▁would ▁over see ▁the ▁continued ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁church ' s ▁presence ▁in ▁Iowa ▁as ▁imm igration ▁continued ▁into ▁the ▁state . ▁▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁difficult ▁economic ▁times ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁not ▁much ▁progress ▁was ▁made ▁on ▁building ▁new ▁churches . ▁ ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁Irish ▁pri ests ▁to ▁the ▁dioc ese , ▁primarily ▁from ▁All ▁Hall ows ▁College ▁in ▁Dublin . ▁ ▁This ▁caused ▁dis content ▁among ▁the ▁French ▁born ▁pri ests ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁left ▁the ▁dioc ese . ▁ ▁A ▁happ ier ▁occasion ▁for ▁S my th ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁when ▁he ▁consec r ated ▁E ph ra im ▁Mc D onn ell ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁ab bot ▁for ▁New ▁M eller ay ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁elev ated ▁to ▁an ▁ab bey ▁by ▁the ▁Holy ▁See . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Dub u que ▁was ▁a ▁center ▁of ▁pro - Conf eder ate ▁sympath ies . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁S my th ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁pro - S ou thern ▁Kn ights ▁of ▁the ▁Golden ▁Circle . ▁He ▁gave ▁Iowa ▁members ▁who ▁might ▁be ▁Catholic ▁two ▁weeks ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁organization ▁or ▁be ▁automatically ▁ex communic ated . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁out sp oken ▁critics ▁of ▁President ▁Lincoln ▁and ▁the ▁abol ition ists ▁was ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Democratic ▁newspaper ▁and ▁a ▁friend ▁and ▁an ▁ad visor ▁to ▁Lor as , ▁Dennis ▁A