The Early History of the Catholic Church in New York [pp. 515-525]

SI 8 Early History of the Catholic Church in New York.
ing episcopal consecration at Rome, figured in great political events, and
prepared to reach his see, wholly ig- in the struggle of Belgium for freenorant of what he should find on his dom had led her armies.
arrival in New York. It was, how- Under the impulse of these fathers
ever, no easy matter then to secure a collegiate institution was opened,
passage. Failing to find a ship at and continued for some years on the
Leghom, he proceeded to Naples; spot where the new magnificent cabut the French, who had overrun Ita- thedral is rising; and old New York
ly, detained him as a British subject, Catholics smiled when a recent scriband while thus thwarted and harassed, bler asserted that the`site of that
he suddenly fell sick and died. Thus noble edifice was a gift from the city.
New York never beheld its first bishop. Trinity, the Old Brick church, and
Then followed a long vacancy, some other churches we could name
highly prejudicial to the progress of were built on land given by the rulthe church, but a vacancy that Euro- ing powers, but no Catholic church
pean affairs cau~ed. The successor of figures in the list. The college was
St. Peter was torn from Rome, and finally closed, from the fact that diffiheld a prisoner in France. The Ca- culties in Marylan~d prevented the ortholic world knew not under what in- der from supplying necessary profesfluence acts might he issued as his, sors to maintain its high position.
that were really the inventions of his To secure to young ladies similar
enemies. The bishops in Ireland ad- advantages for superior education,
dressed a letter to the bishops of the some Ursuline nuns were induced to
United States to propose some settled cross the Atlantic. They were hailline of action in all cases where there ed with joy, and their academy was
was not evidence that the pope was wonderfully successful. The superior
a free agent. The reply of the bi- was a lady whose appearance was reshops in the United States is given in markably striking, and whose cultiva
the vdlume before us. tion and ability impressed all. Un Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Bal- fortunately they came under restrictimore extended his care to the dio- tions which soon deprived New York
cese of New York. When Father of them. Unless novices joined them
O'Brien at last sank under his increas- within a certain number of years, they
ang years, New York would have ivere to return to Ireland.
seen its Catholic population in a In a new country vocations could
manner destitute, had not the Jesuit be only a matter of time, and as the
fathers of Maryland come to their Ursuline order required a dowry, the
assistance. Rev. Anthony Kohl- vocations of all but wealthy young
mann, a man of sound theological ladies were excluded, and even of
learning and great zeal, who died these when subject to a guardian.
many years after at Rome, honored As the Catholic body had increasby the sovereign pontiffs, was the ed, a new church was begun in a spot
administrator of the diocese. With then far out of the city, described
him were Rev. Benedict Fenwick, as between the Broadway and the
siabsequenfly Bishop of Boston, and Bowery road. This was old St. PaRev. Peter Malou, whose romantic trick's, of \vhich the comer-stone was
life would form an interesting vol- laid June 8th, 1809. This was to be
ume; for few who recollect this vene- the cathedral of the future bishop;
rable priest, in his day such a favorite and the Orphan Asylum, now thriving
with the young, knew that he had under the care of an incorporated so