SPRINGFIELD
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SPRINGFIELD
railroads, and to build and operate factories. The
faith of these immigrants was nourished by apostolic
men, of whom the foremost was Rev. James Fitton.
He was born in Boston in 1S0.5 and ordained priest by
Bishop Fenwick (1S27). After a short stay among
the Indians at Eastport, Maine, he was made pastor
at Hartford. His missionary zeal carried him into all
parts of New England. In jilassaehusetts his labours
extended from " Boston on the east, to Great Barring-
ton in the Berkshires on the west". In 1830 he said
Mass in Chicopee. On 7 July, 1834, he laid at Worces-
ter the foundation of the first church which was
built in the territory now ruled by the Bishop of
Springfield. He became pastor of Worcester in 1836.
Contemporary with the erection of the church at
Worcester, Father P'itton purchased land south of
the town, on which he built a school. This property
he deeded (1S43) to the Rt. Rev. Benedict J. Fenwick,
Bishop of Boston. Bishop Fenwick erected upon it
the College of the Holy Cross, which he induced the
Jesuits of Maryland to assume charge of. This was
the first Catholic college in New England. It began
with seventeen students. It has become the largest
of the Catholic colleges of the United States, whose
students all follow a classical course, including Greek.
Its influence is now felt in all parts of the American
possessions. The parish at Worcester was composed
mainly of Irish, though it included also French, Eng-
lish, and Americans. From Worcester Father Fitton
made missionary trips to the towns along the Black-
stone, and to the settlements along the Western Rail-
road. This work was continued and dcvelojied by
the pastors who succeeded him at Worcester. Of
these the most energetic, as a missionary, was Rev.
Matthew W. Gibson, who in thirteen years built
churches in nine places of Worcester County and in
ten more established parishes.
The first resident pastor of Western Massachusetts was Rev. John D. Brady. In 1841 he a.ssumed charge of the parish of Chicopee, which extended over four counties. For four years he shepherded this vast parish alone. In 1845 Rev. Bernard O'Cavanaugh came to him as an assistant. Rev. Jeremiah O'Cal- laghan, the zealoas and able, if somewhat eccentric, missionary of Vermont, had said Mass at Pittsfield in 183.5 and yearly thereafter till 1839. This re- markable man in his old age founded the first Catho- lic parish in Holyoke. In 1844 F'ather Brady built the first church at Pittsfield, of which Rev. Bernard O'Cavanaugh became pastor in 1848. His suc- cessor. Rev. Patrick Cudahy, the "church builder of the Berkshires", and Rev. William Blenkinsop, who continued the work of Father Brady in the Connecticut Valley, organized into new parishes and prepared for further development the Church which was now firmly establiKhed in Western Massachusetts. To this de- velopment Pills IX contributed when he made of Central and Western Massachusetts a diocese with its see at Springfield.
BMoi>.s.—Rl.. Rev. Patrick T. O'Reilly, the first Bishop of Springfield, was born in Cavan, Ireland, 24 Dec, 1833. He came to Boston in his boyhood. He studied classics at St. Charles's College, Mary- land, theology at St. Man,s Seminary, Baltimore, and was ordained in Boston, 1.5 August, 1857, by Bishop Bacon of Portland. He served :us .assistant to Father Boyce at St. John's Church, Worcester, till 1862, when he was sent to organize the parish of St. Joseph's, Boston. In 1864 he returned to Worcester as pastor of St. John's. There he remained until he was appointed Bishop of Springfielil (2.S June, 1870), being consecrated 2.5 September of the same year. He ruled the Diocese of Springfield for twenty-one years and a half. During this time its population in- cre-ised from (tO.OOO to 2()().0(X); its priests from 43 to 196; its religious women from 12 to 321; its pari.shes from 43 to 96; its schools from 2 to 30. Bishop
O'Reilly confirmed 77,000 persons. He dedicated 45
churches, and laid the corner-stones of nearly a hun-
dred buildings consecrated either to religion or to
education. He gave encouragement to works of
charity. The hospital of the Sisters of Providence at
Holyoke and the orphan .asylums at Holyoke and at
Worcester were begun during his administration. He
died 28 May, 1892. He was succeeded bv the present
(1911) bishop, Rt. Rev. Thomas D. Beaven, D.D.,
who was born at Springfield, March, 1851. He
studied at Holy Cross College and at the Grand Sem-
inary, Montreal, and was ordained to the priesthood,
18 Dec, 1875. He laboured at Spencer for three
years as assistant and for ten as pastor. In 1888 he
was made pastor of the Church of the Holy Rosary,
Holyoke. Four years later (31 July) he was ap-
pointed Bishop of Springfield. He was consecrated
18 Oct., 1892. Bishop Beaven is an organizer. He
has applied to the temporal affairs of the Church
sound business principles. He has developed the
school system of the diocese and made it efficient.
He has encouraged the establishment of high schools
and academies, and organized and developefl the
charitable institutions of his diocese. Brightside,
with its infants' home, its orphan asylum, its Beaven-
Kelly Home for aged men, owes its existence to his
inspiration and largely to his generosity. During
his administration hospitals have been opened in
Worcester, Springfield, Montague City, and Adams,
orphan asylums at Holyoke, \\'orcester, and Leices-
ter, a House of the Good Shepherd at Springfield, and
homes for working girls m many places. Springfield
has for j-ears been remarkable among the dioceses of
the country for the number of its vocations to the
priesthood and the religious life. Four of its priests
have become bishops during the present administra-
tion; Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, D.D. (Monterey
and Los Angeles); Rt. Rev. Philip J. (iarrigan, D.D.
(Sioux City); Rt. Rev. Daniel F. Feehan, D.D. (Fall
River), and Rt. Rev. Jospeh J. Rice, D.D. (Burling-
ton).
Causes of Growth. — The growth of the Diocese of Springfield is due largely to immigration. The Irish were quickly followed by Canadians, and these by Poles and Lithuanians. The Italians and the Syrians came later. These immigrants came to Massachusetts to get a market for their labour. They prospered and their descendants are among the most esteemed citizens of the commonwealth.
Religious Communilies. — About 380 religious women are engaged in charitable work in the diocese. Most of these are Sisters of Providence. The Sisters of Mercy (the first religious community to enter the diocese) conduct orphan asylums at Worcester and Leicester, the Grey Nuns an orphanage at Worcester, the Little Franciscan Sisters of Mary an old people's home at Worcester; and the Sisters of the (iood Shep- herd have a house at Springfield. The educat ional work of the diocese requires the services of 7.50 sisters. The Sisters of St. Joseph have a normal college in Sjiring- field, an academy at Chicopee, and high sehciols in many parishes. They also do a great jiart of the parochial school work. The Sisters of Notre Dame conduct high schools at Worcester, Springfield, Holy- oke, and Chicopee. Other communities of women engaged in teaching are: the Sisters of Holy Cross and of the Seven Dolors, Sisters of St. .Ann, Sisters of the .Assumption, Sisters of Providence, Faithful Com- panions of Jesus, Sisters of St. Jo.seph (Hartford), Presentation Nuns (Si. Hyacinth, P. il), Presenta- tion Nuns (Fitchburg, Ma.ssachusetts), Felician Sis- ters, Franciscan Sisters (Buffalo), and Daughters of the Holy Ghost. The religious orders of men rep- resented in the dioce.se are: the Jesuits, at Worcester; the Fathers of La Salette, at Fit(^hburg, Ware, and Westfield; the Franciscans, at Chicopee and Holyoke; the Vincentians, at Springfield; the Fathers of the As-
