USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > The story of a parish : the first Catholic church in Morristown, N.J. ; its foundation and development, 1847-1892 > Part 5
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"General," said he one day, during the progress of a bitter fight in the Shenandoah Valley, "why don't you do thus and so?"-detailing a movement
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A HERO OF CHARITY.
which he thought would be effective against the enemy.
"Father Sheeran," replied Stonewall Jackson quietly, "who will be responsible for this battle, Father Sheeran or General Jackson?"
Again, when the yellow fever broke out in New Orleans, and all the Fathers in the house were prostrated, he alone remained to attend the sick- calls; and for weeks never slept in his bed, but napped on a lounge whenever a brief respite per- mitted.
In attending the sick in tenement-houses he fre- quently found two or three in the same bed victims of the dread disease. He would lie down between them, and, placing his ear close to their pestilent breath, hear their confessions. Not only did he minister to them spiritually, but prepared the corpses for burial and helped to carry the coffined remains to the dead-wagon.
In the gloom of a deserted, pest-stricken city, an eye-witness of scenes terrible beyond description, without the sympathy or cheering words of a single confrère, he never lost heart, but bent his every energy to encourage his brethren, to sustain the afflicted, to provide for the orphan, and bring solace to those whom death and disease had de- prived of kindred and friends.
Father Sheeran was one of the most efficient of the Redemptorist missionaries. Possessed of a voice of unusual silvery timbre, which he managed
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
with rare skill; witty and forcible in his side-hits and argumentations, he soon became the most popu- lar of the band.
When the war broke out he was South, and, together with Father Smulders of the same Congre- gation, was assigned by his Superior to attend to the spiritual wants of the Confederates. There was nothing of the gold lace or gilt edge connected with his position. The soldiers' meagre fare was his; their hardships in camp and bivouac he shared. Realizing the importance of the events which were daily happening, he kept an accurate diary, for which at the close of the conflict he was offered a large sum of money by a Southern firm of publish- ers; this he refused.
After the battle of Winchester, while attending some Union soldiers, he was made prisoner by Gen- eral Sheridan and confined in Fort McHenry, near Baltimore. Through the influence of Archbishop Spalding he was released, and was again enabled to enjoy the sweet calm of community life. But he never forgave General Sheridan. The fact is that they were alike in temperament, and when the clash came neither would yield. As the General had be- hind him plenary military power, Father Sheeran was conquered but not subdued.
A brief term of rest, and he was commissioned by his superiors to go to New York and collect funds for the Mission Church about to be erected in South Fifth Avenue, near Canal Street. Owing
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FATHER SHEERAN MADE RECTOR.
to a disagreement with his Rector he asked to be allowed to withdraw from the Congregation. His petition was granted, and he was adopted for the Diocese of Newark by Bishop Bayley. Pending a permanent appointment, he assisted in the parish of Hackensack. Such, in brief, is his history to whom the Catholics here are so much indebted.
In October, 1871, Bishop Bayley made him Rec- tor of the Morristown parish. Already far advanced beyond the meridian of life, his naturally strong constitution was weakened by hardships in the field and on the mission. Although providentially pre- served from contagion in the yellow-fever epidemic through which he had passed, the awful strain dealt a blow to his health from which he never recovered.
In the month previous to his coming Jeremiah Mulhall was appointed trustee to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Patrick Rowe, Sep- tember 28, 1867. The economy and prudent admin- istration of Father McGovern had freed the parish entirely of debt; so that the way was clear to pro- ceed with the construction of the new Church.
This task demanded the entire attention of the Pastor. Hence he sought and obtained help from the Passionist Monastery at Hoboken, to attend to the little flock at Baskingridge and Mendham.
Fortunately a suitable site, secured by the wis- dom and forethought of Bishop McQuaid, remained on which to erect the house of God, which was to excel all other church buildings in Morristown in
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
size, in beauty and solidity, and to lead the way for the adornment of the temples of worship, and the abolition of the barn-like structures called churches which disfigured our city. Mr. L. J. O'Connor was selected to draw up the plans and design of the new building. In the Spring of 1872 everything was in readiness. The bids were in, the weather was propitious, the congregation in expectation. On May 7 the bids were opened in presence of Father Sheeran and the Trustees. It was found that M. M. Parsons offered to build the Church and furnish all the material for the same for the sum of thirty-seven thousand dollars, exclusive of the Sanctuary windows and altars. As this was thirteen hundred dollars lower than the other bids, the contract, by resolu- tion, was awarded him.
