e Irish College, became his firm friends
and powerful advocates. Without Doctor Smith's advice, indeed,
scarcely a step was taken in the case.

An unexpected ally was found in Bishop Connolly, of St. John's, New
Brunswick. He had been robbed on his way between Civita Vecchia and
Rome, and that misfortune gave him a special claim to the regard of
the Pope, with whom he soon became a favorite. The Holy Father
admired in him that energy of character and zeal for religion which
distinguished him in after years as Archbishop of Halifax. On hearing
of Father Hecker's case he studied it on account of sympathetic
interest in the aspects of Catholicity in the United States, part of
his diocese being at that time, we believe, in the State of Maine.
How ardent his friendship for Father Hecker soon became is shown by
his exclamation: "I am ready to die for you, and I am going to tell
the Pope so." He even offered to assist Father Hecker in paying his
personal expenses while in Rome. In a letter to the American Fathers
of December 18 Father Hecker writes:

"Another recent and providential event in our favor has been the
friendship of Bishop Connolly, of St. John's, New Brunswick. By his
extraordinary exertions and his warm friendship for us he has
succeeded in giving us the vantage ground in all quarters where we
were not in good favor. I told you in the last note that he had
spoken to the Holy Father in favor of our cause, but I had no time to
give you the substance of what was said. Bishop Connolly is a
full-blooded Irishman, but, fortunately for us, not implicated in any
party views in our country, and seeing that the Propaganda regarded
our cause as its own and had identified itself with our success, . . .
it being friendly to us as missionaries, he exerted all his influence
in our favor. His influence was not slight, for the Pope had
conceived a great friendship for him, and heaped all sorts of honors
on him. Well, he had a regular tussle with his Holiness about us and
our cause, and when the Holy Father repeated some things said of
me--against me, of course--he replied: 'Your Holiness, I should not
be at all surprised if some fine day you yourself would have to
canonize one of these Yankee fellows.' In one word, he left nothing
unsaid or undone with the Pope in our favor; and the Pope suggested
to him obtaining dispensation of our vows and forming a new company.
'They cannot expect me,' he said, 'to take the initiatory step;