USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > History of St. John's Church, Newark > Part 12
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The Author
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and carry on the work. His appointment of a young Priest as Vicar-General will be the means of rallying around him the whole Priesthood of his Diocese. The young men will prove his source of strength, his joy, his consolation, and the realization of his best hopes." This message was delivered and kindly received. The Bishop said he had made no appointment, reports to the contrary notwithstanding, but he was giving the matter his prayerful consideration. He had written to Father De Concillio, apprising him of his (the Bishop's) intention to appoint him Vicar-General, but as yet no such appointment had been made. "When a Vicar-General is appointed," the Bishop added, "such appointment cannot be recalled or revoked unless for cause."
In 1886, before the Right Rev. Bishop Wigger sailed for Europe to make his initial decennial visit to the Tomb of the Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, at Rome he appointed a Vicar-General-the Very Rev. William P. Salt, Spiritual Director of the Seminary at Seton Hall; and the selection was universally hailed with satisfaction throughout the Diocese. The author, meeting the Bishop on board the steamer an hour before sailing, congratulated him upon the appointment. The Bishop replied : "It would seem to have been an inspiration; I did not think of Father Salt until after saying Mass a few days ago-Mass offered with the intention that Almighty God might aid me to select a Priest for His greater honor and glory." "Well, Bishop," said the author, "God indeed, has answered your prayer. He is good to the Irish, you know;" and one of his broad smiles illumined the face of the good Bishop.
When the Papal Bulls appointing him Bishop of
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Newark reached Doctor Wigger on September 30th, 1881, he immediately assumed the jurisdiction of the Diocese, relieving the Right Rev. Mgr. Doane, Administrator; and after his Consecration the follow- ing month one of his first official acts was to "revali- date some of the appointments made during the vacancy in the See, which were held by the Bishop and his advisers to be irregular, 'to say the least, doubtful as to their validity.'"-(The Catholic Church in New Jersey, p. 480). Among the alleged "irregular" or "doubtful" appointments which were confirmed by the Bishop was that of the Rev. Joseph M. Flynn, whom Mgr. Doane had promoted from a curacy at the Pro-Cathedral to be Pastor of the Church of the Assumption, Morristown.
Bishop Wigger took a deep interest in promoting Catholic education-the Parochial Schools were as the apple of his eye. He also manifested great interest in the Seminary at Seton Hall; he laid the corner stone of the new Cathedral June 11th, 1899; Pontificated for the last time at St. Patrick's Pro- Cathedral on Christmas Day, 1900, and died of pneumonia twelve days later, January 5th, 1901. Funeral services were held January 10th, in St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral. Archbishop Corrigan offici- ated, and Bishop McFaul of Trenton pronounced the panygeric. The interment was made in the Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre.
Mgr. Flynn, in his history thus describes Bishop Wigger: "Bishop Wigger was of medium height and slender frame, and withal he undertook labors under which a stronger man would succumb. In his friend- ships he was firm and loyal. To the unfortunate he was Christ-like in his. tenderness and sympathy.
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Bishop Wigger was absolutely disinterested and unselfish, and his poverty truly Apostolic, as may be judged from this extract from his diary :
'This morning I go for the first time to Saratoga, to drink the waters, and see if they will cure my biliousness, which has troubled me for some time back. I will be away all the week. Mr. J. J. Keane, of Jersey City, accompanies me, and pays all expenses. Had he not invited me and kindly volunteered to pay all expenses, I could not have gone, I am so poor. When I was only a simple Priest I was always more or less in debt. Only once did I succeed in laying by $100. In less than three months all had disappeared. Since I have been Bishop things are worse even. My personal debts are larger than formerly. There is some comfort in knowing that I have not spent much on myself; I have never done that. The money has been given to others, generally in charity. I hope God will reward me for it. There is very little besides this for which to reward me.'-Reg. Dioc. 271."
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THOUGHTS ON BISHOP WIGGER'S DEATH. BY MICHAEL J. MULLEN.
From the heart of the Diocese rises this wail- Coming out from the city, the mountain and vale; "Be Thou patient, O Lord, with our Shepherdless flock, For, though loyal to Thee and the Church on the Rock, We are fevered with grief, for our Bishop is dead, And some hopes of our faith are nigh palsied with dread, For we fear our good-bye is eternal farewell, As his spirit has gone where the sainted ones dwell ; And 'tis said when a soul gains Thy haven of bliss, 'Tis too pure to revisit a planet like this.
