Reviews - Books
The Life and Times of Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming
By Fr. Kevin J. Kirley

Hardcopy Issue Date: June 2003
Online Publication Date: Jun 19, 2003, 15:25

Brother J.B. Darcy, C.F.C., The Life and Times of Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, O.S.F., Creative Publishers, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2003, p. 286, $18.25 Cdn. Reviewed by Kevin J. Kirley, C.S.B.

Those of us who know little about the early history of the Catholic Church in Newfoundland will wel- come Brother Darcy's latest publication Fire upon the Earth, The Life and Times of Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, O.S.F., Vicar Apostolic of Newfoundland 1830-1847, and first bishop of the new diocese of St. John's 1847-1850. Fittingly the author concentrates on those twenty years when the protagonist in this saga, Bishop Fleming, was the spiritual leader of his flock, mostly Irish Catholics, scattered over an immense and perilous territory. Being a British colony, Newfoundland came under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Office in London, England, where Bishop Fleming soon became known as 'that incendiary priest.' In his zeal to establish the rights of Catholics, the bishop was considered by many of his British and Anglican contemporaries to be 'a political firebrand igniting the flames of discord throughout the island,' but to his faithful followers he was simply 'a prelate on fire with the love of God and neighbour,' hence, the aptness of the book title Fire upon the Earth. Needless to say, those twenty years 1830-1850 covered by the book are a series of struggles, crisis, ups and downs, about which there exists a mound of archival evidence written largely by the bishop's enemies, although Bishop Fleming himself was a tireless letter writer.

Brother Darcy is disarmingly honest in his presentation of the conflicting evidence in this fascinating story. He makes no attempt to hide Bishop Fleming's shortcomings, nor those of the dissident Catholics who strove to undermine his efforts. He is fair in his treatment of 'the establishment,' that is, the governing body, the rich and influential merchants, the Anglican Church for whom this Catholic prelate was 'the very type of a primitive bishop.' But the author's main concern throughout the entire study is to arrive at the truth and hence to set the record straight. In the final analysis there is no doubt whose side he is on.

Bishop Fleming's accomplishments are creditable indeed. Just to visit the Catholics of his far-flung vicariate, later diocese, required hazardous journeys over uncharted terrain and treacherous waters. Always short of funds, the bishop managed nonetheless to build numerous churches and to staff them with missionary priests from Ireland. He provided for the education of his people by introducing two communities of teaching Sisters and one of teaching Brothers. The well-being of poor families of fishermen, farmers, woodcutters, and miners was a constant concern of Bishop Fleming. He did what he could to help those burned out of house and home in St. John's after the great fire of 1846.

This being said, one has to wonder why he could not have been content with a less grandiose and costly cathedral. Was it his zeal for the house of God that consumed him, as it did in other aspects of his ministry? The reader is left to decide.

It may seem niggardly on the part of this reviewer to criticize brother Darcy's fine piece of work. Perhaps a suggestion or two would be in order for a future edition. While the section on the mini biographies of the principal characters is very helpful for a quick reference, a complete index at the end of the book would have been even more welcome. Also, the end notes which provide slim pickings in the chapters to which they refer could profitably be augmented by the exact reference to the documents which provided the meat of the arguments. Finally, while the maps of the bishop's itineraries around and through the island are commendable, a few pictures of what was America's largest cathedral would have enhanced the text. Nevertheless, a reader venturing into this account of the life and times of Bishop Fleming is bound to undergo an exciting and perhaps unforgettable experience.