USA > New York > Niagara County > History of the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels : Niagara University, Niagara County, N.Y., 1856-1906 > Part 22
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We cannot refrain from giving our readers an opportunity to learn how Father Kavanagh was regarded in the diocese in which he had labored so long. It was the gifted pen of the late Father
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Cronin, once a member of Niagara's Faculty with Father Kavanagh, which gave the following tribute:
" After an honored service of twenty-nine continuous years as Professor, Prefect, Vice-President, and President of Niagara Uni- versity, the Very Reverend Patrick Vincent Kavanagh, C. M., has at last, at his own request, been temporarily assigned to a position of less pressing responsibility and harassing care.
"Father Kavanagh has surely well earned a period of compara- tive rest. From four o'clock in the morning until far into the night, he has toiled all those years for God and the weal of the institution with which he has so long been identified. The worthy successor of the venerated Father Rice, Father Kavanagh flung himself with generous self-sacrifice into the work which the other laid down; and the great growth and prosperity of the University under his presi- dency show the signal manner in which God has blessed his labors.
" In one sense we feel like congratulating Father Kavanagh upon having obtained at least this temporary respite from grinding care. He can now breathe the air of freedom and indulge more than ever before his fine intellectual tastes. And yet we cannot think of 'Old Niagara ' without him. The institution seemed a part of his life. Every rock and tree and flower round about was imbedded in his affections. To his heart Our Lady of Angels, that looks down upon the rushing river, within whose beloved walls he has spent the young flower of his life, will always be the dearest spot on earth.
" A more devoted priest or golden-hearted man than Father Kav- anagh we have never known. Generous, unselfish, and high-souled, he never knew what it was to do a mean thing. Honor and principle have ever been his guide. With heart open as the day to his con- freres and all under his charge, is it any marvel that he was fairly worshiped by those who came in daily contact with his winsome character? Men may come and men may go, but the retiring presi- dent will never be forgotten in 'Old Niagara.' The memory of his sunny presence and noble nature will linger as a perfume round those historic halls."
No one acquainted with the two most concerned in the annexed poem will consider it egotistical if we append what was written as a farewell to Father Kavanagh by one who had spent fifteen consecu- tive years on the Faculty with that good man :
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VALE! FINISHED at last! my lustrum thrice gone o'er, And now to say " farewell" -'tis grief indeed To one who well remembers how of yore He stood a Friend, that sweetest word in need. E'en tho' we part, the past shall wear its smile, Remembrance gilding what the years might hide; Kind words, like flow'rs, come back each little while, And faces miss'd, in dreams with us abide. Veil not his love that clings unto each spire, And cross, and stone, where proud "Niagara " stands,- Niagara! - To his heart that name is fire, Above all flame of love for native land.
God speed aright thy feet where'er they tread; Hope's brightest star shed blessings on thy head! -G.
For about five years after leaving Niagara Father Kavanagh served as Superior in Baltimore and later at Saint Joseph's Church, Emmitsburg. He revisited the scenes of his life's labors on two great occasions, when the Index celebrated its Silver Jubilee, February 7, 1895, and again when the Alumni Chapel was reopened January 25, 1898. The affection with which he was greeted on both of these occasions by his former students and companions plainly showed that, if possible, love for Father "P. V." had been increased during separation.
Along in October, 1899, Father Kavanagh, after sojourning for a considerable time at Saint Agnes' Sanitarium in Baltimore, and later at Saint Joseph's Hospital, Philadelphia, in quest of relief from the malady which was consuming him, set his face towards "Old Niag- ara." He was resigned and cheerful although he felt that the hand of death was upon him. He halted at the Sisters' Hospital in Buf- falo, hoping to recuperate sufficiently to continue his journey and reach the spot dearest to him on earth. The advice of physicians dissuaded him from leaving an institution so well equipped where every possible means known to medical science is exhausted for the benefit of its patients. During the two months that he remained under the care of the Sisters of Charity he received the most devoted attention from them, the doctors, and his brethren at Niag- ara. When his condition became more alarming, some one of the priests from Niagara was in constant attendance at his bedside. At length
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in the evening of the 9th of December, fortified by the sacraments, surrounded by Saint Vincent's children, the priests and Sisters of our " double family," Father Kavanagh breathed forth his noble soul to God. His body, after lying at the home of his brother James, who with his family had been most devotedy attentive to their priestly relative, was removed to the Cathedral, where a solemn requiem Mass was celebrated. Very Rev. P. McHale, C. M., Father Kavanagh's successor as President of Niagara, was invited by the family to be the celebrant. The deacon was Rev. John W. Hickey, C. M., who has seen so many years of service at Niagara with Father Rice and Father Kavanagh. Father P. Conroy, C. M., Director of Semi- narians, was sub-deacon. About fifty priests were in the sanctuary.
