The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 98

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

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nificent school, a hall for the young men of the parish; and, at present, there is nothing wanting to complete all the de- sideratum of a well furnished parish. The venerable church has been recently provided with a new roof, and the interior decorated in a most artistic and devotional style.

The Very Rev. WILLIAM KEEGAN, Vicar-General of the R. C. Diocese of Brooklyn .- The story of a life devoted to duty in the heart of a great city, can be neither romantic nor exciting, unless under very excep- tional circumstances. Novelists may indeed thrill their readers with the imaginary exploits of imaginary characters, discovered active in the routine of ordinary experience; but when for the eye of fertile fancy we substitute the observation of plain common sense, it is found that, even as navigable rivers have few falls, perilous straits or whirlpools to be described, the careers of men who carry forward the abiding work of society, are rarely marked by amazing incidents. Moral and material forces have at least this in common-that they operate, as a rule, steadily, rather than by unexpected manifestations. Perseverance, rather than andacity, progress effected step by step, and without any of the noise of battle, rather than a series of leaps and bounds, mark the records of the men who, upon the whole, have in settled states of society been helpful to their day and generation. By this, of course, no reflection is cast, so to speak, upon the valuation of the thunder storm. It is both sublime and serviceable. But the chief debt of the farmer, none the less, is to the rain that falls in due season, and the winds that are never rude.

The very reverend gentleman, whose work and character are in this sketch outlined, rather than described, falls within the unromantic category just alluded to; the category of those who by pa- tience, peace, good will, charity and an unwaver- ing faith in justice, make the world better by liv ing in it. This, however, we need hardly say, does not involve a trivial or negative outcome. On the con- trary, if the result be duly weighed, we shall see that the need of an unostentatious labor is an imposing fab- ric, made all the more enduring by the quiet sincerity of the builder. Emerson, referring to the Abbeys of England, says : " they grew as grows the grass," and so, too, has the growth of the structure, in which Vicar- General Keegan has been concerned, gone on.

In 1853, when he was ordained, there were in the diocese of Long Island but 14 Roman Catholic Churches, and 14 priests. One parish school alone rep- resented the system of parish education, destined to reach the proportions already attained. There was no Catholic asylum, nor any Catholic hospital. To-day there are 90 churches, 37 chapels and stations, where mass is celebrated ; 160 priests; 75 parish schools; 20 academies and select schools; 2 colleges and 1 seminary, 16 asylums and 4 hospitals

When his work began in Brooklyn, the Catholic population of the diocese numbered not more than

will

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26,000. The number is now over 226,000. This, as- suredly, is an impressive tale told in few words. Had this been wrought by the sword, historians would have been swift to give the narrative to the world; and the world would have treated the record with the skep- ticism reserved for whatever transcends ordinary ex- perience. But, due as it is to the unremitting efforts of men and women, well content to have their deeds unheralded and unsung, no other weapons than those befitting gentle minds, it is accepted as if it were an outcome of nature, as familiar as the rising of the sun, or the rounding out of the moon. If the statistics before us speak to any purpose with clearness, it is to the effect that in no other field has the Catholic Church in modern times gathered honor, power and confidence more rapidly, and by methods more amiable, than in the diocese of Brooklyn. -

What Father Keegan's part has been in this cannot be told. Nor to him, or to anyone alone, is the credit due; though indeed, if comparisons were in order, special commendation could be given to those who, more than their fellows, have been distinguished for their zeal, skill and unwearying toil.

The record answers our purpose in illustrating the magnitude of the task in which the subject of our sketch has been, with others, engaged heart and hand, and as to which he can properly say: "All of which I saw, and part of which I was." It also indicates the variety, complexity and importance of the interests, which must be mastered and managed by the mind, which demand the attention of the Vicar-General of Long Island diocese.

If the Very Reverend Wm. Keegan was the most commonplace of men (instead of being, as he is, distinguished for breadth of mind, large sympathies, and that art of arts, the art of ruling without seeming to command), there would be reason enough for writing about him, in the fact that over a quarter of a million Catholics look to him as the right hand of their vener- able and justly celebrated Bishop.

