The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-02-03
MEETS TRAGIC DEATH
REV. J. J. CULLITON OF MAPLE
TON KILLED IN RAILROAD
COLLISION.

SIFuCk py TTSlSHt lTait-FdIHSF
CuIIiton and Companion Killed In
stantly-Funeral at St. Mary's Near
Waseca-Biographic Sketch.
On January % the priestly career of
the Rev. James J. Culliton, pastor of
the parish of Mapleton, MINI, was
brought to an untimely close by
sudden death. He said an early Mass
in the Church of st. Joseph, Good
Thunder, mission attached to his
parish, and shortly afterwards started
out on his return to Mapleton for the
late Mass. Accompanied by John Han
son, the section foreman, and his son,
Elmer, Father Culliton boarded a
handcar or gasoline speeder on the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul road
No danger was anticipated as no train
was scheduled for that early hour
The return trip was begun against a
strong wind and in binding snow
storm which probably accounts for the
fact that the occupants of the hand
car did not hear the noise of an extra
freight train until it came upon them
suddenly as they rounded a sharp
curve. The elder Hanson saw it only
few feet away. He shouted to his
companions and jumped. The next in
stant the train, said to be running at
fifty miles an hour, struck the speeder
| with terrific force, smashing it to
pieces and hurting Father Culliton and
his young companion some distance
from the track. The boy was killed
instantly and the young priest died
few moments after Mr.. Hanson, who
escaped with few bruises, reached
his side.
The bodies were taken to Mapleton
on the freight train, where the people
OF st. Theresa's parish were awaiting
the arrival of their pastor who was to
celebrate Mass for them The an
nouncement of his tragic death was
received with evidences of genuine
| sorrow by the people to whom he had
endeared himself during his years
pastorate
On Monday afternoon the remains
of Father Culliton were conveyed to
his boyhood home in st. Mary, near
Waseca, Mimi, where his aged father
and brothers and sisters reside on the
old homestead. On Wednesday morn
ing the body was brought from the
family residence to the church where
the Office of the Dead was chanted
| by the assembled priests. At ten
| n'p1nHR Sn1nrnn Moss nf
celebrated by the Reverend J. F. Lang
of Minneapolis, assisted by the Rev
erend j. Fitzgerald of Gibson, ILL.,, as
deacon, and the Reverend J. H.
Peschges Of Easton, Mimi, as sub
deacon. The Reverend T. A. Welch of
st. Paul was master of ceremonies.
The sermon was preached by the Right
Reverend Bishop Heffron of Winona
who paid a well-deserved tribute to the
priestly life and zeal of the deceased.
The Bishop also gave the absolution,
after which the remains were inferred
| in the family plot in st. Mary's GENE
terry. The funeral was the largest ever
seen in that locality and was attended
by large number of people from the
1 pd11SAC0 LII WnlCA dLQGE
Culliton exercised his priestly minis
trations.
Biographical Sketch of the Deceased.
The Rev. James J. Cu1liton was born
in ST. Mary's parish about thirty-three
years ago. His early education was
received in the rural school, after
which he entered the College of St
Thomas, st. Paul, where he completed
his classical education and graduated
with the class of 1900. He entered the
ST. Paul Seminary in September,
1901, and pursued his studies there
until 1905 when, owing to i'll health.
he went to st. Mary's Seminary, Gin
cinnati, Ohio. He was ordained in st.
Peters Cathedral in that city on June
%, 1906, and said his first Mass i'm the
Church of the Nativity i'm his native
parish, on July /.
i His first appointment was to the
! assistant pastorship of the Church OF
ST. Felix, Wabasha, of which Mon
signor M. Wurst il pastor. He at
j tended the neighboring mission of Kel-
logg, then attached to Wabasha, and
when it was formed into a separate
parish Father Culliton was appointed
it's first resident pastor. About year
ago Bishop Heffron transferred him to
Mapleton and Good Thunder where he
succeeded the Rev. Father Stack. Dur
! ing the past year he organized mis-
sion i'm Vernon Center and built a
church I'm which Mass was said for the
first time on Christmas Day He had
, completed arrangements for the erec-
J ton of a parochial residence I'm Maple
ton during the coming summer. The
Il Catholic Bulletin extends sincerest