Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-10-12
YOUNGEST BISHOP.
CELEBRATES 42ND.
B|R THDAy TODAY
(By Associated Fress.A


Tampa, Fla, Oct. 11-Ten years
a priest, all of them in Florida, and
seven years the bishop of this diocese
preceded by four years in tn eprop-
uganda University at Rome, COM
prise the meteoric career of the
young Archbishop of Baltimore, who
will ascend the throne long graced
by the great Gibbons, on November
80. Tomorrow Archbishop Curley
will celebrate his 42nd birthday.
Michael Joseph Curley was born
in Athlone, county Westmeath, Ire
land, October IL, 1879, one of ten
children and happy boyhood includ-
ed among his playmates the celebrat-
ed tenor John Mccormack. Devoted
to his ambition to become church.
man-frst determined upon, he says
at the age of ten-the new arch
bishops career may be said to have
begun at sixteen 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 predicted
a more than ordinary career for the
prelate-to-be. His parents were
fairly comfortable farmers. The
River Shannon flowed through his
fathers holdings and at times food
ed them.
His early education was received
in the intermediate schools of his ma
tive town. He attended a school
conducted by the Marist brothers, a
French, teaching congregation, and
had an unusual opportunity with
them to follow a classical course. He
was studying the dead languages of
Caesar and Cicero as well as the liv-
ing fiery language of Clemenceau
and Viviani when he was but nine
years old. At twelve he had been
awarded first grade certificate in
elementary chemistry, physiography
and mathematics by the Science and
Art Board of South Kensington,
London, which board had an exam
lining center in Athlone.
Going to Limerick at sixteen, he
pursued the course outlined by the
Royal Irish University and in 1906
with high honors recorded through
out his college course, he was giver
his degree in mental and moral
science. His course included class.
les, logic, metaphysics, ethics, natu'
raj theology, PHYSIOLOGY, and his
tory of philosophy.
!, With his ambition for priesthood
before him, he realized that there
were other fields where a young
churchman might be more needed
than in. Ireland "While l loved the
iold land," as he puts it, "and its
warm hearted people, | longed tc
,consecrate my life to the service Of
God and my fellow men, in some par
of the world where catholics were
less fortunately situated from the
religious standpoint than in Ireland.
He applied for a post and gladly &C
cepted an assignment to the mission
of Florida, and by order of the late
Bishop Moore of st. Augustine, wen
to Rome to study sacred science il
preparation for his priestly work il
the Land of Flowers.
He entered the Propaganda Uni
Nersity at Rome in 1900, where HI
had an opportunity of meeting ant
mingling with students from ever,
part of the world. Forty-five Ian
guages or dialects were spoken il
the university. He was given full
marks in almost every examination
In 1901 he received the Bachelor o
Divinity degree, and in 1908 the de
gree of lcentiate of sacred theoli
gy. He was awarded medals i
Christian archaeology, liturgy, fund
amental theology, dogmatic theolc
gy and Scripture.
In the fall 70 1903 he suffered
severe attack of neurasthenia of tn
brain, induced by his heavy wor
ard was forbidden by his doctor an
his bishop to present himself TO
fur her degrees. He relaxed hi
zeal in his studies, rested severa
months and then continued. He wa
ordained priest by Cardinal Paro
cohi, March 10, 1904, in the Basilic
of St. John Lateran. During tn
of he c+o in Po1O1a th