HARTFORD
145
HARTFORD
during the plague which swept over New York in 1832.
He was later on transferred to Rochester, where he
served with great success for fifteen years. On the
erection of the Diocese of Buffalo, in 1S47, Father
O'Reilly was made vicar-general, and remained in
that capacity until appointed Bishop of Hartford.
He was consecrated at St. Patrick's church, Roches-
ter, N. Y., 10 Nov., 18.50. Dearth of priests was the
chief anxiety which weighed upon him in his new
field. "A short time since", he wrote in 1852, "our
affliction was very great, when, from almost every
section of the State, the faithful were asking for
priests, and we had none to give them." On his ac-
cession there were but seven priests in Connecticut,
and five churches. The zealous bishop at once
opened a seminary in his own house, over which he
placed the Rev. Hugh Carmody. The institution
prospered, and the clerical body was considerably
augmented. Two years after his consecration,
Bishop O'Reilly visited Europe, and at All Hallows,
Dublin, he secured several priests for his growing mis-
sion. Among these was a young man named Thomas
Hendricken who laboured with distinction in Connec-
ticut, and later on became the first Bishoji of Provi-
dence. To provide for the education of the young,
Bishop O'Reilly brought to his diocese the Sisters of
Mercy, establishing them in his episcopal city in 1851.
When Knownothingism was raging, i. mob assembled
to demolish their convent. The bishop came to the
rescue, making use of these words: "The Sisters are in
their home; they shall not leave it for an hour. I
shall protect them while I have life, and if needs be,
register their safety with my blood." The mob was
not prepared for such heroism. Intent upon the wel-
fare of the young, Bishop O'Reilly went to Europe
again in 1854 in order to secure the aid of the Christian
Brothers. He sailed for home 23 Jan., 1856, on the
ill-fated "Pacific". He perished with all on board.
The activity of Bishop O'Reilly may be realized when
it is recalled that during the six years of his episcopate
he added to the equipment of the diocese 34 churches,
28 priests, 5 academies, 9 parochial schools, and 3
orphan asylums. At his death there were within the
present limits of the Diocese of Hartford 27 churches,
26 priests, 2 academies, and 2 orphan asylums.
(3) Fr.\ncis Patrick McFarland was born at Franklin, Penn., 16 April, 1819. He studied at Mt. St. Mary's, Emmitsburg, Md., and was ordained by Archbishop Hughes in New York. After teaching for a year at Fordham College, he was made pastor of Watertown, N. Y. On 1 March, 1851, he was sent to preside over the parish of Utica. He was appointed Vicar-Apostolic of Florida 9 June, 1857. He de- clined the honour, and was made Bishop of Hartford in March, 1S5S. 'The same labours that consumed the energies of his predecessor confronted the new bishop : the building of churches and schools, the securing of priests and religious women. The devoted prelate multiplied him.self, visiting all corners of his extensive diocese, preaching, lecturing, and examining every child whom he admitted to confirmation. He went to Rome in 1869 to attend the Vatican Council. His health failing, he asked to be relieved from the cares of his office, or to be granted a coadjutor. Neither re- quest was granted. But, as a compromise, the dio- cese was divided, the State of Rhode Island being cut off. Dr. McFarland retained his title of Bishop of Hartford, and came to reside in his episcopal city in February, 1872. He immediately addressed himself to the labour of erecting a cathedral, an episcopal resi- dence, and a mother-house for the Sisters of Mercy, who were already engaged in educational work throughout the State. "Two of these works he lived to complete. The third, the stately edifice of which the faithful of the Diocese of Hartford are so justly proud, was well started before his death. He departed this life 2 Oct., 1874, in the fifty-sixth year of his age and VII.— 10
the seventeenth of his episcopate. He was a scholar
and a man of rare sanctity.
(4) Thomas Galberry was likewise born outside of the diocese, coming from Ireland with his parents at the tender age of three years. He was educated at Villanova College, and was called from the presidency of that institution to the See of Hartford in 1875. When notified of his elevation, he declined the honour, and begged the Holy See to relieve him of the burden. A mandamus was returned 17 Feb., 1876. He then proceeded to prepare for his consecration. On coming to Hartford he selected St. Peter's church for his pro- cathedral, pushing forward the erection of the new edifice with energy. He set out for his ad limina visit in May, 1876. Returning in autumn, his health began to fail, but he ceased not to provide churches and schools, priests and religious teachers for his rapidly developing diocese. Seeking rest, he set out for Villanova College 10 Oct., 1878. On the way to New York he was stricken with a haemorrhage and died in the Grand Union Hotel a few hours later. During his episcopate "The Connecticut Catholic" was established, and since that memorable day, in 1876, the Diocese of Hartford has never been without a Catholic paper.'
(5) Lawrence S. McMahon, the fifth Bishop of Hartford, though a nativeof St. John's, N. B., spent his childhood and youth in Cambridge, Mass. He entered Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., at the age of fifteen. He pursued his higher studies in France and Italy, and was ordained at Rome 24 March, 1860. He was serving as assistant at the cathedral at Boston when the 28th Massachusetts called from the swamps of South Carolina for a chaplain. Father McMahon volunteered, and served with distinction imtil his health completely failed liim. After the war he became pastor successively of Bridgewater and New Bedford. He was the first Vicar-General of the Dio- cese of Providence and was consecrated Bishop of Hartford 10 August, 1879. His great work in his new field was the erection and the adornment of St. Joseph's Cathedral. In ten years he collected more than .$500,000, and on 8 May, 1892, he consecrated the splendid edifice free from all debt. While engaged in this work, he gave direction for the wise development of his diocese, organizing 48 new parishes, dedicating 70 churches, and establishing 16 parochial schools, as well as 16 convents. He died at Lakeville, 21 August, 1893, and was interred in the great cathedral to erect which he had laboured so hard and with such distin- guished success.
(6) Michael, Tierney was consecrated Bishop of Hartford 22 Feb., 1894. Born in Ireland, he spent his youth at Norwalk, in the diocese over which he was destined to preside with such fruit. After com- pleting his studies at Bardstown , at Montreal, and at Troy, New York, he was ordained in May, 1866. Bishop McFarland immediately made the young priest his chancellor and the rector of his cathedral, which offices he held until his appointment as pastor of New London. After a year in that post he was transferred to Stamford, and three years later he was promoted to the rectorship of St. Peter's church, Hartford. Here, besides his paro- chial duties, he was charged with the responsible office of inspecting the erection of the new cathedral — a post for which he was admirably fitted by his apti- tude for the technical details of the building art as well as by his experience at Providence, New London, and Stamford, where he was called upon successively to erect a school, to rebuild a church, and to push to completion one of the stateliest ecclesiastical edifices in New England. Previously to the episcopate of Bishop Tierney, the re.sources at the disposal of the bishop were mainly absorbed in the erection of the cathedral, and so it happened that there were within the confines of the State but few charitable institu-
