and acted rs a guard OF honor all night
While II lay in state.
AT 10 o'clock this morning the services
began with the chanting of the office of
the dead by the priests. AT the solemn
high mass which followed the ceiebrant
was the Rev. Francis A. Gaffney, o.. r.,
pastor Of the church; the deacon was the
Rev. j.. T.. Colbert, o. p, of New Haven,
Conn, 4 formel pastor of st. Antoninus's
Church, and the sub-deacon was the Rev.
NJ. A. Sheehan, o. p, of New York city,
a e%lassmate of the dead priest. The
- r - - @tFAAA@ ft@o 7aAA6 ~ AA1 toAAA&
sanctuary choir of boys and a quartet.
The 1nterment was IN the plot of the
Dominican Fathers at the Cemetery of
the Holy Sepulchre.
Father Mchenna took the following text
for his sermon, Y have not chosen me,
but ] have chosen you, n have placed
you that you should go and should bring
forth fruit, and your fruit remain" John
xv.l 16, ID. He said in part:
Only a year ago last August, beloved
brethren, we assembled here to assist at
the requiem of an aged member Of our
order. Though his death filed our hearts
with sorrow, for We all loved him for his
of mind aud heart, yet we knew that he
had reached n ripe OLD age; that he had
manfully won his crown and that 1t would
pc a wrong to keep him from enjoying
the reward of a well-spent life. Today
We are here to perform the same sacred
duties for another member of our order.
midst OF his days of usefulness, with his
hands full of work and his mind still
bent on doing much for the Master, whom
he loved SO well. and for the faithful peo-
pie over whom he was placed. We were
all filled with sorrow when we heard OF
tbs, first call to prepare for the end. We
had hoped that many years of usefulness
would still be given him. But God knows
best, and we humbly bow in submission
to His adorable will.
1T WINS while on a mission in Orange
that l first met young Mr.. Horrigan. He
was then going to st. Mary's College in
charge OF the Benedictine Fathers. Dur
ing that mission he opened his heart to
me and told me of his aspirations to the
priesthood and to the religious life. /
spoke TO him discouragingly OF the re-
ligious life and told him of the many trials
and difficulties, but he seemed determined
on embracing the life and said that If
others were able TO follow it he hoped God
would assist him to follow IT also.
The next time | saw him it was in
our novitinte. There he was noted for his
humility. his obedience and his cheerful
disposition. After his ordination he was
sent as an assistant to ST. Louis Bertrand's
Convent, Somerville. Ky. At that time
difficulties. Father Horrigan was made
procurator with charge of their temporal
affairs. He manifested rare financial
abilities which were used later by his
superiors OF many occasions. Though
young In the ministry he was soon placed
as head Ct a community. For six terms
afterward we find him placed in the same
position. He was superior in Kansas City
when first stricken by the disease which
claimed linn as Its victim. Though his
death was sudden 1t did not find him un-
prepared. for we can truthfully say that
he was a good priest, a faithful, religious
and devoted son to his bereaved parents.
I'm saying these three things. we have
priesthood we behold the greatest power,
the highest dignity which God can bestow
0 on idlle ,g a man St t, GyPrlap said that "A
bassador of God sent to man with the
sublime message of salvation. To him
were given the KEYS OF the kingdom OF
heaven; to him is entrusted that God-like
power to heal the stains of sins, for to
him is said Whose SINS You shall forgive
they are forgiven them. | was often on
missions with Father Horrigan, and know
of the zeal with which he labored as a
missionary. How often those hands now
stiff IN death were raised in absolution
over his kneeling penitents. How many
arose from his confessional with a %reuliza-
ton that what he loosed on earth was
loosed in heaven. They felt that the bur-
den Of their sins had fallen, that peace
had come into their troubled soul, They
felt restored strength to renew the battle
Of life. How often, too, he spoke the word
of power at the altar in offering up the
adorable sacrifice. How often those hands
prepares ed the dying for their last battle
of the priesthood Oh, wonderful
given to man! And even as we owe to
Mary, our immaculate Mother, our ever
lasting debt of gratitude for giving us her
adorable son. how much do we owe those
devout Christian mothers for giving us
noble sons for the priesthood.
He had the happiness OF dying In the
home of his mother, the good mother
whom he loved so MUCH, and who has
now our deepest sympathy, We pray our
blessed Lord, for whom Father Hurrigan
left his father and mother, to console that
good mother now, to give her strength.
We earnestly ask the prayers of all present
In behalf of the soul Of our brother
Seated In the ~claneel We're; The Rev.
4. A, Wallace, chancellor of the Newark
Diocese. who acted in the absence of the
RI. Rev. Bishop John j. o'Connor: the
Very Rey. D.. ! kenney, O. P; the Very
ton. D. C.: the Very Rev. Father Nc
Kenna, O. p, of New York the Very Rev.
Raymond Meagher, o. p, Of New York;
the Rev. Fathers J. A. Himself. o. p.
McMan. o. p; Justin. o.. p; Maher, 0.
F.; Singer. Q. r.. and DeMichille, Of
New York the Rev. Father p. Polycarp,
Q. s. r., Of ST. MaTy's Church, this city;
the Rev. p. Lukes, o. S. B., of st. Bene-
diets College, this city; the Rev. Fathers
Farmer, O.. P; Colbert, o, p; Maskin,
Q. p and Linnehan, o. p, all Of New
Haven, Conn, the Very Rev. Dean Cody,
Of St. James's Church. this city; the Rev.
Fathers Feeley, Q. p; D%onoughue, o. p;
Keenan,, .. p. Logan. o. p. and Daley,
0. p, of Dominican Priory, this city.
WOMAN REPORTED TO
IInArE al