The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-12
A JUST TRIBUTE.

A JUST TRIBUTE.
The following beautiful sentiments in
regard to Catholic priests will be read with
pleasure by fhOusndls of our people, es-
pecially those svhnee hearts are enlisted In
spreading. our religion throughout the
world, and giving its divine dement's 10 the
meek and lowly.-CdthOlic Mirror.
LAWRENCE. Kansas, March %, 1868.
ST. Mary's Mission was long since estnb-
lishcl among the Pottawatomie Indians,
and is located on the edge OF the Kansas
river valley, fourteen miles west OF Topeka;
and consists OF Il church, school-house, ana
several good buildings, with quite extern.
sive grounds, tastefully plan'eu ou' ~ ,rs'
trees and eyerSreens, ana pears uhniis-
taxable evidence OF moral culture and re-
finement, even here in the Western wlids.
Long anterior to the organic act estaDisn-
ing the territory Of Kansas, the Cathonc
priest here celebrated high mass upon the
Lords day, while the Wild nana.o' IN. ~ a na
view, cropped the rich grass from the al
jacent hills, beneath which the great fertile
valley of the Kansas river spreads out ike
o map.
st. Mary's Mission was established here
among the POttawatOmie Indians, by the
Catholics, long, long years before the whistle
of the locomotive was heard west of the
Father of Waters. Here. long ago, rs now,
pious priests administered to these poor
Indians the Holy Eucharist, as we'll as the
sacrament of baptism-here they taught
them to do acts OF penance, ana aiso tue
use, of the rosary-absolved their sins in the
ipht of death, when the immortal spirit
was about to flee from its tenement OF clay,
and from the lowly wigwam to the paradise
of the blessed. ..
Indeed, we may we'll say that the Jesuit
priests are the modern pioneers OF Cnris-
tianity. For them and their h,gh Gaming
YOU cannot find climate too hot or TOO
cold, or q people too savage or too refined.
You find the Catholic priest by the side
of the Caesars in their last moments-you
find him daring the dangers OF the deep
with the great Columbus you find HIM the
first to erect the Cross upon the estern
cOntinent-the first to ascend the great
! Mississippi to it's source. You find HIM by
the death bed of the great Napoleon in the
far off island of st. Helena. Although Ma
poleon rejected him i'll prosperity, yet the
| priest found him i'll adversely, ana. ike the
good Samaritan, administered 10 MS mora,
| wants in the hour of his greatest need and
that, too, when his enemies had sent NM
| to the remotest corner OF the earth. The
untirinc and devoted priest never filtered
or ceased to follow his footsteps: You nno
him among the savages of North America
from the Polar sea to the Gai1 OF mexico
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean-yor
find him in Mexico since the time OF Cortez-
Won find him throughout the coasts and II
! the interior OF South Amerlca-yOu nnt
him i'll the jungles of Africa, and penetraMt;;nIs
that country to the very source OF the Nile
You find him among the savages of Oceanica
and the half-ciyilized and seni-barbarou
people of Eastern Asia. You find hin
officiating at the funeral Obsequles OF en-
Dtrors and statesmen in the refined city 0
Paris-you find him at home in the CLASSIC
city of Rome, which, at the present time
as remarkable for the great church OF st
Peters and the Vatican, as when she wa
mistress of the world, in the days Of Juliu
= Caesar.
But, if we would fully trace his footsteps
we must not stop here; for the simple res'
,, son that he does not stop even in Rome
, We can follow him on, and on, over SCI.
and deserts to the very gates OF the hol
! city of Jerusalem; to the~very sepulchre {
= Joseph, where our Saviour was laid, an
. find him every where bearing his cross, an
! offering up his prayers; and even then gu
journey will but be begun. -
> Such is the character of the priesthoo
!; that established st. Mary's Mission, an
E this is tribute justly their due.
), = A. J.-REID.