The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-26

DEATH OF FATHER STILLINGER.-Tbe
venerable and beloved pastor of Sis. Simar
ana Jude's tCatholic) church. Blairsville.
lIeY. Jacob A. Stillinger-a true Christian
gentleman who was widely known and
greatly revered-died very suddenly in the
sac1sty of the church, on Friday morning
last, Immediately after celebrating Mass
ana "hlle IN the act of divesting himself of
his prlestly vestments. Father Stillinper,
as will be seen by the biographical sketch
hereto appended, which we copy from Sat
urday's issue of the Pittsburgh CONNER
ctat, was III the seventy-third year of his
age at the time of his death, and had been
pastor at Blairsville for more than forty
years. He was true soldier of the Cross,
and faithful and jealous follower of st.
Paul, whom he endeavored to initiate in
all the walks and duties of life. His death
was unexampled, both as to place and cir
! cumstances, and is said to have been strict
/ ly i'll accordance with his own desires, he
| having often been heard to express the
/ hope that he might die in the church, on
! Friday, (the day or which our Saviour was
crucified,) shortly after celebrating Mass
! How remarkably fulfilled i'll every particu-
lar has been the prayer of this good old
man We quote from letter published
i'll the paper named above:
''Father Stillinger was in his seventy-third
year, and until within the past year or two
cHlONetl Inc very DeSJ DI nealtl, although.
even within that period, he never had great
cause to complain. His most intimate friends
could see, however, that tho time for active
labor was drawing to an end, but he would
never acknowledge that he was not bodily
able to attend to his duties, that an as
Sistant was at all necessary. He was a man
of profound knowledge, great reader an
eloquent speaker, deep thinker, and a most
Jealous worker i'll the cause of Christ, and it
is source of pride for his congregation as
well as thousands of outside friends to know
that he has laborcd most earnestly for the
past forty-three years for the moral and ed
ucational training of the youth and spiritual
welfare of several generations in his conpre-
CATION ut Blairsville. He was a man of
large build and a most jovial and amiable
disposition, and i'll society he compelled all
who came in contact with him, Catholic or
Protestant, to love and honor him, as one
who possessed the rarest and happiest quail
tiles falling to the lot of man. His early
life is study for the youth of nOw-a-dayS.
Born in Chambersburg, Pa, in 1901 of poor
parents, lac received but n moderate educa-
ton, and, while yet young, entered a print
ing office to learn the mystic art, that he
might gain some means of furtherng his
hearts dearest desire-of studying for the
priesthood-and during the period spent at
the art, he would take advantage of all his
spare time, rising from his bed at the early
hour of four o'clock to gain time to study.
Thus laboring on. and cherishing his hearts
desire, he was finally taken into Mt. st.
he completed eXcellent education, and
was ordained at the age of twenty-nine at
the Sulpitiam Seminary at Baltimore, by
Archbishop Whitfield. He Immediately en-
tered upon the mission at Latrobe, Pa, then
but miserable log hut His mission ex-
tended over territory of fifty miles, and
he frequently had the pleasure of coming in
contact with his cO-laborer and bosom friend,
Prince Father GallitZin, then on the noun
tain. At the approach of the Benedictine
Fathers, in WestmOrelaud county, Rev. Still
lnger settled in Blairsville, about the year
1881 or 1882, and his first Mass there was in
Il log house, on the very spot where his grave
is now being moulded-the place selected by
himself, years ago, as his final resting place.
In n very short time he had erected brick
church, and, by his eXertions, has made il n
temple of beauty and magnihcence-a fit
shrine for the offering of the holy sacrifice
of the Mass And this is the holy and much
loved pastor that the Catholics of Blairsville
have Just lost. oh, what a loss Let us
hope that his successor may prove rs exep-
plary, and work with the same degree Of
zeal and earnestness, and wrap himself up
as intensely in the welfare of souls as did
this prince of heaven. Let us hope that the
life of his successor may be as useful, and
that his death may be as happy and peaceful
was his death. Could it he possible that
his flock could have a greater cause for joy
than the fact that almost his last breath was
drawn after celebrating the holy sacrifice OF
the Mass and partakihg of the body and blood
of our Lord? What a consolation to mingle
with the intense sorrow vt the loss of his
presence among them"
The funeral took place at BlairsvilIe on
Monday last, and was attended by thirty
seven priests of the diocese, besides the
Bishop of Pittsburgh and the Abbot of st.
Vincent's, and by the largest concourse of
people that ever assembled i'll that place.
The services were conducted by Rt. Rev.
NJ. Domenec, who kindly delayed the fu-
neral until late hour, i'll order to afford
his fellow priests an opportunity to take
look at the remains of the pioneer priest
of the Pittsburgh diocese. Fathers Brad
ley and Garland, his old associates i'll the
ministry, by their presence evinced the sin
cere affection they had for their departed
and greatly beloved friend and cO-labOrer in
the Lords vineyard. The Rt. Rev. Bishop
celebrated Pontifical Mass, with Father
Garland as assistant priest, Rev. r. G.
Chrsty, deacon, Rev. j. Holland, sub-Glea-
con, 8evs. y. Z. Gibbs and VIM Pollard |
deacons of honor, and Rev. G.. Grace, the !
efficient secretary of the diocese, master of
ceremonies.