Recollections of My Life and Reflections on Times and Events During It: A Memoir by Father W. J. Howlett Main Menu Introduction Table of Contents Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Other Writings by Father W. J. Howlett Timeline Howlett Family Tree William J. Howlett Family Tree Maps and Geography: Howlett's First Trip West Fr. Howlett moved with his family to Denver when he was a child, and then moved to St. Thomas Seminary in Bardstown, KY several years later. This map recounts the path he took to get to both places. Maps and Geography: Howlett's European travels Fr. Howlett traveled far and wide during his trip to Europe. Here is a map of the places he recorded visiting. Maps and Geography: Howlett in Paris, 1872-1873 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while in Paris, France. Maps and Geography: Howlett in London, 1874 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while vacationing in London, England Maps and Geography: Colorado Missions with Terrain Fr. Howlett's Colorado mission locations, with Colorado terrain. Index Acknowledgements Contributors' Biographies HIST 394 at CUA, Spring 2020

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St. Thomas. We had to cut our firewood to keep the place warm; we went to the well for water to wash our faces form a pan on a log, stump or nay convenient place, winter and summer, but we kept warm and reasonably clean. We had cornbread and bacon as the great reliables, but we had white bread at least once a day, and on feast days we feasted. The faculty fared about as we did and we felt that we were at home as brothers under a good father. At St. Joseph’s the culinary department was slow in getting to work and the larder seemed not very well provided both in quantity and quality. We bore within for a time, but when improvements were slow in coming, murmuring was heard and contrasts were made, and old St. Thomas did not lose by them. These defects were remedied and things resumed their normal course, but there was an undefinable something at st. Thomas that we did not find in our new surroundings. A new faculty, a number of students from other colleges, the presence of the town at our gates, a few changes of discipline, and old St. Thomas with its simplicity in fraternity became dearer to those who knew it, and its traditions have been remembered and repeated with respect and affection until now. I believe I am now the last of the company who went out from St.Thomas when the change was made, and let me perpetuate the memory of old Saint Thomas, the mother of priests and bishops in the guardian of the faith in Kentucky. Not enough of it is left now to constitute a ruin, but its little old church is there yet, the first cathedral of Bishop Flaget, where the early priests were ordained and where I was present at the Golden Jubilee of the first Kentucky priest there ordained in 1818, the Rev. Robert Abell, familiarly known as “Uncle Bob” when fifty years later he came there to celebrate the event with all the clerical staff of the church in Kentucky wishing him many more years and more honor and merit as a climax of those busy ones of labor and accomplishment just closing. God granted him five more quiet years of grace for his own perfection before calling him to the great reward that must have been awaiting him in heaven. 

          When we were organized for work at St. Joseph’s, Fr. John Kelly and I were appointed prefects of studies. Our duties were to preside for a month at a time alternately in the study hall and keep order, and to report at the end of each month on the conduct and application of the students. The office carried with it the privilege of a private room in the daytime and some other favors. I did not enjoy the position of a boss at any time, and, although I had no trouble with the students and never had to report a single one of them, I declined the office prefect when offered it the following year. My successor was Dennis O'Donoghue, one of the bright students who began there a career of wise and mild authority that ended when he ceased to rule as Bishop of Louisville.

          The vacation of 1870 I spent in Missouri with my brother at Moberly. The town had been organized as a parish and Father McKenna was then its first pastor. He was then building a small frame church, and I had the honor of helping him arrange the altar for his first mass in the church which also I served as his acolyte.

          Upon returning to the seminary in September, Father DaFraine, who was President of the Seminary and Pastor of the Church of St. Joseph, appointed me sacristan of the church. This gave me even more 

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