Bart A. Sheehan

BARTHOLOMEW A. SHEEHAN was born December 18, 1907 to Jeremiah and Mary (McCarthy) Sheehan. The family lived at 882 Haddon Avenue in Camden, where Jeremiah Sheehan worked as mechanic in one of the city’s shipyards, as did four out five of Bart Sheehan’s older brothers by 1920. There also was an older sister and one younger brother.

Bart Sheehan attended Camden Catholic High School at Broadway and Federal Streets and St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia, where he was a star basketball player. His older brother Joseph was also a fine basketball player, playing professionally with the Cleveland Rosenblums and other early pro teams in the 1920s.

Trained as a lawyer, Bart A. Sheehan ran for the New Jersey Assembly as a Democrat in 1934. He later was elevated to the bench, and was serving as a judge in December of 1940. During the early 1940s he served as Chairman of the Housing Authority of the City of Camden, and oversaw the construction of the William Stanley Ablett Village homes for defense workers in Cramer Hill.

The 1947 Camden City Directory reveals that he was living with wife Kathryn at 2359 Baird Boulevard in East Camden, and serving as a judge in the Camden Court of Common Pleas. As a judge he presided over many cases, including the capital murder case of Howard Auld, who went to New Jersey’s electric chair. By 1959 the Sheehan family had moved to 153 Hopkins Avenue in Haddonfield.

When Bart Sheehan’s wife died in 1971, he became a Jesuit brother. Brother Sheehan passed away on November 12, 2001 in Philadelphia.

League to Open Season November 9; Bridgeton in Opener Here on 11th — Camden Strengthened

Howard Wood’s Jasper Club, or Kensington, was admitted to the Eastern Basketball League last night, to round out a six-club circuit.

Jasper, one of the standbys of the Eastern League a decade or more ago, was given the preference by the Eastern League moguls over several applicants for the vacant berth at the final meeting of the circuit in Philadelphia last night.

The team managed by Wood, former Hancock star of the old Philadelphia League, is expected to be one of the strongest in the circuit. While Wood gave no inkling to his possible roster, it is reported that several of last season’s Reading players, notably Teddy Kearns and George Glascoe, will be in the line-up as well as several other stars well known to local fandom.

The season will open on Monday, November 10, when Philadelphia Moose (formerly the Elks) invade Kensington to test the new Jasper team. The following night the champion Sphas travel to Bridgeton, while the Norman Cochrane-Jimmy Brown coached Camden “Skeeters” will open their season here on Wednesday night of the same week when Bridgeton is entertained.

The remainder or the first week’s schedule finds Jasper invading Wil-mington on Wednesday night, the Sphas entertaining Jasper on Thursday night, and Camden stacking up against the Moose on Friday night at Broad and Thompson Streets, Philadelphia.

The remainder or the first half schedule will be released shortly by Caddy Franklin, league secretary.

With the brilliant Joey Sheehan and “Skin” Bollerman added to the already tine Camden team, the Skeeters appear due for a great campaign on the wooden way.

‘The local pilots announced last night that the opening lineup will probably have Eddie Lobley and “Sure Shot” Johnson as the forwards; Jacobs, center, with Joe Sheehan and Bill Bergen at the defensive positions. Bart Sheehan and Bollerman also are available and either may get the last minute call for starting duty.

Honor Students and Athletes Hear Phil Lewis on ‘Letter Day’

Led by the boys’ band of 37 pieces and the girls’ fife and drum corps, the Camden Catholic High school student body paraded into the school auditorium at 10.30 a. m. yesterday to pay tribute to the athletes and other honor students who received awards at the annual “Letter Day” exercises.

Phil Lewis, veteran basketball official and director of physical education of the Philadelphia public schools, was the principal speaker of the day and told the students that they must be loyal to make their way in the world.

