FATHER MAC

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 30, 1888.

FATHER MAC.

A GRIEF STRICKEN CHURCH.

FUNERAL OF THE VERY REV. BARTHOLOMEW F. McLOGHLIN.

A USEFUL AND WELL-ROUNDED LIFE.

Impressive Ceremonies at St. Mary's Church.

   A few short days since [ago] he was with us, and now the earth covers the mortal yet precious remains of the venerable and beloved pastor of St. Mary's Church of Cortland.

   The very Rev. Dean [B. F.] McLoghlin, of Cortland County, diocese of Syracuse, has been a resident of our village for nearly twenty-one years, going up and down among us, doing good and scattering the blessings of a well spent life among rich and poor, high and low, of every denomination.

   Already advanced in life, he has been failing in health for the past few months, though it is but a few weeks since he was seen in public. His friends of the clergy have been in constant attendance upon him since it became known that he was seriously ill, and coming from all parts of the diocese.

   He passed away peacefully at the rectory on the 21st of this month, full of years and honors. Tuesday morning, November 27th, was appointed for the funeral, at ten o'clock. Priests and dignitaries from abroad began to gather on Monday. Friends came from New York city, Rochester, Buffalo, and elsewhere.

   On Monday, at three o'clock, the body was placed before the chancel and guards of honor appointed from the different societies of the church, from the sodalities, the C. M. B. A. and others. The relief was changed at midnight. The visiting priests celebrated vespers, the preliminary funeral services then beginning. As in the funeral services proper, the clergy recited the canticles antiphonally, all responses being given by the priests and not by the choir. The church was filled at all times, many viewing the remains.

   Tuesday morning brought with it a large body of the clergy from all parts of the diocese and many laymen from the Mohawk Valley, especially from Little Falls, Father Mac's former home.

   The Church was dressed in mourning, the columns being wound in black and white, the stations draped in the same, and black and white festoons hanging from column to column. As is usual at funerals all ornaments were removed from the altar, the six symbolic candles alone remaining.

   Father Mac's remains rested upon a catafalque, clad in his priestly robes, and holding a golden chalice in his hands. At his head were a cross of flowers and a pillow of flowers, bearing the words: "Our Pastor." At his feet were flowers, a cross and a column. All the flowers were camellias and tea-roses.

   Six yellow candles, symbolic of his ecclesiastic position, as is usual, surrounded the coffin. To the right, on the gospel side, sat the bearers and relief bearers: The Hon. L. J. Fitzgerald, Hugh Duffy, M. F. Cleary, Dr. McNamara, Patrick Dempsey and Bernard Doud. The relief was headed by John Dowd, senior, Michael Healey, Edward Finn, A. J. McSweeney, Daniel Dolan, and William Martin.

   Behind these gentlemen seats were reserved for distinguished visitors and invited guests. A large number of Cortland's citizens, not members of the parish, were present

   The C. M. B. A. society next occupied seats on both sides of the aisle. Behind these gentlemen were the Young Men's and the Young Ladies' Sodality and other societies, members of the parish and others. The side aisles were packed with sympathizing friends.

   Father Quinn, of Binghamton, was Master of Ceremonies, He is always the man for the place. Quiet, easy, dignified, he directs with grace and firmness, and everything moves harmoniously.

   Soon after ten o'clock, the procession entered from the vestry, some sixty-two priests being in attendance and quite filling the chancel and seats outside the same. Father Quinn's fine voice led in the opening canticles, all sung antiphonally by this large body of priests and to a Gregorian movement. To those who had never heard the service rendered at a priest's funeral, it was deeply interesting. It takes one back to the European monasteries and to the far-away chanting of the monks as one hears the penitential psalms sung from a distant mount.

