Evening star., 1947-05-17
CurIey
Continued From First Page.)

| IuTley
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bedside said that the prelate diet
without regaining consciousness al
hour and half after he wa.
Istricken.
Others at Bedside.
| Others praying at the bedside
lwere Msgr. Nelligan, the Most Rev
Lawrence J. Shehan, auxiliary
bishop of Baltimore and Washing
iton and three nuns.
| The condition of the archbishop
Iwho entered the hispital in January
Ihad been reported much improved
early yesterday. He sat up ane
listened to a radio program at
o'clock last night.
When a nursing nun on nigh'
duty entered his room short time
later, she found him unconscious
slumped on the floor He apparently
had risen from his chair when the
stroke occurred.
Archbishop Curley suffered first
stroke in February, 1945. He had
been in ill health for some time
before that. In 1943 he underwent
an eye operation at the Wilmer In
stitute, Johns Hopkins Hospital. He
never fully recovered his vision
and was unable to read. However
he said mass daily in special
chapel built in his residence
Two Sisters SURVIVE.
He is survived by two sisters, Mrs.
Mary Macken of Carick Obrien,
Atlllone, Ireland, and Sister Agnes
Cecilia of st. Mary's Convent,
Taunton, Mass.
Archbishop Curley was chancel-
lor of Catholic University and many
of his visits to Washington In past
years were in this capacity.
The archbishop was outspoker
and had no fear of controversy. He
condemned the Nazis early in tle
rise of Hitler calling the Hitle,
propagandist, DR.. Paul Joseph Goeb-
bels, "a man with warped foot
and a warped mind He several
times condemned the Roosevelt ad-
ministration for its hands off pol
icy when the Mexican government
was dispossessing priests and nuns
Criticized Roosevelt.
He was concerned about Ameri-
cas- diplomatic recognition and re-
tlations with Russia. In 1941 he said
that President Roosevelt was de-
validating the. dollar and trying te
plunge the Nation into war te
strengthen his own power.
Along with George Cardina
Mundelein, Dennis Cardinal Dough.
erty and Archbishop Thomas Mol
10y of Brooklyn, he was awarded
the Great Cross of Isabella, Spain:
highest decoration for civilians, BY
Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
When elevated to the newly ere.
ated arehepiscopal See of Washing
| ton at st. Matthews Cathedral il
1910, Archbishop Curley made ples
for tolerance. He said:
mo Catholic can be true Catho-
lie and at the same time harbor II
his heart feeling of i'll will or hatred
against any man. We of the ole
faith have grown accustomed
through the years to the anti-feel-
ing with which many regard us
But that never justifies having any
anti-feeling against Jew or Protes-
tant or unbeliever.
Refused Costly Gifts.
Although heading two of the
wealthier archdiocese of the church
Archbishop Curley probably made
good his determination to die a poor
man. At the public celebration o1
his silver jubilee, the 25th anni-
versary of his ordination. a purse OF
$4,000 was given him. He promptly
tulTed it over to st. Charles College
He several times refused proferreo
gifts of high-priced automobiles.
His greatest interest was in Cath
olic education. His priests raised
and spent more than $50 900, 900 on
schools since his elevation. Estab-
lishment of free Catholic high
schools was one of his principal
dreams.
IF 1t is a choice between beau
tiful new church and a needed
school, I want the school every
time" he once said
Born in Ireland.
Born October IL, 1879, on the
banks of the River Shannon, on
Golden Island, just outside OF Ath-
lone, County Westmeath, Ireland
Michael ]. Curley was one OF 1t
children of well-to-do farmer.
His father, also named Michael
died in 1918, and his mother, Maria
Ward Curley, in 1882, at the age OF
90. Throughout the latter part OF
her life Archbishop Curley visited
her yearly until she died.
At the age of the future arch
bishop entered St Mary's School
Athlone. conducted by the Marist
Brothers. It was while there that
he decided on the priesthood and
dreamed of being a missionary
among the FIJI Islanders.
After II years he. entered the
Jesuit College of Munger. Limerick,
and it was during his four years
of studies there that he decided on
Florida as the field of his future
priestly work.
Bishop Moore, of St. Augustine
had visited Mungret and asked for
missionaries in the Florida field
and talked with the ecclesiastical
student. Little did the youth realize
that some day he would occupy the
same seat held by the man to whom
he promised his services.
An excellent student, he repeated
| ly qualified in his examinations
before the Royal Irish University.
and in addition commanded the re-
spect of his fellow students in the
field of athletics.
| From Mungret College he went
to Rome to study theology and its
allied subjects at the College OF
Propaganda.
He learned number of foreign
tongues. In later wears he proved