Remembering Msgr. Mulqueen
Dear Editor: It was with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Msgr. Joseph C. Mulqueen (“Renaissance Man With A Light Touch,” Feb. 22).
I have been acquainted with Msgr. Mulqueen for more than 60 years, having first met him at St. Bonaventure’s parish where he served as a young parochial vicar and I was a young teenager seeking a church community to join.
We connected, and our friendship has stood the test of time. Msgr. Mulqueen leaves behind a legacy characterized by love, truth, kindness, generosity, and integrity.
Committed to both God and country, he dedicated his life to aiding others and disseminating God’s goodness to all. He exemplified Christian living through his unconventional approach to life, his sense of humor, and his inclusive nature.
Throughout his 68 years as a priest and military chaplain, he profoundly impacted numerous lives. Humble and unassuming, he was truly a renaissance man and will be greatly missed.
Patricia Connelly
Sunnyside
Keely, DeWeever Makes a Great Read
Dear Editor: The March 1 edition of the Tablet has got to be one of the best ever. Every article was interesting, well written
and the time-line presentation about Patrick Charles Keely (Diocesan Designer) was beautifully illustrated and filled with facts.
Congratulations to the whole Tablet staff.
The Black History segment about Jules DeWeever and the legendary and saintly Msgr Quinn (The Unsung Hero Behind Brooklyn’s First Black Catholic Community) is a proud presentation about a story that is a cornerstone of our diocese.
There was also a letter from Ukraine that could not have been more timely. So bravo and gratitude to The Tablet.
Father Michael Perry
Douglaston
Bishop Loughlin and The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Dear Editor: I enjoyed the articles on Church architect Patrick Keely and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
(“Holy Foundations,” Mar. 1).
The Cathedral was originally planned by Bishop John Loughlin, and although it was never completed, the accomplishments of Bishop Loughlin in building churches, schools and social services institutions were extraordinary and almost unbelievable.
Bishop Loughlin was consecrated a bishop at age 36 in 1853, when the Diocese of Brooklyn (then all of Long Island) was first formed, and remained bishop until his death on Dec. 29, 1891.
According to his obituary published on Dec. 30, 1891, in The New York Times, when Bishop Loughlin began his leadership of the Diocese of Brooklyn, there were ten churches and one chapel, “all of them barely struggling along.” At his death, there were 119 churches, 32 chapels, one seminary, two industrial schools, nine asylums, four hospitals, two homes for aged poor, one home for boys, two colleges, three select schools for boys, 45 parochial schools for boys, 46 parochial schools for girls, and nine schools not classified.
In the area of charities, when he arrived in Brooklyn in 1853, two small orphanages existed. At his death, 34 institutions remained, providing 5,000 children and 600 adults with year-round care, while 4,307 were treated as inpatients in Catholic hospitals.
No doubt that Bishop Loughlin wanted to build a magnificent cathedral, but instead, he used the funds for “two new orphan asylums,” according to a book, “A Brief Historical Sketch of the Catholic Church on Long Island,” by Patrick Mulrenan in 1871.
A Cathedral in Fort Greene would be wonderful, but it is heartening to know that those monies were spent on assisting the many children living on the cold, hard Brooklyn streets.
Kenneth P. Nolan
Bay Ridge