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Father Michael J. McGivney |
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Written by Jeff Easter
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Friday, 04 September 2009 23:05 |
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Born in Waterbury, Connecticut on August 12, 1852, Michael J. McGivney was the the son of Irish immigrants. He was the first of thirteeen children born to Patrick and Mary. Growing up in the working-class neighborhoods of Waterbury, Connecticut, he was known as an excellent student. After the Civil War, at the age of 13, he went to work in a local brass factory in order to provide a bit more money for his family's survival.
In 1868, at the age of 16, he left the factory and travelled to Quebec, Canada in order to attend the College of St. Hyacinthe, in order to prepare for the seminary. After the death of his father in 1873, at the request of the bishop of Hartford, he entered Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. Four years later he was ordained. On Christmas Day in 1877, he began his priestly duties at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 11 September 2009 18:03 )
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Read more: Father Michael J. McGivney
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According to history books, the potato famine in Ireland during the 1840's caused the migration of hundreds of thousands of Irish Catholics to the United States. American Protestants at that time were infused with antipathy to the church of Rome. They considered Catholic Europe as undemocratic and therefore resented the influx of Catholics from Ireland. As a result, several decades of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment developed., not only in religion, but also in politics and business. A situation which made it nearly impossible for anyone Catholic or Irish, to find meaningful work, run for office or obtain insurance protection.
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Read more: The Beginning
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