Rev. George Sheehan Biography


	This biography appears on pages 392-393 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				RT. REV. MONSIGNOR GEORGE SHEEHAN. 

	Rt. Rev. Monsignor George Sheehan, pastor of Our Lady of Good 
Council Catholic parish of Elkton, is now the oldest priest in active 
service in South Dakota, having labored here continuously for thirty-
five years. He was born in Ireland on the 16th of April, 1857, and 
acquired his education in St. Patrick's College at Carlow, Ireland, and 
at the Grand Seminary of Montreal, Canada. Thence he was sent to 
Dubuque Iowa, and there was ordained to the priesthood for the 
vicariate of Dakota on the 29th of September, 1880, by the late 
Archbishop Hennessy of sainted memory. Following his ordination he went 
to Yankton, South Dakota, being appointed pastor of the Sacred Heart 
church and retaining that charge for some months. He was then sent by 
Bishop Marty to organize some new missions and subsequently was 
assigned to the pastorale of St. Patrick's church at Lodi (now 
Wakonda), South Dakota, whence he was later sent to Mitchell, this 
state, and given charge of Our Church of the Holy Family. There he 
built and equipped a brick parochial school which was the first of its 
kind in the state and was under the management of the Sisters of St. 
Agnes of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He remained in Mitchell for about 
eight years and during that period had charge of all the country as far 
west as Chamberlain with the exception of White Lake, doing missionary 
work in Wyoming and Montana and traveling a great deal by ox team. From 
Mitchell, Father Sheehan was sent to Sioux Falls as pastor of the Pro 
Cathedral and later was transferred to Beresford as pastor of St. 
Teresa church. 

	In February, 1897, he was assigned by Bishop O'Gorman to Elkton 
and there erected the present modern brick parochial residence and the 
modern brick parochial building, which now has about one hundred and 
twenty enrolled pupils, with a boarding school in connection. The 
children are under the care of the Presentation Nuns of Aberdeen. 
Father Sheehan is at the head of one of the strong congregations of the 
state, his flock numbering about one hundred and ten families, and is 
one of the best known Catholic pastors in South Dakota. When he came to 
Dakota, there were but ten priests in the entire territory and he is 
now the oldest priest in active service in the state, the period of his 
pastorate here covering thirty five years. He organized Sheehan 
Council, No. 1079, of the Knights of Columbus, which has a membership 
of nearly two hundred; Branch No. 21, the Catholic Knights of America, 
which was organized in 1898, with a membership of twenty; and the 
Ancient Order of Hibernians, with a large membership. He has labored 
with consecrated zeal to promote the growth and spread of Catholicism 
here and has won the love and cooperation of his parishioners in 
unusual degree.