The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-06
CATHOLIC PIONEERS
OF NEWFOUN Ian D
FOREMOST IN EVERY BRANCH OF
TRADE AND INDUsTRY-lRIsH
PRIESTS MINlsTERED TO THEIR
RELIGIOUS NEEDS AT RISK OF
LIFE.


RELIGIOUS NEEDS AT RISK OF
LIFE.
In a recent issue of the Chimes"
of St. Johns, Newfoundland, H. F.
Shorts had an article on ''The Irish
in Newfoundland The writer, who
is Waterford man, describes how he
has traced many a family of Irish
exiles, from 1850 onwards, by perusing
and copying the inscriptions on time
worn tombstones in Newfoundland. In
part he says:
''It is a well-known fact that the
religious requirements of these Irish
men were attended to by priests of
their own nationality. These priests
were few in number. From bay to bay
they had to proceed, often in open
boats and, when sailboats were not
procnrable, the hardy fishermen would
row the clergyman miles along our
coast, until he arrived at his destina-
ton and administered the comforts of
his holy religion. 1t often happened
LAoL InOSO R4OnCO4O AO4 4OA454OA anu
civilization were driven upon a lee
shore, and their escapes from death
were most miraculous. And it also
happened that those same missionar-
les were overcome by binding snow
storms or caught far out to sea in
heavy gales of wind.
Priest Gives Life for Flock.
"The first Irish priest, whose life
was lost in carrying out his sacred
duties along our coast, was Rev.
Patrick Phelan, whilst en- route in a
boat along the shores of Conception
Bay, on September 3, 1899. His body
was found, floating erect in the middle
of the bay, with his breviary under
his arm, and have heard it stated by
very old residents (handed down from
their predecessors that the leaves of
the book were barely damp with the
salt water, and that it was kept in
the succeeding priests house for many
years afterwards.
"The Irish pioneers in NeWfound-
land were engaged in the cod and
herring fishery, with which they COM
bined farming. AS time went on they
became possessed of schooners and
went as far as the coast of Labrador
in search of seals and cod. One has
only to look up the past records of our
shipping fleet, to find the names of the
Washes, Burkes, Houlahans, Ryans,
Fitzgeralds, Lynches, O'Briens,
Morans, Gerans, Murphys, etc., whose
thorough knowledge of their danger
Gus avocation placed them in the front
rank and who we're the means of plac-
ing Newfoundland in that position
which she holds today-the first
fishery country in the world. Until
the end of the sixties Irishmen com.
manded the most expensive and we'll
built vessels in the seal fisheries.
Pioneers of Trade and Industry.
In another branch of trade and in.
dustry Irishmen were found promi
nent. AS mechanics, their work lives
after them, and the various public
buildings, as well as private resi-
dences, which have been placed under
the master-hands of these workers
the early Irish masons, carpenters
etc., are there today, the stone and
brickwork especially, as firm and in
tact as it was seventy or eighty years
ago. In every branch of the public
service, as well as trade and com
merce, Irishmen took a most promi
nent place. 1t is to them, in a very
large extent, that we owe the political
and religious liberty that we exercise
today-the former won by the untir
ing exertions of such men as Kent
Morris, Little, O'Brien, ETC., and the
latter, by the firm stand taken by Right
Reverend Michael A. Fleming, fourth
Bishop of st. Johns"
The Irishmen of this colony never
forgot their Motherland, although
communication in the early days OF
the past century was confined entirely
to the summer months, or to the
happy arrival of some ship engaged in
trade between Waterford and New
foundland. To give some idea of the
size of those ships, the writer men
tions that his ancestors came to New
foundland from Waterford over hun
dred years ago in a brig called the
''Daphne," after passage of thirty
four days. He pays a tribute to
Right Reverend DR.. Mulock, fifth
Bishop of st. Johns, who, amidst his
other achievements, was foremost in
getting the first cable communication
between st. Johns and the Old Coun-
1 fry IN TI11v 07 1896