John H. Fleming
John H. Fleming (1849-April 24, 1923) was an American priest of the Archdiocese of Boston noted for his eloquence. As pastor, he completed the construction of St. Mary's.
Personal life[edit]
Fleming was born in Boston in 1849 and attended Boston Latin School before the College of the Holy Cross.[1][2] Fleming studied for two years at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal and then two years at Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris, where he was ordained in 1874.[1][2] He then traveled through Europe for several months before returning to Boston.[1] These experiences, it was said, gave him "graces and accomplishments" not held by others who had not traveled as widely.[3]
Fleming was described as "a man of large experience, rare culture, and varied attainments."[3] His other qualities included "scholarship, eloquence, faith, [and] piety."[3] He was said to have "abilities of the highest order, and his zeal is correspondingly warm."[3] He had a conservative disposition and was described as "a gentleman of the old school."[2] He was renowned as a scholar[3][2][4] and often used his "tongue, pen, [and] purse" to support good causes.[2]
While in Dedham, he also played a role in the affairs of the town.[1] Fleming was a supporter of the temperance movement[2] and served as vice president of the Massachusetts Catholic Total Abstinence Union.[5] He had two sisters, Louise Fleming and Hannah Carney.[6][7][1][2]
Ministry[edit]
Fleming was an eloquent speaker.[2] He had an "unusual gift" of being able to put speak in a manner where words became "gems of thought."[2] On Sundays, the quality of his preaching was such that other priests would come to St. Mary's to listen.[8]
As a pastor, he was known to be an "able and efficient" manager."[4]
Early ministry[edit]
His first assignment was at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross before moving to St. James the Greater Church on Harrison Avenue in Boston.[1][2] He served as curate in both churches.[1]
After Fr. Henry J. Madden left St. Mary's Church in Ayer, Massachusetts in 1884, Fleming took over for him as pastor.[9][10][11][12][2] He remained there for five years until being transferred to St. Mary's in Dedham in June 1890.[10][1][2]
Dedham[edit]
Fleming arrived at St. Mary's in Dedham on June 2, 1890 and began a 33-year tenure as pastor.[2][13][14][15][8][16][17][3] He dedicated himself to finishing the church that his predecessor, Fr. Robert J. Johnson, had started, making it "his life work."[2] He contributed financially to the church construction as well, "dollar for dollar," with his parishioners.[2] He adopted a "pay as you go" policy to construction.[4]
After 20 years of working, praying, and fundraising from the meager immigrant wages of many of the parishioners, the upper church was finished during his pastorate.[15][18][14] It took so long that another architect had to take over but was, according to Fleming, "almost too beautiful for ordinary use."[13][8] One critic said that though some parishes in the area have more people than did the entire town of Dedham, "few parishes in Boston can boast of a more impressive Church" than St. Mary's.[19] Another said it was second to none in the archdiocese.[20] A local newspaper called it "an ornament and a credit to the town."[4]
The parish cemetery in West Roxbury was also purchased during his tenure[15][10] and the old wooden rectory next to the church[15] was torn down so a new rectory could be built[17] of Dedham Granite[21] in 1913.[8][lower-alpha 1]
"Angels" lawsuit[edit]
In 1881, while at St. James' Church, Fleming was sued for $5,000 in Suffolk Superior Court by the parents of Lizzie M. Gordon, a 15 year old girl who claimed to have the stigmata[22][23][24] and to see visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.[25][23][26][lower-alpha 2] Three years prior, Gannon began going into trances, during which should could not speak[25] unless Fleming or a few others placed their hands on her.[22][23][26][27] When she came out of them, she claimed to have received revelations from the Virgin Mary and to have seen saints[26] and the faces of those who died.[25]
Her family sent for Fleming, their parish priest, in the fall of 1878.[25][27] Fleming would often attend to the girl, often in the company of another priest, and the visits seemed to help her.[25] In one of her revelations, Gannon said that the Virgin Mary had a message for Fleming, that he was to write a book that told Gannon's story and of all of her visions.[23] Fleming declined to write the book.[23]
In the fall of 1879, Fleming visited the girl, who was entranced and holding in her hands two or three images or dolls of angels. They were about .75 inches long[26] and appeared to be cut from heavy paper.[25] Gordon said the images had been given to her by her dead brother.[22][lower-alpha 3] Her brother, to whom she had been quite attached, had died two years prior.[22] She also claimed to have received several other items from angels or spirits, including a letter written by the Virgin Mary.[23][lower-alpha 4] Fleming persuaded the girl to give the images to him.[25][27]
During his visits, Fleming called in doctors and others to see if they could help the girl and she was diagnosed with hysteria[23][22][27] by Dr. Hodges.[26] A Dr. Porter suggested Gordon be sent to a hospital.[26][27] Over time Fleming came to believe the girl was faking, and so stopped visiting around Christmas in 1880.[25][22][26][27]
