Msgr Halpin in Dubuque

Dubuque 

In the book "History of St. Columbkille's Parish 1887-1962" written by one of St Colunbkille's associate priests - Rev. Cletus J. Hawes in 1962 , Chapter Six gives the following mention of Msgr Halpin:

"News of the appointment of Fr. Halpin as pastor to fill the vacancy created by the death of Fr. O'Brien was a source of new joy to the people of St. Columbkille's.  Fr. John Q. Halpin was born July 4, 1870 in County Limerick, Ireland, and was ordained by Archbishop Reardon of San Francisco, CA on June 13, 1895 at St. Patrick's in County Tipperary, Ireland.  After his ordination he came to Dubuque.  Msgr. Barry installed Fr. Halpin as the new pastor on Thursday evening, October 8, 1931.

 

Facing the new pastor was the difficulty of meeting payments on the $55,000 debt left from the purchase and renovation of the school in those prolonged days of the depression of the '30's.  Sister Gertrude writes, "Father Halpin's glory lies in the fact that he kept the parish together during the difficult years of the recession and the period immediately following it.  Through his leadership, in spite of the depression, the parish was able to continue the operation of its grade and high school and to make improvements where needed."  The Witness of December 12, 1931 reports, "A number of improvements were made on the rectory, the school, and the church of St. Columbkille's Parish.  In issuing directions that this work be done, Fr. Halpin provided employment to a number of workers in various trades and at the same time greatly improved the church property."

St. Columbkille's Parish shouldered the burden of operations despite the depression.  For years, the parish had not operated a school as other parishes, but once school operation was undertaken by the parish they exceeded the effort of other parishes with both a grade and high school.  Fr. Halpin continued the expansion of the high school for the boys with the result, as mentioned previously, that the first boys graduated from the high school in 1935.

Death came to Msgr. Halpin on June 15th, 1943 at the age of 72.  The Witness of June 17, 1943 wrote in great praise of the work of Msgr. Halpin and expressed the loss his death left to the Archdiocese quoted in part as follows, 'In the passing of Msgr. John Q. Halpin, the Archdiocese of Dubuque has lost one of the best and most distinguished of its splendid priesthood.  He was an apostolic orator of an eloquence that shone and flowed with the flame and inspiration of the Spirit of Love and Holiness and Truth...He was in the best tradition of the great tradition of those Irish priests who have wrought heroically for Christ in America.”