Thomas Galberry consecrated as Bishop of Hartford

The ceremony began:

1. The officiating clergy and Thomas Galberry entered the church and proceeded up the main aisle
2. The consecrator, John Williams, was vested
3. Thomas Galberry and the assistant bishop were vested at the altar on the right side and then returned to the main altar
4. The consecrator’s secretary read the apostolical mandate of appointment
5. Galberry took the oath of office
6. Galberry then affirmed his intention fulfill the requirements and duties of his office faithfully
7. The mass proceeded up to the Alleluia
8. Galberry was escorted to a side chapel: his cope was removed, sandals were placed on his feet, and he was dressed in liturgical vestments
9. Galberry returned to the main altar
10. God was asked to bless Galberry
11. The litanies were chanted
12. John Williams, Patrick O’Reilly, and Edgar Wadhams laid their hands on Galberry’s head and blessed him
13. “Veni Creator” was sung
14. Galberry’s head, hands, crozier, and ring were blessed in that order
15. Patrick Lynch gave the sermon, which lasted 30 minutes
16. The mass resumed
17. Galberry led the mass to the offertory from the side chapel
18. Galberry then returned to the main altar and knelt before John Williams
19. Williams gave Galberry lighted torches, two loaves, and two miniature casks of wine as his symbols
20. Galberry’s mitre and gloves were blessed
21. Galberry was enthroned in the seat Williams had been occupying
22. The crozier was placed in Galberry’s left hand
23. Williams turned toward the altar, removed his mitre, and chanted “Te Deum”
24. Galberry, O’Reilly, and Wadhams left the alter, went down the main aisle, and Galberry blessed anyone kneeling
25. Galberry returned to the altar and chanted “Ad multos annos” at the epistle side of the altar, the middle of the altar, and at William’s feet
26. Williams then gave Galberry, O’Reilly, and Wadhams the kiss of peace
27. Galberry went to the side altar, accompanied by O’Reilly and Wadhams, and read the gospel according to Saint John, while Williams read the same at his altar
28. At this, the ceremony ended, and the officiants formed a procession and left the church by the main aisle.

The ceremony officially concluded.

The consecration dinner was served in Central Hall:

1. Edgar Wadhams, John Conroy, John Loughlin, Patrick Lynch, and James Hughes gave remarks that “were mainly of a congratulatory character”
2. Thomas Galberry responded “in appropriate terms”

Solemn pontifical vespers were celebrated at Saint Peter’s

1. Thomas Galberry was the celebrant, and Luke Daly and James Lynch were the deacons of honor
2. James Healy gave the sermon

1. Church decorations:

• Main and side aisles, “richly ornamented as they were, appeared even richer with their chaste floral decorations.”
• Main Altar: banner inscribed “Welcome Bishop Galberry” and “The God in heaven blesses us today
• Altar of Saint Joseph: banner inscribed “The Lord is with us” and “Blessed are those who walk in the ways of the Lord”

2. Over 2,000 people attended.
3. 11 bishops and over 150 priests participated.
4. Invited guests occupied the front pews.
5. The text for Patrick Lynch’s sermon was “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all these days,” which the Courant said was Acts 1:20 but is Acts 1:21.
6. Consecration dinner was attended by all of the bishops and clergy who had been at the ceremony and 160 invited guests
7. The pontifical vespers were attended by a crowd that was “quite as large as at the consecration”.

The officiants for the ceremony were:

• Consecrator: John J. Williams
• Senior Bishop: Patrick O’Reilly
• Junior Bishop: Edgar Wadhams
• Arch Priest: James Hughes
• Consecrator’s Notary: A. Stanton
• Deacons of Honor: Luke Daley, Matthew Hart, and James Lynch
• Deacons of mass: James Lynch
• Sub-deacon: Thomas Walsh
• Masters of Ceremonies: Michael Tierney and M. F. Kelly
• Assistant Chaplain: J. Sinnott
• Cross Bearer: F. Goodwin
• Chanters: F. Campbell and Eugene Gaffney
• Censor bearer: F. Campbell
• Acolytes: Mr. Campbell and W. Harty
• Miter bearer: H. Rogers
• Book bearer: R. Fay
• Crozier bearer: Peter Kennedy

1. The Courant reported on March 16, 1876 that the doors of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church would open at 9:00 AM, not 9:30 AM as the article covering the event reported.
2. There are some discrepancies in the Courant’s reporting on attendance:

• On March 16, 1876, the Courant reported that 2,000 tickets would be issued.
• On March 20, 1876, the Courant reported that “over 2,000 persons” were in the audience.
• The Courant also reported on March 20 that “the throng of spectators” had been “surging into the spacious church for an hour or more”.

