The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-06-07
JUST ORDAINED
AS PRIESTS, TWO
SAY FIRST MASS
The Rev. James Weisbecker Of
fciates in st. Peters Church,
Belmont Avenue.
R M PREACHED
BY FATHER POLYCARP
The Rev. Harry j. G. Sheridan
Celebrant in Church Where
He Was Baptized.

from the Seminary of the Immaculate
Conception at Seton Hall College, who
were ordained to the priesthood IN St.
Patrick's Cathedral on Saturday by
Bishop O'Connor, said their nrst mass,
each a solemn high mass, in their re-
spective churches yesterday. The Rev.
James Weisbecker said his mass in st.
Peters Church, in Belmont avenue, and
the Rev. Harry ]. c. Sheridan cele-
brated his mass In st. James's Church
in Lafayette street.
Before the mass in st. Peters Church
there was a procession of priests and
altar boys, with twenty flower girls and
societies, from the vestry to the church.
Father Weisbecker gave his blessing to
the people before the mass. He was
assisted in the mass by the Rev. Alloy
sius Stecher, rector of st. Peters, as
arch-priest; the Rev. Aloysius Auth,
OF the Church of the Holy Name, Union
Hill, who was a st. Peters Church boy
as deacon, and the Rev. Father Pos
nalski. of st. Stanislaus's Church, ir
Belmont avenue, s~ub-deacon.
The Rev. NJ. A. Thimmes, an assist
ant at st. Peters Church, was master
of ceremonies. The Rev. Peter Kurz
of Orange, and the Rev. Charles Mar
shall, of st. Peters, and several semi
narians from Seton Hall were in the
chancel.
sermon by Father PoIycarp.
The Rev. Father Polycarp, rector Of
st. Mary's Church in High street
preached the sermon. He dwelt on tn,
power, dignity and ~sacredness of thu
holy office Of the priesthood, and spoke
of the fine record Father Weisbeckel
made as a student at college and in this
theological seminary.
At a banquet given in st. Mary
School Hall there were upward of %
men, including the priests above named
Father Stecher spoke briefly of the i'm.
portance of the occasion, and Father
Weisbecker thanked he priests ant
people for their kindness to him
Friends presented him with a purs'
well filled with gold pieces.
Father Weisbecker was born il
Brooklyn, N. Y, about twenty-five
years ago. His family came to Newark
when he was a boy and he became {
pupil in St. Peters School. Father
Stecher sent him to the st. Francis dc
Sales College in Milwaukee. Wis. He
then entered Seton Hall College. His
father, a brother and three sisters
were at his mass. He has been given
q. two weeks vacation.
st. James's Church was filled with
men and women when Father Sheridan
said his mass. Many Of the young
men and women had gone to st
James School with him and those OF
middle age had known him from boy
hood to manhood. He was assisted in
the mass by the Rev. John E. Holton
a classmate, of Morristown. as deacon
and the Rev. John F. Maxwell. of Setor
Hall. as sub-deacon. The Rev Thomas
O'Donnell, of st. James's Church, was
master of ceremonies.
ChaIice Gift of Family.
The chalice Father Sheridan used al
the conservation was a gift from his
brother, Eugene Sheridan, and his sis
tiers, Mrs. T. George Fitzpatrick, Mrs. f,
Crissy johnson and Miss Mamie Sheri-
dan. 1t was ordered from Paris and
is of solid gold, richly enameled and is
studded with precious gems at the base
The Very Rev. Dean Patrick Cody
rector of st. James's Church, preached
the After remarking h a this
saying of his first mass by the young
priest in his home church was a very
important event in his life, he said the
dignity and power of a poor priest was
greater than that of any king or EN-
peror, for he was an ambassador OF
God. commissioned by Jesus Christ tc
forgive sins, oficiate at the holy sacri-
fee of the mass, things no one on earth
could do but a divinely ordained priest
of the Catholic Church, the church
Christ founded on earth. Dean Cody
asked the people to pray to God for
Father Sheridan, and at the close of the
mass gave the people his blessing,
Dinner ut Sisters Home.
A dinner was given at the home of
Mrs. Fitzpatrick, a sister of Father
Sheridan, at los Jefferson street, in his
honor. The tables were under a large
tent in the rear yard. The guests of
honor we're Father Sheridan and Dean
Cody and Fathers Donnelly. O'Donnell
and Holton and the Rev. Mr.. Maxwell.
Among the relatives n intimate
friends were Mr.. and Mrs. T. George
Fitzpatrick, Henry j. Sheridan, Miss
Mamie Sheridan, Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene
| Sheridan. Mr.. and Mrs. McCabe, Mrs.
F. Crissy johnson, Eugene McCabe,
Miss H. Seton McCabe, DR.. Thomas
McCabe, Mr.. and Mrs. John McCabe,
Mrs. ]. w. Kelly, Mrs. Mary Murphy
and family. Mr.. and Mrs. M. F. Nc
Laughlin, George Fitzpatrick. Mr.. and
Mrs. D. L. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Kate
Reynolds, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles John
son, Mrs. P. ]. Lynn. Peter Smith. Miss
Agnes Mahon, j. Henry Murphy, Mr..
and Mrs. william Lynch, Alderman
Patrick H. Ryan and Mrs. Ryan, Miss
Mary Reilly. Mrs. Rose Carey, George
Mahon, E. H. Mccormack, jr., Mrs.
Mary Callan, Mr.. and Mrs. William
Griffin. Mr.. and Mrs. H.. ]. Rockefeller,
Asbury Park.
We1I-known Athlete.
A reception was held from 4 to .
o'clock at Mrs. Fitzpatrick's home.
Scores of old friends of the oun
priest called and congratulated him.
Upward of sixty presents for Father
Sheridan were sent to the house by
relatives and friends.
Father Sheridan was born in st.
James's parish, got his primary educa-
fion IN CT James,s School then .fnok a