The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-05-07
FUNERAL OF PRIEST
LARGELY ATTENDED
Funeral Of Rev. Thomas Shelley Attend.
ed by Hundred Clergy Of Connecticut
Diocese.
Waterbury Church of Sacred Heart Fill.
ed With Pensioners and Friends
Had Relatives in Bridgeport, Winsted
and SheltOH-Mass Chanted by En-.
tire Body Of Priests.

Waterbury, May with the i'm
pressive and solemn ceremony of the
Catholic Church the funeral of the
Rev. Thomas Shelley, pastor of the
Church of the Sacred Heart, was held
yesterday, the church being crowded to
the doors with members of the parish
and Catholics from other parts of the
city, and a hundred or more clergy
men. Business houses of the eastern
part of the city were closed during the
morning, out of respect for the deceas-
ed priest. The affairs in the edifice
were draped in black and purple, in
terTIingled with large streamers of
each, while the pillars, sidewalks and
choir loft were also entwined with
black and purple.
The regular funeral service opened
at $50 o'clock with the chanting of the
iitany for the dead by the entire body
of priests, the chanters being the Rev.
John f. Corcoran of New Haven and
the. Rev. Thomas Kenna of Bristol
This part of the service occupied 35
minutes, and was followed by the SOL
emn high mass, in which the celebrant
was the Rev. Father Carroll of the
Church of ST. Lawrence O'Toole. Hart
ford, first cousin of the deceased
priest. The deacon was the Rev.
Father John F. Murphy of Bridgeport,
sub-deacon, Rev. Father Ambrose of
Winsted, o. F. M. while Father Muir
ceSe, was master of ceremonies. At
the close of the mass absolution was
administered by Mgr- Synnott, follow
ing which Father Curtin of ST. Fran
Wis Xavier'S Church delivered the eu-
logy.
One of the impressive features of the
ceremony was the rendition of the
mass by the choir, in Plain or Gregor-
ian Chant. At the offertory the beau
tiful Del Vivi," from Verdfs requiem
mass, was sung by Miss Sara Wolff, NJ
J. McEvoy and David c. Bolger, and
soprano solo. ave Maria was rem
dered at the Communion by Miss
Katherine Gloster. After the sermon
the entire choir sang, abide With
Me-"
Relatives of the dead priest, Sisters
connected with the Sacred Heart Con-
vent, and other Sisters from different
parts of the city, together with some
of the older members of the parish, oc-
cupied the center aisle of the church,
were provided outside of the chancea
rail for the large number of visiting
clergy. The relatives and friends from
out of town present included James p.
Shelley and Miss Bridget Shelley of
Winsted, brother and sister Of Faith
er Shelley; Mrs. Mary Quinlan of
Bridgeport, a sister; Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Finn, George Finn and Ed
ward Finn of Shelton, Mrs. Finn be-
ing sister; DIR. and Mrs. Quin1an of
Dalton, Mass; Mr.. and Mrs. Michael
Ryan of Bridgeport; James Quinlan, Of
Bridgeport; J. l.. Carroll of Winsted;
Miss May Hagerty, of New York; DR..
and Mrs. J. J. Carroll of Naugatuck,
and DIR. IF. and Mrs. Carroll of SIAM
ford.
The ushers were Thomas Bo1ger,
Pierce Gordon, Michael Wall, Patrick
Byrnes, Thomas Fenton, Edward Gull
len and Daniel P. Noonan. The pail
bearers were all residents of the par
ish, some of whom are members of the
board of trustees, and were as follows:
Henry R. ByrneS, Lawrence Morgan,
N. A. Mckay, J. T. Phelan, John F.
Whalen, Thomas Owens and Thomas
Keegan.
The body remained in church for
some time after the service, following
which it was taken to the depot, where
q special train left at 1:30 O'Clock for
Winsted in charge of Undertaken P. s.
Bergin. The regular burial service
was held in ST. Josephs Church in
Winsted by Father Andrew, after
which interment took place in st. Jo-
Seph' Cemetery.
Most of the Priests of the state were
present and many from other states,
including Right Rev. Mgr. John Syn
not, administrator Of the Hartford
Diocese; Rev. John G. Murray, of
Hartford, chancellor of the diocese;
and Rev. T. r. Sweeney, Rev. John F.
Murphy, Rev. Thomas Mulcahy, Rev.
James A. O'Mara, Rev. James B. Nihill
and Rev. Edward P. Curran, all of
Bridgeport.
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