"After Mass his body was transferred by rail to Niagara, where it lay in state, guarded by the Faculty and seminarians, until Wednesday, when the funeral took place. The Seminary Chapel had been draped in mourning for the occasion ; the entire house, in fact, was in mourning for him who had ruled it so gently, yet so firmly, for so many years. As long as the body remained, the deepest silence reigned throughout the house; everyone went about sad at heart ; his loss was truly mourned by Niagara.
" The entire University, the seminarians in choir and the students in the body of the chapel, attended the services, which began at 10.45 A. M. A large number of priests also attended. The Solemn Office of the Dead was chanted by the seminarian's and the priests. The mournful chanting was most impressive, for Holy Mother Church gives full expression in this office to the thoughts and feelings of all those present. Solemn Mass, coram episcopo, was then celebrated by Rev. J. W. Hickey, C. M., assisted by Rev. David Kenrick, C. M., as deacon, and Rev. E. J. V. News, C. M., as sub-deacon. Rev. P. J. Conroy, C. M., was master of ceremonies. The music of the Mass was rendered by the seminarians and the students. The sanctuary was crowded with priests come to honor the memory of Father Kav- anagh, about eighty being present.
"Directly after Mass Father N. H. Baker, 1876, of West Seneca, N. Y., delivered a touching and eloquent eulogy on the deceased. The reverend gentleman was a student under Father Kavanagh and knew well his noble character. In the course of his remarks he dwelt on the personal magnetism, the sweet, affable manners, the sincerity and purity of the life, yet the strict disciplinary methods of beloved Father ' P. V.,' not only in regard to the Study Hall but especially to the Seminary. He was characterized by Father Baker as one of the
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few great men, a man set apart by God especially for the work he performed, and a man whose equal it will be difficult to find. The preacher also dwelt on the great love his students bore the departed, which was especially shown on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee, yet, he said, 'midst all that honor and praise, Father Kavanagh was the same modest man he ever was; they have gathered here to-day, from far and near, to testify their fidelity and thanks to one who was ever their friend. The preacher, by the pathetic manner in which he de- scribed Father ' P. V.,' brought tears to many eyes.
"Rt. Rev. T. M. A. Burke, D. D., Bishop of Albany, gave the final absolution, after which the body was, for the last time, viewed by all present. Preceded by the students, seminarians, and priests the casket was carried to the graveyard north of the University build- ings. Close by the tomb of Father Rice his body was laid. One by one his brothers of the Community and the priests present cast upon his coffin a shovelful of earth. Old men who had lived and worked, who had shared his joys and sorrows; young men, his students of long ago - all paid him, with sorrow, this last duty.
" There were present at the funeral services Father Kavanagh's immediate relatives of Buffalo, N. Y., his brothers James and Mi- chael; his nieces, the Misses Augusta, Mary, Alice, Katherine, Eliza- beth, and Mrs. T. J. Kavanagh; his cousin, Hon. E. S. Cummings, 1883, of Chicago. Delegations of Sisters of Charity, two from each of the four houses in Buffalo, and representatives of the Sisters of Saint Joseph from Niagara Falls, were also among the mourners. A large number of friends from Niagara Falls and Buffalo was also present.