So far as dates go, here is the biography of the Vicar- General:

In the year 1824, he was born in Kings County, Ireland; a county by name, at least, significant of the field in which he was destined to make a name in the world. While yet a child his parents emigrated to the United States, and fixed their abode in the city of Brooklyn, in the year 1842, where the boy William soon began the work of fitting himself for his chosen calling. The family came here to remain, and it still is represented in the citizenship of Brooklyn, as well as in the priesthood. After a course of prepara- tory education, William entered the Jesuit College, then but recently established at Fordham, New York, and was duly graduated from it in 1849, having made a record for scholarship, and the other qualities which secured for liim, at the hands of the college authori-

ties, a teachership in the institution. As a teacher he remained, until 1853; pursuing meantime, with ardor and profit, the theological studies in which he still de- lights, and upon which he has been recognized as an authority in the provincial councils of the church. In the year 1853, he was ordained by Cardinal Bedini, then Papal Nuncio to the United States; and, almost immediately thereafter, was appointed to the assistant pastorate of the Church of the Assumption, at York and Jay streets, Brooklyn.

When Father Bacon, Pastor-in-Chief of the Assump- tion Church, was consecrated Bishop of Portland, Maine, in 1855, Father Keegan was promoted, and has continued from then until the present time in charge of the parish. In 1880, he was appointed Vicar-General.

Although the life of Father Keegan has been spent in the discharge of his priestly duties, and for the wel- fare of his people, yet snatching a moment now and then from this never-ending work, he has composed a few lectures and addresses, which are rare gems of wit and eloquence, and can be read at all times with plea- sure by the lovers of true and genuine English litera- ture.

On the 16th of October, 1878, occurred the twenty- fifth anniversary of his ministry, and likewise, almost, of his pastorship. The event was made the occasion of a Jubilee; and, whether at the mass of the morning, where were assembled the bishops and priests of the diocese, or, in the more popular demonstration of the evening, where were gathered all the civic dignitaries of Brooklyn, the men of letters and of social standing, the address of the congregation but expressed the gen- eral verdict-" Surely no words can frame a more glowing eulogy, a nobler panegyric, than this assem- blage." Hon. James Howell, then Mayor, abandoned a birthday celebration in his own home that he might unite with his fellow-citizens in this personal tribute to Father Keegan. Hon. Thomas Kinsella, editor of the Brooklyn Eagle; Mr. Andrew McLean, the present editor of the Eagle; Mr. George M. Nichols, Alder- man at Large; Mr. Dewey, editor of the Union; Mr. Barclay Gallagher, agent of the Western Associated Press; Corporation Counsel De Witt, Police Com- missioner John Pyburn; Controller Burrell; Alder- man Murtha and Assemblyman Clancy ; Doctors Bodkin, Young and Griffin; Colonel David T. Lynch, Mr. P. J. Regan, President of the St. Patrick Society, and its other officers, were all present; and many other notables ; while a great number of the reverend clergy occupied chairs within the sanctuary. The Brooklyn Eagle, in an editorial upon this jubilee, used the fol- lowing language:

" It is difficult to estimate the influence which sueli a man must exert, placed as Father Keegan has been, in twenty-five years. The men and women who have been brought directly under his influence are numbered by tens of thousands. To-day, there are gentlemen distinguished in all the walks of life, who received from

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him their earliest lessons in manly duty, coupled with their first introduction to English education. In hun- dreds of households the matrons were girls subject to his guidance years ago. It needs a very mean soul to take other than delight in the proof that opportuni- ties so vast have been used as becomes a priest, a citi- zen, a friend and a neighbor."

The programme opened with a procession march, dedicated to Father Keegan, the music being furnished by Professor William H. Nolan's orchestra. This was followed by " Gloria " (Twelfth Mass), by Mozart, Mr. Thomas Ward officiating at the organ, and a full choir assisting. The Rev. Father Malone then followed in an address, in which he especially dwelt upon Father Kee- gan's remarkable ability in the guiding and education of young men. Rev. Henry C. Gallagher, who was trained to the priesthood by Rev. Father Keegan, was the next speaker; expressing the obligations of the younger clergy to Father Keegan for the spiritual training which they had received at his hands. "The Heavens are Telling" was then excellently rendered by the choir, after which an address from the congre- gation to their pastor was read by Rev. Charles J. Gallagher, as follows:

" Reverend and Dear Father Keegan :

" On this the twenty-fifth anniversary of your elevation to the priesthood, and, it may be said, the twenty-fifth year of your pastorate, the congregation of the Church of the As- sumption united this morning with the venerable Bishop and the reverend clergy at a mass of jubilee and thanksgiving. To-night we again meet to offer our congratulations on this happy day, and to give you thanks for the many favors which we have received at your hands.

