Name: WATHEN John C
Born: November 22, 1801
Place Born: Nelson County, Kentucky
Ordained: September 12, 1830 Bardstown KY
In Service: 1834-1837
Died: October 17, 1841
Place Died: His gravestone says he died on Flint Island, Meade County Kentucky. Lyons (below) says: Father Wathen was taken sick and died of congestive fever in the home of Stephen Burch at Rhodelia on October 17, 1841. [Flint Island is about 4 miles from Rhodelia]
Burial: Owensboro. Later moved to St. Lawrence Cemetery, Daviess County, Kentucky.
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Excerpt from: “Bishops and Priests of the Bardstown Diocese” by John Lyons
REVEREND JOHN C. WATHEN.
A son of Wilfred and Winifred Coomes Wathen,l he was born in the Fairfield district of Nelson County October 14, 1801, and entered St. Joseph Seminary, Bardstown as early as 1822, since Bishop David gave him tonsure on September 21 of that year. Minor orders were conferred by Bishop Flaget December 18, 1824 and the subdiaconate by Bishop David December 23, 1826. He received the diaconate March 6, 1830 and priesthood on the following September 12 at the hands of Bishop Flaget in St. Joseph Cathedral.
After three months at the Cathedral, Father Wathen was appointed assistant to Rev. David Deparcq at St. Charles Church, Marion County, and given charge of Holy Name of Mary Church at Calvary. It appears from the church records at St. Charles that he moved there from Calvary in November 1831 and was acting pastor during the construction of the second church which was dedicated on September 9, 1832.
Father Wathen’s next assignment was on May 5, 1833 when he became the first resident pastor at St. Lawrence Church in Daviess County. Attached to his parish were Owensboro, where he began attending May 12, and Hardinsburg, August 4. All of the church stations in Daviess and the surrounding counties and the scattered Catholics across the Ohio in southern Indiana were also under his care. When his cousin, Charles Ignatius Coomes, resigned his patorate at St. Theresa Church, Rhodelia in Meade County because of ill health in the spring of 1839, this congregation was added to his extensive territory. The energetic priest erected the second church at St. Lawrence in 1839 and, about the same time, began the construction of the first Church of St. Stephen in Owensboro.
While making the rounds of his missions, Father Wathen was taken sick and died of congestive fever in the home of Stephen Burch at Rhodelia on October 17, 1841. His remains were taken to Owensboro for burial, and later transferred to St. Lawrence Cemetery where they rest in the shadow
of the church.
Notes: Webb, p. 153n, states that Fatber Wathen was ordained in 1831. The Catbolic Miscellany, October 23, 1830, gives September 15, 1830. The Book of Ordinations has September 12, 1830.
The Catholic Directory, 1842, p.142, gives October 19, 1841 as tbe date of Father Wathen’s death. Webb, p. 154n, gives October 17. The death register at St. Stephen’s had October 19, but this was later corrected to read the 17th. The death registers in many of our Churches at that period give only the date of burial. We suspect that Father Wathen died October 17 and was buried in Owensboro on the 19th.
From Find-A-Grave: A researcher wrote:
He died Oct 17, 1841 at the home of Stephen Burch at Rhodelia, Meade County, Kentucky. This is, no doubt, in the Flint Island area. This date per both the Centenary of Catholicity in Kentucky (copyright 1884) and the The Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro (copyright 1994). Also the 1841 death year is mentioned on the marker photo recently added to the memorial. He was making the rounds of his mission churches and fell ill from “congestive fever.” This also from The Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro book.