"Of those who attended the funeral we are enabled to inscribe the following:
" Rt. Rev. T. M. A. Burke, D. D., Bishop of Albany ; Very Rev. J. J. Sullivan, C. M., 1874; Rev. F. W. Krebs, O. C. C .; Very Rev. J. F. Butler, O. F. M .; Rev. Jos. Fisher, 1883; Very Rev. R. A. Lennon, C. M .; Rev. A. A. Bachman, 1878; Very Rev. F. O'Don- oghue, C. M., 1870; Rev. J. T. Colgan, 1893; Rev. W. F. Likly, C. M., 1884 ; Rev. P. McGee, 1896; Rev. P. V. Byrne, C. M., 1866; Rev. J. J. Klejna, 1895; Rev. E. A. Antill, C. M., 1873; Rev. J. F. Kelley, 1895; Rev. D. Kenrick, C. M., 1860; Rev. Cæsar Keiran, O. F. M. ; Rev. E. J. Quinn, C. M .; Rev. James Brennan, 1865; Rev. C. J. V. Eckles, C. M., 1871 ; Rev. A. J. O'Connor, 1898; Rev. Wm. J. McNab, 1866; Rev. F. X. Ludeke, 1889; Rev. T. H. Barrett, 1878; Rev. H. Wright, 1898; Rev. R. J. Storey, 1864 ; Rev. T. F. Gleason,
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1895 ; Rev. J. M. Bustin, 1885; Rev. H. A. Dolan, 1897; Rev. B. B. Grattan, 1862; Rev. J. J. Moriarity, 1895; Rev. M. A. Taylor, 1876; Rev. Francis Sullivan, 1883; Rev. M. Salley, 1876; Rev. M. J. Kean, 1888; Rev. J. A. Lanigan ; Rev. J. J. Nash, D. D .; Rev. D. L. Walsh, 1877; Rev. Daniel O'Brien, 1888; Rev. J. H. Halpin, 1878; Rev. C. O'Byrne; Rev. M. Noonan, 1886; Rev. M. Dwyer, Rev. T. A. Earley, 1889; Rev. John J. Dealey, 1890; Rev. J. J. Lynch, 1891 ; Rev. N. H. Baker, 1876; Rev. J. McGrath, 1878; Rev. J. V. Schaus, 1889; Rev. J. L. Morrissey and Rev. W. H. Darcy, 1893; Rev. F. S. Henneberry, 1879; Rev. Wm. M. Bernet, 1898; Rev. P. C. Conway, 1889; Rev. A. C. Porter, 1899; Rev. M. J. Kelly, 1894 ; Rev. S. E. Airey, 1897 ; Rev. P. T. Mullaney, 1884 ; Rev. E. J. Rengel, 1893; Rev. J. H. Quinn, O. M. I .; Rev. J. J. Butler, Rev. J. Fenger, Rev. D. Casey, Rev. James J. Roche, 1879; Rev. J. F. Tracy, 1894; Rev. P. Berkery, 1877; Rev. Phillip A. Best, O. C. C .; Rev. J. J. Bloomer ; L. G. Hanley, Ph. D., M. D., 1887; Hon. E. S. Cummings, 1883; M. H. Lyons, 1884 ; G. H. Kennedy, 1889, Rev. J. F. Kennedy, 1896."
Good-bye! Father " P. V." Sweet be thy sleep under Niagara's sod!
No blazon'd shaft may rear itself aloft, Proclaiming to the world thy vict'ries won ; Thy loudest dirge, the wild winds as they sigh Thro' leafless treetops when the day is done. But there's a mem'ry where Niagara flows, And there are hearts, too, that will hold it dear, Entwin'd around them as the sweet vine grows And buds, and blossoms,- thou art ever near!
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CHAPTER XIX VERY REV. PATRICK S. McHALE, C. M., SIXTH PRESIDENT
T HE advent of Father McHale to Niagara gave to our institu- tion one of the most erudite priests in the country. Long before his assignment here he had filled the office of Superior elsewhere with the greatest credit to himself and satisfaction to those who lived under him. Of a mild and quiet disposition, he preferred to follow the lines of least resistance, not for his own comfort so much as the comfort of others with whom he had to deal. While fully cog- nizant of what it meant to be a Superior, he was nevertheless unas- suming in his demeanor towards his subjects, relying as a rule upon their own good sense to appreciate the relations existing between him and themselves. Hence it was that during his administration of seven years at Niagara he met with practically no opposition to his wise · ordinances for the government of this house. Feeling that he came somewhat like a stranger to an institution where traditions had clus- tered and had been treasured by his predecessors in office, he exercised commendable delicacy in leaving undisturbed whatever had received the sanction of time, so long as improvement did not imperatively demand a change. Yet neither was he slow to discern that progress could be made and ought to be made in certain directions ; and so it was that Father McHale began with prudence to effect changes, so gradually, however, and always with such regard for the memory of those who had preceded him, that when indeed radical changes had been finally accomplished, not even the most loyal adherent to local traditions could do aught but applaud the innovation.