But, oh, is it true that the soul when it flies From its earthly abode to a home in the skies- To that mystical realm where eternally rest, With the angels of God, the pure souls of the blest- No communion will hold with the spirits below, That its prayers and blessings we never more know, That its love and our love are divided fore'er, And our fate in this world is a life of despair?
Ah! no, 'tis not so; for the kind Father who gave His Son to redeem us, to strengthen and save, To each human nature a presentment gives That after we die there is something that lives, And that something doth speak, by the Father's control, To the heart and the mind-'Tis the Voice of the Soul ! And it tells us, dear friends, that in peace and in strife, The souls of the dead will be with us through life.
Else why the strange yearnings of the heart and of mind To pierce the sky curtain, know the secrets behind ? And why, too, as we grow in the years more mature- And the trials of life are more hard to endure- Do we pray for a future devoid of all strife, When we bid our farewell to the cares of this life? That there is a hereafter, no Christian can doubt, For even proud Science, who did reason it out That 'twas only a dream, is now forced to admit The truth of Christ's teaching, by the Fisherman's writ.
Then, instead of lamenting our Bishop's decease, Let us pray that his soul may rest ever in peace ; That the smile we so often saw lighten his face, May illumine his soul in the Kingdom of Grace ; That when the Death Angel shall open his pall Our souls may be ready to answer his call, So our Bishop can come at the Father's behest To escort us on high to the Home of the Blest !
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CHAPTER XXXIV
The Fourth Bishop of Newark
The Right Reverend John Joseph O'Connor, D. D., fourth Bishop of Newark, was Consecrated by Most Reverend Michael Augustine Corrigan, D. D., Arch- bishop of New York, in St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, July 25th, 1901. The Assistant Bishops were Right Rev. James A. McFaul, D. D., LL. D., of Trenton, and Right Rev. Charles E. McDonnell, D. D., of Brooklyn. There were present Right Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid, D. D., of Rochester, Right Rev. Patrick A. Ludden, D. D., of Syracuse, the Priests of the See of Newark, and many of the Reverend Clergy from New York. The sacred edifice was thronged. The Bishop of Rochester preached the sermon. It was the third Consecration oration which he delivered in the Pro- Cathedral; he had discharged a like function at the Consecration of Bishop Corrigan and Bishop Wigger.
Bishop O'Connor is a native of Newark, of Irish parentage. He was born in the Parish of St. James the Less, June 11th, 1855, and was baptized by the Rev. James Callan, the second Pastor. Had the future Bishop first seen the light of day two years anterior to his birth, old St. John's could claim him as one of her children; but there is pleasure in the thought that as St. James the Less is one of the off- springs of St. John's, the old Mother Church regards him as a bright example of an illustrious nephew!
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John Joseph O'Connor was graduated from Seton Hall in 1873; and, "as Archbishop Corrigan stated in his address on the day of Bishop O'Connor's consecra- tion, the young graduate was sent to Rome that he might one day succeed him as Bishop of the Diocese." -(The Catholic Church in New Jersey). He spent four years in the American College, Rome, and one year in Louvain. On December 22d, 1877, he was ordained Priest by Mgr. de Anthonis.
Father O'Connor was appointed Professor in Seton Hall College and Seminary. He became Director of the Seminary, and Bishop Wigger appointed him Vicar-General, succeeding the Very Rev. William P. Salt. He was appointed Rector of St. Joseph's Church, Newark, October 30th, 1895. On the death of Bishop Wigger, Father O'Connor was appointed Administrator of the Diocese. Right Rev. Joseph M. Flynn's history says of his life in Seton Hall :
"During the eighteen years that he assisted in the Diocesan Seminary in training the young Levites, as professor of both philosophy and theology, by his unremittent care, gentleness, and piety he endeared himself to all. In this difficult and most divine of all works his career was marked by firmness without obstinacy, kindness without weakness, and by zeal tempered with charity. How richly he stored his mind while imparting Catholic teaching to those under his care is clearly evident in his discourses, addresses, and letters, which show him to be the finished scholar and an orator of rare merit."
