The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-16
SUCCESSOR OF
GIBBONS SOON
TO TAKE THRONE
Life History of Archbishop Curley
Who VIII Be Made Cardinal on
November 80.

Tampa, F7a.-Ten years priest,
all of them in Florida, and seven
years the bishop of this diocese,
preceded by four years in the
| Propaganda University of Rome,
comprise the meteoric career of the
young Archbishop of Baltimore,
who will ascend the throne long
graced by the great Gibbons, on
November 80.
Michael Joseph Curley was born
in AthIone, County Westmeath, Ire
land, Oct. IL, 1879, one of ten chill
dren and happy boyhood included
among his playmates the celebrated
terror, John Mccormack Devoted
to his ambition to become a church
man-first determined upon, he
says at the age of ten-the new
archbishop'S career may be said to
have begun at 16, when he rode for
the first time on a train, his first
trip away from home, carrying him
to Limerick to the College of Mum
gret in 1895. From then on his
rise has been steady.
His early home life and success
in school perhaps may have pre-
dictated a more than ordinary ca
rcer for the pTelate-to-be. His par
ents were fairly comfortable farm
ers. The River Shannon flowed
through his fathers holdings and
at times flooded them.
His early education was received
in the intermediate schools OF his
native town. He attended 4 school
| conducted by the Marist brothers,
a French teaching congregation,
and had an unusual opportunity
with them to follow az classical
course. He WIS studying the dead
! languages of Caesar and Cicero as
well as the living fiery language OF
/ Clemenceau and Viviani when he
! was but nine years old. At IL he
| had been awarded a first grade GER
/ tificate in elementary chemistry,
| photography and mathematics by
| the science and art board of South
! Kenginston, London, which board
had an examining center in Ath-
| lone.
University Course.
Going to Limerick at 16, he pur-
sued the course outlined by the
Royal Irish University and in 1900
with high honors recorded through
out his college course, he was Civ
en- his degree in mental and moral
science. His course included clas-
sizes, logic, metaphysics, ethics,
natural theology, PHYSIOLOGY and
history of philosophy.
With his ambition for priest
hood before him, he realized that
there were other fields where a
young churchman might be more
needed than in Ireland. while l
| loved the old land" as he puts it,
/ and its warm-hearted people, l
/ longed to consecrate nay life to the
/ service Of God and my fellow men,
/ in some part Of the world where
, Catholics were less fortunately sit
! Uated from the religious standpoint
I than in Ireland" He applied for a
post and gladly accepted an assign
mcnt to the mission of Florida, and
/ by order Of the late Bishop Moore
/ Of St Augustine, went to Rome to
| study sacred science in prepara-
| ton for his priestly work in the
/ Land Of Flowers.
| He entered the Propaganda Uni
versity at Rome in 1900, where he
/ had an opportunity of meeting and
mtngling with students from every
part Of the world. Forty-fiye Ian
4 guages or dialects were spoken in
. the university. He was given full
marks in almost every examina-
/ ton. In 1901 he received the Bach
/ olOr of Divinity degree, and in 1903
! the degree OF Iicentiate of sacred
/ theology. He was awarded medals
! in Christian archaeology, liturgy,
fundamental theology, dogmatic
I theology and Scripture.
Takes First Charge.
His first charge was St Peters
/ parish, DeLanG. With the excep-
tion OF II months of the year 1905,
spent as secretary to the bishop
and chancellor OF the diocese. all Of
| the then Father Curley's years as a
priest were spent in Iceland.
! While pastor at De Land he had
charge of all the missions from
New Smyrna to Fort Pierce and
his missionary work kept him on
the road constantly. There were
very few people along that $50