PATRICK AUGUSTINE FEEHAN

Background

Patrick Augustine Feehan was born in Killenaule, County Tipperary, Ireland, to Patrick and Judith Cooney Feehan.

Education

Despite the penal laws, his father had acquired a sound schooling and speaking knowledge of French.

A studious child, Patrick obtained the rudiments of a classical education at home and in a local school, so that at sixteen years of age, he was prepared to enter Castle Knock College.

Answering a spiritual call, he entered Maynooth (1847), where he followed the seminary course for five years.

Hence the young deacon gladly embraced the call of Archbishop Peter R. Kenrick of St. Louis, who sent him to his Seminary at Carondelet in final preparation for ordination (Nov. 1, 1852).

Career

Appointed curate of St. John’s Church, at St. Louis, Father Feehan proved an earnest preacher rather than an orator. As one who lived through the Irish famine and fever, his heart turned to the poor in the cholera epidemic (1853), when he nursed the sick, attended the dying, and coffined the dead. Assigned to the rectorship of the diocesan seminary at Carondelet, he taught moral theology and sacred scripture for four years when he was placed in charge of St. Michael’s Church, St. Louis. A year later he was transferred to thé Church of the Immaculate Conception where he won the title of “the priest of the poor. ” He established a unit of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and made daily visits to the unfortunates in the local jail. During the Civil War, he spent himself administering the sacraments to dying soldiers and in comforting the wounded who crowded the neighboring hospital of the Sisters of Charity. After Shiloh, the wounded were sent to St. Louis in boatloads. No small percentage were Irishmen, but Feehan knew no racial or creedal distinctions in such a crisis. His charity, not his teaching, brought numerous deathbed conversions. „ On the resignation of Bishop James Whelan of Nashville, Rome named Father Feehan to that war-torn diocese (1864). Owing to impaired health, he declined, but, on the death of his mother, accepted a second appointment and was consecrated by Archbishop Kenrick (Nov. 1, 1865). The diocese was in chaos: the cathedral and rectory had served as a barracks; every institution was bankrupt; there were only three secular priests in Tennessee. He went through cholera epidemics in 1866, 1873, and the terrible year of 18/8, when thousands died, including twelve of his priests who were stricken while attending the dying. The bishop’s courageous labors so won the affection of all classes, that sorrow was mingled with satisfaction when, on the death of Bishop Thomas Foley, he was elevated to the newly created archdiocese of Chicago. Installed as archbishop, November 28, 1880, he was destined to rule the archdiocese for twenty-two years during a time of tremendous municipal and Catholic growth. A remarkable business man, he bought and held property, and, despite criticism, he built in distant suburbs in realization of Chi- cago’s future. Sustained by the courts, he retained riparian rights and reclaimed invaluable lands from the waters of Lake Michigan. During his administration the Catholic population grew from 200, 000 to over 800, 000, priests increased from 204 to 538, churches and chapels from 194 to 298, colleges and academies from 17 to 28, and seminarians from 34 to 130. In this period of astounding development, he saw his people rise from labor into the professional and financial circles. He witnessed the erection of about 150 parochial schools. He aided in the foundation of the La Salle Institute, Saint Cyril’s College, St. Vincent’s College, and St. Viateur’s College at Bourbonnais. The importance of Feehan’s contribution to Catholic education was recognized when the Catholic Educational Exhibit displayed at the Catholic Congress of the United States won general encomiums from the promoters of the World’s While in Nashville, he had been one of the founders of the Catholic Knights of America (1877), he now supported the Catholic Order of Foresters, and defended the Ancient Order of Hibernians before the Third Council of Baltimore when some of the bishops attacked secret societies. In a quiet way, he was engaged in Americanization. His archdiocese was populated with a large proportion of immigrants of whom great numbers were foreign speaking. Aware of the ravages of drink, he gave full patronage to temperance societies. He walked the streets of Chicago with policemen on their beats in order to learn of social conditions at first hand. He did not hesitate to join civic movements to reform the city and help its submerged and vicious classes. His deepest interest was in Catholic eleemosynary institutions: St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum, his Newsboys’ Home, industrial schools and orphanages for girls, the homes of the Good Shepherd, and St. Mary’s Training School for boys at Feehanville, where he erected his own summer residence and intimately concerned himself with the work of rehabilitation. Growing old, he sought relief from his burdens and obtained an auxiliary bishop, Peter J. Muldoon (1901). A year later, lie was dead. To Catholics of all races and to Chicagoans in general, he had so endeared himself that few would disagree with the eulogy which Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia delivered over the remains of his lifelong friend.

Achievements

• Undaunted, he entered upon the work of reconstruction. While attending the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (1866) and the Ecumenical Council at Rome (1870), he sought financial aid to rebuild churches and construct chapels and invited priests and religious to enter his mission field. An organizer and a builder, he encouraged the Sisters of Mercy to establish St. Bernard’s Academy (1866); he rebuilt St. Cecilia’s Dominican Convent and School ; he established St. Joseph’s Orphanage for the children of dead soldiers ; he purchased a cemetery ; he erected several parochial schools ; and he made trying visitations into inaccessible parts of the diocese.

Views

Archbishop Feehan was a social worker in the larger sense.

Personality

A large, strongly built man, steadfast and frank in his opinions, reserved but kind, and rather unforgiving if deceived, Archbishop Feehan’s courage was never broken. He had neither skill nor desire to dabble in secular or ecclesiastical politics. Reputed a good theologian, he wrote practically nothing and left little correspondence. Unswervingly, he confined himself to his official duties, and these he did well.

Connections

Father:

Patrick Feehan

Mother:

Judith Cooney Feehan

Friend:

Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia