Thursday, January 26, 2006 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 The first three of named : Fathers Mitchell, Croke, and Kane hen Fathers Joseph D. Mitchell, Joseph F. Croke and James A. Kane Wwere designated Papal Chamberlains with the title “” in 1932, they were the first priests of the Diocese of Savannah so honored. Only Father Louis Bazin, in line for the same recognition over a decade earlier, preceded them in the select number of Georgia diocesan priests chosen for this honor. Sadly, Father Bazin died before word of the honor to be conferred upon him ever reached Georgia. The trio of priests appointed to the cloud of debt hovering over the rank of monsignor in1932 constitut- church. Father Kane also served as ed a diverse mix of personality and of Mary on the Hill background. Father Mitchell was Church, Augusta. from Georgia; Father Kane, from Between times and when acting as Massachusetts, and Father Croke, pastor at these churches, Father from Ireland. Mitchell was a born James Kane served as diocesan con- historian. Kane was a talented sultor, examiner, and diplomatic administrator. parish priest consultor, vicar Croke was savvy in busi- forane, promoter of justice, ness matters pertaining to and member of the Council of

the church. Each priest Vigilance. Under Kane’s courtesy of the Diocesan Archives. Photos served the diocese ably astute direction—starting Left: Monsignor Croke. Right: Monsignor Mitchell and devotedly in his own with his appointment as pas- which he was transferred to Savan- unique way. tor in 1920—the fledgling nah to serve as assistant pastor at One similarity all three parish of Saint Mary on the Hill the Cathedral. Later, he became its appointees shared was Rita H. DeLorme in Augusta began its develop- . Mitchell’s duties ultimately their relative “youth,” a ment into a robust parish. included being chancellor of the characteristic remarked on in an edi- Monsignor Croke diocese and its administrator during torial in The Bulletin of the Catholic Monsignor Kane’s fellow ap- the period following Kei- Laymen’s Association of Georgia. pointee, Monsignor Joseph P. Croke, ley’s retirement, during the interim “Georgia’s three monsignori are not was born in 1893 in Waterford, to Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara’s honored in the evening of their life,” Ireland. A product of the Christian consecration. observed The Bulletin’s editor, “but Brothers School, Croke came to the Father Mitchell’s interests were when, we pray, the greater part of United States and studied for the many. He helped write and distrib- their priestly life is still before priesthood at Saint Charles College, ute literature about the Catholic them.” Certainly, the ages of the Catonsville, Maryland and at Saint Church via the Knights of Colum- three new monsignors were signifi- Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, bus, mediated labor disputes in the cant: Kane, probably in his mid- to New York. Ordained in 1922 at the Savannah area, and chaplained vari- late-fifties, was in the twenty-sev- Franciscan Seminary, Saint ous organizations. Proficient in enth year of his priesthood; Joseph Anthony-on-the-Hudson, Father French, Monsignor Mitchell trans- Mitchell, approaching 51, in the Croke opted to devote his priestly lated early diocesan documents from twenty-fourth. Croke—not yet forty career to the mission Diocese of that language and wrote a number of Monsignor Kane and the “youngster” of the group— Savannah. He served first as assis- important historical sketches of the of Saint Augustine Church at Signal was more than a decade away from tant priest at the Cathedral and, diocese. It was while he was serving Mountain until 1957, the year of his his silver anniversary as a priest. later, as secretary to Bishop Michael as and as pastor of retirement. Monsignor Mitchell be- Monsignor Kane J. Keyes. Saint Patrick’s Church, Savannah, came an affiliate member of the The eldest, Monsignor James A. Afterwards, Monsignor Croke that Father Mitchell was named Alexian Brothers Congregation in Kane was born “about 1874” (1920 undertook a variety of duties in the “monsignor”. 1963, the first parish priest to be Federal Census, Richmond County, Savannah Diocese, among them that Diverse careers permitted to do so. Dauntless and Georgia) in Worcester, Massa- of chancellor—a post he held for The careers of these three earliest determined to serve despite his chusetts. He attended college at close to 15 years. His pastorates monsignors of the Savannah health problems, Monsignor Mit- Worcester and at Manchester, New included appointments to Saint Diocese continued to diversify after chell died on January 2, 1965, at 84. Hampshire, completed studies for Michael’s Church, Tybee, the their recognition as monsignors in Monsignor Croke, youngest of the the priesthood at Saint Mary’s Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist 1932. first monsignors of the Savannah Seminary in Baltimore, and was and Saint Anthony’s Church, Atlan- Monsignor Kane served as pastor Diocese, went on to collect duties ordained on December 17, 1904, in ta. He was rector of the Cathedral of Saint Mary on the Hill Church and titles (Papal Chamberlain, Baltimore. Father Kane first served when he became a monsignor. until the time of his death in his Domestic Prelate with the title as secretary to Bishop Benjamin J. Monsignor Mitchell mid-sixties on January 29, 1939. “Right Reverend Monsignor,” and Keiley, traveling while secretary to Monsignor Joseph D. Mitchell, a Monsignor Mitchell, never strong Diocesan Chancellor). His consider- Rome and other European destina- native of Columbus, Georgia, con- physically and suffering from vision able skills took him into the field of tions. Kane next became pastor of verted to Catholicism at nineteen. problems so acute they forced him Catholic education when he became Saint Patrick’s Church, Augusta, Like Monsignor Kane, Mitchell to memorize many parts of the Superintendent of the Schools of the remaining at this post for four years. graduated from seminary in Mass, petitioned for a leave of ab- diocese. When good leadership was From Augusta, Father Kane went to Dunwoodie, New York. He was sence in 1937. At this time, Monsig- needed for the Bishop’s Building Savannah where he became pastor ordained by Bishop Benjamin J. nor Mitchell moved to the Alexian Fund Campaign of 1948, Monsignor of the Cathedral of Saint John the Keiley in Atlanta in 1908. His initial Brothers’ rest home at Signal Croke accepted this responsibility. Baptist. It was Kane’s job while rec- assignment was to Immaculate Mountain in Tennessee. He served tor of the Cathedral to dispel the Conception Church in Atlanta, after as of the home and pastor Continued on page 11