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Memories
of Father Bishop, Founder of Glenmary: 1886-1953
From
Angela Iannitti (Cincinnati, Ohio):
My
family attended the only Catholic church in the small town
of Blanchester, Ohio. Father Bishop said Mass there on Sunday.
He started a summer catechism program, along with the Ursuline
Sisters of Brown County. Father Bishop taught some of the
classes.
I thought
of Father Bishop as St. Paul come to life. He had such zeal
and fire!
From
Jack McCullough (Kent, Wash.):
In September
1950 my Dad died. Your story of Father Bishop’s 50th
anniversary brought this story to mind.
Sometime
in 1940-41 my Dad asked me to take him to our parish church,
St. Cecilia in Oakley (Cincinnati). Some itinerant preachers
were going to be there. I recall a car pulling a trailer
similar to the picture in your article. Dad spoke to Father
Bishop a number of times.
Dad was totally disabled from 1929 till his death. When
he died we found 35¢ (a quarter and a dime) in his
pants pocket. That was his total wealth.
In going
thru his things I found an old crystal radio set and was
about to throw it away. But I shook it and heard something
inside. There was a roll of 100 one-dollar bills and a note
that said we should take the money to the Glenmary priests
in Glendale and ask them to say Low Masses for Mom and Dad.
So Mom
and I went to Glendale and the priest told us he would have
to spread it around. We thought that was fine.
I told
this story to my spiritual director and he suggested I send
it to you
From
Sister Johanna McLoughlin, RSM (Hicksville, N.Y.)
The
latest issue of the Glenmary Challenge was exceptionally
well done. What a tribute to a great priest.You mentioned
about remembrances of Father Bishop and although I wrote
about the following before; it could be repeated in memory
of Father Bishop.
I was
always concerned because anything written about Glenmary’s
founding gave the year 1939. I was in a Catholic high school
in Brooklyn, NY between 1934 and 1938 and at various assemblies
priests spoke to us about their work. The priest who impressed
me the most was the one with the “No Priest Land “
map. That map was indelibly imprinted in my mind. (I was
glad to see the update in a recent issue).
In 1937
I went to the Catholic students mission convention in Cleveland,
Ohio, and met Father Bishop and Archbishop McNicholas. The
picture in the latest issue (Spring 2003) brought to mind
Archbishop McNicholas who did so much for the missions in
the '30s and '40s. That’s why the year 1939 was confusing,
until I realized 1939 is probably the canonical date for
the foundation.
I worked
for three years and in 1941 entered the Sisters of Mercy.
During those three years I sent my pittance to Father Bishop.
Now I’m able to send Mass offerings from our convent.
I hope to get to the Web site to see Father Dan’s master’s
thesis.
Keep
up the good work. God bless all of you. I’m sure Father
Bishop is smiling on all of you from heaven.
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