Hayes, James Mark, 1827-1910, Jesuit priest of the Missouriana Province (MIS

Person

Hayes, James Mark, 1827-1910, Jesuit priest of the Missouriana Province (MIS

25 April 1827-26 April 1910

Born: 25 April 1827, Cork City, County Cork
Entered: 26 July 1849, St Stanislaus College, Howdershell Road, Florissant MO, USA - Missouriana Province (MIS)
Ordained: 1858
Final Vows: 02 February 1866
Died: 26 April 1910, St Ignatius College SJ, Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, USA - Missouriana Province (MIS)

1849-1851: St Stanislaus College, Howdershell Road, Florissant MO, USA (MIS), Novitiate
1851-1854: St Joseph’s Colege SJ, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA, Regency
1854-1858: St Louis College, Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO, USA, Philosophy and Regency then Regency
1858-1862: St Joseph’s Colege SJ, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA, Prefect of Studies, Teaching the Studying Theology
1862-1864: St Gall’s Church, Sycamore Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, President of Primary School
1864-1878: St Louis University, Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO, USA, Teaching
1873-1874: President of Parish School
1878-1910: St Ignatius College SJ, Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, USA, Teaching to 1997, then working and writing
1887-1910: Caring for health along with other works and writing

◆ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-catholic-tribune-death-of-father-jam/38246413/

Death of Rev. James M. Hayes.
Many, both within and without the Society of Jesus, lament the death of Father James Mark Hayes, born April 25, 1827, at Cork, Ireland, died Friday, April 29, 1910, at Chicago. Twenty years of his life were spent at St. Louis University. In 1878, Chicago became the scene of his labors. He was a priest of acceptional ability. Keenly appreciation of the needs of tbe times, be was highly successful in supplying the various wants. He took particular interest in the press, realizing, no doubt, what an instrument of good it could become.

On being transferred to Chicago, this zealous priest did much writing.' He became the Editor of “The Little Bee”, a monthly and “The Catholic Home”, a diocesan publication which later developed into “The New World”.. Moreover, he published “Chips From the Block of Peter”, extract from the writings of the Pope on questions of the day and “Catholic Penny Leaflets”.

Prudence was the charateristic trait of his writing. No one could take offense at them. Father Hayes was moreover, a great organizer. He, with Mr. Thomas Taylor established the Catholic Order of Foresters, which now numbers 137,000 members.' Court No. 1 is still at the Holy Family Church, Chicago.

Apart from his rare intellectual gifts, the gentle disposition, the kindly humor, the consoling and encouraging word of this aged Jesuit endeared him to countless friends.

CPS

◆ Woodstock Letters SJ : Vol 28, Number 3

“Varia : St Ignatius College Chicago” p340

On Wednesday, July 26, Father James Hayes celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his admission into the Society. A large congregation assembled in Holy Family Church at the solemn high Mass in honor of the occasion. Three of the priests who took part in the celebration have already passed their fiftieth anniversaries. They are Fathers Paul Ponliglione, Francis Shulak and Walter Hill. Father Andrew O'Neil acted as sub-deacon. The sermon was preached by Father Hill. In the evening a delegation from the Young Men's Sodality called at Saint Ignatius College to congratulate the Reverend Father on his golden jubilee. Father Sherman was chairman of the delegation and on behalf of the sodalists, whose director he is, delivered an appropriate address after which he presented the jubilarian with a silver- headed cane. Father Hayes in reply gave some reminiscences of his life in t'he parish and thanked the young men for their kind remembrance of him on the occasion of his golden jubilee.

◆ Woodstock Letters SJ : Vol 40, Number 1

Obituary

“Father James M Hayes” p87

Father James Mark Hayes must be counted among the most remarkable men that have labored in the Missouri Province. His father was a distinguished physician in Cork, Ireland, and was associated with the illustrious Daniel O'Connell in forming the “Catholic Association” which gained the great civic victory over Peel and Wellington in favor of the Catholic Emancipation. James counted it among his earliest recollections that in his childhood be had been supported on the arms of the Liberator to witness a patriotic procession in his native city.

About the year 1842 Dr Hayes moved to Canada with his children, his wife having died some years before, and he placed James at Nicolet College to finish his classical education. The young man began his business career in Toronto as a junior member of the firm of Hayes Brothers, whtch a few years later built the first large vessels for lake and ocean service, in particular the “Reindeer” and “City of Toronto”.

Having gone on a business trip to St Louis, Mo, he was there in 1849 amidst the horrors of the cholera, which in a few weeks carried off many thousands of the inhabitants. Soon after, Mr Hayes and three other youths, a lawyer, a physician and a business man, went to make a retreat at Florissant, and concluded to enter the Society.

All these took their vows in July, 1851, and proceeded at once to labor in various colleges. Those were pioneer days in Missouri, scanty studies and plenty of work, but willing minds and the grace of God in proportion to the needs. Mr Hayes enjoyed two years of Philosophy, during one of which however he was prefect of the junior boarders of St Louis University. During the session of 1857-58 he taught class and studied Moral Theology in private, and was a priest in 1858. But he had another year of Moral in private study, and during the session of 1863-64 a golden opportunity to perfect the work in the regular scholasticate at Boston. On the 2nd of February, 1866, he took the vows of Spiritual Coadjutor.

