The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-08-15


three human lives were lost.
On the Goth OF July, Archbishop Alemany
completed the 25th year of his episcopate,
having been consecrated Bishop of Monte |
rey in 1850, and promoted to the Archblsh-
opric of San Francisco, July Goth, 1858. The
day was celebrated with much pomp by
the Catholics of the Archdiocese, and HE
Grace received present of $4,000 in gold
from the laity of his Archiepiscopal city.
The San Francisco Catholic Monitor gives
the following:
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HIS GRACE.
Archbishop Alemany was born in the
year 1914, in the city of Vich, Province OF
Catalonia, in Spain in 1880, being then
10 his 10th year, he Joined the religious
Order of st. Dominic. Queen Cristna, OF
Spain, in compliance with the wishes OF
| her 80 called liberal Ministry, having sup
pressed tue religious orders, and made le q
crime punishable with fac and lmprison-
neut for any one to wear the religious hao
| It. moreover decreed that the younger
| clergy and religious should be compelled
| to DO military service; go Bishop A'emany
| with several others of his Order sought
refuge in Rome. where he arrived in the
| year 1896 Having been then ordaiaed'
he served for some time as assistant IN the
parish uf the Minerva. Bishop Myles, OF
| Nashville, in the State of Tennessee, who
was a So of the Order of ST. Dominic, APP
piled to his brother in Rome for come as
sistance in the missionary work of his do
cese. In compliance with his request,
Archbishop Alemany. with some other
young priests of the Order, were sent to
his assistance, and arrived in the United
States in the year l54l. After some time
spent in missionary labors, he was appoint
ed President of the Diocesan Seminary OF
the diocese of Nashville, and in the year
1876 was elected Provincial of the Domini-
, can Order in the United States.
In 1850 there was a General Chapter o.
the Order held in Rome, and, as Provincial
of the United States, it became his duty tc
Z attend it but on bis arrival in Rome, founc
that he had been appointed by the Holy
, Father to the charge of the Church Of Cali
fornia, and was consecrated Bishop OF Mon
: terey at Rome, on the Goth of Juue, 1851
' by the venerable patriarch of Jerusalem
. On his arrival in California, and making
2 short tour of the diocese committed to nj
care his representations to the Holy Sc
induced the Sacred Congregation to parti
VI ton the diocese and raise San Francisco t
: the dignity of Metropolitan See, whlc
6 was accordingly done on the 29sh OF JAY
l. 1883.
n 1t may not be out of place to mention q
o anecdote we have heard about him tror
It reliable authority. In 1867 he left Califol
Is mia to attend the centenary celebration I
B. the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul {
1t Rome. On his way thither he visited b
o, native country, but mindful of the lntol'
3 rance which in his youth had caused him
"a fiy as an exile to Rome, and contrasting
Ill with the freedom of his adopted countr
K before crossing the frontiers of Spain
ar laid aside his Episcopal attire and c!othe
OF himself again in the habit of his order. I'll
'st officials were astouDdvd, demonstrated, ar
r. told him he could not enter or travel
Spain attired in the religious habit. Sti
es concealing his Episcopal rank, he DIRE
on forth his American passports, and elaine
as the right of an American citizen to be fr
IT. from any such Interference, Thus did
h. silently but effectually protest against su'
H. intolerant laws; and his progress throu
he the towns and cities of Spain, attired in
to habit of his Order, eloquently proclaim
I'd. the contrast between the false liberals
,bt of European countries and the nation
Is liberty of these United States of Amerl'
of Never, perhaps, in the history of I
nst Church was a more herculean labor ii
ret posed on the shoulders of any prelate til
inn when, on the 3Oth of June, 1850, his Ora
sn- was consecrated Bishop Of Montert
in California contained then about half a dc
in en- priests, with no churches but those
zee the old missions, most of them IN ruiz
of while an immense conccurse OF people
of every language and nationality rushed
de- all bent on one sole object, the sud-
acquisition of wealth aud as hardly a
of them dreamed of making here perm
de- nent residence, the work of Organizati
ose from such a cosmopolitan and adventure
e1t population, must have been one of extre
sai- difficulty. Priests had to be procur
VS. churches built, religious communities
an tablished for educational and other p
OF poses-and all this at once, while the
en- mand of the constantly increasing popI
OF ton allowed no respite tn the labor. II
the great this must have been, will be evld
'ole to any one who contrasts the position
uce the Church in California to day with W
the it was twenty Eve years ago. Accordin
al the latest Catholic Directory, there are
ent' in the Province of San Francisco one al
70 bishop, bishops. 1913 priests, % eccles
IN teal students, I57 churches, hospitals
the asylums aud 20 colleges, academies
ney. schoole. Such results speak more fore
punt than words of the zeal, energy, and p
the of our Most Rev. Arch bishop, his sutfraG
EN- and the clergy at large. They also pE
ZION that the pioneers of California had m
blch and hearts above the sordid greed of g
Che for il was by the most generous coop