In this respect the coming of Father McHale to preside over the destinies of Niagara may be said to have had about it a critical aspect, but one which his felicitous manner of action soon dissipated. He had never been a student here; prior to his election as our Su- perior he had never been connected with Niagara's Faculty, so that it was not to be wondered at if the progress of his administration was studied with no little anxiety by students already enrolled and by Niagara's Alumni. The members of the Faculty who greeted him as their President on September 5, 1894, and wished him God- speed in his duties, did not share in the general curiosity concerning his future mode of administration. Many of them had lived with him
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in other houses of the Community ; not a few of them had made their studies with him at the Mother House in Germantown ; all were well enough acquainted with him to know that in choosing him for Niagara's new President our higher Superiors were providing us with a man for the hour. His presence among us was equal to the injection of new blood, because he succeeded to the chair of Superior unhampered by any traditions save those which our Community training renders inviolable, whether Niagara or New Zealand be the scene of our operations. His confreres knew beforehand that what was good would be preserved, what was harmless would be respected, and what was in need of repair or removal would receive the requisite attention without undue. haste or loss of prestige to the memory of his predecessors.
The significance of these remarks will be appreciated when it is remembered that, for instance, the present radical departure in the rules of discipline for the study hall from what used to prevail before his time began shortly after Father McHale had been installed in office. As was said above, he was in no haste whatever to effect changes which his judgment told him should be made; old lines were removed so gracefully and so gradually that the final result excited no adverse comment. Neither must it be imagined that Father McHale assumed the initiative in these progressive movements with- out deliberate consultations with those who were qualified to give ad- vice in the matter. Many of his Faculty had spent years at Niagara, not only as teachers but as boys or seminarians, and were therefore in a position to give practical testimony concerning the value of any specific rule or custom. He questioned them, listened to their opinions, and when feasible adopted them on the common sense principle that the experience and probity of his associates rendered such a course the only logical one to pursue.
It must be remembered, moreover, that Father McHale was no novice in the management of men or institutions. He had had the training of our clerics at the Mother House in Germantown confided to him not many years after his ordination in 1877. He was Presi- dent of our college at Cape Girardeau, Mo., from 1885 till 1887, resigning only because ill health made such a course imperative. The administration of such an establishment, as important in every sub- stantial respect as our own Niagara, calls for ability of the highest order, while it affords an experience in men and things not surpassed by that gained in the administration of "Our Lady of Angels." In
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addition to these two offices, he had held that of Superior at our church of the Immaculate Conception, Baltimore, for two terms, after the first of which he became Superior of Saint Vincent's Church in Germantown; after the second, lasting till September, 1894, he resigned to accept the presidency of Niagara. Experience of such diamond quality as that which Father McHale possessed at the time of his accession to the chair vacated by Father Kavanagh in- dicated to all who were willing to learn that the interests of our in- stitution were certain to be promoted under his administration. He was progressive but not radical; for instance, he removed the old whitewashed fence which straggled along the western boundary of our campus, an eyesore to the traveling commonwealth, but he never eliminated any rule whose continuance from 1856 until his accession had advanced the real interests of Niagara's students. The gnarled stump of the old oak was blown out of place by commercial dynamite after the oak itself had been burned, through accident, during the presidency of Father Kavanagh, and the band stand erected under its shade by Father J. T. Landry, in the "70's, had been slivered into toothpicks by the falling giant. Yet Niagara's far-famed scenery never suffered, but, on the contrary, was in many respects improved under the direction of this æsthetic President. The Band, no longer able to play under the spreading branches of
The oak that had stood as a sentinel gray Watching the centuries vanish away,
was invited to take possession of the Faculty porch, and blow itself, if it liked, into musical convulsions. No tradition with meaning and a moral ever suffered at the hands of this conservative yet wideawake President of Niagara.
All will agree that with an unmortgaged treasury, such as Father Kavanagh left upon his retirement from office, it was only right that much needed improvements, repairs, and additions should have been made in our surroundings. That they were successfully made, and that they are to-day no longer luxuries but practical neces- sities, evince at once the foresight of Father McHale and the advance- ment which Niagara has made within the past twelve years.
There were thirteen priests on the Faculty when Father McHale became Superior in September, 1894; Father Hayden, C. M., as- sistant; Fathers S. V. Haire, C. M .; F. L. McCauley, C. M .; D. J. Downing, C. M. ; L. A. Grace, C. M. ; R. F. Walters, C. M. ; Rev. J. J. Sullivan, C. M .; J. J. Elder, C. M .; J. V. O'Brien, C. M .; R. H.