Gordon's father tried to persuade Fleming to continuing visiting the girl.[25] When he was unsuccessful in that, almost a year after she had given up the dolls,[23][24] he asked for their return.[25][22][27] Fleming told her father that he lost them.[25][27] Gordon's father then appealed to Archbishop John Joseph Williams but the bishop sided with the priest.[25][22][lower-alpha 5]
When the suit was brought in the summer of 1881, the girl reportedly had hardly spoken for a year.[25] She was bedridden and could not see or speak, according to her lawyers.[26] Other testified that they had seen her doing work around the home, out shopping with her mother in the neighborhood, and even speaking.[24] Her parents contended that her condition was brought about by the loss of the images.[25][26][22] Others contended that the suit was brought when Fleming refused to help the girl and her family seek publicity.[23] Before the case went to trial, Gordon's father published a book about his daughter.[26]
The jury found for Gordon and awarded damages of $0.01.[28]
Death and legacy[edit]
The stress of World War I weighed heavily upon Fleming, taking a toll on his physical and mental health.[2] Likewise, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 took such a toll on him that he was unable to read all the names of all those from St. Mary's who had died, as was the custom.[2]
He died suddenly on April 24, 1923 at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[29][1][2] He had been sick for a few months and traveled south to try and regain his strength.[1][2] His body was transported to Boston, and then to Dedham, where he lay in state, first at the rectory and then in the church.[30]
On April 28, 1923, the morning of his funeral,[2] St. Mary's Church was packed with "throngs" of people, including scores of priests, and dignitaries from the church, state, county, and town, as well as representatives from fraternal societies.[31] A low mass was said at 8 am for the children of the parish, and a solemn Requiem Mass was said at 10 am.[31] He is buried with his mother in the Forest Hills Cemetery.[7] It was said that "St. Mary's Church, one of the finest edifices in New England, stands as a lasting memorial to Father Fleming's work."[2]
His estate totaled $85,000, of which he left $40,000 to the Carney Hospital to pay for four private rooms for St. Mary's parishioners who may become ill.[6][7] His will stipulated that the parishioners using the rooms should be recommended by the pastor of the church and that preference should be given to people of humble but decent circumstances.[7] His music machine, worth about $2,000, was left to St. John's Preparatory School.[7]
He also left $1,000 for the sexton of the church and a large sum to both his sister and the parish.[6][7] There were also bequests of $5,000 to Boston College and Emmanuel College.[6] The educational funds were for scholarships for students from the parish who were recommended by the pastor.[7] Any books not taken by his family were also left to Boston College.[7] Fleming had previously donated books to the Boston College library.[32]
Bequests were also made to a Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged[disambiguation needed] in Roxbury, Home for Destitute Catholic Children, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, St. Mary's Infant Asylum, and St. John's Industrial Home in Newton.[7] He also left funds to supports the missions.[7] The executors of his will were Fr. Charles A. Finn, Fr. Timothy C. Maney, and James. R. Flanagan.[6]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Parr has the date as 1915.[21]
- ↑ Gannon lived at 141 Hudson Street in Boston.[23]
- ↑ Early reporting on the matter said the girl claimed the Virgin Mary gave her the images.[25]
- ↑ Gannon was also said to have given away the letter.[23]
- ↑ Archbishop Williams was also sued; both clerics were represented by William Gaston, the former governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[22]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Death of Rev J.H. Fleming". The Boston Globe. April 25, 1923. p. 13. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 "Rev. John H. Fleming Pastor of St. Mary's Thirty-Three Years". The Dedham Transcript. April 28, 1923. p. 1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Farewell Address". The Dedham Transcript. June 7, 1890. p. 3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "A great day for St. Mary's Parish". The Dedham Transcript. June 7, 1890. p. 3.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The local record of a day". The Boston Globe. April 5, 1879. p. 2. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Left $40,000 to Carney Hospital". The Boston Globe. May 24, 1923. p. 13. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 "$40,000 legacy for Carney Hospital". The Boston Globe. May 2, 1923. p. 11. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 St. Mary’s Church, Dedham, Massachusetts, 1866-1966, Our Centennial Year. Hackensack, N.J.: Custombook, Inc. Ecclesiastical Color Publishers. 1966. Search this book on
- ↑ Byrne, Leahy, Dowling, Young, and Finen 1899, pp. 207-208.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Sullivan 1895, p. 670.
