The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-09-04
Father Ducey's Mission Ended.

| 1NSSJ hIlSSiOn EHOeQ.
Mourned by parishtoners and friends
@IIu recognized throughout the coun-
~ as clergyman of marked personal
ny and ability, the Rev. Thomas ].
Ducey' pastor of st. Leo's Catholic
SIluIcn In East Twenty-eighth street.
NeW York, died in his country home in
St James, L. l., early last Sunday
LLIorhlng. For several months Father
Tom. as he was affectionately known
20 rlch and poor, has been suffering
rom complication OF diseases. Not
WILL three weeks ago, however, would
ne need the advice of friends and ply
slclans and give up the work of caring
LOT the duties of the parish
al that time Father Ducey was forced
20 consent to an operation being per-
formed upon him for dropsy. Since
olien ne has taken a partial rest, but
ms enforced leisure did not prevent him
from facing the heavy rain on last week
uesday TO come to the city and meet
several members of his congregation
who desired to see him in New York
a violent relapse was the result, and
father Ducey was confined to his town
parsonage until Friday last, when he
went to st. James.
On saturday afternoon he became
convinced he was dying, and asked
that the Rev. John Ganters, rector of
the Church of Innocents in Setauket. L.
l., be sent for. Drs. Kelly and Janewav
OF New York City were present when
rather Ganters arrived He at once
ADMINISTERED the last rites of the Cath
olc church to Father Ducey. At ZIP
o'clock Sunday morning Father Tom"
died.
In the afternoon the body was
brought to New York in charge of his
private secretary. Ali evening it Law in
the reception room of the parsonage in
East Twenty-eighth street, and all
night up to y o'clock a steady stream
of grief stricken parishioners passed
silently by the casket.
There probably was no clergyman in
the United States who earned and held
the good will of his congregation so
thoroughly as did Father Ducey. His
remarkable magnetic individuality
oeamed with sincerity and all with
whom he came in contact he won over
as friends. In few parishes has there
ever been such mixture OF wealthy
and poor church members. Yet strife
never reared its head in st. Leo's
church in the whole of Father TOMS
charge.
Men who were a power in the finan-
clal and political worlds of the CITY
knew and respected his pulpit utter
ances. They feared them. too. and
sermon from him at one time could do
more good than a hundred speeches
or mass meetings in Kidding the COM
munity Of political depravity or money
ed crime. The Tweed ring and it's
scandals, Tammany Hall and the trusts
all came in for liberal AMI helpful con-
demnation from Father Ducey at per-
WI an IF l,-e
adverse to mingling at all in political
or temporal affairs.
Thomas ]. Ducey was born in Lins-
more, ireland. on February 4, 1S43, and
come to this country when years old,
under the care of his widowed mother.
Judge Thomas 7. Brady CHANGED to
meet the boy and was attracted imme-
diately to him by the personality that
afterward became so widely admired.
The jurist adopted the little Irish lac
and brought him up as his own son
might have been reared, in luxury and
refinement. The death of his foster
father caused Ducey to inherit a large
fortune, which he used first to aid him !
in acquiring an ecclesiastical educa-
ton.
The Irish boy had left St. Francis
Xavier's College before his graduation |
to study law in Judge Brady's offices, |
But the priesthood soon won him to it, |
and in 1865 he was ordained in st, |
Joseph's Seminary, Troy. His first as
Segment was to the old Nativity |
Church in Second avenue, but his stay |
there was brief. and he was transferred |
to st. Michaers in West Thirty Sec
ond street.
May !. 1881. st. Leo's Church, founded |
by Father DUcey, was dedicated by |
Cardinal McCloskey. Father Tom"
took much pride in his new parish
He is credited with having said at
the celebration of his silver jubilee in
1896: Il would not leave the memories
IF this altar for Bishops mitre or a
Cardinals hat"
The most prominent Catholic families
N New York City were Father Ducey's
oarishioners. His little church edifice
seemed TO have been built for the most
'astidious of society worshippers. Yet
10 poor person ever knocked at Father
Ducey's door in vain, and no ragged
vorshipper ever was barred from st.
Leo's.
The Funeral on Wednesday was at
ended by a great throng Of people of
Ill classes and creeds eager to honor
he memory of the beloved priest
Archbishop Farley, many of the right
everend nonsignor and large number
If priests participated in the solemn
services at st. Leo s.-Catholic
light, Aug. 26.
Sour Milk Is Preservative.