The Forrest City times., 1907-03-01

BISHOP EDWARD FITZGERALD. Q. Edward Fitzgerald entered the Seminary of Barrens, in Perry county, Missouri in the year 1850, and two years later transferred himself to Mt St. Marxs Of the West, at Cincin- natl, where he remained until 1855. He then attended Mt. St Mary's Semi nary at Emmitsburg Md. where upon completing his ecclesiastical studies he received holy orders. August p, l6of. He was assigned to a church In Columbus. O.. where he remained until 1867. when he was consecrated bishop on February of that year. He was then assigned to the diocese of Little Rock. which was made vacant b ythe death of Bish- op Andrew Byrne in 1862 and which had remained so on account of disruptionS caused by the Civil war.
 On reaching Little Rock March r, Bishop Fitzgerald found the diocese in great desttution. with a membership of little more than q thousand. scat tered over large and almost inacces- sible territory. then considered tle border of American civilization, with only five priests nd three religious in
 
 stituti0ns.
 Bishop Fitzgerald visited Rome twice, once in 1870 and again in 1883. On his first visit to Rome he was present at the Vatican Council. He wes again in Rome in 1889, to assist as the representative of Archbishop Leroy, who was in feeble health, at the meeting of the archbishops of the United States, in the presence of Pope Leo XIII, to prepare the schedule of work for the third council of Bal timore.
 Bishop Fitzgerald suffered a stroke of paralysis seven years ago His en- tire left side was paralyzed After that time he was forced to remain in doors the greater part of the time, conducting his work in his study and home with the aid of a secretary His condition grew worse until John B Morris of Nashville, Tenn. was ap- pointed bishop coadjutor of the Arkan. sas diocese to take up the heavier part of the work Since that time Bishop Fitzgerald has been spending his time at Hot Springs endeavoring to regain his lost health
 At the time Bishop Fitzgerald as 
 Rock it embraced the state of Arkan- sas and Indian Territory. A careful enumeration of the whole diocese in 1867 revealed the presence of scarcely 1,600 souls. These 500 were scat tered far apart. Little Rock, with a frame cathedral, had probably not more than 400 communicants There were but two schools, both conducted hxyt hn GicfO nf Smith and the other at Little Rock.
 The habit Of giving personal at. tenti0n 10 things pertaining to his dio. cese made the bishop a constant trav- eler and during the first years of his life in Arkansas he travelled by horse back. Al the time he celebrated his silver jubilee, it was commonly ac, cepted he had travelled more miles than any other bishop in the United States.
 By his wise administration and sys tematic and persistent efforts he sue ceeded in building up the church to the position of wealth and importance that it had occupied previous to the war. He established a house of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost at Marien' stadt. introduced the monks and nuns of the Benedictine order and founded asylums and schools. which he placed in charge of the Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Joseph. Bishop Fitzgerald attended the vatican coun ell at Rome and the third plenary council held in Baltimore in 1884.