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Show CONSECRATION OF MGR. f CON AT Y AT BALTIMORE ( t Kcry Catholic "ducat ional institution institu-tion oi' prominence i'l the t " t i T 1 States was represcist'-d either by its president presi-dent "r members of the faculty at th" consecration lat Sun-lav in the o!d Raltimoi-" cathedral of Monsiginn-Thomas Monsiginn-Thomas .1. Comity, rector of the Catholic Cath-olic I'niversity of America, as IMulT bishop of Samos. Former President Cilm.iu ami Ptci-dent Ptci-dent Remsen of John Hopkins' university, univer-sity, together with representatives of other sc. ul.tr co!eg,.s. were interested spectators. The assemblage of pre.. la t-s numbered oca rly i'"". The ei.nsccr.itinn ct-remory was performed per-formed by Cardinal Archbishop Gibbons, Gib-bons, primal" of the church in America, Amer-ica, assisted by Bishop C. P. M i"? of Covington. Ky.. the secretary of the b..ard of trustees of the Catholic university, uni-versity, and Hishop Thomas 1 Pe.i'.cn of Springtieid. the itiocese to which Monsignor County belonged for thi'-ty years. The Very Rev. P. .1. Garrigan. vice rector of the university, read the papal brief, and the Very Rev. Dr. A. L. Magnien. president of St. Marys seminary, was the arch priest. The deacons of honor were M.m-fugnor M.m-fugnor Thomas Grittin of Woicest-r. Mass.. and the Rev. Dr. Thomas Ma-gennis'of Ma-gennis'of Boston. Monsinor James Lvnch of I'tica. N. Y., was ihe deacon dea-con of the mass, ami the Rev. Dr. P. I-Phelan I-Phelan of Holvoke. Mass.. sub-deacon. The Rev. Dr. V. A. Fletcher, rector of the cathedra!, was master of ceremonies. cere-monies. The sermon was preached hy tr.? Very Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Shahan. professor pro-fessor of church history at tie- university. uni-versity. Bishou Conatv is a native of County Cavan Ire. A kinsman and namesake name-sake of his rose to the episcopate m the church in Ireland, and the much beloved first bishop of Springtieid. Mass.. the late Right Rev. P. T. O Ketl-lv Ketl-lv r. I-. w-as a relative on the mother's side. The man destined to so large a place and influence in th" church in America, came to Taunton. Mass., with his parents in his early childhood. A brilliant graduate or Holv Cross college. Worcester, he math-his math-his theological studies with distinction at the Grand seminary. Montreal, ami was ordained to the priesthood for the diocese of Springfield. Mass., at Christ-mastide. Christ-mastide. 172. After eight years' service as assistant assist-ant to the Right Rev. Monsignor (.rutin (.ru-tin at St. John's church. Worcester. Dr Conatv was appointed to the rectorship rec-torship of th" new parish of the Sacred Heart in the same city, in which charge be remained for sixteen years. But almost from the outset of this nearlv .piarter of a century of priest -hood' Dr. Comity, while faithful to the modest labors of his pastora charges, had been coming into national prominence. He was magnetic and eloquent, elo-quent, with a keen perception ot the needs of his time. His zeal and energy 'overleaped the boundaries of city cr section He realized that in many sections sec-tions of the country intemperance among Catholics was the greatest stumbling-blick in the path of the church's progress. Hence he threw himself with the ardor of a new ather Mathew into the cause of total abstinence. absti-nence. He organized the diocesan union of the temperance societies of Springfield, and was its first president. He served two terms as vice president and two as president of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America, and on several notable occasions appeared ap-peared at national gatherings of Protestants Prot-estants ard at teachers' organizations, to speak the devotion of the Catholic church to the heroism of total abstt-nen'-f- and the value of the temperance idea in public instruction. In his own parish. Dr. Conaty began among the young people the work which later got a national development in the reading circle and summer , school movement. In ISO?., at the second sec-ond s-ssion of the first Catholic Summer Sum-mer School, he was elected its presi- ? dent. During his over three years in offite the firm foundation of the school's material and intellectual suc-rPf:s suc-rPf:s Was laid, and the brilliant development de-velopment that came after, made possible. pos-sible. To bring for God's honor and glory the utmost of spiritual and Intellectual . culture, and of the happiness which . . v. comes from a. sober, industrious and public-spirited citizenship to the greatest great-est " number of his people, was Dr. Conatv's life-idea. To this end he spent himself in parish work, in the labors incident to national charges, in the representation of Catholic faith and practice to our separated brethren. His ability as tactful guide or force- ful speaker was at the service of every religious, educational and patriotic, cause: and. though the cause of Ire- land's freedom and the progress of the ! Irish rare in America, inspired him with a special fervor, yet his heart and m'nd had the cosmopolitan sympathies necessary nec-essary for a great priest and leader. So was he chosen in for a na tional place, and as rector of the Catholic Cath-olic University of America he ha risen to his great opportunity. The history of his administration is too fresh in our readers' minds to need recapitulation recapitula-tion here. His especial achievement has been the establishment of the annual an-nual Conference of American Colleges, for the unification of otir whole educational edu-cational system. The ability and success suc-cess of Dr. Conaty's administration has won for him the highest dignity in the Church's gift. He is honored and the I'niversity is honored in his person. per-son. Ad Multos Annos. Boston Pilot. |