Bishop O'Connor celebrated Solemn Pontifical Mass in St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, on Tuesday, November 3d, 1903-the Fiftieth Anniversary of the arrival and installation in the See of Newark of Right Rev.
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James Roosevelt Bayley, D. D., the first Bishop. In the Sanctuary were His Excellency, Most Rev. Diomede Falconio, Apostolic Delegate; Most Rev. John M. Farley, D. D., Archbishop of New York; Bishop McQuaid, of Rochester; Bishop McDonnell, of Brooklyn, and Bishop McFaul, of Trenton. There were upwards of three hundred priests present. The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Rochester, who was the only survivor of all the clergymen who took part in the installation ceremonies of the first Bishop of Newark.
At the close of the religious services in the Pro- Cathedral, the clergy attended a banquet in the Krueger Auditorium. Addresses were made by His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate, Most Rev. Arch- bishop Farley, Right Rev. Mgr. Doane, Right Rev. Bishop McQuaid, Very Rev. William McNulty, of Paterson, Rev. Andrew M. Egan, and Bishop O'Connor.
On Wednesday evening, November 4th, "the laity of the Diocese who responded to the appeal of Bishop O'Connor" for funds towards the erection of the New Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, "assembled in the Kreuger Auditorium." The late venerable Michael Rowe, Aeneas Fitzpatrick (one of the early pioneers) and Charles Bogan, father of Rev. Bernard M. Bogan, were among the guests. The Cathedral Fund Committee, Mgr. Sheppard, Mgr. Flynn and Rev. Charles J. Kelly, LL. D., introduced the guests to the Bishop. The banquet over, Doctor Kelly introduced former United States Senator James Smith, Jr., to respond to the toast, "The Charms of the Old Cathedral." The Senator's speech was impromptu. He was born, he said, in St. Patrick's
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Parish, baptized in St. Patrick's Church, enjoyed the privilege. of making his first Holy Communion and receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and Matrimony within the walls of the sacred edifice, and there was an added personal charm-he had seen his family grow up under its loving care. But the greatest of all the charms of the Old Pro-Cathedral was the bond of unity and affection which had always existed between the Reverend Clergy and their people. No differences had ever arisen in the Parish since its organization; and whenever a Pastor appealed for financial aid for any cause, the loyal flock responded liberally. "When the new Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is finished," continued Senator Smith, "the Catholics of the Diocese of Newark will have one of the grandest edifices dedicated to the service of the ever living God in the United States, and dear Old St. Patrick's, the daughter of Old St. John's (the cradle of the Diocese), will no longer be the Pro- Cathedral-but plain St. Patrick's Church. While all Catholics throughout the Diocese may be proud of the new edifice, the Catholics of the City of Newark- especially those of St. Patrick's Parish-will ever retain their love for the Old Pro-Cathedral. With all its grandeur, the new Cathedral can never rob St. Patrick's of the associations and memories which have made the old Church so endearing to the hearts of the laity. Thousands have been married before her altar, their children have had the regenerating waters poured upon their heads at her baptismal font and were received into the fold of Christ; while countless others who had fought the good fight had been fortified by the Sacraments before appearing at the Tribunal of Judgment and the last rites performed over their
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Miles F. Quinn, Senior Trustee
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bodies before being laid in their last resting place. The present generation and those of the past who still live, as they enter her portals to worship, or in passing by look upon her modest exterior, cannot fail to recall many events connected with their lives. They will remember the trials, incident to the erection of the Church; that within her sacred walls have labored men whose lives were consecrated to the service of God from Father Senez to the Right Rev. Mgr. George Hobart Doane-all of whom have gained honorable place in the Priesthood and Heirarchy of the Church; that from the children of the Pro-Cathedral Parish were sent many Priests who went to other fields of labor and erected Churches for the people to worship in, and schools in which their children were given a good religious and secular education, fitting them to be good citizens; that many young women of the old Parish entered religious communities and consecrated their lives to the education of children and the care of the orphans, the sick and the aged; finally that through the zeal of those who labored within the Sanctuary have sprung institutions of learning second to none, institutions for the physical and religious welfare of those who were left without home or parents, and for the treatment of the afflicted."