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Albert, C. M .; M. J. Rosa, C. M .; E. L. Carey, C. M .; and P. J. Boland, C. M. Father Walters was Treasurer, Father Sullivan, Di- rector of Seminarians ; Father Albert, Prefect of Discipline; Father O'Brien, assistant Prefect of Discipline; and Father Rosa, Prefect of Studies. We have already paid our pleasant debt of remembrance to Fathers Hayden, Haire, McCauley, Downing, and Albert. Fathers Grace, Walters, and O'Brien, though they have seen service under three Presidents, are still anchored at the old spot and must abide in patience until the presidency of Father Likly is treated in our pages. We commend them meanwhile to the charitable prayers of their former associates, promising that as they have waited so long all uncomplaining they will be rewarded when the time comes.
Rev. James J. Sullivan, C. M., came from St. Catharines, Ont., to Niagara in 1870, as a student, and after a four years' course entered our novitiate in Germantown, March, 1874. He was ordained in 1880, and remained on the Germantown Faculty for about thirteen years, or until his transfer to Niagara at the opening of studies in 1893. During the greater part of the time that he served at the Mother House he was employed in the delicate task of Director of our Clerics. His experience in that position was of greatest ad- vantage to him and to the young men under his guidance when he was placed in the office of Director to our Seminarians, September, 1893. During the two years that he remained in this position he won the esteem of every one in the senior department because of his fairness, his pious example, and his insistence on the observance of rule. This last trait may seem an unusual cause for admiration on the part of a student body, but it must be remembered that seminarians come here with well-defined notions of what is expected from them, and with a clear enough understanding of the relation between rule and a vocation to the priesthood. Vigilance over the slightest require- ment, inflexible adhesion even to the form of things prescribed, will be certain to foster a habit of self-discipline without which a cleric promises, should he succeed in persevering, to become one day an object of worry to his bishop if not of open disedification to the laity. The seminary is a sort of camp where the militia of Christ's army is trained for future battles against the triple enemy of souls. He who cannot or who will not conform to the established discipline even in little things proves thereby that he is unworthy of a commission in the ranks of the Church's spiritual warriors.
Our seminarians soon become impressed with this fact, especially
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when they have a Director like Father Sullivan, to whom the theory of the spiritual life has long been an open book, and whose personal character illustrates clerical exactitude to a remarkable degree. They learn to observe the rule for its own value, and as they find themselves progressing happily towards the consummation of their desires, the priesthood, esteem for such a Director takes possession of them, abid- ing with them long after seminary life is over.
In September, 1895, Father Sullivan was missioned to Saint John's Seminary, Brooklyn, as Director of Seminarians. Later, he became Superior of that institution, remaining so for four years, after which he resigned in favor of Father McHale, C. M., and re- sumed the office of Director. When the Very Rev. Robert A. Lennon, . C. M., Director of the Sisters of Charity in the United States, was obliged through failing health to retire for a while from active service, Father Sullivan was appointed to relieve him, taking up his residence at Emmitsburg, Md., where he is at present located.
Rev. M. J. Rosa, C. M., by birth a Canadian, came to Niagara at the opening of studies in 1892, and remained until the close of studies in 1895. He was Professor of languages, and was also Pre- fect of studies for two years. During his term of service here he was deeply interested in all that concerned the happiness of the students, conducting for their amusement many theatrical and similar enter- tainments. His ability as a preacher was recognized by our higher authorities, who placed him on the missions where he is at present engaged.
Rev. Edward L. Carey, C. M., made his studies at Niagara, leav- ing, in 1885, for Germantown, returning, as one of the assistant Pre- fects to Father Dennis Downing, in 1889, and after his ordination to the priesthood, reporting once more to his Alma Mater, September, 1893, as Professor of languages and mathematics. He succeeded Father Theodore B. McCormick as Prefect of studies in 1896, re- maining in that position until the close of the scholastic year, 1899, when he was removed to Brooklyn, where he is at present engaged in collegiate work.
Rev. Patrick J. Boland spent two years on Niagara's Faculty, 1894-1896, as Professor of languages and mathematics. After serv- ing for some time in Brooklyn, he was placed on the missions, and is now attached to our house in Springfield, Mass.
Rev. Theodore B. McCormick, 1884, gave several years of valu- able service to his Alma Mater, as a member of her Faculty, beginning
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with 1888, when, as a cleric, he was assistant Prefect, with our present Superior, to Rev. J. W. Moore, C. M. In 1895 he was Prefect of studies, and after his removal from Niagara he was engaged in Ger- mantown and Brooklyn in professional duties. He possessed among other qualifications the faculty of interesting the students in athletics and histrionics. He wrote several fine plays while here, producing them on our local stage to the pleasure of our college audience and the improvement of those who were permitted to take part. Niagara boys of his days wish well to good-natured Father McCormick in his present labors in the diocese of Trenton.
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