Joseph Kelly, 83, Kelly’s Cross, Gordon Waddell, 90, Crapaud, Jos- eph Carragher, 80, Kelly’s Cross, John H. Trainor, 90, Summerside, Mrs. Minnie Hughes, 90, Charlottetown, Mrs. Maria Kelly, 90, Stanchell, are all living witnesses to this strange event. Each of them states in his or her own way “he was just as fresh as he was on the day of his burial”, “there was no sign of decay”. “They even put new socks on his feet.”
Since the people of Kelly’s Cross had always regarded “Old Father Duffy” as a “living saint”, it was only natural when his body was found to be “as fresh as the day of his burial”, that devotion to him was inten- sified, prayers were said to him, requests made of him, and many times these requests were answered by God.
Some of our senior citizens, who were attending school when Fath- er’s body was lying in the old cemetery, would go to his grave, offer a prayer, make a request, and apply a pebble or day from the grave to the sore spot, and it would be well again. Even today people stop their cars, no doubt old parishioners, kneel at the grave, and take away a little of the clay or a pebble. No doubt there are other people who have been helped through devotion to Father Duffy.
We must caution that these are only personal, and private beliefs and devotions, and in no way have any official approval.
FATHER TOM CURRAN — INVENTOR 1910 — 1925
Father Thomas Curran was appointed Parish Priest of Kelly’s Cross in 1910, and during the next fifteen years in addition to being the spiri-
tual leader, became known as an “inventor . He earned this title because of the many “first” things he made in his spare time.
The school was not far from the Rectory, and Father delighted in speaking with the children, and then taking them in to show off something that he had made. It was all new to them — so Father was an inventor.
No doubt most people have heard of the Magnetic Hill, just outside Moncton, New Brunswick. If you were to coast down this hill, you would swear that you were actually going up the hill. It is an optical illusion. Well Father Tom created just such an illusion for he made water run up a hill. This took place in the stream of water that flowed on the boundary (east) of the Parish farm, just on the other side of the present Senior Citizen’s Home. In his spare time he worked there directing the proper flow of water under the bridge to the other side. He did this through the construction of small dams in which he strategically placed pipes. While he was working at this phase of the work, he realized that because the spring was low and the ground around was a gradual slope, if he was to bring the pipes around the high ground, it would give the appearance that the water was actually flowing up hill. It was an optical illusion, but he proudly showed this phenomenon to any who cared to look.
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