Evening star., 1947-05-17

his thorough command Of Italian
when on many occasions during ad-
! dresses before groups OF that ma
| tionality his audience would rise
with the cry, "Bravo!'
He won many scholastic honors
while in Rome. Toward the close
Of his studies, however, he was
stricken with neurasthenia and for
eight months was forced to rest
But on March 19, 1904, he was or
dained a priest by Cardinal Resphigi
vicar general of Rome, in the
Church of st. John Lateran.
After his ordination the young
priest spent few months with his
mother and father in Golden Island
His first mass in his native land was
offered in st. Mary's Church, where
he was to return again as Bishop
of st. Augustine and his parents
were to hear his boyhood chum
John Mccormack, sing in the choir
Reached u. S. In 1904.
Arriving in Florida in November
1904, the young priest took over
his first pastorate-that of st
Peters Church at De Land. The
collection at the first service he con-
Quoted netted $2.25. He lived in an
apartment over a department store
and bought a S. meal ticket, which
entitled him to 81 meals.
Under these circumstances, he
often said, it was seldom that he
refused an invitation to dine at the
home of friends, because in that
way he could make his meal ticket
last as long as three weeks.
Father Curley's parish covered
200 square miles, territory great
er by 1000 square miles than the
archdiocese of Baltimore. He jour-
neyed to points in his mission by
whatever conveyance was at hand
Sees Need of Schools.
From his visits among the people
in his mission, Father Curley gained
first-hand knowledge of the need
for schools and built one whenever
and, wherever the opportunity af-
forded. .,.. = VI
He left De Land for nine months
to serve as secretary to Bishop
Michael j. Kenny of st. Augustine
but returned TO his mission field
where he remained until 1914.
When Bishop Kenny died in Bal
timore in October, 1914, the dignl-
ftaries of the church met with Car
dinal Gibbons to recommend a sue
cessor.
Dressed in overalls, Father Curley
was tending the orange and peach
trees in his orchard on the after
noon of April 8, 1914, when he was
called to the telephone.
Father Curley, you have beer
appointed Bishop of st. Augustine,
the message said. Bishop Curley
was elevated to the episcopacy on
June 80, 1914-at the age OF "a.
Appointed to Gibbons Post.
During his administration in the
diocese of st. Augustine, more than
| 40 new churches and schools were
built, the number of priests sta
toned in the diocese was doubled
and the diocese itself freed from
debt
When a State law was passed pro-
hibiting white teachers from in
structing colored children, Bishop
Curley refused to withdraw the
nuns from Negro schools. The SIS
ters were arrested but Judge re-
leased them. Bishop Curley carried
the matter to higher courts and the
law was declared unconstitutional
When Cardinal Gibbons died, ir
1921, Bishop Curley was appointed
| to succeed him.
| It was position which presented
challenge because Of the great
name Cardinal Gibbons had made
in his long occupancy of the episco-
pal seat.
The day after his arrival in Balti-
more, November 20. 1921, Arch
bishop Curley laid down policy
not new to him, but merely a reiter-
alton of one of the uppermost
thoughts in his mind-education.
Plans Better Schools.
The year after he assumed his
position as head of the archdio-
cese, Archbishop Curley selected a
large group of experienced priests
and assigned them to the rural
parishes with instructions to i'm
prove the school facilities.
Keenly interested in athletics
when a boy and even finding time
TO become a fair golfer while Bishop
of st. Augustine, the new Arch
bishop of Baltimore became an
ardent supporter of the recreational
activities advanced in the Catholic
schools of this archdiocese.
He always was on hand for the
opening of the Parochial School
Baseball League, throwing out the
first ball and before the game bat
ting flies to the outfielders.
Until recent years, too, he could
be seen occasionally playing catch
with small boys on the grass plot
adjoining the Cathedral.
Host to Cardinal Pacelli.
In 1887 Archbishop Curiey acted
as host to Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli,
Papal Secretary of State who later
was TO reign as Pope Plus XII.
Two years later, on Archbishop
Curleys Goth birthday, he was sig
nally honored by the new Pontiff
whom he had entertained. An an
nouncement at Rome explained that
washington was to be new and
distinct archdiocese, with Arch
bishop Curley at its head. He would
be known thereafter as the Arch
bishop of Baltimore and Washing
ton. Until then the latter city had
been a part of the archdiocese OF
Baltimore,
The near blindness which over
took him shortly after probably cost
him the red hat and princely posi-
ton of cardinal. Pope Plus XII in
creased the number Of American
cardinals in the great consistory oil
I945 when 80 cardinals were In
Quoted into the Sacred College, but
| the Archbishop OF Baltimore and
washington, whose sight surgery
had failed to restore, was not one OF
them.