The surprise speaker of the day was Bartholomew A. Sheehan, former Green and White and St. Joseph’s College athlete, who carried the students back 10 years when he was a student at Camden Catholic High. In doing this he laid stress on the fact that tradition was the main factor in building up and carrying the school to its prominent position.

The Rt. Rev. Msgr. William J. FitzGerald, opened the exercises with a short talk after which Reverend James C. Foley, athletic director of the school introduced the main speaker.

Fred Floyd, president of the evening school of the University of Pennsylvania, told the students that sports were vital to the development of the youth of today. After Coach Elmer Hertzler gave a short talk as to what qualities the awards were based on the letter certificates were awarded by Monsignor FitzGerald.

During the ceremonies 43 varsity Insignias were awarded and 21 prizes given. The prizes were given for excellence in elocution, school spirit, spelling, typewriting and vocal work.

The 1933 graduating class of 99 boys and 96 girls will be guests of the alumni association tonight at a reception and dance in the Hotel Walt Whitman. Diplomas will be awarded at the commencement exercises at 3.30 p. m., Sunday in Convention Hall.

Miss Downs to Captain Girls; Vandy, Wodoloski, Hartman Boys’ Leaders

Forty-three varsity insignias were awarded, several special prizes were bestowed, and four captains-elect were chosen at the annual Letter Day exercises which were conducted yesterday at the Camden Catholic High auditorium in a gala program headed by three speakers and attended by about 900, including the student body and alumni.

Led by the boys’ band and the girls’ bugle corps the entire student assembly marched from the high school around the campus to the auditorium.

After an overture by the school bands, the program had its inception when the Rt. Rev. Msgr. FitzGerald, pastor and director of the local school, addressed the audience emphasizing the primary object of school athletics, the composite requirements for a good sport, and lauded the efforts of Coaches Hertzler and Barry for their efficiency in guiding the local athletes.

The next orator was Bart Sheehan, former Camden Catholic High all around athlete and former St. Joseph’s College luminary. Sheehan, one of the most popular athletes ever to attend the school, conveyed his impression of the feeling of the old tradition of the school which was instantly renewed upon entering the school halls, and stressed the fact that the graduates were directly responsible for the advertisement and success of their “alma mater,” and hoped they would further the interest of the school, whenever the opportunity afforded itself.

Fred Floyd, president of the U. of P. Evening School, amused the assembly with his humorous anecdotes and designated requisites for the successful athlete. Phil Lewis, director of the Philadelphia Board of Basketball Officials, also drew laughs from the audience with his droll quips and accentuated loyalty as the main ingredient of an athlete’s make-up.

Coach “Al” Hertzler concluded the speech-making and conducted the captaincy balloting. Singularly enough, every candidate won the captaincies unanimously. The following will lead “Irish” teams to battle next year: Miss Frances Downs, who is leader of the girls’ basketball team; Jim Vandy, who was selected to head the basketballers; Leon Wondoloski; who was chosen to guide the diamond outfit; and Lambert Hartman, chief of the track team.

14 Others From South Jersey Given Right to Practice Law

Nine Camden law students and 14 others from South Jersey cities passed the April state bar examinations and may practice as attorneys in New Jersey.

That was announced at Trenton yesterday by Rue Brearley, secretary of the State Bar Examiners. Brearley stated that in the entire state, 206 students passed the tests. The counselor-at-law results were not announced.

Those in Camden were:

Howard G. Kulp, Jr., studying at the law offices of Carr and Carroll.

Norman Heine, law office of his brother, Aaron Heine.

Louis L. Goldman, firm of Orlando and Kisselman.

Franklin L. Deibert, offices of his brother, Edward R. Deibert.

Joseph Lipkin, offices of Judge Frank F. Neutze.

Stanley L. Bennett, law offices of his brother, City Commissioner Harold W. Bennett.

John F. Ruck, law offices of Walter S. Keown.

James D. Stockwell, law firm of Bleakly, Stockwell and Burling, of which his father, Henry F. Stockwell, is a member.

