My Genealogy Hound

REV. JAMES JOSEPH McNERNEY was born in County Clare, Ireland, and is a son of John and Bridget (King) McNerney, the former a farmer and laborer. Rev. James J. McNerney came to America in 1850, settled in Covington, and was educated at St. Thomas Seminary, near Bardstown, Ky., where he finished his classical course, and was afterward sent to Quebec, Canada, and St. Mary’s Theological Seminary, Baltimore, Md., to complete his theological studies. He was ordained deacon on the 29th of June, 1865, by Rev. Archbishop Spalding, and on the 2d of July, of the same year, was elevated to the dignity of the priesthood in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Covington, Ky., by the Rt. Rev. George A. Carroll, first bishop of Covington. After his ordination he was attached to St. Ann’s Church, West Covington, for three months. Then he took charge of Ashland, Boyd County, one year, after which he went to White Sulphur, Scott Co., Ky., and remained there seventeen months in charge of St. Pius Church; from there he went to Brooksville, Bracken County, where he completed and enlarged St. James Church, remaining there four years; then to Falmouth, Ky., for four years and a half, during which time he built St. Patrick’s Church at the Double Beach East of Falmouth six miles; from there to Paris, Ky., one year, and then to Florence one year; from Florence he was assigned to the rectorship of the church of the Immaculate Conception, Newport, Ky. This latter church is one of the largest and most beautiful Catholic churches in the diocese of Covington, and was finished during the administration of Rev. J. J. McNerney, of which he is its present rector. Mr. McNerney is a Democrat in politics.