Funeral of Rev. Eugene O'Growney.
BY the time this issue of THE GAEL reaches the hands of its readers, all that is earthly of the Rev. Eugene O'Growney will have been laid to its final rest in the cemetery at Maynooth College, Ireland.
Father O'Growney was born at Ballyfallon, Athboy, County Meath, in 1863, and was only thirty-six years old when he died on October 18th, 1899, in the Sisters' Hospital at Los Angeles, California.
On Saturday, September 12th, in San Francisco, the long sad journey was begun, which will end in Ireland. On Friday, a Solemn Mass of Requiem was celebrated at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, by the Vicar General, Very Rev. J. J. Prendergast. Archbishop Riordan pronounced the absolution.
After the Mass, the body was escorted to the railroad depot by the members of the Irish societies of the city, and was entrusted to Mr. Lawrence Brannick, of Los Angeles, who accompanied the remains to Chicago.
On Tuesday, the remains of the deceased priest reached that city and were met at the depot by a deputation of representative Irishmen and were conveyed to the Cathedral of the Holy Name, where they were laid in state till next morning, when a High Mass of Requiem was celebrated by Very Rev. Andrew J. Morrisey, President of Notre Dame University. His Grace Archbishop Quigley and Bishop Muldoon were present in the sanctuary, and gave the final blessing.
After the services the members of the Irish societies present, consisting of the Seventh Regiment, Gaels and Hibernians, escorted the remains to the Lake Shore depot, for the Journey to New York.
Mr. O'Donovan, of Philadelphia, it seems, had assumed charge of the arrangements in New York, and knowing the influential Leaguers in this city would not recognize him, had delegated the arrangements to what is known here as the "Scotland Yard branch" of the Clan-na-Gael, which on this occasion was represented by a Mr. Cohalan and a committee. This committee, as might be expected, bungled its part and as a result the remains of Father O'Growney arrived as baggage over the New York Central Railroad on Thursday, September 17th, about 3 P. M., unattended and were put on a truck and wheeled under a dark shed at Depew Place, where they remained until 6 P. M., when they were discovered by Mr. Christopher O'Growney, brother of the deceased.
The pallbearers who had shipped the remains in advance, arrived shortly after on a parlor car in high good humor with themselves and beamed on everybody. Mr. O'Donovan and a delegation from the Clan-na-Gael received them and took them away.
In this connection, it is proper to say that the Gaelic League as an organization has never been identified or affiliated directly or indirectly with the Clan-na-Gael, or any other political or factional party, and the action of Mr. O'Donovan in connecting them with it, or in endeavoring to do so, cannot be too severely condemned.
The Gaelic League, until the advent of the Western element, has been entirely non-factional and non-political, and while its members as individuals may belong to any political party or organization they choose, yet, when meeting or acting as Gaelic Leaguers, they avoid those subjects lest they offend their colleagues and cause dissension in the movement.
At 8.30 P. M. about one hundred and fifty persons had assembled, including twenty-four uniformed members of the Irish Volunteers. The remains were transferred to a hearse and a procession formed, which, led by the Volunteers, proceeded on foot very solemnly to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where brief services and the Rosary in Irish were said.
Throughout Thursday night the body rested in St Bernard's and St Brigid's Chapel, guarded by details from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Irish Volunteers and some members of the local branches of the Gaelic League.
At 11 P. M. on Thursday a meeting was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel, at which Mr. Cohalan presided, when it was announced the manager of the Cunard Line Steamships had refused to permit a funeral or procession on their pier. The White Star Steamship Company, a competing line, would permit a procession but the Clan had bungled and neglected to ascertain the fact in time. After much discussion they finally decided to dispense with the proposed funeral procession next day from the Cathedral to the pier, and adjourned.
On the following morning the casket containing the body was placed on a catafalque, facing the high altar, and Rev. Dr. Michael J. Lavelle, Rector of the Cathedral, celebrated a Solemn Requiem Mass. Rev. Peter Cunniffe, C. S. S. R., of St. Alphonsus' Church, this city, preached the eulogy in Irish. Archbishop Farley was present in the sanctuary and gave the last blessing. A number of the clergy of the archdiocese were also present at the Mass.
The body lay in state in the Cathedral until four o'clock Friday afternoon, when, escorted by a small guard of honor from the Irish Volunteers and a few pallbearers appointed by the Irish societies, it was quietly conveyed to the Cunard line "Campania," which sailed on Saturday, September 19th, at 2 P. M.
For obvious reasons the press of New York had not been kept properly informed regarding the funeral arrangements, consequently only a few obscure paragraphs appeared in the leading newspapers, and as the committee failed to notify the public of the abandonment of the funeral procession to the steamship pier a large number of Gaels went to the Cathedral on Friday evening prepared to participate in the procession, only to learn that it had taken place some hours before.
The following persons accompanied the remains to Ireland: Rev. J. K. Fielding, Lawrence Brannick and P. C. B. O'Donovan, Father O'Growney's youngest brother, Mr. Christopher O'Growney, who has been in this country a short time, also accompanied the body to Ireland.
Disposal of the O'Growney Funeral Fund.
September 18th, 1903.
Douglas Hyde, LL. D., President Gaelic League. Dublin, Ireland.
Dear Sir:—This letter will be handed to you by Mr. Christopher O'Growney, who has been sent to accompany the remains of his brother, the late Rev. Eugene O'Growney, from this country to Ireland.
Enclosed you will find a draft on the Northern Banking Company of Ireland for £226 18s. 4d., being the net amount of the O'Growney Funeral Fund (less expenses of collection and expense of sending Mr. Christopher O'Growney to Ireland and return), raised by THE GAEL, New York, for the purpose of translating the remains of Father O'Growney from Los Angeles. Cal., to Ireland, and which has not been required for that purpose as the body is being removed by other parties.
This money is sent you as President of the Gaelic League to hold as the nucleus of a fund to defray the cost of erecting a suitable monument over the grave of Father O'Growney.
This fund was raised and was in hand at the National Convention of the Gaelic League in America, which was attempted to be held in Philadelphia in the month of October last year. That convention unfortunately split into two factions which could not agree on several vital points indispen-
