The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-01
THE NEsTOR OF THE
AMERICAN HIERARCHY

RIGHT REVEREND BISHOP HOGAN
OF KANSAS CITY PASSES AWAY
-coNsEcRATED IN 1868 AS
BISHOP OF ST. JosEPH-TRANs-
FERRED TO KANSAS CITY IN 1880
THE LAST OF THE kENRlcK
SCHOOL OF BISHOPS.
The Right Reverend John Joseph
Hogan, D. D., Bishop Of Kansas City,
Mo-, died of pneumonia on February
21 in the eighty-fourth year of his age.
He. was the oldest member of the
American Hierarchy in age and service.
Bishop Hogan was born on May 10,
1929, in the village of Cahirguillam
County Limerick, Ireland. His pre-
liminary education was received in his
native land after which he came to
America and entered the Seminary of
Carondolet, near ST. Louis, to study
for the priesthood. He was ordained
on April 19, 1852, and labored as an
active and Jealous missionary in the
Diocese of ST. Louis until September
13, 1868, when he was consecrated first
Bishop of st. Joseph, Mo. In Septem-
ber, 1880, he was transferred to Kan
sas City as it's first Bishop, and ap-
pointed Administrator of the Diocese
of st. Joseph, which he retained until
1893 when Bishop Burke of Cheyenne
was transferred to that see. In 1896
he was given coadjutor in the per-
son of the present Archbishop of ST.
Louis. When Archbishop Glennon was
transferred to the metropolitan see,
in 1903, as Coadjutor, he was sue
ceeded in the Coadiutorship of Kansas
City by the Right Reverend Thomas F
Lillis, Bishop of Leavenworth, who
now succeeds to the bishopric of Kan.
sas City.
The death of Bishop Hogan brings
to a close an important epoch in the
history of the Church in the Middle
West. He was the last of what may
be called the Kenrick school of Bish
ops whose influence moulded the
career of the Church in the Missis
sippi Valley during the latter half Of
the nineteenth century. 1t is true
there are Bishops still living who were
appointed by Archbishop Kenrick Of
st. Louis, but it was in the later days
of his life and he did not exercise sucF
an influence over them as he did ovel
those who were more closely associ
ated with him in the government O
the Church.
Archbishop Kenrfck of ST. Loui!
was a princely prelate, dignifed, aus
tere, with an exalted idea of his Office
He ruled his subjects at distance anC
scarcely ever came into close persona
contact with priests or people. During
his episcopal career he maintained th'
traditions Of the old Irish Hierarch!
which he brought to America ant
which he exalted somewhat by his owl
temperament. He was strong char
acter, tenacious of his opinions, bu
most worthy of respect and wise il
his diocesan administration and legis
lation AS no other Prelate in tn,
history of the Church in America, b,
impressed his own character ant
ideals on his suffragran Bishops ant
exercised a strong, positive influence
over them. At one time the Province
of st. Louis included all the territor.
now comprised in the Provinces o
st. Louis, Santa Fe, Chicago, Mil
waukee and st. Paul. The Bishops
appointed under him made it thei
ambition to copy him in his persona
attitude, method of administration
and relations with the clergy and tn
laity. To such an extent is thus tru,
that to see or talk with one of then
was to see or talk with Kenrick him
self, so perfect did the pupils re-ech'
the voice of the master
To this school belonged Bishop Dug
gan and Archbishop Feehan of Chi
cago, Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia
at one time Coadjutor to Archbishop
Kenrick, Archbishop Hennessey o
Dubuque, Bishop Grace of st. Paul
and Bishop Hogan of Kansas City
i Looking back over the past half cen
tury they stand out as prominent fig
ures in the history of the Church il
America and most worthy representa-
tives OF her hierarchy. For then
Archbishop Kenrick's word was law
and at. their meetings his suggestion
and recommendations were accepted
without discussion. In these day
when anything was to be done for tn
welfare of the Church in this portion
of the United States the question was
what says ST. Louis.
i Bishop Hogan, perhaps, more thai
the others, preserved his own methods
and ideas, somewhat old fashioned tt
be sure, from the viewpoint of th'
present, but safe and conservative
His death, therefore, closes a unique
page in the history of the Church il
the United States. The needs of thu
times have produced race of Bishops
who differ entirely from the Kenricl
type AS a whole, they are noted fo
their aggressive, bustling, almost med
dlesome, activity. They do not holC
a1oof from priests or people, but NEE
the world at every avenue and ar
vitality interested In whatever con
Germs the welfare of the Church ant
State We do not say that this nev
school is not adapted to the needs o