Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-10-24
ROSECRANS
OF Dutch Ancestry, Born I'm
Pennsylvia, Son of Early
Pioneers Of Ohio.
Coad jutor to Archbishop Purcell
and First Bishop of Column
bus Diocese.
Did Missionary Work, Built
Churches, Converts, School
Increasing Growth.
WAS CONVERT TO The FAITH
BY James A. Rooney, LII. D.

The thirty-SiXth anniversary OF
the dedication of the magnificent
Cathedral of st. Joseph at Column
bus, Ohio, occurs on Tuesday,
October 20, and the next day,
Wednesday, October 81, marks also
the thirty-sixth anniversary of the
almost tragic death from hemor-
rhage of the lungs of its founder
and builder, the first Bishop of
Columbus, the Right Rev. Sylvester
Horton Rosecrans, that being one of
the important dates in our Catholic
Chronology for the week. His sud-
den taking off amid the rejoicings
of a memorable occasion came as a
shock to his beloved people and to
the large number of distinguished
prelates and priests who had gath
cred to take part in the browning
event of his episcopate. 1t was re-
garded by the citizenship of his city
and State, regardless of creed, as a
great public loss, for aside from his
career as Bishop they knew and
loved him as native-born Ohioan,
the son of one of their pioneer set
tiers, the brother of a patriotic and
distinguished Union General and as
a conspicuous example of every best
characteristic to be found in the
true American. They knew him as a
product of one of their favorite
colleges and, like his soldier
brother, as a convert to the old
faith, who by his winning per-
sonality and his sincere love of his
State and diocese had effected a
pronounced change in the attitude
of non-Catholics toward the church.
In the early years of the last
century emigrants from Maryland
and Pennsylvania began to settle in
Ohio, and among them were Gran
dali Rosecrans and his wife Johanna,
who left the vicinity of Wilkesbarre,
Pa, to find a home in Licking
county, Ohio. They were of Dutch
origin, the family coming originally
from Amsterdam, Holland, and the
old family name was spelled Rosen-
krantz. They had two sons, one,
William, born September 6, 1919,
who afterward became commander
of the Army of the Cumberland in
the War of the Rebellion; and the
other, Sylvester, born February 5,
1927, who afterward became the
first Catholic Bishop of Columbus.
Also, all the family were Methodists.
When it came time to send the
boys to college William went to West
Point and Sylvester to Kenyon Col
lege at Gambler, hard by one of the
earliest Catholic settlements in Ohio
and within the limits of the diocese
he was afterward to rule as Bishop.
William was the first to embrace the
faith and he wrote from West Point
rejoicingly to his younger brother OF
his conversion, giving him his rea-
sens and the line of thought that
had led him to the truth, and low
ingly suggested that he give to them
serious consideration. The result
was that Sylvester followed his
brother into the church and though
he had nearly completed his course
In Kenyon he left 1t for st. Johns
College, Fordham, to study for the
priesthood, graduating in 1916 while
his brother was a professor at the
Military Academy.
Then he went to the Propaganda,
where in addition to winning his
doctors cap he carried off all the
honors In Sacred Scripture, dogmatiC
theology, ecclesiastical history and
Gregorian music. He was ordained
July 16, 1852. by the Cardinal Vicar
OF Rome, and after a term of travel
he returned to his native land ia
begin his life work in the diocese OF
Cincinnati. He was successfully as
sistant to Archbishop John Baptist
Purcell at the Cathedral and profes.
sor and President of st. Mary's OF
the West and President of st. Greg.
cry's Seminary until II closed in
1852 during the war. March 25 OF
that year he was raised to the pur.
pie as Bishop of Pompeiopolis and
Auxiliary to the Patriarch of the
West, whose burdens he manfully
shared until the fathers of the sec.
ond plenary council at Baltimore de.
cided ON a second division of the
archdiocese OF Cincinnati and estab-
lished the diocese of Columbus. He
was transferred TO the new see on
March 8, 1868.
He found forty priests, about the
same number OF churches and a
Catholic population OF about 10000
and he threw himself into the work
with an apostolic zeal that bore
abundant fruit. There were few
railroads then and his episcopal
visitations were made largely by
stage, wagon or steamboat. He
built new churches, established con.
vents and schools. augmented the
number of his clergy never ceasina
himself to perform the duties Of a
priest. being confessor OF the Sisters
OF the Good Shepherd and the Sis
tiers OF the Sacred Heart. He loved
his diocese and was seldom absent
from II. He allowed no personal in.
convenience, trouble or suffering "a
interfere with his work or disar.
range any appointment. Promptitude