The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-26
oP oDIN.

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1 {oP oDIN.
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ray Of sladnss 3 br3shtened the faces
Of the Cstholiss u this Diocese, in the ap-
HSintment u Coadjqtor Bishop in the
person Of an old and tried friend, in whom
The learning and piety = the churchman|
am beautifully blended with the noblest|
qualitiesof the patriot and citizen, than i'll
is eclipsed by theSaad intelligence, LONG,
anticipated, but none the less painful for
being 90, that never again on earth shall
they grasp the friendly hand and hear the
paternal voice Of their beloved Archbishop.
In the death of Archbishop John NJ. odinl|
religion, though il has gained martyr. has
lost confessor; Humanity has lost bene-
factor, and our poe afflicted country . sru<|
and leal friend. With the longing, Gagged
yearning of the exile, our good Archbishop
pinned for IFS flock in our beloved Soothega}
land, and until the last moment almost, hx|
indulged the hope, growing stronger every
hour, in proportion to the impossibilisy of
ITS being realized, that in that dear land
his bones would moulder into doubly kim
dred dust: the dust Of the land he had|
adopted as his own, and the dust which inI
its living forms he had made kin to God !
in supernaturalizing it by his sacred minis
try. That hope was baffied: John Mary
Odin died where he was born; like that
other JOHN, whose life could hardly have
been more austere, he died among his own
people-the members of his own family al
c0nfessor by right, a martyr by merit, butt
without the eclat Of martyrdom. His was|
strange and eventful life. It was dramaI
perfect in its minutest details, though the|
casual observer may see little in its devel-
opment to surprise OF startle him. The ex-
plorer of Missouri's sombre forests, the
Boones of Western civilization-those whoI
first penetrated the frowning wilderness OIL
the far West-have their Coopers, their
Longfellows, and host of inferior writer's toI
wed their daring with immortality. Father
Odin did as much as they did, and Bishop
Odin did much more than they ever thought
or dreampt of doing and where is his
panegyristP Through the vast prairies on
Texas; across those American steppes, the
dreary solitudes of which were unbroken
save by the savage war whoop of the Co.
manche OF the Arapajo, that humble SER
want of Crucifed God rode TRANQUILITY on
his mule, undismayed either by the awful
loneliness or still more awful society around
him; with no weapon but a crucifx, no
commission but his trust in God. Yet
with these slender resources he performed
wonders, which formidable armies have inl
later times covered themselves with ridicule!
for attempting: by his meek influence bel
proved to the savage red man that the
white man need not be essentially brute, !
and gave the white man himself, who came
TO announce in those regions the Evangel
of lust and the bowie knife, lesson of
genuine Christian cixilization. Somebody
ought to write the life of Bishop Odin in
Texas. Texas was his home, because his
legitimate mission; and some veteran
Texan ought to give us the minutest par
ticulars which a mission SO fruitful of good
to human nature can furnish.
AS to ourself, we confess our utter in
competency for the task, for all we know
of cur late venerable Archbishop is derived
not so much from our acquaintance with
him Here as from his glorious record in the
diocese Immediately to the West of u.s.
Here it was either our misfortune or our
privilege to differ with him on many points
wherein unity of Faith or uniformity of dis
Cipline Was not concerned: there we saw in
him only the self sacrificing, fearless mis-.
sionary, who might vie with St. Paul him
self in his tribui;,tions; while in both do
ceses we can claim for him that combina
tion so rare in modern times, of the indie
fatigable zeal of the Apostle with the
severe ansterity of the anchored and the
angelic meekness Of the recluse.
More ample details of career so edify'
ing and benefcent we reserve Tor future
article, in the composition of which We
shall be aided by the leisure and informa
tion but imperfectly at our disposal now
We win not close this article, however, with
out recording our admiration for the las
official act in Archbishop Odin's life. Be
fore tho Council of the Vatican convened
and consequently long before the engross
ing question OF Papal Infallibility had as
sumed the proportions which it subse
QUently attained to; uninfuenced by tn
intrigues, more worthy of q politician thai
~ <>el. in th