Bartholomew A. Sheehan, law offices of Walter S. Keown.

Among the other South Jersey students who were successful was Harold B. Wells, Jr., son of Judge Harold B. Wells, of Bordentown. The others are: Fred A. Gravino, John B. Wick and Frank Sahl, all of Woodbury; I. Harry Levin and W. Howard Sharp, of Vineland; Wheeler Grey, William B. Brooks and Morgan E. Thomas, of Atlantic City; Thomas H. Munyan and John E. Boswell of Ocean City; Francis Tanner, Toms River; James Edward McGlincy, Bridgeport, and Charles J. Berkowitz, Lakewood.

By Frank Kopesky

JOE CREAN, Bud Sheehan, Sam Godfrey and Worm Wearshing all play in the Delaware River Basketball League … Joe Barry considers Walt Roman, a little chip, one of the best performers on his Catholic High quintet, and the coach recently had the diminutive guard showing the others on the varsity a few tricks … Haddon Heights High goes in for gymnastics in a big way and the school has all types of equipment … Norman Ford is the member of the faculty who teaches that sport … Joe Shields, former Camden High and Springfield College star, is attending Jefferson Medical College … Newt Danford, ex-Camden athlete, teaches at Westmont Junior High, and Ted Nitka, the Fordham Flash, is a faculty member at his alma mater, also Camden High … The senior William Denof is a swell bowler and the missus is a swell hostess … Johnny Vogeding and Jack Bitting, popular Woodbury athletes, are employed at the Mannington Mills plant in Salem … Frank Duffy is active in athletics at the RCA here.

Trapped by Barred Window and Flames, Worker Suffers Severe Burns

Flames and a barred window yesterday trapped a youthful employee after an explosion on the second floor of the shoe repair establishment of Harry Sykes, 536 Federal Street.

Monte Di Giacomo, 19, of 1919 South Fourth street, is fighting death at Cooper Hospital from serious burns of the arms and face. Doctors are seeking to determine whether he inhaled flames.

Sykes, the proprietor, was burned on the hands when he ran through the flames and pulled Di Giacomo from between the bars of the window, with his arms and legs dangling on the outside and with fire licking at his back from the room. Sykes dressed his own wounds.

Di Giacomo, panic-stricken, had broken the glass of the barred window in a desperate effort to escape. He could not reach an unbarred window in the room, divided by a partition and blocking egress in that direction.

Victor Lazo, manager of Locustwood Memorial Park, Marlton Pike, Delaware township, and Bartholomew A. Sheehan, an attorney, rushed the burned youth to the hospital in Lazo’s automobile. The rear of the offices of Lazo and Sheehan, at 5 Hudson Street, are in view of the back of the shoe repair shop.

Lazo said he and Sheehan ran to the rear of the Sykes establishment after they had heard the crash of glass and saw Di Giacomo trapped in the barred window.

“We heard the shattering of glass, then screams,” Lazo said. “We looked in the direction of the noise and saw the arms and legs of the victim dangling from a window.”

Lazo said that he and Sheehan, hurrying to the scene, saw Di Giacomo staggering, half-crazed by the agony of his burns, into the back yard. This was after Sykes had freed the youth from the window.

Near Collapse

“He almost collapsed before us,” Lazo said. “Sheehan quickly wrapped him in a blanket; we carried him to the automobile, and took him to the hospital.”

The explosion occurred in the cleaning room for hats, Sykes said, and resulted from a short circuit on the electric fan setting off the naphtha used as a cleaning fluid.

Sykes said he ran upstairs when he heard his employee’s screams. At the top of the staircase, he grabbed a can containing a chemical to extinguish the flames and poured out its contents.

“The chemical reduced, but did not extinguish the flames,” Sykes said. “I ran through them to Di Giacomo. He was trapped. The fire was at his back. His arms and legs hung outside the window. I freed him, he got to his feet and staggered down the stairs before I could reach him again. He was crazed with the agony of his pain.”

