John H. Fleming

John H. Fleming (1849-April 24, 1923) was an American priest of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Personal life
Fleming was born in Boston in 1849 and attended Boston Latin School before the College of the Holy Cross.<ref name=obit/> Fleming studied for two years at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal and then two years at Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris, where he was ordained in 1874.<ref nameobit/> He then traveled through Europe for several months before returning to Boston.<ref nameobit/> While in Dedham, he also played a role in the affairs of the town.<ref name=obit/>
He had two sisters, Louise Fleming and Hannah Carney.<Ref nameleft/><ref namelegacy/><ref name=obit/>
Ministry
Early ministry
His first assignment was at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross before moving to St. James the Greater Church on Harrison Avenue in Boston.<ref nameobit/> He served as curate in both churches.<ref nameobit/>
After Fr. Henry J. Madden left St. Mary's Church in Ayer, Massachusetts in 1884, Fleming took over for him as pastor. He remained there for five years until being transferred to St. Mary's in Dedham in June 1890.<ref name=obit/>
Dedham
Fleming arrived at in Dedham in June 1890 and began a 33-year tenure as pastor.<ref nametimes/><ref nameimages/><ref name=centennial/> After 20 years of working, praying, and fundraising from the meager immigrant wages of many of the parishioners, the upper church was finished during his pastorate.<ref nameimages/> It took so long that another architect had to take over but was, according to Fleming, "almost too beautiful for ordinary use."<ref nametimes/><ref namecentennial/> One critic said that though some parishes in the area have more people than did the entire town of Dedham, "few parishes in Boston can boast of a more impressive Church" than St. Mary's.<ref nameLeahy/> Another said it was second to none in the archdiocese.<ref name=home/>
The parish cemetery in West Roxbury was also purchased during his tenure and the old wooden rectory next to the church was torn down so a new rectory could be built of Dedham Granite in 1913.<ref namecentennial/> On Sundays, however, the quality of his preaching was such that other priests would come to St. Mary's to listen.<ref namecentennial/>
"Angels" lawsuit
In 1881, while at St. James' Church, Fleming was sued for $5,000 in Suffolk Superior Court by the parents of Lizzie M. Gordon, a 15 year old girl who claimed to have the stigmata<ref namenyt/><ref namegannon/><ref name=paper/> and to see visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.<ref namepsychic/><ref namegannon/><ref name=want/> Three years prior, Gannon began going into trances, during which should could not speak<ref namepsychic/> unless Fleming or a few others placed their hands on her.<Ref namenyt/><ref namegannon/><ref namewant/><ref namelizzie/> When she came out of them, she claimed to have received revelations from the Virgin Mary and to have seen saints<Ref namewant/> and the faces of those who died.<ref name=psychic/>
Her family sent for Fleming, their parish priest, in the fall of 1878.<ref namepsychic/><Ref namelizzie/> Fleming would often attend to the girl, often in the company of another priest, and the visits seemed to help her.<ref namepsychic/> In one of her revelations, Gannon said that the Virgin Mary had a message for Fleming, that he was to write a book that told Gannon's story and of all of her visions.<ref namegannon/> Fleming declined to write the book.<ref name=gannon/>
In the fall of 1879, Fleming visited the girl, who was entranced and holding in her hands two or three images or dolls of angels. They were about .75 inches long<ref namewant/> and appeared to be cut from heavy paper.<ref namepsychic/> Gordon said the images had been given to her by her dead brother.<ref name=nyt/> Her brother, to whom she had been quite attached, had died two years prior.<ref namenyt/> She also claimed to have received several other items from angels or spirits, including a letter written by the Virgin Mary.<ref namegannon/> Fleming persuaded the girl to give the images to him.<ref namepsychic/><ref namelizzie/>
During his visits, Fleming called in doctors and others to see if they could help the girl and she was diagnosed with hysteria<ref namegannon/><ref namenyt/><ref namelizzie/> by Dr. Hodges.<ref namewant/> A Dr. Porter suggested Gordon be sent to a hospital.<Ref namewant/><ref namelizzie/> Over time Fleming came to believe the girl was faking, and so stopped visiting around Christmas in 1880.<ref namepsychic/><ref namenyt/><ref namewant/><ref namelizzie/>
Gordon's father tried to persuade Fleming to continuing visiting the girl.<ref namepsychic/> When he was unsuccessful in that, almost a year after she had given up the dolls,<ref namegannon/><ref namepaper/> he asked for their return.<ref namepsychic/><ref namenyt/><ref namelizzie/> Fleming told her father that he lost them.<ref namepsychic/><ref namelizzie/> Gordon's father then appealed to Archbishop John Joseph Williams but the bishop sided with the priest.<ref namepsychic/><ref namenyt/>
When the suit was brought in the summer of 1881, the girl reportedly had hardly spoken for a year.<ref namepsychic/> She was bedridden and could not see or speak, according to her lawyers.<ref namewant/> Other testified that they had seen her doing work around the home, out shopping with her mother in the neighborhood, and even speaking.<ref namepaper/> Her parents contended that her condition was brought about by the loss of the images.<ref namepsychic/><ref namewant/><ref namenyt/> Others contended that the suit was brought when Fleming refused to help the girl and her family seek publicity.<Ref namegannon/> Before the case went to trial, Gordon's father published a book about his daughter.<ref namewant/>
The jury found for Gordon and awarded damages of $0.01.<ref name=nation/>
Death and legacy
He died suddenly on April 24, 1923 at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.<Ref nameshort/><ref nameobit/> He had been sick for a few months and traveled south to try and regain his strength.<ref name=obit/> His body was transported to Boston, and then to Dedham, where he lay in state, first at the rectory and then in the church.<ref namesaturday/> On the morning of his funeral, St. Mary's Church was packed with "throngs" of people, including scores of priests, and dignitaries from the church, state, county, and town, as well as representatives from fraternal societies.<ref namethrongs/> A low mass was said at 8 am for the children of the parish, and a solemn Requiem Mass was said at 10 am.<Ref namethrongs/> He is buried with his mother in the Forest Hills Cemetery.<ref namelegacy/>
His estate totaled $85,000, of which he left $40,000 to the Carney Hospital to pay for four private rooms for St. Mary's parishioners who may become ill.<ref nameleft/><ref namelegacy/> His will stipulated that the parishioners using the rooms should be recommended by the pastor of the church and that preference should be given to people of humble but decent circumstances.<ref name=legacy/> His music machine, worth about $2,000, was left to .<ref name=legacy/>
He also left $1,000 for the sexton of the church and a large sum to both his sister and the parish.<ref nameleft/><ref namelegacy/> There were also bequests of $5,000 to Boston College and Emmanuel College.<ref nameleft/> The educational funds were for scholarships for students from the parish who were recommended by the pastor.<ref namelegacy/> Any books not taken by his family were also left to Boston College.<ref namelegacy/> Fleming had previously donated books to the Boston College library.<Ref namebook/>
Bequests were also made to a Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged in Roxbury, Home for Destitute Catholic Children, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, St. Mary's Infant Asylum, and St. John's Industrial Home in Newton.<ref namelegacy/> He also left funds to supports the missions.<ref namelegacy/> The executors of his will were Fr. Charles A. Finn, Fr. Timothy C. Maney, and James. R. Flanagan.<ref name=left/>

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