St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-01


my two excursions to the Missouri
river, and few days / spent in Du-
buque / every year, l alternately re-
sided in Mendoza and st. Paul. For
about three years l was two consecutive
Sundays in Mendoza, and the third one in
st. Paul, preaching every Sunday in
| the French and English languages
when at Mendoza, doing the same at st.
Paul. as soon as we had in our cOngre-
| derstand the French. But this was not
before 1S4S or 1S49. In 1S47 or 1913, we
had to make an addition to the chapel
| of st. Paul, erected by Rev. Father
! Galtier in 1871. The small chapel used
by the sisters of st. Joseph till their re-
mOval to st. JOSeph'S academy formed
the addition. In 1S49, the chapel was
again too small, and many of the faith
full had to remain standing outside
of the members of the Catholic church,
who overcroWded the chapel Sundays,
were not only those living in st. Paul,
but many from Little Canada, St. An
thony and Mendoza, with others who
| lived two or three miles along the left
bank of the Mississippi.
| THE CATHOLIC POPULATION,
becoming more numerous at ST. Paul
and around it than at Fort Smelling and
Mendoza, | had, then, the divine service
at st. Paul every second Sunday. The
Catholics still continuing to increase on
the left bank of the Mississippi, and yet
unable to have priest from the diocese
of Milwaukee, l determined upon spend
ing two Sundays in st. Paul and the
third one in Mendoza. l wrote again to
the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Milwaukee, de-
scribing to him the great wants of the
Catholic population in this part of his
diocese. and spoke to him on the neces-
sity of sending priest to reside in St.
Paul. In my letter l urged him so much
to provide for that portion of the flock
intrusted to his care by Divine Provi-
| dence, that, before terminating it, l
thought it my duty to excuse myself for
the liberty of my remarks. In his an
Swer to me, the good and piOuS bishop
began his letter by these words: II
| heartily forgive you for the kind lecture
| you read to bishop. You are perfectly
right, but you ought to be aware of the
trouble. nay, the impossibilities, on the
other side.' The date of
this letter was Jan. 81, 1850.
Late i'll the autumn of the same year,
THE PAPAL BULLS
were sent from Rome to Very Rev.
| joseph CT etIn. He had been elected
bishop of st. Paul. had the honor of
receiving from him letter which would
have caused me the greteSt pleasure
had it not been for his indeciSion in &C
cepting the charge. In this letter he
told me that he was about to start for
Europe, and that no determination
would be taken by him for some time.
He asked me to give him my advice on
the acceptatioD or refusal of the new
bishopric. Such question surprised
me very much. In my answer l pressed
him to accept, showing him by
many reasons how very neces-
Sary it was for the Catholics
| of this territory. l earnestly requested
| him to come to st. Paul before his de-
| parture for Europe, in order to buy
| location for his cathedral, informing
him that entire blocks in suitable
| place began to be scarce; that, per-
haps, at his return he could not find any
| except by paying very high price. /
| did all III my power to encourage him
| to accept the biShOpric offered to him.
l went so far as to tell him in my letter
that things were in such condition in
| this
NEW TERRITORY
that according to my opinion, he was
obliged, sub gravi, to give his consent
to bear the load imposed Oh him by d.
vine Providence. He wrote to me
second letter, but leaving me yet in
not accept the charge.
AFTER his departure for France, aware
of the necessity of securing some lots
for the cathedral and other purposes,
bought of Mr.. Vital Guerin twenty-one
lots for $500, and for 500 the lot on
which now stands the cathedral. He
had bought the same on credit for $50.
He decided me that lot for $40 profit. l
considered the purchase of the twenty
two lots very good bargain for the
church, also a good one for Mr.. Vital
Guerin, because it was understood that
the cathedral and other buildings would
be erected on block 7,and such improve
mentS would increase the value of Vital
Guerin'S property. The event proved
that
WAS NOT DECEIVED
in my expectations. The Rt Rev. Bishop,
after his return from France, paid the
money for the twenty-five lots and re-
ceived the deeds. l had but bond for
the security of our bargain.
''If | had some trouble in securing
property for the church, the Rt. Rev.
Bishop had much more trouble to come
to the determination of accepting the
biShOpric of st. Paul. 1t was but one
or two days previous to his consecra-
t ion that he gave his consent, and was
old by himself that he would never
have done it had it not been for Rt.
Rev. Bishop of Belley, MOnSeigneur
Devie, for whom he had always the
greatest respect on account of his tai
ents and plety. He exposed to him the
state Of things in the new diocese of st.
Paul, and asked him if he thought he
could refuse the charge without sin.
The opinion of MOnseigneur Devie was
tina he was bound sub gravi to accept.
He then g"-
GAVE HIS CONSENT.
and was consecrated on the Goth of Jan
uary, 1851. Comma omnibus factus
sum- was the motto engraved on his
seal, and, in fact, the first bishop of St.
Paul like the Apostle to Nations, was
''all to ALL" All those who have been
we'll acquainted with him are convinced
that he constantly walked in the foot
steps of st. Paul by zeal, piety, charity,
humility, incessant labor and patience
in suffering, not only after his cOnsecra-
ton, but also when, a priest, when in.
the seminaire, and in the colleges. 1
was not acquainted with him, it is true,
before 1888, but my assertion is founded
on the testimony of persons who had
been much edited by his condu ct.
even when he was beginning his
studies.
1.-The RI Rev. Bishop spent three or
| four months III Europe after his cOnSe-
Grafton, i'll order to'procure some labor
erS for the extensive vineyard entrusted
| to his care, and many things necessary
for the establishment of new diocese.
On the day of the feast of the visitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. the Goth of
| July, 1851, Il had the. SO long expected and
| desired visit of the bishop, who ar
| rived at st. Paul accompanied by two
| priests and three seminarians. 70 de-
| scribe the pleasure L felt at their ar
rival would be difficult task. l had
been for seven years without any
| brother friend if I eycent fe ~ waaLS