Hon. William J. Kearns, a counsellor-at-law, of this city, responded to thetoast, "Our New Cathedral." The new Cathedral, he said, must be viewed by us of to-day as an existing and accomplished fact, even though it has not been entirely built, for behind the project was the will and force and ability of this great and growing Diocese. The speaker gave an interesting technical description of the edifice, and added: "Such is the noble edifice, to the construc-
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tion of which the Catholics of the Diocese stand willing to contribute, for we certainly have the same practical abiding faith, although, perhaps less denom- strative and enthusiastic in the outward manifestation of it, as had the people of the ages past. We believe as firmly and sincerely as did they that no outlay is too great, no sacrifice too hard, no burden too heavy, which we may make and assume for the proper housing of our Eucharistic King of Kings, the Adorable Victim of Love, for whose greater honor and glory we gladly make every expenditure. This is the motive which prompts our sacrifice. This is the main- spring of all Catholic action in Cathedral and Church building, so little understood, so much misunderstood by the non-Catholic world. Therefore it is that, like David, 'we have vowed a vow to the God of Jacob.' 'If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house, if I shall go up to the bed where I lie; if I shall give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, or rest to my temples, until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.' "
Dean Joseph M. Flynn, of the Cathedral Collecting Committee, reported that Monsignori J. A. Sheppard and Charles J. Kelly and himself had "visited 1,400 families and secured donations from about 400;" that "the sum of $5,000 each had been contributed by John F. Shanley and James Smith, Jr., of Newark; $500 each from Thomas Maloney, of St. Patrick's, Jersey City ; Patrick Farrelly, of Morristown, (since deceased-the Author) ; and James McGuire, of Elizabeth;" that "the balance of subscriptions was made up principally of $100 each."
Right Rev. Bishop O'Connor delivered the closing address, for a verbatim report of which the author is
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indebted to Mgr. Flynn's history. The address evidences the Bishop's determination and earnest- ness of purpose, not alone to walk in the footprints of his illustrious predecessors, but to still further advance the cause of Catholicity in the Newark See to which he has been called and which he wisely governs. Within the confines of his jurisdiction not a discordant note is heard; peace reigns supreme; the Reverend Clergy and the laity work in harmony; and may these blessings last "ad multus annos!"
THE RIGHT REV. BISHOP'S ORATION.
"GENTLEMEN :- I thank you one and all for your presence here this evening and for your kind greeting. More than two years have elapsed since I was chosen to assume the burden and respon- sibilities of the Bishopric of this Diocese. During that time it has been my good fortune to be the recipient of many tokens of esteem, for which I can never be sufficiently grateful. Priests and people have rallied around me with a unanimity and good will which not only was gratifying in itself, but inspired me with zeal to carry on to the best of my ability the projects inaugurated by my predecessors for the welfare of those committed to my Pastoral care.
"On various occasions I have met the assembled clergy and ex- changed views with them as to the means best adapted to advance the cause of religion in this portion of the Lord's vineyard. But not until to-night have I enjoyed the opportunity of coming face to face with the representative laymen of the Diocese, though never for a moment did I lose sight of the fact that it was my duty, as I knew it would be a pleasure, to bring them together and to address them, as I have the honor to do this evening. With sentiments, then, of sincere admiration for your steadfast loyalty to your faith and of heartful gratitude for the important share you have borne in building up the Diocese and making it what it is to-day, I greet you, Gentlemen, and beg to express my cordial good wishes toward you all, and through you toward all the laymen of the Diocese. It is peculiarly fitting that we should thus assemble at this time when we are commemorating an event which for fifty years has exercised a profound influence on the history of religion in this State. Half a century ago Catholics in New Jersey were few, poor, and despised. To-day they number
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nearly 400,000, and are reckoned by friend and foe as among the most virtuous, prosperous, and highly respected citizens of the com- munity.
"When we inquire into the causes of our progress, we may safely conclude that our rapid advance has been due in a great measure to the unity of thought and action produced by the erec- tion of the See of Newark and the organization of our religious forces and capabilities consequent on the formation of the new Diocese. My predecessors were men of more than ordinary ability and learning-Bishops Bayley, Corrigan, and Wigger-and they were upheld and assisted in their endeavors by as zealous and de- voted a band of Clergy as ever adorned the history of the Church. But while conscious of their own lofty aims and of the integrity of their motives in advancing the cause of God and religion, they- both Prelates and Priests-would be the first to declare if they were here to-night that their. labors, heroic and self-sacrificing as they were, would have been futile had it not been for the constant, unremitting, and whole-souled cooperation of the loyal and generous laymen, who in spite of difficulty and discouragement seconded every effort of the Clergy, and by their financial aid enabled them to bring to a successful issue what otherwise would have remained a sublime but vain ideal.