- ↑ Sullivan 1895, p. 811.
- ↑ Lord, Sexton & Harrington 1945, p. 309.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "St. Mary's: "A cathedral in the wilderness". The Dedham Times. October 5, 2001. p. 14.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dedham Historical Society (2001). Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019. Search this book on
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Sullivan 1895, p. 667.
- ↑ Byrne, Leahy, Dowling, Young, and Finen 1899, p. 323.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Smith 1936, p. 101.
- ↑ Lord, Sexton & Harrington 1945, p. 316.
- ↑ Leahy, William Augustine (1892). The Catholic churches of Boston and its vicinity and St. John's Seminary, Brighton, Mass.: a folio of photo-gravures with notes and historical information. Boston: McClellan, Hearn and Co. Search this book on
- ↑ "First mass in Dedham, 1843, celebrated in Slattery home". The Boston Globe. September 29, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Parr 2009, p. 19.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 22.8 22.9 "Lizzie Gannons Angels". New York Times. XXXII (9852). April 4, 1883. p. 1. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 "The Gannon Miracles". The Boston Globe. February 5, 1882. p. 10. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Lizzie's Paper Angels". The Boston Globe. April 9, 1883. p. 1. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ 25.00 25.01 25.02 25.03 25.04 25.05 25.06 25.07 25.08 25.09 25.10 25.11 25.12 25.13 25.14 "A psychic case in court". The Boston Globe. July 16, 1881. p. 1. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 26.7 26.8 26.9 "I want my angels". The Boston Globe. April 3, 1883. p. 4. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 27.7 "Lizzie's Paper Angels". The Boston Globe. April 10, 1883. p. 6. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ↑ The Nation (929 ed.). J.H. Richards. April 19, 1883. p. 332. Retrieved 29 September 2019. Search this book on
- ↑ "Fleming, John H." The Boston Globe. April 26, 1923. p. 24. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ↑ "Funeral Saturday of Rev Fr Fleming". The Boston Globe. April 26, 1923. p. 23. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Throngs at funeral of Rev Fr Fleming". The Boston Globe. April 28, 1923. p. 8. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ↑ "Book treasures for Boston College". The Boston Globe. November 13, 1922. p. 6. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
Works cited[edit]
- Smith, Frank (1936). A History of Dedham, Massachusetts. Transcript Press. Search this book on
- Byrne, William; Leahy, W. A.; Dowling, Austin; Young, E. J. A.; Finen, J. E. (1899). Introductory. The Hurd & Everts co. pp. 323–324. Search this book on
- Parr, James L. (2009). Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales From Shiretown. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-750-0. Search this book on
- Sullivan, James S. (1895). One hundred years of progress: a graphic, historical, and pictorial account of the Catholic Church of New England, Archdiocese of Boston. Boston: Illustrated Publishing Company. OL 24364821M. Search this book on
- Lord, Robert Howard; Sexton, John E.; Harrington, Edward T. (1945). Catholic people and Catholic priests in colonial New England, by J. E. Sexton. pt. 2. The organized Catholic church in Boston from its beginnings to the end of Bishop Cheverus' reign, by J. E. Sexton. Pilot Publishing Company. Retrieved 29 September 2019. Search this book on
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