Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-27
DIOCESAN CHANCES
Csihslle Clergy ssd Lofty fsIk
 ovst Wat vssl Gene Secs.

Now that the obsequies over the late Monsignor 6locum have been brought to successful completion. the one great question that is being discussed and which was the topic of conversation yesterday among the priests and laity. was. what will transpire in the diocese of Hartford within the next few months? With the bishop of the diocese taken away by the grim reaper death and one of his priests. who might have been his successor, had not the same scythe cut short his career. called to his re- ward. and both within a few weeks. 1t necessarily means a general up- heaval in the diocese of Hartford. Not one of the priests who were present yesterday. but agreed on that point. The Catholic population of this ctate has grown to enormous proportions during the reign of the late Bishop Tierney and In the past two or three years the work attached to that office has been really more than one man could bear. The loss of Bishop Tierney and the death of MQnsignOr Slocum has therefore left two big and important vacancies in the ranks of priestly workers. And there are several others of the priest hood, who are not destined for many more years labor in the vineyard. That was the remark made yesterday by one of the earnest and younger men In the ranks.
 From the present outlook 1t seems as though the increased Cath ollie population would cause the df- ocese to be made into two divisions. This would not necessarily mean two bishops. There would be one chief head and coadjutor who would assume some of the duties now per- diocese there would possibly be changes in pastorates and in the curateships. In Waterbury there might be many important changes. The parish of the Immaculate Con- ception, which Is one of the largest in the diocese, would be divided. Two additional parishes would be created, one in the Long Hill district and one in the western end of the city. This latter parish might take of portion of the St Patrick's. The Long Hill would comprise al- most an entire portion of the pres- ent Immaculate, Conception church. It is possible too that some portion of the present Immaculate Concep- tion parish would be added to the St Francis Xaxier church. It was also reported that the present Im- maculate Conception church proper ty would be sold for business pur- poses and more commodious edi- flee erected on the present St Mary's school lot on East Main street. It
 was expected that the profit derived from the sale of the present proper ty would yield almost enough to pay for the erection of the new buildings.
 and that, if the parish was divided,
 the hardship of the decreased num-
 Der of parishioners would be les-
 sened.
 Whatever truth there may be in the above reports, they were dis cussed yesterday and last evening
 and there may be something to them all It is natural to expect some changes, but whether they will
 be radical or merely those which real necessity requires is a question that will have to await an answer
 when the new head of the diocese is created. Naturally some of the conversation drifted to the success sor of Father Slocum. Among the
 most prominently mentioned for the
 position were Rev Hugh Treanor,
 who delivered the eulogy yesterday and who was former pastor of the Sacred Heart church in this city and
 Rev Father Winters of St Mary's parish in New Britain.
 One of the most interesting re- ports that was in circulation was to | the effect that Rev John c. Murray.
 chancellor of the diocese would be raised to the bishopric. As Father Murray is a Waterbury boy this will
 surely be of intense interest He was one of the most faithful assist
 ants of the late Bishop Tierney and
 was admired and praised by all the
 priests in the diocese for the man.
 ner in which he has filled the office
 he now holds. It is an honor to the
 city of Waterbury even to have one | of her sons mentioned for the high est dignity that can be conferred iu
 the diocese of Hartford.