The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-08-05
Sketch Of His Career.

Father Gibbons was born at Mount
Carmel, Pa, on September 5, 1859.
His classical course was begun at St.
Vincent's College, Westmoreland
County, Pa. At the age of nineteen he
came to Minnesota and located with
his parents in Chippewa County. His
philosophical and theological studies
were made at the Grand Seminary,
Montreal, Canada, but before his or.
dination he returned to st. Paul and
entered the recently opened ST..
Thomas Seminary and was ordained
by the Most Reverend Archbishop Ire
land, on November 5, 1886. He was a
members of the first class graduated
from the Seminary.
For three years after his ordinations
he was assistant at the Cathedral of
st. Paul, and was then appointed to
the pastorate of st. Patrick's Church.
in this city. In June, 1898, he sue
ceeded the Right Reverend Mgr. Cal
liet, as irremoval rector of the Church:
of st. Mary, where he remained until
December 10, 1910, when he was ap-
pointed pastor Of the Church of St.
Luke, after the death of the Rev. Am
brose McNulty. On May II, of this
year, following the transfer of the
Right Reverend Bishop Lawler to the
See of Lead, S. D., Father Gibbons as
sumed the pastorate of the Cathedral
and shortly afterwards was appointed
Vicar General of the Diocese. He be-
gan the duties of his new position;
with his customary energy and had
made plans for hard years work;
but in the midst of his activity the
messenger of death babe him lay
aside the burden of earth and cease
from his labors.
Father Gibbons is survived by his
aged father, who is seriously ill, two
sisters and two brothers. In the long
history of the Cathedral parish he is
the only pastor who died during his
pastorate. He is the first priest to be
buried from the new Cathedral.
An Exemplary Priest.
The death of Father Gibbons re-
moves from the scene of pastoral duty
in the Archdiocese of ST. Paul one of
it's most distinguished and energetic
priests. During the thirty-one years
of his priestly life he devoted himself
with unwearying zeal to the work of
the ministry and took an active inter-
est in the promotion of charitable and
educational work throughout the Dio-
scese, and especially in the City of st.
Paul, where the whole of his priestly
life was spent. For eighteen years he
was Chairman of the Diocesan School
Board and under his direction the edu-
cational facilities of the Diocese have
been amplified, the curriculum eX-
tended and many improvements made
in the equipment of it's educational in
stitutions, especially of the parochial
schools.
He was an exemplary priest in every
sense of the word. He was unsparing
of self in everything that would pro-
mote the welfare of religion and of the
community. Kind, gentle and courte-
Gus, he won the love of his parishion-
ers and the esteem of all who came in
contact with him. He could be firm
when firmness was required He never
sacrificed principle to expediency, and
wherever he went he carried the
sweet aroma of his priestly character
| and prerogatives with him. In his
death the Archdiocese of ST. Paul suf.
fers an almost irreparable loss and the
Church in the Northwest mourns a
loyal and devoted priest, who placed
his priesthood above every other con
sideration. May his soul speedily at
tain to it's eternal goal in heaven!