ICACaMlOLL 490 MAODOHELL
Indeed lie continued to be for fifty years. Within tera for twenty-five years, though his home was every- two years after the Highlanders' arrival in Glasgow, where in the province. On his arrival he found three the Kevolution on the Continent ruined the export priests in the province, the Rev. Roderick Macdonell trade of Glasgow and deprived them of their Uveli- (Leek) at St. Andrew's and St. Resis, the Rev. Fran- hood. The only avenue open to the unemployed was cis Fitzimmons in Glengarry, ana the Rev. Father service in the militia, but even this was closed to the Richard at Sandwich.
Glengarrymen, who, oeingCatholics, could not declare The Rev. Roderick Macdonell* died in 1806 and
themselves Protestants, as required for enlistment. Father Fitzimmons removed shortly afterwards to
The genius for organization possessed by Father New Brunswick; this left Father Macdonell in chaise Macdonell, which was destined to make a great name of the whole province for the next ten years without for him on two continents, and render valuable ser- any assistance. Father Richard being unable to speak vice to Church and State, quickly showed itself. He English. He was obliged to travel over the country boldly offered to organize his clansmen into a Catholic from the province line of Lower Canada to Lake regiment. The pressing need of strengthening the Superior, carrying the requisites for Mass, and the forces made the offer acceptable, and in 1704 the administration of the sacraments, sometimes on horse- "Glengarry Fencible Rc^imenf was raised, and back, sometimes in Indian birch canoes, and some- Father Macdonell, though it was contrarv to the times on foot, living among the savages with such existing law, was appointed chaplain, thus becoming fare as they afforded, crossing the great lakes the first Catholic chaplain in the British Army since and rivers, and even descending the rapids of the St. the Reformation. The regiment was despatched to Lawrence in their dangerous craft. Equal hardships the Isle of Guernsey in 1795, then threatened by the and privation he endured among the new settlers. French, and on the breaking out of the Rebellion, they Thus he spent those years in travelling about, offering were sent to Ireland in 1798. Bernard Kelly in the the Holy Sacrifice in rude huts, teachmg the children, "Fate of Glengarry, writing of their sojourn in the administering the sacraments and preaching to the latter country says: "They everywhere won golden widely separated settlers throughout the great prov- opinions by their humane l)ehaviour towards the van- ince, now Ontario. During the War of 1812 his power- quished, which was in striking contrast with the fiog- ful infiuence was successfully used in rousing the mar- kings, burnings, and hangings which formed the daily tial spirit of his countrymen, and indeed ot the other occupation of the rest of the military. Father Mac- inhabitants, in defence of their adopte<l land. With donell, who accompanied the regiment in all their the reorganized" Glengarry Fencibles" he was present enterprises, was in.strumental in fostering this spirit in several engagements against the American forces, of conciliation, and his efforts contributed not a little His civil and military services were recognized by the to the extinction of the Rebellion. The Catholic British Government in 1816 by an addition to his own chapels in many places had been turned into stables government allowance, and by an annual grant of by the yeomanry, and these he caused to be restored £100 each, to three clerg3nnen and four school-masters. to their proper use. He often said Mass himself in In 181 7 Upper Cana£. was set apart from the See of these humble places of devotion, and invited the in- Quebec as a vicariate Apostolic, and two years later habitants to leave their hiding places and resume once Father Macdonell was appointed vicar Apostolic, his more their wonted occupations, assuring them of the consecration as Bishop of Khosina taking place in the king's protection, if they behaved quietly and peace- Ursuline chapel, Quebec, on 31 December, 1820. A ably. Such timely exhortations had an almost magi- significant incident was the gift to Bishop Macdonell oal effect, though the terror-stricken population could of a magnificent episcopal ring by King George IV. scarcely believe their eyes when they beheld a regi- Six years later, 14 February, 1826, the vicariate was ' ment of Roman Catholics, speaking their language, raised to a bishopric by Leo 5CII, and Bishop Macdonell and among them a aoggarthj a priest, assuring them of then became the first Bishop of Upper Canada with immunity from a government immemorially associ- his see at Kingston. Advancing age caused him to ated with every species of wrong and oppression." ^P^Y ^^^ ^ oo-adjutor. Father Weld of Lulworth An American bishop, lately deceased, has given this Ciastle, England, was appointed and consecrated testimony to the chaplain s services and to the Irish Bishop of Amycla, and co-adjutor of Upper Canada, people's gratitude: "The memory of Father Macdonell 1 August, 1826, but his health becoming impaired he IS as green in those regions as the fields they ctiltivate. never assumed office. Bishop Macdonell's thorough That holy, chivalrous priest saved the lives of many knowledge of the country and its people and his great innocent Irishmen and restored the chapels to their administrative ability made his counsel desirable to original purpose." At the close of the Rebellion the government, and on 12 October, 1831, he was Father Macdonell was called to London in the interest called to the Legislative Council, and thereafter was of the regiment, and was at the same time commis- accorded the title "Honourable". In a letter to a sioned by the Bishops of Ireland to make known to the friend he writes of his appointment as follows: "The British government their sentiments in regard to the only consideration that would induce me to think of proposed legislative union of Great Britain and accepting such a situation, would be the hope of being Ireland. The Fencibles were disbanded in Glasgow in able to promote the interests of our holy religion more 1802. effectually, and carrying my measures through the
The next two years found Father Macdonell in ne- Provincial Legislature with more facility and cxpedi-
gotiation with the government for the immigration of tion than I could otherwise do." is people to Canada. Powerful forces were arrayed Five voyages to Europe, an average travel of two
against him, both at home and in the government, thousand miles per year through Ontario, the personal
but he eventually triumphed, and brought out in 1803 selection of church sites, in nearly all the places now
and 1804 large numbers of Catholic Highlanders to marked by cities and to>vn8 in the province of Ontario,
Glengarry in Upper Canada, where many of his faith untiring and successful efforts to obtain a fair share
and race were already exiled on account of persecution of government grants in money and land for church
in their native land. Father Macdonell arrived at and school purposes (the first grant of public money
Ywk, now Toronto, 1 November, 1804, and proceeded for a Catholic school in Ontario was obtained for St.
to settle the people on the lands granted by the British Andrew's, Stormont County, in 1832), are all evi-
govemment. The whole of the present Dominion was dences of an unusually active life. His zeaJ for the
then the vast Diocese of Quebec. Father Macdonell formation of a native priesthood is abundantly shown
with authority of vicar-general was assigned to the in the establishment of the Seminary of lona at St.
mission of St. Raphael's in Glengarry, "the Cradle of Raphaers, in 1826, and of Rc^iopolis College at I^ngs-
the Church in Ontario ", which he made his headquar- ton, in 1838, not to speak of l£e many priests educated
