Social engagement Patrick Augustine Sheehan

a letter of sheehan s

doneraile parish, without acrimony or agitation , on terms satisfactory both landlord , tenant. on, sheehan concentrated on promoting modern agricultural methods, in tillage , dairy farming. same meetings resulted in long series of social improvements in town of doneraile saw installation of modern water supply system , building of advanced electrification plant.

he took advantage of irish labourers act (1883) pursue plan have cabins demolished , replaced modern housing scheme. in of these enterprises, sheehan count on support of lord castletown of upper ossory (bernard edward barnaby fitzpatrick, 2nd baron castletown), had married lord doneraile s child, honourable emily ursula clare st. leger. perhaps not coincidental of these social projects ruminated on sheehan s fictional parish priest in, perhaps successful novel, new curate.

one of canon shehan s inherited pastoral duties in doneraile, acquitted, act independent intermediary between viscount doneraile , tenantry; , between tenantry , landlord, avoid levels of agrarian strife experienced on beleaguered estates such of nearby earl of kingston, , secure de facto religious liberty traditionally enjoyed catholics on doneraile estates. sheehan s arrival in parish came @ sensitive moment tenants began process of purchasing holdings doneraile, , other smaller local estates, under terms of ashbourne land purchase acts of 1885 , 1887. parish priest of doneraile asked assist tenants in approaches local land agents agree terms purchase of holdings.

while of traditional expectation of 19th-century irish parish priest, practical social engagement on sheehan s part needs understood in wider context of catholic intellectual response challenge thrown down capitalism, marxism , socialism pope leo xiii in encyclical letter rerum novarum of 1891.

as many of contemporary theological journals published in germany, belgium , france make evident, catholic theologians, rejecting marxism, socialism, , excesses of capitalism, debated , formulated social solutions come combined actions of church, state, employer , employee, , elaborated in greater detail principles used in seeking justice in industrial, social, , economic life. while sheehan aware of social question of time, , actively engaged in great contemporary social evolution directly affecting him in parish, can never regarded having in manner espoused zeitgeist, emerges portrayal of such priest in novel luke delmege published in 1901 and, not surprisingly, translated of major european languages.

canon sheehan in 1898

writing editor of irish ecclesiastical record in 1913, bishop s secretary, fr. william browne, described sheehan: courteous , polite, of course, silent. when first came home young priest england, stationed here in queenstown. rather thought silent, reserved manner have kept people in awe of him, yet when died, older generation had instances relate of unostentatious kindness, poor , sick .

in 1904 appointed canon of chapter of cloyne , assigned prebendary of kilenemer. conferred, honoris causa, doctorate in divinity in february 1902 pope leo xiii. in august 1902, recipient of doctorate in literature university of st. albertus magnus, wichita, kansas.