All through his life in religion Father Hayes was a model Jesuit. His piety was not demonstrative, but it was solid and fruitful of good works. Among his brethren he was of a genial ever cheerful, humble and charitable, full of wit and humor, and yet earnest and zealous when any thing might be said or done to promote the glory of God or the good of souls. Obedience with him was a matter of course. He was too good natured ever to be angry; or, if he ever was so, his charity and his delicate sense of propriety would hide it from observation. He was a gentleman born, refined by genuine virtue. He was original in many ways, but not in any objectional meaning of the word. One day when his turn came to give the weekly instruction to the students - he had put off preparing and gradually forgotten all about it - suddenly warned that the boys were waiting in the chapel, he rushed to the place and gave an earnest speech on the evils of procrastination.

Father Hayes spent thirty-two years of his busy life in the class room, and would cheerfully have continued in that work of zeal if his excessive not brought on a nervous collapse, which forced upon hiin an unwelcome year of rest. But he rallied and entered into other spheres of usefulness. He was often heard to say that he considered it no slight honor to be a little wheel in the large machinery of a Catholic college. During most of his educational life he taught the First Rhetoric of the Commercial course in St Louis University and in St Ignatius College, Chicago. His method was peculiar: text-books counted for little, but he trained his pupils with impressive energy in correct reasoning, sound principles and elegant expression of thought. It was his personal influence that made him an efficient educator.

He considered it to be a Jesuit's duty to perfect in himself all the talents that God has given him, and to exert his efforts to the utmost in the use of his abilities. In particular he had acquired by assiduous care a remarkable distinctness of pronunciation and proper intonations of the voice, so that he became one of the most elegant readers that ever pleased his brethren in a Jesuit refectory of the Missouri Province. And he was very successful in stirring up his younger brethren to make the like exertions. With the same purpose he perfected his style till he wielded a most ready and graceful pen, and acquired a delicacy of taste which in his advanced age caused him to be considered by our Fathers as a most reliable, yet ever considerate, literary critic. But he aimed not at displaying his accomplishments on grand occasions or before distinguished audiences; he rather loved to teach Catechism to children, and he is mentioned in the Province catalogue for a while as a regular catechist of the negroes in St Louis.

The zeal of the good Father was not confined within the walls of the college. He founded an institution which in course of time became very conspicuous in St Louis, the St Mark's Academy. But the modest manner in which he started it gives a clear insight into the peculiar spirit which characterized all his works of zeal during his life time. To form writers and speakers who would defend and propagate our holy religion in the secular life, he began with three promising young men, who would meet in his room one evening of every week to read one of their compositions, and then familiarly discuss its thoughts and its language pnder his kindly supervision. His tact, devotedness and perseverance secured the gradual increase and success of the important undertaking.

In 1878 Father Hayes was transferred to St. Ignatius College, Chicago, where Providence opened to him a much wider field of usefulness. His active career in Chicago has been so well described in the daily press by the well known friend of our Society, Mr William J Onahan, that I deem it proper to offer his notice for insertion in the valuabe pages of the Woodstock Letters, where it may gain a lasting remembrance. He says in part:

The labors and character of Rev James M Hayes should not be permitted to pass without recognition. It was the privilege of the writer to have known intimately Father Hayes     since his advent in Chicago more than thirty years ago. Apart from Father Hayes' duties as professor in St Ignatius College, and in the great Church of the Holy Family,    regarding which I do not need to testify, his activities were shown notably in the cause of temperance, as well as in his zeal and activity for the propagation of truth through the    medium of Catholic journals and other literary agencies.
And first as to his temperance propaganda. He early saw the need of an active and energetic movement amongst Catholics to stem the evils of intemperance.
Upwards of two thousand men handed in their names and pledges as the result of this effort - which it was then expected would spread widely throughout the country. Father  Hayes was practically the head of the movement from the first, but, unhappily for the cause, he not free, nor was it otherwise possible for him to give himself to the work of  spreading the organization beyond local limits. However, the plan was taken up by others in different parts of the country with happy results. From that time forward, up to his    late prostration, he continued a quiet and effective apostle of the temperance cause. He was not equal to the work of public agitation, nor was he fitted by taste or capacity for  the platform; but he was wonderfully powerful deal- ing with the individual.
I am sure there must be thousands in this city - many, many thousands - who owe their emancipation from the “drink habit” to Father Hayes. Countless homes have been    made happy by his benevolent zeal and multitudes of men and women must now bless his memory.
He was truly, as I said, an Apostle in the cause of temperance and would well merit a public statue as such. ·
In another different and congenial sphere he was equally active and successful; that of spreading the light of truth through the medium of print. He was a strong believer in the   power of the press. He took over the local Catholic journal, “The Catholic Home”, many years ago and conducted it with notable capacity until it gave way and was merged    in the “New World”. Ever since that time he has continued to publish a succession of booklets and leaflets, which it is no exaggeration to say constitute a complete and    powerful arsenal of Catholic truth; and these were spread widely. No public question or issue involving sound prin- ciples escaped his vigilance. He knew exactly where and     how to gather his facts and arguments on controverted subjects, and he put them forth in simple and taking form, to the benefit and instruction, I am sure of a wide circle of  readers.
How unobtrusively he worked all these years! Scarcely known outside the college, he rarely mingled in any public demonstrations.
For some years, before the end came, he was practically confined to the house, but his activity in his favorite work was unabated.
The afflicted and the unfortunate sought his counsel and aid; the victims of the drink habit came to him for the unfailing pledge; and all who sought his spiritual aid found in    him a wise and gentle guide and friend. Many I know will miss and long lament the dear and venerable figure who, through these thirty and more years, has labored here in   our midst doing his Master's work with fidelity and zeal, in a generous· and unselfish spirit, seeking no recognition or worldly applause- caring only for that return and reward   gained by those who are faithful to the motto of the Society  -  Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

IE IJA J/1422

IE IJA