Evening star., 1948-05-06
Msgr. E. L. Buckley, Venerable
Rector at St. Matthews, Dies
Became q Catholic
In Widely Discussed
Move in the '9Os

Georgetown University Hospital. He
had been stricken with heart at
tack April and complications re-
sulting from advanced age had
developed.
Shortly before the pm. angelus
sounded from the university grounds
death came to the aged prelate
whose entire career in the Catholic
Church-spanning almost half
century-was wrapped up in the
welfare and growth of st. Matthews.
Ordained as an Episcopal clergy
man in 1888, Msgr Buckley turned
to the Roman Catholic Church 10
years later in a widely discussed
conversion in Rome
Archbishop at Bedside.
BY his bedside at the time of
his death was Archbishop Pat
rick A. O'Boyle. Msgr. John X.
Cartwright, who succeeded Msgr.
Buckley as rector of st. Matthews;
MSgr. John j. Russell of St. Pat
rick's Church; the Rev. w. Louis
Quinn, assistant rector of st.
Matthews, and two sisters of Msgr
Buckley, Miss Anne G. Buckley and
Mrs. Myddleton Woodville.
A third sister, Mrs William Fitz-
hugh Gurley, also survives.
Msgr. Buckley continued to live at
st. Matthews rectory after his re-
tirement late in l945, but six months
ago moved to the home of Miss
Buckley at 3013 P street NV.
The body of the venerable priest
will be brought to st. Matthews
rectory tomorrow morning. Late
Sunday afternoon it will be carried
into the Cathedral. to lie there until
the final services at 1890 am. Mon
day. The office of the dead will be
recited in the Cathedral at pm
Sunday.
Archbishop OBoyle will pontifi-
cate at the requiem high mass on
Monday morning. Msgr Cartwright
will deliver the eulogy.
Burial will be in Mount Olivet
Cemetery.
Ordained in 1901.
From the day in 1901 when he was
ordained by the late James Cardinal
Gibbons, st. Matthews was Msgr !
Buckley's first and only parish. And |
even after his retirement on De-
cember 81, l945. he refused to allow
his "a years to prevent frequent
sayings of masses.
Msgr. Buckey's priesthood began
as assistant pastor at st. Matthews
IL years before the dedication of
the present church on Rhode Island
avenue near Connecticut avenue
NV. .
In 1901, only the transept of that
church was completed, but Father
Buckley held services there Some
of his parishioners were descendants
of families present at the dedication
of the old church at Fifteenth and
H streets NV.
Msgr. Buckley served for 81 years
as assistant pastor. On April !,
1913, Cardinal Gibbons came to the
church to dedicate it. After. the
death of Msgr, Thomas s. Lee in
August, 1922, 'Msgr. Buckley became
the rector. &.7.4" s
Heart Warming Honor.
Of the honors that came to him
after that, none was more heart
warming than the act of Pope Plus
XII in July, 1899, designating st.
Matthews as the Cathedral for the
new diocese of Washington.
Thus he lived to see fulfilled the
dream of his predecessor, Msgr Lee,
who had always visualized his
church as the sanctuary of bishop.
With the late Archbishop Curley
Of Baltimore presiding, the rector
Of st. Matthews was invested with
the rank of mOnsignor December 6.
1929. A papal brief of Pope Plus XI
eXtolled him for his work in estab-
fishing charitable institutions.
Later, on December 8, 1910. and
in connection with st. Matthew'S
centennial Msgr. Buckley was in
vested with the robes of the rank of
prothonotary apostolic, conferred by
Pope Plus XII, and giving him a
bishops privilege of pontificating at
d SOlelIlu IllSn mass.
Congratulated by President.
On this occasion he received a
letter of congratulations from Presi-
dent Roosevelt, which was repro
duced in volume entitled, st.
Matthews of Washington. history
Of the Cathedral's first 100 years by
Helene, Estelle and Imogene Phil
ibert
This deserved recognition will
give great satisfaction to all who
know of your long and devoted la
bors at st. Matthew's: your good
works among the poor, the aged and
the friendless, the President wrote
One of Msgr. Buckey's first acts
on becoming rector was the re-
establishment of the parish school,
discontinued II years before. A
dwelling at 1925 N street NV. was
purchased for that purpose and
named the Calvert School,
When the enrolment outgrew the
building in 1886, the home of the
late Chief Justice Edward Douglas
White, who had been one of Msgr.
Buckey's distinguished parishioners.
was obtained, remodeled and en-
!arged for a new school at TIT
Rhode Island avenue NV.
Established Convent.
Mssr. Buckley also established the
Convent of the Sacred Heart at
l7l9 Massachusetts, avenue NV, in
1924. and was instrumental in the
purchase of the Playhouse. 1914 N
street NV, for parish house in
June, 1881.
In 1911, 1t had come to Msgr
Buckey's attention that two elderly
women living in the l400 block of
N street NV. were about to lose
their home. In providing them
financial assistance, Msgr. Buckley
invited them to remain as the first
guests of the Catholic Home for
Aged Ladies.