The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-30
mot a Waterburian!"
Tradition Only Natives of Waterbury Need
Apply Broken by Recent Appointment-Bishop
Elect O'Brien Widely Recognized, Highly
Respected as Educator

High praise for the newly desig-
mated auxiliary bishop Of the
Hartford diocese Most Rev. Henry
]. O'Brien Is paid editorially In
the current issue Of the Catholic
Transcript. He Is represented as
the personal choice Of Bishop
McAullffe, as an outstanding edu-
Gator, and as one who will be
revered from one end of the
diocese to the other. Comment is
made that Bishop elect not being
a Waterburian skaters "tradi-
tiOns" by being elevated. The edi-
tOrial reads as follows:
The diocese of Hartford has had
three auxiliary bishops. 1t has
had seven bishops. The Most.
Rev. John G. Murray, known to
everybody, was the first auxiliary;
the. Most Rev. Maurice F. Nc
Auliffe, fairly well known, was the
second auxiliary; the Most Rev.
Henry J. O'Brien, known to hard
ly anybody, is the third.
The new auxiliary is spoken Of
by those who know him well as
the man for the place. No one
knew him better than Bishop Nc
Auliffe. He selected him for the
new post, and he had many from
whom to choose. Hartford has
about six hundred priests. Half
of them are either too old or too
young; OF the other three hun
dred, fifty of them would make
good bishops, but Father O'Brien
was the one placed at the head
by the reigning bishop, and he Is
the man most concerned, and the
one who should have the last say.
His Excellency remarked to the
present writer: II have got the
man OF my own choice"
One reason why the bishop elect
is not better known comes from
the fact that he is a modest,
self-effacing young priest. His
post as president of st. Thomas
Seminary brings him into contact
with comparatively few. He is
well-hown to his fellow profess
sors and they speak Of him in the
highest terms. His students ap-
pear to be mighty fond Of him,
and they know him as a teacher
and a superior. All respect him,
and speak of him in the highest
terms.
Not q Waterburian!
Bishop O'Brien was born, not in
Waterbury, as might be expected,
but in New Haven, which proves
to a demonstration that birth in
Waterbury is not conditio sine
qua non for a Connecticut mans
admission to the episcopal body.
The tradition that none but Wa
terburians need apply is now
bygone. Bishop McAuliffe, who
claims Hartford as his home,
Bishop Keough Of Providence who
was born in New Britain and
Bishop O'Brien, a native Of the
Elm City, are to be credited with
having placed their native towns
on the ecclesiastical map.
The new auxiliary received his
earliest education in the public
schools of his native city. He
came to Hartford for his training
in the classics, and after gradual
ing at st. Thomas Seminary, he
was sent to the Theological Sem
mary at Rochester, N. Y, to study
divinity. Before ordination he was
sent to the American College In
Louvain where he was ordained
by Cardinal MERCER. His priestly
life was begun like that of most
OF the priests Of this diocese as a
curate. He served In a small par
1sh at the north end of the do
cese, and in second small parish
at the south end. During the four
years thus spent he came into
contact with the people, long
enough to learn how a priests life
among the faithful is spent, and
how he finds 1t possible to serve
them helpfully, and how as a
bishop he may now move among
them and bring the church close
to them and to their children,
making himself q real father to
them and a real anirifiin1 ruler