RIGHT REVEREND JAMES PHELAN, D.P. — 1863- 1890 The Second Parish Priest of Vernon River

Father Phelan was born in the village of Mooncoin, County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1834. Educated at Carlow College, Ireland, he came to Char- lottetown in 1854 where he took a professorship at St. Dunstan’s College which had just been built, (He and the Rector, Father Angus MacDonald, comprised the entire faculty). Here he studied theology in his free periods, and in August, 1856 was ordained at Rustico by Bishop Bernard Mac- Donald. Father Phelan spent the next two years teaching at the College, and then became assistant at Charlottetown. He became successively Parish Priest at East Point, St. Margaret’s and Vernon River. At the last named place he constructed the present handsome church. From 1863 to 1874 Father Phelan was visiting priest at St. Michael’s Mission, Iona. During this interval he built the parochial house and had the church plas-

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