The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-19
GREETED BY THE CHURCH.
The Hearty Reception Accorded Arch
bishop Gross at s.. Aloy-
sius Hall.
The Distinguished Visitor Wei
coined by a Representative
.A.s9 Gathering.


Addresses by q. p. Connolly and Bishop
Brondel- Entertaining and Patriotic
Speech by the Archbishop.
About 500 people attended the reception
given Archbishop Gross, of Portland, last
night ut st. Aloysius hall. 1t was gem
eral reception on the part of the Catholics
of Helena, in which the Catholic Knights
and members Of the Helena Catholic Liter
ary society took part. Bishop Brondel,
Father Palladino and other Helena priests
we-s present. The address of welcome was
made by MIR. G. p. Connolly, and the reply
by Archbishop Gross was one of the best
speeches ever heard in Helena. 1t was in
secular vein and was filled with stories and
apt illustrations. showing that the arch
bishop il his travels allows little to escape
his observation. 1t was patriotic talk,
also, and showed that he fully appreciates.
and wants others to appreciate, tho great
thing it is to be an American citizen. Mr..
Connolly, in his welcoming address. said
"Your Grace: 1t must be a pleasant cpl
sode in the performance of your sacred
duties, setting foot upon this mountain
soil. far from the scenes of your usual
labors to behold the children of your spir-
itual jurisdiction gathered to receive you
with manifestations of kindling pleasure.
and to tender to you the loyalty of their
devotion and the hospitality of their hearts.
You are in an especial manner the repre-
sentative and successor Of those holy men
who in the propagation of the faith endured
hardships, privatinn and toll in the effort
to redeem primitive man from tho degrad-
ing depths of barbarism and elevate him to
the sublime and resplendent heights of
christianity.
You are in the midst of country which
saw tho heroic struggles of the fathers OF
the church, where their labors received re-
ward, and where the seeds of christianity
have thrived and civilization has conquered.
You stand, in short, your grace, upon
of many, and which has seen marvellous
strides towards advancement in CONNER
cial growth, in intellectual power in wealth
and resources within the past few years.
You are in the midst Of homes that are
veritable palaces. where few years ago
was vast Wilderness; you see around you
blocks that rear their granite columns to
the skies; you behold all the resources of
material wealth. and had it not been for
the fearless and untiring efforts Of Father
DeSmet and the other fathers of the church,
who first called the attention OF the world
to this matchless country, we affirm, with
all the ardor Of conviction that twenty five
years hence, aye, fifty years hence, would
not have seen the growth which Montana
has attained to-day. Grander than all the
martial conquests of history. grander than
all the fame-crowned eifot Is OF men, 10 tho
silent testimony of their noble work.
1T is strange. therefore, that familiar as
you are by association with the history of
these holy men, and succeeding, as you
have, worthily to the responsibilities, the
self sacrifices, the unseltsh devotion, the
unremitting tolls Of their religious life, we
should seek this ausplclous occasion to
or ct you and to endeavor to show you that
to timony of respect which We feel you so
" i deserve.
II am requested on behalf of the Catholic
community of Helena to welcome you to
their mountain home and to express to YOU,
in such appropriate terms Ms may, their
sense Of gratitude for your VISIT their de-
votion to the church and to your grace as
its exalted representative, and their alleg-
lance to you as their spiritual father, COM
manding their love. their atfectionate VEN
Grafton and their obedience.
"N hen YOU return, your Grace. to the peo-
pie among the balmy breezes and blossom
ing flowers Of your own delightful home,
and carry to them the message of love
which VIC entrust to you Tonight, tell them
that 5000 loyal Catholics send them, as
with hands Joined in mutual greeting,
friendly salutation, affectionate respect,
and right loyal good wishes for their pros
perity.
Your Grace, we welcome you with de-
light. We tender you the freedom of oul
CITY. And let us express the hope that at
some time in the near future we may again
have the opportunity of welcoming you
once more to our fair city. And when YOU
return to your home, we trust it will be
with no small conception of the great state
which we are ptoud to call our own. but
that you will spread the fame of Montana
broadcast over tho coast until its glory
shall be echoed on the storm-crested waves
of the western SEAS
Bishop Borndel followed Mr.. Connolly ir
few we'll chosen words, welcoming Arch
bishop Gross to the state, and referring in
cidentally to the work done by the Catholic
church i'll Montana. Archbishop Gross, in
reply to the welcome, said:
Right reverend bishop, reverend father:
and ladies and gentlemen: What shall
say to express to you my deepest appreon
tion of the extraordinary compliment that
has been paid to me tonight in the open
Episcopal dignity? And BY the music o
Marching through Georgia." and the
sound of the mockingbird. l have many
time been through the pine woods of Georgi,
and listened to the wurbing OF the mock
ingbird. / am returning to my diocese ant
my home on the Pacific coast. | came from
the home of my boyhood on the broad At
lantic and here l stopped to pay a visit tt
my dear friend whom ! have known now
for 30 many pleasant years: and l avallet
myself of the opportunity afforded to NEE
him and Rpena few quiet hours together
and here this evening what Il magnifcen
ovation is rendered me.'
In salluding to his lacks of word
to express his feelings, the arch
bishop referred in IL humorou
way to his experience while in France il
tho cathedral at Lyons. where he had gone
travelling incognto, to observe the devotion
of the French p asants. He was, at tn
time. on his way to Rome. Ho was recog
Snized by the cure of the parish, and was i'll
yiteu to assist in tho devotional exc oses o
the evening. When the time for the ser
mon came, the good father. addressing th
vast cong ogation, in French, stated tina
an American prelate WAS present who woult
address them. Now" said the archbishop
Il speak French like native; not like TIN
French natives but the American natives
and when these words of the old priest fel
on my ears was dumb-struck. 1t was
case of the cunning Frenchman getting tn
better Of the innocent Yankee. ltold then
that they could tell from my pronunciu
tion that | WIS very indltleren
Flench orator, and ! would not try to tel
them i'll French the volume of my feelings
tLnt | WAS an American, II prelnte Of th
r.,t,, ~ yInu Fr.NV