Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-01-04
Cardinal and Fellow Priests
Assist at the High
Mass.
High Tribute From Secretary of
the Navy and Capt.
Sigsbee.
NOW PRESIDENT OF DUNWOODIE

The Rev. Father John p. Child
wick, President of st. Josephs
Seminary at Dunwoodie, near
Yonkers, N. Y, and eight other
clergymen of the diocese of New
York, all classmates at the old sem
mary when 1t was located at Troy,
celebrated the completion of twenty
five years of work in the Catholic
church just before the Christmas
holidays. The priests refused to have
any public celebration, but masses
were held. In honor of Father
Chidwick's silver anniversary there
was high mass in the little chapel
connected with the seminary at $3.50
o'clock in the morning, which was
attended by Cardinal Farley and the
Cardinals secretary, Father Carroll.
Afterward there was a luncheon at
the seminary.
Father Chadwick, who was Chap
lain Of the battleship Maine when
she was sunk in Havana harbor, is
the most widely known today Of the
men who were graduated into the
priesthood at the seminary in 1887.
Next in prominence perhaps is the
Rev. William Livin gston, rector of
st. Gabriel's church on Tbirty-sev-
enth street, near Second avenue, who
is known as the poet laureate Of the
diocese.
Although Father Chadwick had
gained some prominence in the
church before he was appointed a
Chaplain of the navy in March,
1895, the third priest of the Catholic
church to be selected to that post. It
was because of his devoted and
heroic services when the Maine was
blown up that his name became
known all over the world. He was
one of the last to leave the ship, and
then worked tirelessly rendering to
the spiritual needs of the dying and
seriously wounded who we're taken
ashore. With characteristic modesty
he refused to talk about this ex-
perience or his other work in the
church when seen by reporters on
the day of his anniversary celebra-
ton. OF the hundreds of letters
from prominent men following the
tragedy, Father Chadwick saved but
two, one from Capt. Sigsbee to John
d. Long, Secretary of the Navy, and
a letter from Secretary Long, which
he received. The latter reads:
"April 8, 1S98.-To Chaplain John
P. Chadwick, u. s. NJ, on board Gin
cinnati.-My Dear Chaplain: The de-
partment is in receipt of letter
from Capt. Sigsbee, dated yesterday
calling attention to the manner in
which you performed the duties
which devolved upon you in connec-
ton with the disaster to the Maine.
In transmitting to you a copy of this
letter I can not refrain, speaking for
the department and myself, from
adding this further expression of
commentator. Your heroic devotion
to duty, your tender sympathy with
the suffering, your care for the
dead, your fearless fidelity to your
post, mark you as a true servant of
the Master. You have set an exam
pie for the emulation of every Chap
lain of the navy, and are entitled to
the gratitude of the department and
OF every American citizen. With
great esteem, I am, sincerely yours,
John d. Long, Secretary"
During the war with Spain Father
Chadwick was Chaplain of the battle
ship Cincinnati and was present at
the blockades Of Cuba and Porto
Rico. Later he was assigned to the
Washington Navy Yard, and then to
the New York Navy Yard, and was
with the battleship New York on the
cruise to the Far East. Father
Chadwick retired from the navy in
1908 with the rank of Commander