The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-12
Scholastic Career, World War Service Piety, SeIf-Sacrifce Lauded in Address

fields Of Kindred learning. hnu this in response to his hourly prayer, Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth."
 Tn the ordinary avocations that make up the round of prieStly duty he was Q model, faithful to the last detail-confe nfessions, sick calls, admonition to those who were stumbling along the way of perfection. He met even the ma terial things of his vocation scru- puiously. About twenty years ago we changed our heating system from coal to oil. We bought our burner from drummer who seemed to know nothing about the article which he was selling. As oil heating was then in its in- fancy no one knew anything about the new burner-least of all the rector of the Cathedral.
 Industrious Worker
 Extreme cold was on us and no one knew how to heat the great plant: the Cathedral, the Bishops house, the Chancery Office, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy with its fifty or sixty dwell- CTS, some of them in the last stages of decrepitude. Fortunately for us all, Father O,Shea was there. Amid the general constcrnation he set to work, continued all day, deep into the night, and till the small hours of the following Ynor- ming. He got to the root of the trouble and saved the day. You can imagine the kind of work in which he was engaged when you are told that Inc was commanded to go down town and buy him suit of clean clothes.
 A more efiicient curate never served in the Diocese of 'Hartford. As ] look back on his years of labor in our parish cannot help taxing myself with a lack of ap- preciation for tho endless services of such rnasterful and many sided assistant.
 Divine Prodigallty
 You here at st. Margaret's did not have time to learn much about your new pastor. It would have taken years for you to learn his hidden and his highest quali- ties. His death at flfty-two is an- other and @ most striking evi- dence of the divine prodigality. At fifty Q normal man should be at his best, especially at his intellec- tual best; and, for @ priest who lived as Father O'Shea lived, at his spiritual best. He had timo to learn from books and time to learn from experience. He had time to store his soul with the things that sanctify. As Q stud- ent of mankind, Father O'Shea had done his best. The next twenty or thirty years would doubtless have been the most precious of his life. But his years of fidelity had brought their re- ward. We who look on must cry: T have said Thou art my God because Thou hast no need of my gifts"
 This is the lesson, my dear brethren we are to learn at the bier of this departed priest. He had fitted himself to do marvellous service. But his Creator and the Creator of the universe, needed no help from him.
 Had your new pastor been priv ileged to grow old among you, you would ell have come to rec ognize his presence as Q visible blessing from Him who is the Giver of every best gift. But he was here long enough to enable you to realize that he was a true priest, and to know that le had for you all Q fathers love. You have the faith to know and to realize that he can and will make intercession for you before the Throne of Grace.
 Knew Parents
 I knew Father O'Shea from his childhood. knew his parents his father very long and very well. They reared their children as lov- ing Christian parents should, for they reared them all in the love and fear of God. They gave their seven sons fine educations, sur- rendering three to the church and four to the world. I am sure that they gave to each of them their parental blessing.
 One of the priests went out to labor among the pagans. He dis tinguished himself so notably In China, that he was advanced to the fullness of the priesthood. We have all read of his trials and his dangers in the large province ua- der his episcopal care but noth- ing daunts him. He gave himself entirely to the Lord when he en- tered the Vincentian Order. He will listen to no call that would separate him from his pagan con- verts. He has put his hand to the blow and he will not look back. Heroic couragel Yes, and heroic sacrifice of all that the heart holds dear in this worldl
 Volunteered Services
 When your pastor had volun- teered to 90 to the front during the great war, he said to me: T think that I ought to go. There are seven of us and only one has volunteered" It seemed to me that one from one family was quite enough. But I could hardly help thinking that 1t was his conviction that the sacerdotal side of the family should not be out done in heroic patriotism by the lay members. And so he went to the front where 1t was his chief business to minister ct the death- beds of hundreds who were giving their lives for their country. No work could be more priestly. We have faith enough to believe that those whom he then prepared for their passage to eternity and their appearance before the Supreme Judge, are even now assisting at his funeral service and praying that his soul may quickly come to them in glory. Can we, his fa- vored children, refrain from join-