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NEW MELLERAY ABBEY
The monks came to Dubuque at the invitation of Bishop Loras in June, 1849. Among them were relatives of other first settlers of the area. For instance, Brother Barnaby Grace was a brother of Thomas Grace, whose farm was north of the monastery; Brother Ambrose Byrne bought government land just south of the monastery for his brother-in-law, George Brown, who then came to live on it. Bishop Loras gave the monks 520 acres of land. The monks were able to buy another 480 acres of prairie land from the government a half mile west of the land given by Bishop Loras. Jeremiah "Jerry" Healy, and his wife, Johanna, owned a quarter section in between these two tracts of land. At the request of Bishop Loras, this couple sold 80 acres of this quarter section to the monks so that the two tracts of land would be joined together. The last names of the monks who came from Ireland about this time are: Cosgrove; Foley; McDonald; Walsh; Cummins; Power; Maurif (a Frenchman); Rourke; Flynn; McCaffry; Mulloy; Fay; Smyth; Byrne; Broden; O'Gorman; Duggan; Smith; Hogan; Manix; Maquire; McNevin; Nolan; Boland; Polly; Shea; Ryan; Mohan; Cuddihay; Doyle; McDonald; Hely; Clancy; Murphy; Grace; Keegan.
Americans, mostly immigrants from Ireland, jointed the monks, so that by 1883, about 4/5 of the community had entered the order at New Melleray. And, today, men continue to become monks to seek God by a life of prayer, work, holy reading and study. A lively book about New Melleray is "Arms and the Monk" by the late Monsignor M. M. Hoffmann.
Source: 1967 Atlas of Dubuque County
Compiled by the Title Atlas Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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