" This morning we returned thanks to Heaven for the zeal- ous pastor; to-night we thank the prudent counsellor, the faithful friend, the kind, indulgent father.

" You are, in yourself, in your life and labors, an epitome of Catholicity in Brooklyn-its foundation, its progress, its full and grand development. As a boy, you assisted at the first mass celebrated in this church; as a priest, here, on this al- tar, was offered your first mass; and here, first, your pastor- ate commenced, which long may Heaven to us continue.

"Standing thus as it were by the cradle of Catholicity, you guided its steps in infancy, watched over its youth, guarded and directed it in its progress; and whatever there is now in its maturer years which finds favor in the sight of Heaven or commands the admiration of men, is largely due to your ear- nest, zealous and untiring ministration.

"Words-fervent and heartfelt though they be-can do but faint justice to such a life. The children in your schools, the young men in your halls, the thousands that crowd this sacred edifice on each recurring Sabbath, speak more eloquently than any words of your entire devotion to the duties of your sacred calling and of the many claims you have to our love and reverence.

"To you belongs the credit of erecting the first building de- voted to the education of the Catholic children of this city. There, education and religion, both in their highest develop- ment, are found to be not antagonistic, but mutually self- sustaining and elevating.

" Assumption Hall is another monument to your priestly zeal and prudent forethought. There the youth who has left school and entered upon the battle of life, is not only afforded every facility for self-improvement; but has likewise oppor-

tunities to form acquaintances agreeable and beneficial. If to the average youth. the path of duty may seem rugged and uninviting, what greater inducement to perseverance unto the end than the assurance of good company and cheerful converse on the way.

" But, while ever zealous among your own, while ever anx- ious to promote their real spiritual and temporal welfare, your labors have not been circumscribed by any mere paro- chial boundary line. Any appeals made to you were ever promptly answered by the generous hand responsive to the warm heart. One instance out of many: the Star of the Sea-a church, which, as far as mere human adornment can attain, is not unworthy the grand and solemn purposes of its erection.

"But why speak your praises in the presence of those who know you so well ? to this congregation, to whom your worth as a man, your fidelity as a friend, your zeal as a priest, are familiar as household words; to those young clergymen here present, who, walking faithfully in your footsteps in their youth, are now endeavoring to emulate your many virtues; to the reverend clergy, your co-laborers, who, knowing now, even in this period of comparative quietude, the trials and difficulties, the obstacles and discouragements which the con- scientious pastor has to encounter and overcome, can alone truly estimate what trials and difficulties you overcame, with what obstacles and discouragements you were surrounded; to our venerable and venerated Bishop, who so soon himself will have completed the twenty-fifth year of his episcopate. His presence, surrounded by his clergy, at the mass of the jubilee this morning, showed that he is fully satisfied with you as a priest and pastor; his presence here to-night, joining with the laity in their congratulations, proves the high per- sonal esteem and regard he entertains for you.

"Nor is this knowledge of your great worth-your many virtues-confined to those associated with you in the sacred ministry, nor to the members of your congregation. Your good name and fair fame have spread far and wide, and to- night a whole city-its highest officials, its social leaders, its men of letters-come here, and deem it no derogation to of- ficial position, to literary rank, to social standing, to join with the humblest Catholic in grateful testimony to one who has been, in his holy calling, the good and faithful servant of his Master.

"Surely, no words can frame a more growing eulogy, a nobler panegyric, than this assemblage.

" On the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's, is this inscription: Si queris monumentum circumspic. So, in a similar spirit and with equal truth, may it be said of you, reverend sir, that no greater nor grander tribute can be paid to these last twenty-five years of your life, than to ses you here to-night surrounded by so many grateful hearte, warm friends and sincere well wishers."

At the close of this address, a handsome purse, con- taining $2,500, was, amid the applause of the congrega- tion, presented to Father Keegan.

