The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-06
Notable Record
In Priesthood
Rev.. John F. Murphy IS
Years A Priest of the
Roman Catholic Church
Reaches His 7Ogh Year.

In paying tribute to their pastor,
the Rev John Francis Murphy, the
parishioners of ST. Mary's Roman
Catholic church in East Bridgeport
do honor to one pre-eminent among
his feIIow-Iaborers in the Masters
vineyard, and to a man exemplifying
to their fullest extent the qualities of
sterling manhood.
Coming of fine Celtic stock, he en-
bodies the sturdy citizenship typical
of the best type of Irish-Am erican,
with the deeply religious spirit WOW
en- into the minds and hearts of the
Irish people from infancy.
Father Murphy was born in Ire
land Jan. 6,,1S43. He came to Amer
lea in his boyhood and completed his
early education in Norfolk, Conn.
Thence he entered Colgate University
where he was graduated with honors-
The degrees of bachelor of Arts and
master of Arts were conferred upon
him by his alma mater.
In 1873 the university graduate en-
tered ST. Mary's Seminary at Balti-
more, in obedience to a call from his
Master and four years later, Dec 22,
1877, he was ordained by Cardinal
Gibbons, then Arch bishop of Bafti-
more. Father Murphy has the dis
tinctton of having been e member of
the very first class that the distin-
gufShed pre1ate ordained.
Directly following his ordination,
Father Murphy came to Bridgeport
He was assigned to the curacy of st.
Mary's parish, which at that time en-
braced all of East Bridgeport.
It was 35 years ago Christmas Day
that the young priest celebrated his
first mass in ST. Mary's church, the
present structure, and it was the first
| Christmas in the new church. This
was under the pastorate of the la
mented Rev John F. Rogers.
In the full vigor and pious en-
thusiasm of his first two years in the
priesthood, Father Murphy remained
at st. Mary's church. The late Father
Rogers and he were the only priests
in East Bridgeport in those days and
among the older people of the East
| Side the early activities of the pres
ent pastor of ST. Mary's are cherish
ed in loving memory. The quiet dig
nifty, the geniality, the generosity and
broad charities of, the young priest
presaged the long and useful life that
was to be his in the service of the
Master.
1t was a matter of general regret
when announcement was made after
two years that Father Murphy had
been assigned to a curacy in st. Pat
rickHs church. Norwich. Here he re-
NAMED for one year. In the regular
course of Episcopal appointments
Father Murphy went from Norwich
where he had been curate, to the pas
torate of the Church of Our Lady of
Lourdes, in Hampton, Windham
County, where he was stationed for
another year. The next year, 1881,
he was assigned to the pastorate of
St. Johns church, Cromwell the scene
of his longest term of service, longer
even than the aggregate, thus far,
of his two Bridgeport appointments
lie remained there for nearly 8 years.
In Cromwell Father Murphy was
given an opportunity for the exercise
of sound business judgment and by
wise administration of the affairs of
his parish he built both the church
and house in Cromwell and st. James
church in Rocky Hill, a mission of
the Cromwell parish, through which
the faith was carried to many re-
motely situated from the Cromwell
church.
His next assignment was to st. Pat
rick's church, Mystic. This came in
September, 1895. This proved an i'm
portant post, with mission churches
I in Noank and Stonington. Here he
| continued his parochiaI rninistrations
until 1901, when, on May /, he was
/ assigned to the pastorate of St. Law
t rence's church, Hartford. This was
F! his post when in Nov. p, 1902, he
was chosen by the late Bishop Tier
| knew him first as a priest, the sue
cessor of Rev John F. Rogers, whom
death had removed from the charge
| of St. Mary's.
Father Murphy came to ST. Mary's
with the parish much in debt for the
work of building the handsome new
| convent and the new brick school
which had been completed under the
able Administration of Rev. Father
William H. Lynch, now rector of st.
Charles though a necessary step in
| the growth and development of the
parish, entailed considerable ex-
pense.
Father Murphy's wisdom in hand
ling the affairs of the parish has
borne fruit in the reduction of the
parish debt, year after year, until
now, in proportion to the splendid
value of the parochiaI properties the
liabilities are nominal. He has en-
deavored not to burden the parishion-
ers with collections or other drains
upon their purses, but by steady and
| consistent endeavor, he has managed
| to place the parish upon a splendid
financial footing.
The parish holdings embrace the
church, at the southeast corner of
Pembroke and Steuben streets, the
| parochia1 residence, to the south, its
| grounds extending to the next street
to the south, Sherman street; the con-
vent, which lies in Pembroke street,
/ between Sherman and Cedar streets;
| and the school property, at the south
west corner of Pembroke and Steuben
streets.
Though the setting off of the north
ern portion of St. Mary's parish Gall
of East Bridgeport north of the rail
road viaduct) into a new parish, ST
Charles, for a time Handicapped the
efforts of Father Murphy, the con-
tinuous growth of the city in the east
ern section soon counteracted the loss
land today st. Mary's ranks among the
largest congregations in the city.
Father Murphy's transformations
methods are successful in conceaIing