The blast occurred about 10:30 a. m. The excitement attracted many shoppers in the area, in the heart of the Federal Street business district.

Firemen, who arrived promptly in response to alarms, confined the flames to the cleaning room.

Plans are under way for the annual St. Patrick’s Night dance held by Division No. 4 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which will take place on Tuesday evening, March 17, in SS. Peter and Paul Hall, Spruce Street east of Broadway.

The chairman is James Mulligan, assisted by Joseph P. McShane, Joseph Myrtetus, John Callaghan, Vincent deP. Costello, Paul J. Rilatt, Bartholomew A. Sheehan, Martin Kelly, Dr. John P. Brennan, Bryan McKernan, Ferdinand Larkin, Thomas Madden, John J. Kearney, Leo Rea and Joseph H. McCullough.

Democratic Leader Pledges Harmony Within Party in Pennsauken Talk — Says Gains Registered

Factional fights within the Democratic organization of Camden county are “out” and will not be permitted during his leadership, City Commissioner George E. Brunner said last night. He recently became leader of the organization through his election as state committeeman.

Addressing members of the Pennsauken Men’s Democratic Club, Brunner said the only reason Camden county had not been a Democratic stronghold in the past “was because of fights among the leaders.”

“There will be no more of those scraps as long as I am state committeeman,” Brunner said. “Factionalism is ‘out.’ It is now a case of all for one and one for all and we will go through with that and win the political victories we should have won.”

Referring to a speech he made last week in which he termed former U. S. Senator David Baird, Jr., Republican leader, as being “punch drunk,” Brunner said:

Repeats Baird Charge

“I not only repeat tonight that Baird is punch drunk but I go farther than that: Baird’s outfit is fed up with him and is preparing to give him the bum’s rush.

“Democratic clubs throughout the country are gaining new members every day. I have been told your membership is increasing at the rate of 30 or more members a week. Many of these new members formerly were Republicans.

“But reputable citizens, earnestly desiring to see Camden county progress, are leaving the Republican organization to join with us. They know their wishes for Camden’s welfare will be realized with us. All they have gotten from Baird and his organization is a headache.”

Oliver Bond, Negro Democratic leader of the township, also addressed the meeting, and urged support of Brunner’s leadership.

Empty Pledges Hit

“Negroes of Camden county,” Bond said, “have received nothing but a lot of empty promises from the Republican organization and particularly from David Baird.

“They are fed up on empty promises. Men and women of my race feel their interests are with the Democrats and we are supporting George Brunner. You do your part, we will do ours. When the votes are counted in the next election, you will see that the Negroes of Camden county are for President Roosevelt and the whole Democratic ticket.”

Other speakers included William Harker, president of the club; Robert W. Wren, county committeeman; and Bart A. Sheehan, Camden attorney.

Federal Aides Asked to Study Burling Measure for Camden Utility

City Commissioner Hartmann yesterday sent State Senator Burling’s bill to enable Camden to borrow money for construction of a light plant to Dr. Clark Foreman, PWA counsel in Washington, for his perusal.

Immediately upon return of the measure Hartmann and Burling will confer and make any changes that may be suggested by the Federal official before the Senator introduces the bill.

The plan of procedure was outlined Saturday, when Hartmann appeared before the county legislative delegation at its weekly session. Burling introduced the bill last year but was unsuccessful in getting it out of committee, although a companion measure, sponsored by former Assemblyman Bartholomew A. Sheehan, passed the House.

Mrs. Ida Pfeil, active in North Camden civic affairs, appeared before the lawmakers to press her point for a legislative embargo on the present discretion given municipalities in the matter of charging interest on tax delinquencies.

Mrs. Pfeil contends taxation is “impoverishing the people.” She said municipalities should be restricted from charging more than 1½ or 2 percent. Senator Burling and Assemblyman Lawrence H. Ellis pointed out that owners of properties on a large scale would defer payment of taxes if the interest rate is less than the interest they pay on borrowed money.

