James Hilary Harding: death and priests’ lot burial

450  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  fN  NEW  ENGLAND.
The  institution  is  prosperous,  its  inmates  happy,  and  its  trustees  gratified
with  the  work  accomplished.  The  Sisters  of  Mercj*,  likewise,  who  for  so  many
years,  have  without  worldly  recompense,  given  their  life  and  labor  to  the  work  of
the  orphanage,  though  they  look  for  a  higher  reward,  may  not  disdain  the  testi-
mony of  the  Board  of  Trustees  concerning  the  admirable  manner  in  which  they
perform  the  onerous  duties  devolving  upon  them.
In  this  noblest  of  charities — the  care,  protection  and  education  of  the  poor
orphan — St.  Francis'  Orphan  Asylum  is  a  splendid  monument  to  the  Catholics  of
Coiniecticut,  as  well  as  a  beautiful  memorial  of  the  grateful  and  generous  people
•who,  without  distinction  of  religion,  as  friends  of  its  little  helpless  ones,  have
their  names  associated  with  a  great  work,  and  whose  countless  deeds  of  true
charity  are  written  by  angelic  instead  of  human  pen.
The  first  resident  chaplain  of  the  asylum  was  the  Rev.  James  Hilary  Harding,
who  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties  on  January  6,  187S.  During  his
period  of  .ser\'ice  here,  Father  Harding  had  the  spiritual  charge  also  of  the  jail  and
of  "  Springside  Home."  Father  Harding  was  a  native  of  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  and
was  born  in  181 2.  His  early  education  was  obtained  in  his  native  town,  and  after
a  period  of  study  and  travel  in  France,  came  to  this  countrj',  where  he  completed
his  theological  studies  at  Villanova  College,  near  Philadelphia.  Thenceforth  he
labored  in  the  archdiocese  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  until,  having  obtained  the  requisite
permission,  he  became  affiliated  with  the  diopese  of  Hartford.
Among  the  works  that  absorbed  most  of  the  time  and  all  of  the  fortune  of
Father  Harding  was  the  construction  of  the  Protectory  for  wayward  boys  on  Fair
Haven  Heights.  The  corner-stone  of  the  building  was  laid  by  Bishop  McMahon
on  June  12,  1881.  The  site  of  the  Protectory  was  purchased  in  .\pril,  1S79,  from
Francis  Donnelly  and  a  Mr.  Shipman,  and  conipri.sed  three  acres.  The  building,
however,  was  never  completed.  Father  Harding  died  at  the  asylum  on  May  25,
1889,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.  His  remains  rest  in  the  priests'  lot,
St.  Bernard's  cemeterj-,  New  Haven.  The  funeral  .ser\-ices  were  held  at  St.  Mary's
church,  where  a  Pontifical  Mass  of  Requiem  was  celebrated  by  Bishop  McMahon,
assisted  by  the  following  clergymen  :  Assistant  priest,  Rev.  John  Furlong  ;  deacons
of  honor.  Revs.  John  Cooney  and  M.  McKeon  ;  deacon.  Rev.  M.  A.  Tierney  ;  sub-
deacon.  Rev.  F.  O'Keefe.     The  panegyric  was  preached  by  Rev.  \V.  J.  Slocum.
The  successor  of  Father  Harding  as  chaplain  of  the  asylum  was  the  Rev.  John
Franc:*.  Corcoran,  who  is  still  in  charge,  and  is  also  the  treasurer  of  the  corpora-
tion. Father  Corcoran  had  been  an  assistant  for  nearly  six  years  to  \'en,-  Rev.
James  Hughes,  V.  G.,  Hartford,  when,  at  the  urgent  request  of  Bishop  McMahon,
he  gave  up  the  parochial  work  of  the  ministry  to  assume  that  of  the  chaplaincy  of
the  asylum.  Father  Corcoran  began  his  successful  career  in  this  field  of  sacerdotal
zeal  on  October  9,  1889.  The  new  south  addition  was  erected  and  dedicated  during
Father  Corcoran's  tenure  of  office,  on  June  7,  1897.  The  new  chapel,  .school  rooms,
chaplain's  apartments,  and  dormitories  for  the  Sisters  and  children  are  in  thisaddi-
tioii,  which  cost  $50,000.
The  first  regular  attending  physician  was  Charles  A.  Gallagher,  M.  D.  He
held  this  position  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  May  9,  1878.  Dr.  Gallagher's
succes.sor  is  the  present  attendant  pliysician,  Matthew  Charles  O'Connor,  M.D.
The  principal  benefactors  of  St.  Francis'  Orphan  Asylum  were  Philip  Marett
and  the  Hon.  James  Edward  English,  formerly  Governor  of  Connecticut.
The  hislorv  of  the  Asylum  would  be  incomplete  were  the  names  of  the  zealous