Rev. William F. Quilty


	This biography appears on pages 1135-1136 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	REV. WILLIAM F. QUILTY, who since the year 1900 has been the 
efficient pastor of St. Peter's Catholic church of Sisseton, was born in 
Madison, Wisconsin, on the I2th of November, 1872. He received his 
preliminary educational training in Dubuque, Iowa, later became a 
student of St. Joseph's College, and after finishing the prescribed 
course of that institution was prepared for holy orders in St. Mary's 
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he completed his theological studies 
in 1898. Father Quilty entered upon the duties of his holy office in 
Wisconsin, but after a short pastorate there was appointed, in 1900, to 
St. Peter's church of Sisseton, where he has since remained and which 
under his able management and aggressive work has grown into one of the 
strongest and most influential Catholic congregations in the 
northeastern part of the state. Since taking charge of the work at this 
point the church has prospered along all lines of activity and he has 
won golden opinions and high respect from all classes of society, 
irrespective of creed or nationality. His labors for the good of his 
people have been constant and unwearied, and his unswerving fidelity to 
the interests of his parish has met with an approbation of his superiors 
that will be more manifest as the years roll by. 

	In addition to the church at Sisseton, Father Quilty has 
charge of the mission points at Wilmot and Effington, both of which 
have progressed greatly under his pastorate, and it is not too much to 
predict that ere long these congregations will be self-supporting. 
Father Quilty is a gentleman of scholarly tastes and, as already stated, 
his earnest and consecrated efforts have endeared him not only to the 
people to whom he ministers, but to the public at large. His labors for 
the spiritual and temporal welfare of his flock have been zealous and 
unceasing and, being an orator by nature and thoroughly trained by 
education in pulpit eloquence, his success in performing the duties of 
his pastorate and winning the love and admiration of his parishioners 
has been little less than phenomenal. Conscious of the dignity of his 
mission and losing sight of self in his efforts to extend the Master's 
kingdom and win souls thereto, his life thus far has been consecrated to 
duty and the future awaits him with abundant rewards. His scholarly 
accomplishments, as well as his unfeigned piety and many personal 
virtues, have made him popular with all classes and conditions of his 
fellow men, and whatever the future may have in store for him, his name 
will always be cherished in the hearts of the people among whom he is 
now laboring with such beneficial results.