   The adorable sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Mac was celebrated by the Very Rev. Father Lynch of St. John's Cathedral, Syracuse, and Vicar General of the diocese, with the Rev. Dr. O'Hara of Syracuse, as Deacon, and the Rev. Dr. Hourigan of Binghamton, as Sub-Deacon. Thus the two oldest priests in the diocese, with the Vicar-General, paid the last tribute of respect, honor, and ecclesiastical devotion to their reverend friend and brother

   The sermon was preached by Father Ludden, of Little Falls, as Father Mac would have wished, for the former was his protege and particular friend. Father Ludden said:

   "Very Reverend and Dear Brethren of the clergy, and Dear Brethren of the laity, I would rather have taken my place among you, than to have stood here, but you know when a friend asks, he in fact, commands: when he commands, he must be obeyed. Therefore, I am in this pulpit to speak to you of your great loss. There are days of sorrow and there are days of joy in every country and every clime. It is God's eternal order of things. So in the Church, there are days of gladness and days of sorrow. The church is the founder of society, she keeps and preserves order. The spouse of Jesus Christ has her days of sorrow as well as her days of joy, her Calvary as well as her Tabor.

   Hence we must expect that other societies will be like the church. In the state, we find the same. What child of America, either native or adopted does not rejoice in the birthday of a Washington? Who does not commemorate the memory of an O'Connell, or other patriots! And who does not think with shame of an Arnold. Yes, the state has her days of sorrow!

   Again, in the family there are days of sorrow and of joy. When the mother of a family is taken away, who does not feel keenly the family sorrow, the keenest sorrow that man's heart can feel? When the father is taken away, the sorrow is great, but not so great as that when the mother is borne to her grave. The father will say: "My boy, no matter who is against you, I am with you." Yet when this prop is removed, when the protector is taken away, the family, indeed, suffer.

   As in the church, the State, the family, so in the congregation. The decree has gone out. Our dear friend, Dean McLoghlin has passed away. Most sorrowful is this affliction to this congregation. You have, indeed, suffered a great loss, in the death of your esteemed and beloved pastor. Only a few days ago, he walked and talked in your midst. His smile was as consoling as the warm winds of spring upon our faces, and even we whose hairs are growing grey will never forget the kindly word of encouragement which he gave.

   His grand, manly voice is hushed in death. His manly figure will no longer be seen upon your streets. The lips that smiled, that gladdened, will smile and gladden no more. God has willed it, that is why he is no more, and we must bow to God's decree. We must say: Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

   But we cannot help but pay our tribute of respect to his memory. We would not be human if it were otherwise. Even the very stones would reproach us, would rebuke us. We shed tears because we have suffered a loss, one and all of us. But while we mourn we rejoice that the boy of Connemara came to this free country.

   Dean McLoghlin was born in the county of Roscommon, Ireland, in 1816, in that greatest of all Catholic provinces, Roscommon. The bright boy was sent to the famous St. Scarlet's in Galway. Here he grew in wisdom and in knowledge, as the boy of Nazareth grew. In 1845, he saw the poor people of Ireland flying from their homes, from landlordism, from aristocracy, to that land of the free and home of the brave, America. He felt he must go with them. They should not be deprived of the consolations of their religion, their faith. Fired with zeal for the exiles, he cast his lot among them, and these United States gave him, indeed, a "cead mille failthe." [one hundred thousand welcomes--CC editor.]

   He had no friend to greet him on his arrival, yet he seemed to breathe the air of the free, his motto being that of your own Empire State, "Excelsior." He went to Mt. St. Mary's, at Emmettsburg, that most noble institution. In two years he was ordained, for his superiors saw that there was the lignum sucerdotus, the timber for the priest. After his ordination, in 1848, he went to Keeseville; there he remained a few years.

   My friends, look at the growth of our church since the [civil] war! It would seem that the people never knew of the virtue, the wisdom, the sanctity of our church until the close of our late war. Ah! you do not know, my friends, what the pioneer priests had to do, years ago. Their visits to communities were like angel's visits, few and far between. Thus, when our dear friend took charge of the parish at Little Falls, his territory embraced fifty square miles. For nine years I have been walking in his footsteps at Little Falls, although he has been twenty years among you. I see to-day gentlemen from my home, not of my faith, here in the house of God, who have come all this way to pay the last tribute of respect to our dead.