The dead buried in that portion of the site cov- ered by the new Church were reverently removed. A busy throng of laborers dug the foundation, and by June the masonry had progressed sufficiently to permit the laying of the corner-stone. Bishop Bay- ley administered Confirmation on Sunday, June 30, 1872; and in the afternoon the ceremony, which had been awaited with much anxiety, took place. The weather was all that could be desired. A cloud- less sky, the trees and grass garbed in the be- witching splendor of Springtime, the air echoing with the melody of birds and filled with the fra- grance of cherry and apple blossoms, the societies, the acolytes, priests, and Bishop arrayed in their
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PRETO LAG 40 MT
THE CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION .- INTERIOR.
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THE LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE.
vestments, all made an effective and impressive scene. Mr. Lundy, of the Morristown Republican, gave a vivid pen-picture of the ceremonies, which is reproduced in its entirety :
"In spite of the intense heat of Sunday last, Morristown was all alive in the afternoon with per- sons wending their way to the corner of Maple Ave- nue and Madison Street, where the ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the new Roman Catholic Church was to be performed by Bishop Bayley with imposing ceremonies. A special train over the Del- aware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, from New York, and which arrived at Morristown about noon, brought about one hundred persons, among whom were priests from the Monastery of the Passionist Fathers at Hoboken, the clergy of Seton Hall Col- lege and the St. Elizabeth Convent, together with a number of invited guests.
" Bishop Bayley arrived the evening previous, and was a guest at the pastoral residence. On Sunday morning he confirmed over two hundred children belonging to this city, Baskingridge and Mendham. About 2 P.M. the grounds in the neigh- borhood of the church began to present a wonder- ful scene of hundreds of people gathered together, a sight somewhat unusual of a Sunday in Morristown. Wagons, in which were crowded all who could ob- tain room, arrived from Dover, Mendham, Rock- away, Whippany, Baskingridge, Madison, and other places, and took up position around the foundation of the new building.
" Every inch of shaded room was quickly appro- priated, and men and boys climbed by scores into the trees that line the grounds. One English elm
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
of extraordinary size contained by actual count fifty- seven of these acrobats. The citizens of Morristown were out in force, and by the time the services commenced fully three thousand persons were about the grounds, all eager to have a good view of the ceremonies. These began at half-past three P.M., the procession, consisting of the Bishop, clergy, and alcolytes, at that hour entering within the limits of the foundations. As soon as the entering prayers were said, the procession took its way to the corner- stone, where is to be reared the tower.
" In front came a priest bearing a large crucifix, and followed by alcolytes dressed in red robes with white surplices. The Bishop was in his full robes, with the mitre upon his head and the golden crook in his hand. He was supported by Rev. Dr. Seton, and behind him came the other priests. Prayers were said by the Bishop and priests, and the for- mer then assisted in placing the corner-stone in position, and, tapping it with his crook, declared it duly laid. The stone is about four feet in length by three wide and ten inches thick. On the side facing Maple Avenue is the inscription, in old Eng- lish text :
CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, JUNE 30TH, 1872.
In the centre of the stone was a receptacle of about ten inches long by six inches wide and deep, and into this a tin box was deposited. In this box was the following manuscript statement :
"'Laying of corner-stone of the New Roman Catholic Church at Morristown, New Jersey.
" Dedicated to Almighty God under the invoca- tion of the Assumption of Our Lady, the Blessed
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BISHOP BAYLEY'S ADDRESS.
Virgin Mary, the laying of the corner-stone of this new, spacious, and beautiful edifice was performed on Sunday, June 30, in presence of an immense concourse of people of different denominations, by the Bishop of the Diocese in which it is situated- Right Rev. Dr. Bayley, Diocese of Newark, N. J.
" At the date of this ceremony, June 30, 1872-
"The Holy Pontiff Pius IX. rules the Church ;
"The Most Rev. John McCloskey, D.D., is Arch- bishop of the Province of New York;
" The Right Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, D.D., Bishop of Newark ;
"Rev. James Sheeran, Pastor of the Church ;
" Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States ;
"Hon. Joel Parker, Governor of the State of New Jersey ;
" Hon. J. W. Ballentine, Mayor of Morristown.
