The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-01


The New York correspondent of the Londor
Register writes very interesting letters to thai
paper. From his letter dated September 2lst
we copy as follows:
- FATHER DUFFY OF NEW ORLEANS.
Many years ago, being sick and q stranger in
new orleans, your correspondent one day asked
his negro nurse to go to the nearest Catholic
enurch and beg one of the priests to come and
see him. The good woman, who was herself a
Catholic, went quickly on this errand, and ere
long returned with Redemptorist Father
whose pale but sweet face have never since
forgotten. This was Father Duffy, of whose
death have just read with feelings of sorrow
the work of God in that most lovely but most
pestilential city of the fair South. All the
city loved him for his tender charity and his
nnt'ring zeal He died the other day perfectly
worn out by literally unceasing labor. How
often" said the priest who preached his fu-
neral sermon, "have you not seen him ascend
this pulpit when he wac scarcely able to crawl;
faint at tho altar !; how often have you not
seen him drag himself to visit sick persons
who were not half SO sick as he was himself
alone can tell what his suffsrines were in his
sleepless nights and days of agonizing pain for
the last ak years. Now he is at rest with God,
and remembers no more those days of an guish.n
AS copy these lines, my thoughts run back
over my own life, and recall the memory of
many priests like Father Dnffy whom have
known. We who live in ease, and who take
are not worthy to as much as kiss the feet OF
such men. 1 have seen them on battle fields.
in fever hospitals in prisons, ON scaffolds with
Of great cities, in the desert wilderness of the
Far West, in the maIarious swampe of the
South, in the ehapparal Of Mexico, and in the
things. enduring all things, careless Of danger,
insensibie to fear, incapable of fatigue, scorn.
full Of pain, ready tn die at any moment, count
ing their own lives as nothing. A long line of
these cons OF God passes in review before me-
and bow my head before them. glory in
the thought that I belong TO tho Church of
which they were the priests; but mourn over
men is made harder by the eoldness or the
wickedness OF those who should aid them to
bear their burdens.
NEW CATHOLIC COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
The Bishop of Phila6elphia has offered to
buy from the trustees of the estate Of Mr.. Jay
seven miles from Philadelphia. This property,
on which Mr.. Cooke had erected o splendid
mansion, as private residence for himself and
of land and upon it has been lavished money
and skill in order to make of it an earthly par
adise. The mansion itself is built of fine stone;
in extent, solidi.y. ard beauty it rivals the |
finest of yonr English country seats. The |
grounds are very beautiful, and altogether the |
place is quite fit for a prince. Mr.. Cooke est- |
mated it's value at 100000; and it probably |
is really worth that sum. Bnt it must now be |
sold for the benefit of his creditors. and the |
trustees are willing TO sell it for e 100 O0O The
Bishop Of Philadelphia has offered for it the |
be sold to him for that sum. lam not informed |
Of the purpose to which the Bishop wishes to
this estate. There is room enough |
n pom it for many of the charitable institutions
which he has under his pastoral care. The
great mansion might be converted into grand
college; or the whole of the estate might be
made the site of the great Catholic University
If the United States which our Hierarchy hope
'ome day to found.