BISHOP HENRY CARFAGNINI
Our Second Shephard

The Reverend Dr. Henry Carfagnini a Franciscan from Italy and a man of great talent and learning became the Second Bishop of the Diocese of Harbor Grace . When Bishop Mullock founded St. Bonaventure's College in 1856, he appointed Dr. Carfagnini to be its first President. He was also an active member of the teaching staff. Even during the episcopacy of Bishop Dalton, Father Carfagnini had close association with Harbor Grace. He was intimate with the Bishop, and on the occasion of the latter's consecration, had address to him in Latin Ode of eighteen stanzas. The poem was prefaced with the line :

Fuit homo missus a deo, cui nomen erat Joannes.
One stanza of the ode read :

Sideris instar tumidas per undas,
Saeclui diri remeans Ovile

"Gratiae e portu", rutilans salutis
Ducet ad illum.

"Gratiae e portu" means, of course, from Harbor Grace.

While Bishop Dalton lived the architecture of the Cathedral-in-the-making had been entrusted to Father Carfagnini; and he absorbed in his masterpiece parts of the precious Church build by Father Charles Dalton. Genius that he was, Dr. Carfagnini with is own hands did most of the interior embellishment of the sacred edifice.

In May 1870, while in Rome, Dr. Carfagnini was consecrated Bishop of Harbor Grace; and he got back to Harbor Grace on October 28 of the same year. He then spent ten years in Harbor Grace episcopacy, during the decade bringing the work of the Cathedral almost to completion. In fact so absorbed was Bishop Carfagnini in this undertaking that he left almost all administrative affairs in the hands of Right Reverend D. Falconio late became the first Apostolic Delegate to the United States .

On May 24, 1880, Bishop Carfagnini left Harbor Grace to return to Italy
as Bishop of Gallipoli, later becoming an Archbishop. He died at Rome on February 12, 1940.