Burling said the bill already has been introduced in the Senate—S-10—to set a maximum of 4 percent interest on one-year delinquencies and 6 percent after the first year. The present law sets a limit of 8 percent.

By Jiminy

The way some of the members of the Camden County Republican Committee are behaving these days, the Democrats can stay home on their own meeting nights … The Republicans are doing their work for them … Now some 70 of the Republican committeemen have signed a petition to give Baird a job that won’t pay him anything … It’s about time they’re giving him something … They took the U. S. Senatorship away from him … Moore took the governorship away from him … Woodruff took the state committeeship away from him … The New Deal took the city commission away from him … The New Deal took the freeholders away from him … Somebody always is taking something away from Baird …

It isn’t a question of Baird’s ability to fill the bridge job … The only one to even mention that as an issue was Fred von Nieda … He’s a city commissioner, you know … It’s a matter of principle … At least, that is what Florence Baker, state committeewoman, says … Mrs. Baker is telling Senator Clee and others at Trenton that they owe it to Baird to support him for the job because he has always helped Clee … Let’s, in all fairness to Baird, look at the record … In the primary, during an address at the First Ward Republican Club, Dave Baird stated he was for Cliff Powell against Clee … Mrs. Baker did not come out against Clee … She didn’t come out against Powell. Instead, she said she was neutral. In the general election, Mrs. Baker said she was for Clee. Baird never said he was for Clee. (If he had, Clee’s majority of 35,000 would have gone to Moore) …

So we don’t think that Mrs. Baker is very convincing when she tells Clee that Baird helped Clee … She said that the Camden county legislative delegation helped Clee’s program against Hoffman. Was Baird a Democrat last year? Sheehan, Roye and Lodge were … Burling was a Republican, and helped Clee, but he is not for Baird. Perhaps it was because Baird “helped” Clee’s program against Hoffman opposition, that Hoffman slipped in Baird’s appointment without the knowledge of Burling or the state or county committee members … Mrs. Baker stated at a banquet that she has copies of the Courier-Post in 1931 in which Baird was praised for his bridge work … If anyone cares to look at our files, we will show what Mrs. Baker said about Baird in the neighborhood of 1931. … Or what we said about Baird at other times … Also what Mr. van Nieda and Frank Travaline said.

But enough ado about nothing … All we’ve done is talked about Baird when it had been our plan instead to talk about politics.

* * *

The political ax is hanging over the head of a Mt. Ephraim official on the charge he is assuming too much authority … The political ax hanging over the heads of the Delaware township cops is about to be enmeshed in litigation … One of the policeman is a member of the P.B.A. which will carry his fight into court in a case that will be a precedent for the other township cops, too … Herb Taylor will be county engineer if it goes to a Republican … It may be a Democrat however, and newest among the candidates, on that side of the ledger is former City Commissioner Carroll P. Sherwood … There may be only one assistant county solicitor instead of two in which case it will probably go to Carleton Rowand, city school board member …

By the way, don’t be surprised if under the new contract between the city and county on maintenance of the City Hall, the city takes full control of the building with consent of the county … Which will be tough on some of the county jobholders … * * *.

Assemblyman Allen now denies he wants all us newspaper fellers to go to the guillotine … He says he meant lawyers … Charlie Humes wants to be guillotined … Standing up … Incidentally, Charlie is defending his last-place position in the ping-pong league tonight … Firefighter Lennox went to church the other day … And found the roof braced up. When will the borough of Merchantville fix up that dangerous hole in Browning road at the railroad tracks north of Maple Avenue? … Or is that in the township?

