Death of Fr. Doherty

A few weeks later the reaction from strenuous days during and after the floods set in, and his physician advised him to go to the hospital for a complete rest.  He failed to respond to medical treatment, and died suddenly of a heart attack, November 23, 1938.  The Record paid tribute to Fr. Doherty:

 

Fr. Doherty was above all things, except being a priest, a gentleman.  It was characteristic of him to be genteel; we love him as a priest, as we love all priests, but admired Fr. Doherty for the particular policy of gentleness.  He served the archdiocese for thirty–six years, during all these years, and all places, he was just a priest of God serving only the peoples of the congregation to which he administered, a model priest for all, devoted, wholly self–sacrificing, just a priest of God.

 

The mortal remains of Fr. Doherty rest in the family plot in providence, R.I.

 

Role of Honor

In the first hundred years of its existence, the Church of Our Lady could not claim one son, born and reared in the parish, who has been raised to the dignity of the holy priesthood.  Right Rev. E. Erle Willett, P.A., vicar general of the archdiocese of Louisville and pastor of St. James’ Church, resided in the parish in his boyhood days, and for a few years, attended Our Lady’s School.  Rev. Edward J. Recktenwald, C.S.Sp., of St. Mary’s Seminary, Norwalk, Connecticut, and Rev. Robert E. Canty, pastor of the Church of Our Lady of the Hills, Finley, Kentucky, where baptized here, but shortly after moved from the parish.

 

The Church of Our Lady has one son, Adolph B. Recktenwald, who entered the Xaverian Brothers’ novitiate in 1937.  His name and religion is Brother Dionysius C.F.X., and he is at present stationed in Old Point Comfort, Virginia.  Two sons of the parish are now studying for the holy priesthood.  Seventeen daughters have entered religious life:

 

Sisters of Charity                                   Sisters of Loretto

Sr. Lucy Lampton                                   Sr. Bernard Marie Recktenwald

Sr. Mercedes Portman                            Sr. Magdalen Doyle

Sr. Clare Hedderman                              Sr. Marcella Ricketts

Sr. Nicholas Barry                                  Sr. Williamette Secor

Sr. Angela Strain

Sr. Anselm Murphy

 

Sisters of Mercy                                     Ursuline Sisters

Sr. Columbia Muench                             Sr. Damian Cahill

Sr. Jane Cahill                                       Sr. Sarita Secor

Sr. Victoria Sebrey                                 Sr. Ethelreda Carr

Sr. Herman Huber

 

               

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