This interesting ceremony over, the Te Deum was rendered with fine effect. At its close the Rev. Father Keegan thus addressed the congregation;

" My dear Friends : There have been so many and such pleasant things said of me to-day, and during this evening, that I am at a loss how to respond to them. I never thought for a moment that I could be painted in such brilliant colors as the wording of your address has just presented me. You might, in framing it, have had some more worthy subject before your imagination, for I assure you I cannot discover in it a vestige of the original. It is not necessary that I

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should now go through the formality of expressing my thanks to you upon this memorable occasion, and human language could not, at this moment, convey to you the gratitude that swells within my bosom. This is the most important, as it will be the most cherished, event of my whole life. I can only hope and wish that my character were half what your address has so elegantly expressed, and that my life had been such as to merit the munificent offering which you have just presented me. It is true that we have spent together many happy years, the best and most precious period of our exist- ence.

"Twenty-five years of unbroken friendship and undimin- ished confidence, between priest and people, is something of which any man might well be proud. We have worked to- gether, we have consulted together, and we have knelt and prayed at the same altar. And I, at least, am not anxious to sever, at this moment, the golden link that has bound us so long in such harmony and love. We all have had our faults; we have made many false steps. But we have endeavored, to the best of our abilities, to perform the work and the duties assigned to us. We may have been thought rash in many of our enterprises, in trying to educate and cultivate the minds of the youth of this parish. But let me tell our outside friends, who, this evening, have honored us with their pres- ence, that we have never entered upon any good work when failure was possible.

"During this quarter of a century, I say it with pleasure, I never appealed in vain to this congregation. We are, in deed, very few in number, and our means are limited. But a united congregation-a people with one heart and one mind -is able to surmount every difficulty; and we always received every kindness from our many friends outside of the Parish of the Assumption. We have had the sanction and confi- dence of one to whom we shall ever look with the most pro- found veneration and respect, one who, under God, has been the mainstay of all our ambition; who never yet cast a frown or uttered a harsh word toward us, no matter what faults we might have committed. Our beloved Bishop has buoyed us up, and always cheered us by his kind and fatherly advice. We have had the sympathy and good wishes of our brethren of the priesthood; for, I must say it in all honor to that dis- tinguished body of gentlemen, that no angry, or unkind, or bitter expression has ever escaped the lips of either young or old towards me.

"But, my dear friends, it would be too tedious for me to dwell at length upon the various topics alluded to in your kind address. I can only hope that the bond of friendship may be yet more firmly cemented as we advance in years. And, if God spares us, we shall start again with renewed en- ergy, and renewed zeal, in the cause which we all have so much at heart.

"I will now merely thank you, one and all, in the name of the Assumption congregation. I thank you, brethren of ths priesthood, in the name of our venerated and beloved Bishop; and the laity at large, I thank in the name of its chief civic officer, the people's choice of ruler, His Honor, Mayor Howell."

The exercises were brought to a elose with the bene- diction by Bishop Loughlin. As the congregation slowly dispersed, the choir rendered the " Hallelujah Chorus," and the orchestra performed a grand march.

The jubilee at the church was supplemented by a splendid banquet at the pastoral residence, to which over one hundred persons had been invited. The long

tables were loaded down with substantials, and the hospitality was generous in the extreme. Bishop Loughlin presided, and was supported on his right by Mayor Howell, and on his left by Mr. Thomas Kinsella. The speeches were by Bishop Loughlin, Mr. Thomas Kinsella, Mayor Howell, Henry C. De Witt, Esq., Rev. Fathers Keegan and Fransioli, Mr. Geo. M. Nichols, Felix Campbell, Arthur Crooks, Vice-President of the St. Patrick Society, and David T. Lynch.

Mr. Andrew McLean offered the following " Tribute in Verse," which was loudly applauded. Songs were sung by Messrs. Fitzharris and Thomas, and after an evening memorable for its wit, eloquence and kindly associations, the company dispersed.

When basking in the calm pure light Of gentle hearts and kindly decds-

Of souls that ever tend aright Through all the shifting shades of creeds,

We feel the joy the soldier feels When, resting at the battlo's close, The uprolled cloud of smoke reveals Strange allies where he counted foes.

