One hundred and twenty years ago, in 1904, a young Irishman, Michael Joseph Curley, age 24, was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome where he had finished his seminary studies. He grew up in a large family on a farm near Athlone, County Westmeath. His intention as to become a missionary in the Fiji Islands until his school in Ireland was visited by Bishop John Moore of St. Augustine, Florida. Moore greatly impressed the young man. Newly ordained Father Curley travelled to the United States for the first time to report to Bishop Moore. Just before Christmas in 1904 he was appointed to be the Pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand. During his first two years in DeLand, before a rectory was built, he lived in a rented room above a store and ate at a local diner. He was an active leader and worked tirelessly to expand the small parish. On November 14, 1911, he became a naturalized U. S. Citizen at the Volusia County Courthouse.

After ten years in DeLand, Father Curley was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese, and the same year, 1914, he was elevated by the Pope to Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine. He was only thirty-four and the youngest bishop in the world. Curley spent much of his time travelling around the diocese and visiting the churches and institutions. The Diocese at that time included most of the northern half of Florida. He became a powerful force for the Catholic Church in the United States. He fought the Florida Legislature and Governor who had enacted a law forbidding white women from teaching African American children and he also fought a law that required convents to be inspected by the state. Curley garnered national attention and support in overturning these laws. He also was vigorous in educating the public on the bigotry of the KKK, which regularly attacked Catholics. In the first World War he established spiritual guidance programs for soldiers. He held a great memorial rally for the war dead in New York and baptized hundreds in his travels. During his seven-year tenure as bishop in St. Augustine, forty new churches were built in the diocese.

In 1921, Bishop Curley was called by Pope Benedict XV to be the Archbishop of Baltimore and later but simultaneously, he was appointed to be Archbishop of the newly formed Archdiocese of Washington. He was considered the leader of the Catholic Church in America, and a prominent national figure who was greatly involved in civic affairs and social justice. His strong and determined personality brought him many admirers as he accomplished so much good. He died in 1947 at age 67. Archbishop Curley made a huge impact on his faith, his communities, and his adopted country. A high school in Baltimore carries Curley’s name, as did one in Miami. His extraordinary ministry was felt far and wide. It began with his first and very humble assignment as the pastoral leader of St. Peter’s Church in DeLand, Florida. PHOTO: Bishop Curley in 1914.

(Resources: Archives of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, O’Donnell, J.H., Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, Archives of the DeLand News)