   Father Mac was a man that would wear well. He loved to go from house to house breaking bread and ministering to the sick and needy. His was truly a missionary spirit, and to-day he is as well known throughout the country as he is in Cortland. From Little Falls he was transferred to St. John's, Syracuse, and from thence, to Cortland, where he died, with twenty-one years full of good works.

   Especially would I emphasize the fact that Father Mac ruled well, because he ruled little. His was a mild rule. He rules best who rules least. He taught his people to rule themselves. There he was wise and he maintained that rule until the end. Mark you Buffalo, Rochester, New York City, sends delegates to pay their compliments to the boy of Connemara, who landed on your shores years ago.

   The look he gave when we did right is not gone, the look he gave when we did wrong is remembered. Friends, remember him in your prayers, in the adorable sacrifice of the mass for the repose of his soul. All is over.

   I charge you, bearers, take him up tenderly, take him up reverently, as a priest of God, with reverence, respect and prayer lower him into an exile's grave, but where if one must be an exile, of all places I would most wish him buried, in the rich, free soil of America, and may God have mercy on his soul."

   Following the sermon, came the last rites in preparation of the body for burial, the Vicar General officiating, assisted as before. The body was temporarily interred in the basement of the church, probably until the new cemetery is consecrated.

   The casket containing the remains was obtained from Chappell, Chase, Maxwell & Co., of Oneida, and closely resembles that provided for the Hon. Horatio Seymour, Hon. S. J. Tilden and Gen. John A. Logan. We cannot refrain, here, from mentioning that great credit is due to our townsmen, Messrs. Mourin Brothers, for the excellent manner in which they conducted the funeral. Everything passed off quietly, and in the best of taste and order.

   Among the many priests in attendance, besides those already mentioned, were, the Rev. E. F. O'Conner, of Clayville, J. M. Donald, of Utica, J. P. McIncrow, of Amsterdam, L. G. O'Reilly, of Utica, M. J. Griffith, of Valatie, all of whom stopped at the Messenger House and took part in the Vesper services.

   The Hon. L. J. Fitzgerald entertained at breakfast the venerable Dr. Hourigan, of Binghamton. the oldest presbyter in the diocese, and the Rev. Fathers Kearney, of Fulton, Quinn of Binghamton, Fitzsimmons, of New York and Ludden of Little Falls.

   The Cortland House entertained Rev. D. O'Connell, of Cooperstown, M. O'Reilly, of Pompey, James O'Reilly, of Fayetteville, T. D. Johnson, of Owego, James J. Renehan, of Marcellus, W. A. Ryan, of Camillus, J. J. Toomey, of Utica.

   Several of the citizens entertained friends among whom were: Fathers Murphy and Schmidt, of Rome, Father Gorley, of Fulton, Kennedy, Magee, Reilly, Joyce, Gehring and Mullaney of Syracuse, Clune of East Syracuse, Priesser, Hughes, Barry, and Doody of Oswego, Cullin, of Utica, Herrick, of Marathon, Brennan of Binghamton, Hart, of Norwich, Ward, of North Creek, Meagher, of Cazenovia, Dolan, of Fonda, McGuire, of Albany Cathedral, Mulherm, of Auburn, Roach, of Middleford, Reilly, of Lyons, Kavanagh, of Suspension Bridge, Swift, of Troy, Healy, of Winchester, Ky., McLoghlin, of Philmont, Cannane, of Oriskany Falls, Hyland, of Ilion, Donnelly, of Waterville, Walsh, of New Lebanon, Shelhan, of West Troy, Halpin, of Herkimer, Mahon, of Whitesboro, and Downer, of Utica.

   So passed away a worthy citizen, a good friend, and a faithful pastor. We thought as the now closed eyes lay so peacefully upward turned, that were they opened, his lips would enthusiastically chant the words over the chancel rails, "Gloria In Excelsis Deo."

   His sorrowing nephews will greatly mourn his loss, and will always hold in tender remembrance, his blessed memory. As their eyes were turned toward the altar what more fitting thought to close the impressive service than the Pontificate and Cardinalate motto on the Epistle side: "Justitia et Pax."