"To the laity it may seem at times that they have not been accorded their full share of credit for the progress of which we are so justly proud and for which we are so deeply grateful to God. But you may feel assured that in the heart of every Priest and Bishop there is a deep and abiding sentiment of appreciation for their efforts, and a keen realization of the fact that without their cooperation the success we have achieved would have been impossible. Nor do I wish to imply that it is merely by their generous donations that the laity have fostered the progress of religion. Far more than by such opportune aid, they have advanced the cause of the Church by the nobility and virtue of their lives, affording a practical proof of the power of our faith to influence the lives of men for good, to maintain and uplift the moral standards of society, and thus to promote the true welfare of both Church and State. It is my fond hope that during the years of my administration the Clergy will continue to receive at your hands the same loyal support you have accorded them in the past. And it is particularly gratifying to me personally to know that you have responded so generously to the appeal which I felt obliged to address to you during the present year. The great work which now engrosses our attention is the erection of the new Cathedral,
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which is to serve as a fitting embodiment of our united faith and zeal, and as a centre from which the blessings of Episcopal guidance may radiate to every portion of the Diocese.
"Not until the local needs of the various Parishes had been supplied was this undertaking begun. To my predecessor the past was the best guarantee for the future, and it inspired him with the design of completing the equipment of the Diocese and supply- ing one of its essential needs by building a Cathedral. He trusted implicitly in the faith and generosity of a people who had never been called upon in vain to sacrifice temporal possessions for the interests of religion. The noble response which you made to my appeal proves the accuracy of this estimate, and it has placed me under a debt of obligation to you all, for which I take advantage of this opportunity to express my profound gratitude. You have performed a service of permanent value to the Church and you have materially lessened the weight of a heavy burden. In my own name and in the name of the Committee who represented me, I thank you from my, heart. Our present difficulties have been successfully surmounted and our great Diocesan undertaking need not be interrupted. Years may elapse before it is brought to completion, but yours will be the honor of having come to the rescue at a critical moment and of having saved us from the dishonor of discontinuing even for a time an enterprise so important and so necessary for the Diocese.
"As we look into the future, our prospects seem radiant with hope. If with the meagre resources of the past we have been able to advance with such rapid strides, what may we not antici- pate when the chief obstacles have been overcome and we enter upon a second half-century with a thoroughly organized Diocese and a numerous, devoted and united Clergy and people? In point of material equipment our task has been almost accomplished. Our Churches, Schools, and Institutions of Charity are sufficient to supply your needs for many years to come, and their financial condition is such as to warrant us in the belief that within a brief period they will be comparatively free from debt. The path of our progress in the future will be in the direction of intellectual, moral, and spiritual development. Our growth in numbers is certain to continue, and the constant influx of immigrants from Catholic lands will augment our ranks if only we can control the education of the rising generation. It is to this end that we must direct our most strenuous exertions. Our Catholic Schools must be maintained and defended by every means in our power. They are our most precious treasure, to be preserved, strengthened, and brought to the
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highest plane of perfection. Even should we continue to be sub- jected to the necessity of paying for two sets of schools, one of which we cannot conscientiously make use of for our children, we must not rest until every Catholic child has an opportunity of receiving the priceless benefits of a thorough Christian education. To support, improve, and extend our Catholic schools, academies, and colleges will doubtless be the chief aim of our endeavors during the next fifty years. Of our success no reasonable man can doubt, for if God is with us who will stand against us? But in this as in all other efforts to promote the glory of God and the salvation of souls, your earnest, active cooperation will be required and I am sure it will not be lacking. When the Centenary of our Diocese will be celebrated, it will be recorded as a matter of just pride and glory that in this all-important work of Christian education the clergy have been loyally upheld and supported, as they have been during the past fifty years, by the generous, zealous, and self- sacrificing laymen of the Diocese of Newark.
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