" Architect of the new Church, L. J. O'Connor, of New York City ;
" Contractor, Mahlon Parsons; Masons, Shawger & Merrit.
" Ecclesiastics present at ceremony as follows :
"Rev. Monsignor Seton, D.D., of Convent St. Elizabeth Station; Rev. Dr. Wigger, of Madison, N. J .; Rev. Father McCarthy, of Dover, N. J .; Rev. F. Aloysius Blakely, Passionist, West Hoboken, N. J., and others.
"After laying and blessing the corner-stone the Bishop addressed the people for over an hour.
" He said that long since he had made a resolu- tion that he would bless no more corner-stones dur- ing the heated term, but, notwithstanding his reso- lution, he had blessed one a week ago, one on that day, and was engaged for the same service two weeks hence; therefore he thought he should make no more resolutions, or at least should say nothing
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
about them if he did. He said there was no duty connected with his office as Bishop that he per- formed with more pleasure than blessing the corner- stone of a new church, and he congratulated the Catholics of Morristown that they were to have a new, large, and commodious building erected and dedicated to God, and in which to worship Him; and not the Catholics only, but the Protestants too, he congratulated, as the new Church would be an- other influence for good in their midst, another altar erected to the Most High, whence faith and jus- tice and purity should emanate to bless the place, and where Protestants could, if so disposed, drop in and hear a lecture or sermon, and become some- what familiar with the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church, in regard to which there was the most profound ignorance even among the most learned and intelligent non-Catholics.
"The Bishop then, in a somewhat humorous way, proceeded to dispose of several illusions under which Protestants were laboring in regard to the Church ; as the finding of a Bible by Martin Luther, which led to his conversion, 'when,' said the Bishop, 'at that time no less than forty editions of the Bible had been printed, and no less than nine of them in the German language, and it was impossible that Luther should not have had familiar access to them.'
"And in reference to Confession, he observed that it was probably the belief of every Protestant in Morristown that the priest was paid for his ser- vices at confession, 'when,' said he, 'every one of you knows that you not only pay him not a cent, but that he could not take it if offered him, and that if you had all the gold in California the laws of the Church forbid him to touch a cent of it.'
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SOME HOME-THRUSTS.
" He alluded to several mistaken ideas which were held as truths by non-Catholics, and hoped the new Church would tend to dispel them.
" In alluding to what he termed the persecutions of the Catholics in Germany, he said that, although no prophet or son of a prophet, he predicted that the Pope would remain in the Vatican, and the Jesuit fathers in Germany, long after Bismarck and the German government were laid in the dust; that the Catholic religion would continue to increase and prosper ; that the world could not do without them yet, for to them it looked, as it had always looked, for the maintenance of law, order, the rights of property and stability of government. It was the great conservative party, he said, which was to save the world, and every civilized nation on earth had been converted to Christianity by the Catholics, and in most cases by apostles sent directly from Rome,
" He paid a compliment to the late President Lincoln, with whom he had been acquainted and of whom he had formed a favorable impression, de- nouncing his murder as a most wicked and foolish act, and he thought the country would have been much better off if Mr. Lincoln had lived.
" Paying his respects to Henry Ward Beecher, who was a schoolmate of his, he accused him of easily floating down the river with the tide without making any effort to stem the current, and patting every one on the back as they floated along.
" The strike for eight hours he alluded to as a delusion and a snare, advising his hearers to have nothing whatever to do with it; to continue to work their old, honest ten hours ; 'for,' said he, 'the two hours, if obtained, will be spent in great part in the grogshops, and the manufacturer will be
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
obliged to tax all the articles which you buy at a higher rate in order to continue his business, and eventually it will come out of you after all. He was not used to talking politics, however, and allow- ances must be made for his remarks in reference to them, as the only politician whom he ever cared much about was Andrew Jackson, and he had been dead twenty years.
"Now, said he, you have commenced to build a new and beautiful church. It is one thing to com- mence and another thing to finish. The latter could only be accomplished by unity of purpose and action. All must work together. Each one, how- ever poor, could contribute something. Better lay up your treasures in the stones of the new Church than leave it to erect a costly tomb for yourself ; for in the latter case, in a few years even, your name would be forgotten, but when dedicated to God in the new Church He would never forget it. It was an act of faith, a treasure laid up in Heaven. He impressed on the minds of his hearers the duty of building as fine and grand a church as possible ; that it was the duty of Catholics everywhere to rear edifices consecrated to the ever-living God as grand, as costly and imposing as possible, following the ex- ample of the old Christians, who, although poor and needy, had reared those fine old cathedrals in Europe which were to this day the wonder and ad- miration of the world.
