CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

1831-1862

Birth and Early Education — Made a Deacon and receives Orders in the Protestant Episcopal Church 3

CHAPTER II

1862-1872

Rector of Mt. Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church, Baltimore — Religious Convictions — Tending to Rome — Correspondence with Bishop W. R. Whittingham — Resigns Rectorship of Mr. Calvary Church 10

CHAPTER III

1872

Goes to England — Last Letter to Bishop Whittingham — Answer to the Letter 25

CHAPTER IV

1872 (continued)

Visits Oxford — Birmingham — Interview with Dr. Newman — Former Parishioners — Letters I — II — III — Reply 37

CHAPTER V

1872-1875

Returns to America — Enters the Seminary — St. Mary's of St. Sulpice — St. Charles College — Rev. J. B. Tabs, Poet Priest — Elevation to the Sacred Priesthood — Made Secretary of the Most Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley 63

CHAPTER VI

1875-1886

Life at the Cathedral — Parochial Work — Preaching — Visiting the Sick — Death of Archbishop Bayley — Archbishop Gibbons — Death of Fr. Curtis' Mother — Conversion of his Brother — Organizes a Sodality of Children of Mary — Meeting of the two Future Bishops of Wilmington — Summer Vacations — Visit to Rome and Third Plenary Council of Baltimore — Death of Archbishop Seghers — Election to See of Wilmington 77

CHAPTER VII

1886

The "Diamond State" and its Environs — Maryland and its Missionaries — Jesuits of Bohemia Manor — Pioneer Priests — "Delmarvia" Peninsula, its Bishops — Consecration of Bishop Curtis in the Baltimore Cathedral — Sermon by Rt. Rev. T. A. Becker — Installation in St. Peter's Cathedral at Wilmington — Words of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons 93

CHAPTER VIII

1886-1888

The Bishop's Household — Preaching — Fasts — Austerities — Vigils — Private Life — Work of the Diocese 102

CHAPTER IX

1888—1893

Rural Missions — Labors — Privations — First Church erected by the Bishop — Mission of Cape Charles — Dedication and Consecration of Church — Rev. Edward Mickle its Pastor — Salisbury — Oblates of St. Francis de Sales — Westover, Md. — Letters — Preaching — Churches 118

CHAPTER X

1888-1893 (continued)

Orphan Asylums — The Franciscans — The Bishop's Visits to the Catholic Protectory — The Benedictines — The Visitation Nuns — Letters — Spiritual Direction 134

CHAPTER XI

1893-1896

He Establishes A Visitation Convent Of Exact Observance — He writes to Annect on this Subject — Presides at the Installation of the Superioress from Annect, Mother M. Alexandrine de Butler — Engages the Ursulines to replace The Visitandines In The Work Of Teaching — Translation of Community to the New Monastery — He consecrates the Chapel — Exhortations — Rumors of his Resignation of the See of Wilmington — Letter 15a

CHAPTER XII

1896

Titular Bishop of Echinus — Recapitulation of the Bishop's Work in the Diocese of Wilmington — Farewell Address to his People — Comment of the New York Sun — Parting Gift of the Congregation of St. Peter's — His Former Vicar-General accompanies him to Baltimore — Continued Interest in the Diocese — Rt. Rev. John J. Monaghan — His Various Works in the Diocese 163

CHAPTER XIII

1897-1907

Cardinal Gibbons' Words of Appreciation upon Bishop Curtis' Return to Baltimore — Private Life at the Cardinal's House — His Prayer and Self-denial — Made Vicar General of the Archdiocese — Lecture on Snakes — Silver Jubilee of his Ordination — His Spiritual Trials — His Mortification — Judgment of a French Prelate — The Bishop's Opinion of Worldly Music in the Church — His Almsdeed's — His Vacations — Letters from Florida — His Labors — His Illness — Extracts from Letters — Makes Will — His Solicitude for his Sisters — Sentiments on the Death of one of his Sisters — Ordaining and Confirming 173

CHAPTER XIV

1908

The Bishop's Failing Health — Presentiment of Approaching Death — He prepares to resign his Office of Vicar-General — Last Confirmations and Ordinations — Instruction to Confirmation Class — His Increasing Sanctity — The Shadow of the Cross — Last Visit to' the Visitation at Wilmington — Quotation from Convent Annals — The Bishop consults a Specialist — Letter stating Result of the Consultation — His Heroic Fortitude — The Bishop goes to Ocean City — Says his Last Mass — Conducted to St. Agnes' Sanitarium, Baltimore, by the Very Rev. John A. Lyons, V.G. — Monsignor Lyon's Letter — The Bishop's Reception at St. Agnes' — Many Visitors — His Faith and Patience — Visits of Cardinal Gibbons — The Bishop foretells the Day of his Death — His Poverty — His Holy Death, July the iith — Veneration and Esteem in which the Bishop was held by Clergy and Laity — Laid in State at St. Agnes' Sanitarium 190

CHAPTER XV

1908

Remains removed to Baltimore Cathedral — Laid in State — Office of the Dead — High Mass of Requiem — Funeral Oration by Rt. Rev. P. J. Donohue — Cardinal Gibbons performs Absolutions — Pall-bearers, Honorary and Active — Holy Remains transported to Wilmington — Again laid in State in St. Peter's Cathedral — Pontifical High Mass of Requiem — Eulogy by Dr. Wm. Temple — Absolutions read by Rt. Rev. J. J. Monaghan — Solemn Procession to the Visitation Convent — Burial — Inscription on Tomb 204

LETTERS 219

PART SECOND.

I SPIRITUAL COUNSELS 237

II EXHORTATIONS 305

III SERMONS 313

IV NOTES FOR RETREATS 377

V NOTES FOR THREE HOURS' PRAYER 419

VI EXTRACTS FROM THE EARLY FATHERS 433