Whenever the state police want Detective Wojtkowiak at the prosecutor’s office, they ask for “Sergeant Watchyourcoatandhat” … The Mt. Ephraim commissioners are going to buy a police car for their chief … He’s also in for a pay rise … Bellmawr’s chief of police won’t get the salary increase he wants, but he will get an additional allowance for the use of his car … Runnemede’s two new cops will also get pay increases …

The other day an alarm was sent to every police department in the county and also to the Philadelphia cops that a car had been stolen in Audubon … The culprit is glad no cops saw him … He was none other than a police official who wanted to borrow a storekeeper’s car but took the wrong one by mistake … His face is almost as red as Vince (deP) Costello’s … At the K. of C. roller skating exhibition the other night, Luke McKenna did a few fancy turns … Vince recalled he, too, had been pretty good at one time, so he essayed to show his friends … His intentions were better than his legs, and a couple of well-wishers followed him around the floor with a stretcher.

This all happened quietly. The Runnemede police received a complaint from two storekeepers … It appears that a group of high school students from another town had stopped off at Runnemede to purchase some cakes … Several other articles disappeared from the stores … A few days later the dean of the high school went to Runnemede paid one shopkeeper $10 and the other $2.60 … Representing the goods they said were taken …

Aside to that clairvoyant weakly editor who reported yesterday that Joe Van Meter is going to be the Republican nominee for sheriff: A sheriff cannot succeed himself in New Jersey … Silvio Fittipaldi, former Haddon Heights High star, is a veterinarian and doing nicely … A Philadelphia college professor who lives in Pennsauken uses his spare time writing a book … Home by 4.30 p.m. from work, he retires at 8 p.m., rises at 3.30 a.m., writes for four hours, breakfasts and goes to work … The Playcrafters are busy rehearsing “Post Road” for Feb. 18 and 19 … A warrant is in the mails for a suburban doctor … Illegal operation … Fred Homer, Merchantville song-bird, had an audition in New York recently before the Metropolitan Opera Audition Committee … What Collingswood shopkeeper’s missus is having trouble getting a costume for a minstrel show? … They’re still looking for better buses on Route 14 …

Carlton Rowand told this one at a dinner the other night … The foreman on a western WPA job wired Farley for more materials to finish the job … “We need 2000 shovels in a hurry,” the foreman wired … “We ran out of shovels,” replied Farley. “Let the men lean on each other.”

Reappointment of Clark and King Unlikely After Expiration of Terms March; Republican Leaders Scan Possibilities

There will be two new faces on the Camden County Board of Elections after March 1.

The terms of Charles J. Clark, Democrat, and William A. E. King, Republican, expire and Mercury has learned that neither will be reappointed.

The names of the appointees must be in the hands of the Governor by the first of the month, for confirmation, by the Senate. The names are submitted to Governor Moore by the respective State Committee, chairmen who in turn usually accepts them from the State Committee members and county chairmen.

State Republican Chairman Clayton Freeman will send the Republican nomination to the Governor. Surrogate Frank B. Hanna, state committeeman, has a letter from Freeman asking for the name of the Republican member to be appointed. It is likely that Freeman will send to the governor whatever name is given him by the Camden County members.

Thumbs Down on King

Hanna, Mrs. Florence Baker, state committeewoman and herself a member of the county election board, and Dr. Leslie H. Ewing, county G.O.P. chairman, have been holding numerous conferences on the subject.

Dr. Ewing has definitely turned thumbs down on King, Mrs. Baker, too, has refused to recommend King and it was said that Hanna will not recommend him.

As a matter of fact, Mercury learns, Dr. Ewing has a list of prospective candidates. The origin of the list is unknown but it includes a number of city and county candidates. Among these are William Lehman, manager at the Republican headquarters; George Tarter and Meyer Sakin, attorneys; Charles S. Wright, of East Camden; Jack Weinberg; George Roberts, of Collingswood; Curtis Walter, Pennsauken tax collector, and Harry Willson, Pennsauken assessor.

Mrs. Baker for Sakin

Mrs. Baker is reported to be for Sakin.

