My Genealogy Hound

REV. WILLIAM H. SIDLEY. Although comparatively a young man, this gentleman, who is the pastor of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church, Springfield, has accomplished much work in connection with his parochial duties. He is a man of ripe scholarship, pleasing manners, and an earnest and eloquent speaker; possessing great energy and perseverance, he is thoroughly interested in his calling, with a mind constantly devising some new method by which to benefit his people, and build up his church and its various institutions.

Coming of substantial Irish parentage, our subject was born in Geauga County, this State, November 17, 1844, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Turner) Sidley, the former of whom was a native of County Limerick, Ireland, and emigrated to this country when a young man, settling among the pioneers of Geauga County. The mother was born of parents who were natives of Ireland, and who, upon crossing the Atlantic, settled first in New York State, and thence removed to Michigan, residing near Detroit until their death. Their daughter, while on a visit to Geauga County, this State, met the gentleman who afterward became her husband. After their marriage Henry Sidley and his wife located on a farm in Geauga County, where the mother is still living. The father departed this life in 1877.

There were born to the parents of Father Sidley twelve children, of whom he was next to the eldest. Ten of these are living, and all are residents of Ohio. William H. spent his boyhood on the farm, and walked two and one-half miles to school, pursuing his studies until a youth of sixteen years. Then leaving home, he entered the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind., where he pursued his studies two years. From there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and spent seven years in the Theological Seminary. Afterward he spent eighteen months in the Theological Seminary at Cincinnati, and on the 11th of June, 1870, was ordained to the priesthood. His first charge was at Sidney, Ohio, where he spent three years. In 1873 he was called to Springfield, taking charge of his present congregation, which numbers at the present time six hundred families, and which has a parochial school of nearly six hundred children.

Father Sidley at once exerted himself for the best interests of St. Raphael’s, both church and school, being instrumental in the erection of the school building and the residence of the teachers who are employed as teachers. Father Murphy is his assistant at St. Raphael’s. In 1884 the congregation had so increased in numbers that it became necessary to organize a second church, which is located in the southeastern part of the city, and named St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which has a resident pastor. Father Sidley also put up there a good school building of eight rooms with a basement, and also another residence for the Sisters employed as teachers.

In 1887 Father Sidley was made Dean of the Dayton Conference and permanent Rector of St. Raphael’s Church. He takes the greatest interest in the education of the children in the parochial school, giving them all the advantages of the best intellectual training, together with complete religious instruction. They are taught to be thoroughly Catholic in religion, and thoroughly American in ideas.

Feeling the necessity of a larger and finer church edifice, Father Sidley has recently purchased ground adjoining the church, to make room for a building which in the near future will take the place of the old church. They will then have one of the best and most complete church properties in the State. Elsewhere in this volume appears a lithographic portrait* of Father Sidley.

*A portrait was included in the original printed volume.