The Irish standard., 1908-01-18
AN EMINENT SCHOLAR
Rev. Father Stafford Numbered
n With the Dead.
Was Pastor of St. Patrick's
Church. Washington.

II its most interesting personalities and
ID. c., one of it's most
4 brilliant citizen in the DEATH on Janu-
IL ary 8, at Providence Hospital. that city,
Ekk$of Rev. Denis Joseph Stafford, D. D..
II pastor of historic st. Patrick's church.
Il DIR. Stafford was an eminent scholar,
Il Nlecturer, pulpit orator and Shakespcar-
8ean student and his death has caused
II widespread sorrow and regret. The
3 Immediate cause Of death was weaken
Il ing of the heart following delirium
u due to a form of blood poisoning known
1, as cholaemia, or bile in the blood. News
Of Dr. Staffords death called forth eX-
pressions OF sincerest sorrow. Not
II only his own congregation. but mem
4 bers of other denominations, pastors of
d other churches and prominent men
( throughout the city spoke of the pathos
y of the death of such Il brilliant man in
Z the prime of his career.
.i The warm friendship of Father Stat
Il ford and President Roosevelt is well
81 known, and the news when conveyed
j to the White House shocked tho Presi-
4 dent. Attorney general Bonapartc,
who was one of the first to learn OF
= the death. said: 'T am greatly srieved
u over the death of SO brilliant Church.
d man
Y DR.. Stafford was closely identified
with movements for the civic or moral
ifbetternlent of the city and in the fur
therance of humanitarian causes. He
was III constant demand at all such
i gatherings, and wherever he lcctured
I or acted as orator the crowds were
enormous. One of his last important
4 engagements of this character was at
/ the unveiling of the Rough Riders
se1nonument at Arlington National ceme-
! terry, on May 3Oth last, when he and
1 President Roosevelt were the orators
I of the occasion.
" Early in June he became ill and on
] the 10th Of that month entered Provi
dence Hospital, remaining there until
/ the early part of July when he was
i sent to Atlantic City by his congre-
1 CATION. Tho members of tho parish,
without his knowledge. had raised IL
purse of more than $1,000 in gold. and
this was handed to DR.. Stafford by
\ Father McGuigan on behalf OF the
parish, with the request that he use it
Z in a long vacation for rccuperation.
DIR. Stafford went to Atlantic City, re-
4 manning until October 10, when lie re-
/ turned to Washington. Since his re-
turn he has spent some time in occas-
/ donal visits in Maryland, but his con-
! dition showed only temporary n-
provencnt.
The son Of u successful Irish con-
tractor, DR.. Stafford was born in South
| Washington in 1860. Although only
AZ years old. he had. by his spiritual
power, oratorcal ability. active par
ticipation III works of both church and
state, won IL national fame. He at
tracted attention when he first went to
Y st. Patrck's church as second assist
/ ant to the late Rev. John Iiloyd, and
/ even then he became known as a pull
pit orator and platform lecturer His
father. the late John ]. Stafford was
extensively engaged on the public work
of the District of Columbia as a con-
/ tractor. Tho influence of pious
4 mother on the life of the son was beau
| tifully expressed by eloquent Lacord-
| aire, to whom deceased had been COM
/ pared, ''by Il strong, courageous Christ
/ dan mother, the sentiments of religion
/ passed from her bosom into mine like
\ q sweet and virgin milk"
DR.. Stafford received his primary
education at st. Matthew's Institute
in Washington then entered ST. Charles
College and later attended Niagara Uni
Ii versity to study for the priesthood.
There he made his philosophical and
!; theological study. going to Cleveland
shortly afterwards to continue theol-
.ogy and hc was ordained in Cleveland,
December ~. 1885, Returning to Wash
4 ington, he took Il special course at
4 Georgetown University and received
from that institution tho degree of Doc
tor of Divinity. After his ordination
he was for five years stationed ut st.
Johns Cathedral, Cleveland There he
IgWon reputation as a preacher Then
he was transferred to Massillon, Ohio,
NJ Where he remained eleven months.
His love for his old Archdiocese of
Baltimore induced him to accept an
ssstnvitation to come back and labor in
Il the field sanctified by the lives of Car
roll, Spalding and Gibbons. 1. was in
1891 that he returned to the Archdio-
srese of Baltimore and for nearly three
n years was stationed at ST. Peters
n III Church. Baltimore, where his eloquencc
L as a priest was soon recognized and
L thousands flocked to hear him. From