3. The assistant bishop was either Patrick O’Reilly, who was described as “senior bishop,” or Edgar Wadhams, who was described as “junior bishop.”
4. The consecrator’s secretary was probably P. A. Stanton, who was described as the “consecrator’s notary.”
5. The Courant listed Bishop “Lochlan” of Brooklyn, NY as attending the consecration and making remarks at the consecration dinner; however, the Bishop of Brooklyn in 1876 was John Loughlin.

At some point after March 16, 1876, 2000 admission tickets were issued.

On March 16, 1876, the Courant reported that 15 bishops and 200 priests were expected to attend this event.  In its article published on March 20, 1876, the Courant estimated that over 150 clergy members participated, and the article named 1 archbishop, 10 bishops, and 77 priests.

1. James Healy, who was Bishop of Portland (ME), was the brother of A. Sherwood Healy, who was considered for appointment as Bishop of Hartford after Thomas Galberry declined the appointment.
2. In attendance were three priests named Lawlor, two priests named Lynch (not including Patrick Lynch, Bishop of Charleston), and three priests named Rogers. All were identified by their title, Reverend, and this highlights the problems sometimes encountered identifying people listed in a Courant article.

1. “He was always a great promoter among youth of confraternities, etc.”
2. “Few hear him that do not admire him, and while his brethren may mourn to lose him as a father, counsellor and friend, they cannot but rejoice that in their loss Hartford gains a good religious priest of zeal and a pontiff woo, although he do but one tithe of what he now has done, will make the little see of the ‘Straight River” flourish as did his sainted predecessor, and bid fair to soon outshine others of vaster limits and or more renown.”
3. From Patrick Lynch’s sermon:
4. “Like unto a human body the limbs and head and organs of which form a perfect whole, so do the different parts of the church system form a complete organization.”
5. “As successor to [Francis McFarland] Father Galberry was chose, but in his humility he at first declined the great honor proffered him. Again and again was he urged to accepted, and as often declined, until his reasons were demanded through the mandamus and he was instructed to proceed to the episcopal see.”

1. The liturgical vestments Galberry received in the side chapel included the pectoral cross, the dalmatic, the chasuble, and the maniple. He received these from members of the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine.
2. The text for Patrick Lynch’s sermon was “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all these days,” which the Courant said was Acts 1:20 but is Acts 1:21.
3. Who was who among the officiating clergy:

• John Williams was Archbishop of Boston
• Patrick O’Reilly was Bishop of Springfield, MA.
• Edgard Wadhams was Bishop of Ogdensburg, NY
• James Healy was Bishop of Portland, ME
• Patrick Lynch was Bishop of Charleston, SC
• James Hughes was the Vicar General of the Diocese of Hartford

4. The priests participating in the ceremony were all from Connecticut, with one exception:

• Luke Daley: New Britain
• Matthew Hart: New Haven
• James Lynch: Waterbury
• Thomas Walsh: Meriden
• H. Rogers and Michael Tierney: Stamford
• Harty and M. F. Kelly: Hartford
• J. Sinnott: Bridgeport
• F. Goodwin: East Hartford
• F. Campbell: North Manchester
• Eugene Gaffney: Thomaston
• “Rev. Mr. Campbell,” as distinguished from J. F. Campbell, and P. R. Fay: Colchester
• Peter Kennedy:

5. The exception was P. A. Stanton, who was a priest in Philadelphia. Philadelphia was where Thomas Galberry had been ordained.

Unattributed.  “Bishop Galberry,” Hartford Daily Courant, March 20, 1876, page 2.

Unattributed.  “Bishop Galberry’s consecration,” Hartford Daily Courant, March 16, 1876, page 2.

Unattributed.  “Brief mention,” Hartford Daily Courant, February 21, 1876, page 2.

Unattributed.  “The new bishop of Hartford, Father Galberry,” Hartford Daily Courant, February 25, 1876, page 3.