" The Bishop is a well-educated and refined scholar, a man of fine appearance and address, and speaks fluently, pleasantly, and to the point. His remarks were principally of a practical nature throughout, showing a thorough knowledge of sub- jects treated and also of human nature.
"He held the vast audience in the broiling hot
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THE NEW PRIMATE.
sun for an hour and a quarter, and dismissed them with his blessing.
"In conversation afterwards with Bishop Bayley we learned that he went to school for some time with Mr. Ezra Fairchild, at Mendham, about thirty- five years ago. Of the older residents of Mendham the Bishop spoke freely, remembering most of them very well, and asking after several of the old fami- lies. He declared that to his mind Morristown and Mendham were the prettiest places he had ever seen in his travels."
In closing his remarks Bishop Bayley appealed to the people to aid their pastor in his efforts to raise up a house worthy of the living God by contribut- ing of their worldly goods, and to stimulate the flow of the living spring of charity by their generosity. Three hundred and one dollars were raised. No time was lost. Material, bricks and lumber littered the ground. Higher and higher rose the walls dur- ing the Summer; and the copious offerings of the Catholics proved their anxiety to have and build a suitable church.
The time had now come to cut off Baskingridge and Mendham, and relieve Father Sheeran from the care of these congregations. The two offshoots had attained a sturdy and healthy growth, and were able to support a pastor. The Rev. L. Danielou was appointed to take charge of the new mission.
In August of this year, Bishop Bayley, who had labored with so much fruit and zeal, and had ac- complished great things for religion since his eleva-
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
tion to the great responsibility of Bishop, was trans- ferred by the Holy See to the Archdiocese of Balti- more. He would gladly have renounced the honor of Primate and successor of Carroll, Kenrick, and Spalding in the illustrious Mother Church of the United States, and abided with his first love; but his protests were in vain. His separation from the field where the best years and efforts of his life had been spent almost snapped his heart-strings. It may, in- deed, be questioned if he ever recovered from it. For from that day his health began to decline. He was, as he himself said, "too old a tree to be trans- planted." His bluff, honest character would not per- mit him to conceal his dislike of his new charge. He lost no occasion to laud everything he had left behind at the expense of everything that surrounded him. Comparisons never conciliate; and so, while commanding the respect of clergy and people by his ability, zeal, and family prestige, Archbishop Bayley never won their love. His loss was keenly felt by his old flock. When he was invested with the pal- lium the priests of his dear Diocese of Newark were present almost to a man. The Archbishop never ceased to love the priests and flock of Newark with the ardent affection of a father. He was always ready to receive them, to stop all other business to entertain them, to give them precedence and atten- tion over even great dignitaries.
In 1874 two young priests, who had lately been ordained in Seton Hall Seminary, one of whom had
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A HALT IN THE WORK.
served the Bishop's Mass in the Newark Cathedral as a boy, and, later on, was to hear the last Con- fession of the Archbishop, on their way to visit St. Charles's College, stopped at the archiepiscopal resi- dence to pay their respects to their former Bishop, who had just returned from St. Louis.
The present Cardinal, his successor, then Bishop of Richmond, was awaiting him in the parlor. No sooner had the visitors from Newark been an- nounced than the Archbishop hastened from his study to welcome them, and with an arm around each ushered them into his room. Here, much to their embarrassment, feeling that they were in- strumental in detaining the distinguished visitor, Archbishop Bayley entertained the young priests and parted with them regretfully after a long and delightful chat.
To his death he maintained these friendly rela- tions, and he was never so happy as when, in the old Bishop's home, he recalled old events, surround- ed by the faces of those who had shared his toil and merit in the trying hours of his episcopate.
The unexpected oncoming of the cold weather necessitated a halt in the building of the new Church. A nipping frost came so unexpectedly that there was no opportunity to protect the walls. All the rigors and unpleasantness of an exceptional Winter prevailed. Successive frosts and thaws im- paired what, under other conditions, would have
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
been an unexcelled piece of work; and when, in the early Spring of 1873, labor was resumed, much had to be rebuilt. To the credit of the contractor be it said that he spared no effort to put up a structure which would at the same time attest his skill and give satisfaction to those who employed him.