It wasn’t known who Hanna is for, but reports have it that he may recommend George Walton, of Haddonfield. If Hanna does recommend Walton, who is from out in the county, it would leave the way open for appointment of a city member in the event Mrs. Baker, who accepted the membership temporarily, resigns.

Who the Democratic appointee will be is conjectural but it won’t be Clark, who has been at odds with the city-county Democratic organization.

A number of names have come in for consideration, among them being John Morrissey, chairman of the excise board; Bart Sheehan, former assemblyman; Robert Wren, Pennsauken committeeman; John Crean, of Haddonfield; John Trainor, of Haddon Township, and Sidney Kaplan.

F.R. Sends Best Wishes as Civic Leaders, Friends Laud Freeholder

Green were the shamrocks from his own native Athlone that filled the big silver loving cup, and the First Citizen of the United States sent his best wishes to the First Citizen of North Camden, so John Daly had a birthday party last night without precedent in Camden social functions. The freeholder from the First ward, arrived at 76 years, broke his own rule and crowded himself into the first evening dress he said he ever wore.

Political Camden, Republican and Democrat alike, came out to make a fete for the veteran official, and to cap the climax, this was the first banquet in the history of the city that played to “Standing Room Only.” So many wanted to come to do honor to Daly that Convention Hall was jammed with 750 guests.

Baskets of Flowers

John was lauded in song and story, and then was presented with flowers, four huge baskets of them. The First Ward Democratic Club gave their freeholder a silver loving cup, suitably engraved, and Katherine Janice, 9, told the guest of honor how much he was esteemed by the members of the club and people of the ward.

The guest table was thronged with the bigwigs of politics and the sachems of parties. They were introduced in turn and several of them spoke, but the yells and the shouts and the greetings and the gifts were all for “good old John Daly.”

Clarence E. Moullette, president of the First Ward Democratic Club, opened the program and introduced Freeholder Andrew J. McMahon as toastmaster. Mayor George E. Brunner was the first speaker and he told of the valor and strength John Daly had in politics, and the love shown him on every side.

Then Brunner had the toastmaster spring the grand piece of the evening, a letter of regret read even before those from Senator John Milton, Governor A. Harry Moore, Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, Congressman Elmer Wene and others.

President ‘Regrets’

This birthday message came from the White House and read as follows:

“The President has asked me to express his regret that it will not be possible for Mrs. Roosevelt and himself to accept the invitation to be present at the testimonial dinner in honor of Mr. John Daly.

“Will you please convey the President’s greetings and best wishes to your guest of honor.”

Mrs. Mary E. Soistmann, former Assemblyman Bartholomew A. Sheehan and Henry D. Young, Jr., director of WPA, followed Brunner with congratulations.

McMahon then introduced celebrities to take a bow.

Then the guest of the evening stood up, and the ovation he received almost rocked Convention Hall. With tremors in his voice, Daly thanked everybody.

Mrs. Kobus completed the program when she declared John Daly “had given her more trouble, asking help for people, than any other 23 citizens of Camden.’

On November 12, 2001, Brother Bartholomew A. Sheehan, S.J., at the Jesuit Community of St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, the son of the late Jeremiah and Mary (McCarthy) Sheehan. He was married to Kathryn (Keaveney) Sheehan, who predeceased him in 1971. Surviving are a son, Bartholomew, and daughter-in-law, Mary D. Sheehan, of Summit, NJ, three grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. Friends, relatives and clergy are invited to viewings Wednesday, November 14, from 3-5pm in the Jesuit Community Chapel, Loyola Center, (Merion side), and from 6:30 to 7:30PM in the St. Joseph’s University Chapel, (Phila. side), 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia. A concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be at 7:30pm the same Wednesday in the University Chapel of St. Joseph. After a brief prayer service at 9:30AM on Thursday in the Jesuit Community Chapel, burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, Route 70 W. Cherry Hill, NJ. Memorial contributions may be sent in lieu of flowers in Bro. Sheehan’s name to the Jesuit Seminary and Mission Bureau, c/o Jesuit Community, 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131.

