The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-07
Dom Gueranger.

Dom Gueranger.
my. Tablet
The recent death of the illustrious Su-
perior. General of the Benedictines, Dom
Prosper Gueranger. Abbot of Solesmes, has
caused profound sorrow in religious cir
cles in France. His obsequies were ceie-
brated on the 4th mat. in his own abbey
church at Soiesmes. Requiescat IN Face:
Speaking of the death of this venerable
and most eminent Benedictine, the Paris
Monde beautifully says: Dom Gueran-
ger died in his abbey of SOlesmes, on
Saturday, January 3Oth. Forty years ago
he took possession of that ancient monas-
terry in the name of his father st. Bene-
habit to grace those cloisters whence the
Revolution thought it had banished it for
ever. And truly, when, in the prime OF
life and vigor, he had founded his dear
monastic colony on those charming banks
of the Sarthe, he must have wished to die
there. He could wish for NO better rest
ing place.
'.Whilst awaiting the resurrection, his
body, destined for eternal glory, will rest
near that blessed cl0ister where he success
fully attempted the restoration of the
greatest and most ancient OF all monastc
Institutions. There it was that he suffer
ed, there he hoped. there he loved. When
he undertook to join again the chain of
| Benedictine tradition, SO brutally rent as
under when he bravey said, for the
6rst time, "The old Bene may have
been Gall,cans the new ones shall GER
tainly be Ultramontanes," he was unknown,
he was ignored, he was almost alone but
even then he did not dispair. What has
since been called the Catholic party was
then hardly in existence. Dear ciolsters
of Solesmes, dear guest chambers, you hao
then the honor of receiving all those fonnd-
| OIL thnno al
we wish to associate to-day in the express
| sion of the same love and respect-Lacor-
daire, Mon tai EN- bert, Veuillot. There they
all went one after the other; there they
drew up, with Dom Gueranger, the lum-
ipous plan of the grand campaign for the
liberty of the Church. And certain
| cham Der has been shown me, with a lovely
view of the river, which is still associated
with their visits. There would fam have
penDed these lines to exhort all our Catho
lie brethren to join in that fraternal con-
cord which Dom Guerauger witnessed there
in those long past years.
"It was from SOlesmes, then, that Dom
Gueranger watched the changing fortunes
of the struggle ; there it was that he re
ceived those first numbers OF the UntUers,
quivering with 80 many hopes, and which
! we never turn over without profound emo
ton thence he struck 80 many telling
blows, directed so many we'll aimed shafts
at Gallicanism ; there he read with fever
ish anxiety all the bulletins OF our war for
the freedom nf secondary instruction ;
thence did the Roman Liturgy g" forth, on
a certain day, poor and dispised as yet,
and thither did it return, all radiant and
glorious, after making the conquest OF
eighty diOceses there, during the coun-
Gil did the hnpes of the Infalllbilists throb
most ferventiy, and our hearts turned IN
ceasinply from Rome to Sblesmes. l know
not why it is that, with these grand recoi
Iectiops of all our battles, is ever aseOciat,
cd, in my memory, the image of the Father
Abbot, with his white hair, his fine features,
his piercing eyes, aud his penetrating
smile. All the Catholics of France will,
doubtless, feel as do, and will say with
me to day, 'Our captain is dead. .
"Fbe ancients believed that human des-
tiny was vigorously subjected to vlctorlous
fatality. We Catholics give to the word
destiny a wholly different meaning, and
it is, according to us, the function or mis-
sion which God gives to each of US. We
say, therefore, that the destiny of Dom
Gueranger was to fsmiliariZe France with
Roman doctrines. He was their herald
and it seems to me that no finer epitapl
can be carved on his tomb than this
Apostolieg doctrine prC9co iRtrepiduS (fht
Intrepid preacher of Roman doctrine)
"Now, he fought three great fights
First, for Liturgic Unity second, for the
: Rights of the Supernatural in History
third, for the Infalliblity of the Represen'
tative of Jesus Christ. Three nights, three
: "Thus we see, all the leaders of the Ole
, Catholic party passing away one by one
Monseigneur Parisis is dead Montalem
bert and Lacordaire are dead the Father
Abbot is dead. Louis Veuillot alone re-
, mains.
"Let us look attentively at these cham
pions of our cause, and pray that God may
send us other men like INTO them"