SHEEHY, Father Maurice S.

SHEEHY, ANDERSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 01:36:04

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, August 03, 1940, Page 16

THEY STARTED HERE
No. 20 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories

FATHER SHEEHY, Noted Educator

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A man who is known and respected by many Mason Cityans and North Iowans as well as thousands of other persons throughout the country is Father Maurice S. Sheehy, a former Mason Cityan who has climbed to a point of great prominence in the affairs of Catholic education in the United States.

More than that, Father Sheehy has turned his many talents to serving his country and people directly through his interest and efforts in national affairs as well as indirectly through his work in building fine citizens who will be the foundation of a national tomorrow.

Born in Irwin, Ill, 42 years ago [April 26, 1898], Maurice Sheehy was the youngest of four sons of Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Sheehy, a farming couple. He grew up there and at New Hampton, whence his father came to Mason City to operate a fur and leather business while the youth was still going to school.

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As a boy in Illinois and Iowa, he lived much the same type of life that every boy living in the rural areas of that day had. He worked, played and went to school and early began to show an interest in the field of religion and by the time he was ready to go to college he knew that he wanted to make the Church his life work.

So he enrolled in Columbia college, now Loras, at Dubuque and was graduated from there in 1918, after which he did war work at Fort Sheridan, Ill. Then he went to St. Paul seminary, where he was awarded his S.T. B. for the work done there. In addition to this work, he has earned M.A. and Ph.D degrees at Catholic university in Washington, D.C.

In 1922, Father Sheehy returned to his alma mater at Dubuque where he was a professor in Latin and religion for four years, taking over the instruction of religion and sociology in 1926 and 1927.

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This work gave him valuable experience in the teaching field and in 1927 Catholic university summoned the brilliand and hard-working young priest to Washington to take a post on the faculty there. Catholic university, incidentally, is the only pontificial school in the Unitest States.

Columbia college was sorry to see him go, for in additon to serving ably on the teaching staff Father Sheehy took a good deal of interst in sports, serving as head of the department of athletics for a time. It was while he was at Dubuque that Eddie Anderson, then recently graduated from Notre Dame, handled the coaching reins of the Columbia elevens. Father Sheehy and his fellow Mason Cityan were close friends at Columbia and that friendship has not waned since.

Father Sheehy plunged whole-heartedly into his work in Washington and in time he advanced to the post of vice rector - vice president - of the school and worked closely with Bishop James R. Ryan, then rector of the school.

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The former Mason Cityan was interested in the affairs of the young men he taught and took an active part in helping them in every way he could as an adviser and friend. He is a member of the Eastern Association of College Deans and Advisors and in 1936-37 served as president of that important easter intercollegiate group.

The work Father Sheehy handled at Catholic U., was largely in the field of religion - a uniquely important field in a school of that kind, for it involves the instruction and preparation of many of Catholicism's finest young men, those studying for the priesthood. He is now head of the department of religion.

Outside activities included writing, both magazine articles and books. Most of his magazine articles deal with young people, college students more particularly. Some of his books deal with religious matters, while others are devoted to a study of college youth.

During summer months Father Sheehy has lectured at other leading Catholic schools throughout the country, including Fordham university in New York, and DePaul and Loyola in Chicago.

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Other outside activities include a membership in the Catholic Education association, in which Father Sheehy was chairman of the personnel committee and work in the Catholic Association for International Peace as chairman of the committee on racial attitudes.

In addition to that he has taken a leading part in many forums and discussions dealing with national affairs and with catholicism. He has given many national broadcasts, some of them in connection with the "Catholic hour" broadcasts on a nationwide hookup.

A friend of President Roosevelt, the one time Mason Cityan often sees the chief executive and was appointed by him in 1926 to the board of visitors of the U. S. naval academy at Annapolis.

But perhaps the thing that brought Father Sheehy the most attention from the general public was his flying trip with Bishop Ryan through South America last year.

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Going as good will messengers and "amateur diplomats," the two churchmen covered 18,000 milres of the continent in four weeks, stopping frequently to meed prominent Catholics in a continent where the Church is more firmly established than in any other.

On their return, Father Sheehy made a detailed report to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, telling him that they believed a foundation had been laid for a "Catholic front" for the preservatin of democracy in the Americas. Unity of the Catholic church members on matters is a powerful influence in South America, where Brazil vies with Italy for the honor of being the largest Catholic state in the world and other countries are predominantly Catholic.

The work of Bishop Ryan and Father Sheehy was well recognized by the U. S. government and by another source, which was not as grateful for it as were Secretary Hull and Mr. Roosevlet. In far off nazi Germany Joseph Goebbels' "Der Angriff"* angerly barked that the two churchmen were "paid propagandists."

* "Der Angriff" ("The Attack" in English) was a German newspaper founded in 1927 by the Berlin Gau of the Nazi Party, established by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Party leader (Gauleiter) in Berlin. The publication merged with the "Berliner Illustrierte Nachtausgabe" (Berlin Illustrated Night Edition) on February 19, 1945 and was last published on April 24, 1945.

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From South America the former local man gave six short wave talks to this country, finding that south to north radio communication was not good. He also found and reported to the state department that German news was being furnished free to South American newspapers, much of it colored against this country. This report confirmed early stories along the same lines and led to action on the part of the U.S. to counteract the poisonous propaganda.

And now, back in Washington, Father Sheehy is continuing his work, work in which in all probability will lead him to greater and finer things. For Father Sheehy is still a young man - 42 - and his boundless enthusiasm and driving energy will lead him a long way in the service of his God and fellow man.

NOTE: Rev. Msgr. Father Maurice S. Sheehy taught at Loras University before he began his career with the United States Navy in 1941. He compiled a record of 33 months of service as the district chaplain for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and six battle stars. He was named rear admiral in 1954. He was the first three-star chaplin in the history of the armed forces and the first chaplain to achieve the rank of vice admiral (1958).

Father Sheehy was the recipient of a Papal appointment as a prothonotary Apostolic, the highest station awarded to a monsigner.

Father Sheehy was at sea aboard the USS CANBERRA during Easter week of 1957 when he was invited to assume the position of pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was permitted to finish his schooling to fulfill his requirements before assuming this position on August 8, 1957 and held this position until 1961. Here he taught daily at Immaculate Conception High School and served as Head of the Department of Religion at Mt. Mercy College, his chief concern was increasing the practice of Frequent Communion.

Father Sheehy died February 10, 1972, Dubuque, Iowa, and was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Dubuque County, Iowa.

On July 4, 1986, Admiral Sheehy Drive at McAleece Recreation Area, Schmitt Island, Dubuque, Iowa, was dedicated in Father Sheehy's memory and honor, sponsored by the Dubuque Council and Navy League of the United States.

Photograph courtesy of Globe-Gazette

Additional information from encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=SHEEHY%2C_Maurice_S.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2014

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