Homily delivered by William J. Byron, S.J. at the 7:30am Mass on Sunday, June 16, 2002, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Washington, DC

Happy Father’s Day, all you fathers and grandfathers in our faith community. Blessings on you today!

One of the best angles from which to view fatherhood, to think about fatherhood, is to look, if you can, at a grandfather. That grandfather may be your own father; you yourself may be a father (or mother) trying to figure out a formula for successful parenting. From that point of view—looking at your own father, the grandfather of your children—you may be able to recall love received and thus be yourself better able to show parental love to your own offspring.

Not everyone’s relationship to “father” is a happy one, not everyone’s experience of “father” is a good one. Not every memory is positive. For some, Father’s Day is a call to forgive one’s own father, and a day to resolve to be a better parent to your own sons and daughters.

But there is something especially helpful, I think, to take a look, if you can, at fatherhood through a grandfather’s eyes. When those eyes look back over the years, they see many moments of doubt and worry, moments of high anxiety and low hope, but I suspect that the view through your grandfather’s eyes reveals even more occasions for gratitude. And to whom is that gratitude expressed? In most cases first to God, to God the father of us all, who, as Paul wrote to the Romans in the selection you heard in today’s second reading, “proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God your Father showed his love for you by handing over his son Jesus to executioners and thus paid your ransom, paid the price of your salvation.

God our Father is generous. Christ his son assimilated within himself that generosity and demonstrated it by generously giving up his life for you and me. Father’s Day is a day to celebrate generosity, a day to give thanks for love proved in deeds—fatherly deeds of generosity—not mere words. Thanks first to God then for your own father; thanks too to God for the man who fathered your father, your grandfather, the one who quite probably taught you a lot about generosity.

But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Your father proved and proves his love for you in many ways. You as parent demonstrate your love for your children in many ways too, but particularly by living generously for them.

Father Jim Conroy, a Jesuit friend of mine, was here to give a day of recollection to our staff a couple of weeks ago. Something prompted him to make a comparison between the Enron executives who exercised their stock options to grow rich while blocking their employees from selling the plummeting Enron stock that remained locked in their 401K retirement plans; Jim Conroy compared the Enron executives with the parents of a wonderful Jesuit brother, Bart Sheehan, now deceased, who recalled for Jim Conroy one day some years ago the way things were during his childhood when food was scarce in his very large and very poor family. Bart Sheehan’s parents ate last. What was on the table went to the children before the parents helped themselves. The young Bart Sheehan learned something about generosity from this. He became a lawyer, later a judge, and when widowed became a Jesuit Brother. He learned something about generosity and integrity at that dinner table each night, something the Enron executives apparently never saw or grasped.

“God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Another consideration we might mull over on this Father’s Day in this time of great crisis in our church is the vulnerability of the fatherless child. Young fatherless boys, in particular, seem to have been victimized by sick and sinful pedophilic men who took advantage, for their own perverse purposes, of a young boy’s deprivation of a father’s affection, attention, and affirmation. An unsuspecting widowed mother, sensing her son’s need for adult male attention, often welcomed the interest and invitations extended to her son by a man, sometimes a priest, whom she had every reason to trust, but, as the record in all too many instances now shows, violated that trust and molested her child.

As we celebrate fatherhood today, as we give thanks for our fathers and grandfathers, as we thank God our Father for his great love for us, we should give some thought to the fatherless child and to what we might do to fill the void in positive, loving, constructive, and generous ways.

Let me end on that note—generosity—where I began. Fatherhood and generosity are separate sides of a single coin, a coin minted for our enrichment by an all-generous God who showed his fatherly love for us by the generous gift of his only son, through whom we are privileged to pray today in thanksgiving for all fathers and fatherhood.

© Holy Trinity Church at Georgetown