'Tis well for us a generous power Makes difference fade and manhood rise;

That not the most impatient hour Will pass unless some discord dies;

That distance renders harshness sweet, And time makes dull the edge of strife;

That every wrong grows obsolete, And charity is Lord of life.

To-night I count my difference naught On any subtle schoolman's theme;

I banish wholly from my thought The questions jarring minds esteem,

And stand 'mid friends who love you, sire, To blend with theirs my friendly mood; To own with them how deeds inspire That blossom into stainless good.

A thousand little children fair, Who cannot plead with HIcaven in vain; To-night send with their evening prayer For thee a puro besecching strain ; A thousand matrons, trouble-tried, But cheered by hopes that baffle woe,

Kneel by the crib and cradle-side To speed the prayers that trembling go.

Youths round us here with ardent look Bent on the Future's mystic face, Attest thy kindly past'ral crook And patient, tireless teaching grace ;

I know, too, strong men at their toil, From strangling passion lifted free,

Who, standing fast on honest soil, Do in their manhood honor thee,

But as the beacon on the hill That lights some shepherd to his spouse, May guide a hundred feet from ill Unthought of in the shepherd's house, The annals cannot tell, dear friend, How many lives thy goodness praiso ;

'Tis only known tho beams you send

Have lighted countless darkened ways.

Nor can it matter much to one Who lives for good because he must, If, like the radiant-hearted Suu Who shines on all the stellar dust, He hear not of the flowers that long A thankful incenso to return ; Nor of the birds that in their song To chant his gifts with music burn,

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Yet, well it Is that after years Of lahor in a noble cause, Some noble, generous fruit appears- Some echo comes of right applause,

To prove that he who sows tho seed For other hands to reap and bind, Hath greater glory In the deed Than any selfish soul shall find.

I fain would add with furtive hand Some trifling token to the mass, Built high by those who understand, The father thoughts that through you pass, Some token that shall only say, As chance eyes choose to turn it o'er,

He swept some mists of hate away And made men trust each other more.

Rev. Henry A. Gallagher, Rev. Charles J. Gallagher and Rev. David A. Hickey, the three clergymen who, in their youth, were altar boys in the Church of the Assumption, surprised Father Keegan with new furni- ture for his bedroom. The Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph and of the Visitation, and the Little Sisters of the Poor, each made elegant presents. Dr. John S. Thorne sent a picture of high value and richly framed. The floral offerings were many and handsome.

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Second street, near South 2d, E. D .- The first mass celebrated in Williamsburgh

(about 1838) was in a stable on Grand street, west of Third, by Rev. Dougherty, of St. Mary's Church in New York.

The first church erected in Williamsburgh was St. Mary's, corner North Eighth and First, org. 1841, and under charge of Rev. Mr. O'Donnell. In 1844, Rev. Sylvester Malone took charge of St. Mary's, and soon set about building a new church. The corner-stone of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul was laid May 11th; 1847, and the church was dedi- cated in May, 1848. Rev. Sylvester Malone has been its Pastor; with the exception of part of 1881 and 1882, when he was abroad, and his place was supplied by Rev. Mr. Gallagher.

Clergy: Rev. Jno. N. Campbell, 1870-"78; Rev. John Fagan, 1870-'74; Rev. Henry Gallagher, 1875-'83; Rev. Michael Killahy, 1879; Rev. Hugh Ward, 1881-'84.

While Father Malone has held in strict regard the disci- pline and order of the Roman Catholic Church, in respect to . the order and relation of its priesthood, he has ever recognized the duties growing out of the progressive civilization of the age. And while enforcing religion on the consciences of his people by the logic of its power, he has been careful that the claims of religiou and of his church should not enroach on the civil rights of the citizen, either to restrict or control his duty to the State.

The community of Williamsburgh owe a debt of gratitude to Father Malone for suppressing the turbulent spirit of his people during the draft riots in New York.

REV SYLVESTER MALONE. Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul's R. C. Church.

FATHER MALONE, as he is called (not alone by his parish- ioners, after the manner of Catholics, but also by the whole body of non-Catholics in the city, in which for forty years he has labored with grand purpose as true man and true priest), was born in the inland town of Trim, about twenty miles from the city of Dublin, County Meath, Ireland, May 8th, A. D. 1821.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 98

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345