In February, 1873, the news flashed across the water that the Administrator, the Very Rev. M. A. Corrigan, was named Bishop of Newark by the Holy See. To Bishop McQuaid, then on a visit to Seton Hall, Doctor Corrigan turned, after reading the despatch sent him by Mr. McMaster, of the New York Freeman's Journal :
" Is there no escape?" said he.
"None," replied the Bishop ; "you must accept the burden."
Archbishop Bayley's keen and unerring estimate of men secured for the important Diocese of New- ark a worthy successor. Trained under his own eye, and drilled into the methods which shaped his own administration, and won for the Diocese the stately position it now holds in the Church of the United States, Michael Augustine Corrigan brought natural executive ability, ripe scholarship, and solid piety to the exalted dignity which was forced upon him. Dr. Corrigan's preparatory studies were made under the venerable Father O'Reilly at St. Mary's College, Wilmington, Delaware; and completed in the nurs- ery of Bishops, Mt. St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, Mary-
MOST REV. MICHAEL AUGUSTINE CORRIGAN, D.D.
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THE RIGHT REV. DR. CORRIGAN.
land, from which he was graduated in 1859. He was chosen one of the little band sent by the Bish- ops to form the nucleus of the American College, which they hoped to establish in the centre of Catholic unity. His gentle manner, his application and singular purity of life, attracted the attention and won for him the respect and confidence of his classmates and superiors. On one occasion, when the little band of American students was in the presence of Pius IX., his Holiness singled out young Corrigan, whom he called "the American St. Aloysius."
He was ordained priest September 19, 1863, in the Cathedral Basilica of St. John Lateran, by Car- dinal Patrizzi.
On his return to his native land, August, 1864, he was made professor of dogmatic theology and Holy Scripture in the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, South Orange, N. J.
When the See of Columbus, Ohio, became vacant, the prelates looked to him as one worthy in every way to fill the difficult position, and on their recom- mendation he was preconized by Pius IX. The great dignity, the responsibilities, overwhelmed the young priest. He pleaded everything, his youth, his inexperience, with his own Bishop, with Archbishop McCloskey, and finally, yielding to his entreaties, the Holy Father acceded to his wishes. For a little while he was safe.
To his work in the Seminary he was entirely
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
devoted. The transfer of Father McQuaid to the Diocese of Rochester, as its first Bishop, enlarged his opportunities and entailed new responsibili- ties on Doctor Corrigan. He was made president and bent every effort, every talent, to bring the College up to the high standard to which its foun- ders aspired. On the elevation of Archbishop Bay- ley he was made Administrator, as he had exercised for some time the duties of Vicar-General. In May he was consecrated Bishop, in St. Patrick's pro- Cathedral, Newark, by Cardinal McCloskey. The Sanctuary, the aisles were crowded with representa- tives of the hierarchy, and the clergy of his own and other dioceses. The Rt. Rev. Bernard J. Mc- Quaid preached an eloquent sermon. And thus the young Bishop was launched on his new work; and bravely did he face the troubles and anxieties which the financial straits of St. John's Church, Orange, caused him at the very outset of his administra- tion.
The fragrance of the chrismatic unction had not been spent when he came to Morristown to exer- cise for the first time one of his episcopal functions. The mechanics had responded to the urgent appeals of Father Sheeran; the last touch of the brush had been given, the last blow of the hammer heard, the new Church was, at length, ready for dedication.
On Ascension Thursday, May 22, 1873, a leaden dulness overspread the sky. The rain fell in tor- rents. Without, everything was dismal and som-
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THE NEW CHURCH DEDICATED.
bre, but within the walls of the church what joy filled the hearts of pastor and flock! Bishop Corri- gan solemnly blessed the new Church, and the ceremony was followed by solemn Pontifical Mass. After the Gospel the Rev. Dr. Edward McGlynn preached from the text : "Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech " (Psalm cix.) There was a large attendance of priests and people. The music rendered during the Mass was by a choir selected from the different churches in Newark. Thus, twenty-five years from the erection of the first humble sanctuary, the pioneers who survived saw their first efforts eclipsed, the tender shoot developed into a mighty tree, and a dwelling-place enshrining the Holy of Holies which far exceeded their hopes and expectations. The Lord had, in- deed, builded the house, and their labors had not been in vain.
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