Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-27
|THER De RUYTER'S BURIAL
.e Funeral of the Young
Priest Tuesday.
ANY PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE
Impressive Ceremonies at st.
Peters.


Peters.
bntif,caI Mass of Requiem Celebrated by
Bishop Curiis-The sermon Delivered by
Tho Rev. j. X. siattery, the Head OF tho
josephite Community. tu#
Rev. J. A. De Ruyter, pastor of st.
oseph's Colored Catholic Church, died
5uddenly ut his home. in this
ttarted for Clayton on Friday moru-
Ina and while waiting for the
lEl ]. O3 train at the p, W. u B. station
|{was taken suddenly ill. A cab was
y DGalled and Father DE Ruyter was
S'lriven rapidly to his home. He died
13t short time after reaching there, Just
sSuafter the arrival of Dr. Elbert. The
cause of death was heart disease.
Father De Ruyter was accompanied
10 the station by Father Uncles and
they were going down the State
4 together, the former intending to
4 remain three weeks. Father Uncles
. had boarded the train and evidently did
not know that his fellow priest was ill,
~ he continued his journey. But the
Wilmington Clergyman found it neces-
Bary to return to his home, and ex
pired just an hour after he was
stricken. He had been i'll recently,
but nothing serious was anticipated.
On Friday he found it necessary to
demonstrates with several of his wards,
and it is thought that aggravated his
illness. In addition to DIR. Elbert, DIR.
Ogle had been summoned, but death
"A came before he reached the house.
|X H. Ia
A. in Holland 40 years ago, and at the age
of ~ years be entered the Jesuit Col.
lege in Holland. He graduated from
that institution and went to London,
where he studied for the foreign mis-.
sions and joined st. Joseph's Foreign
Missionary Society. He remained in
London five years and was sent tc
Maryland, where he engaged in active
missionary work. He was connected
with st. Francis Xavier Church, il
Baltimore. for six years. after which
he went to India, where he remained
for two or three years. He again can't
to this country and went to Baltimore
and from that place he was sent to thi
city to establish foreign missionar.
work. He reached Wilmington in 1889
and at once went to work. The resul
of his labors was the establish
ment of st Joaeph's Catholi
Il Church for colored people and tn
colored orphan asylum adjoining ii
this city, and the industrial home a
Clayton. There are now 90 Sisters ant
l5O boys in the home here and 90 boy
at the industrial school at Clayton
The work at Clayton was started abou
two years ago when farm was pur
chased. Since that time the farr
has Inu,f, in trpa htit IL uu IN
small, and Father DE Ruyter conceive
the idea of building an industrial vii
lage. That work commenced last sprin
and is we'll under way. Most of th
buildings have been started, and wor
was progressing nicely. Tho decease
priest had relatives in Baltimore an
Europe
Next st. Patrick's Day would hav
been the Goth anniversary OF Fatht
De Ruyter's ordination at st. Joseph
College, London, and in all probabilit
the event would have been CON
memorated in an appropriate manner
Father Quade, who was Fatht
De Ruyter's assistant, is in charge ,
affairs here and at Clayton, and he
now awaiting orders from Fathor Sla
terry, head of the Josephite Order, WI
was communicated with at his hon
in Baltimore.
Father Quade expects that he wi
be ordered to continue the buildir
= work at Clayton.
One of the largest and most impre
Hive funerals ever seen in Wilmingtt
took place Tuesday, when thousands
friends paid tribute to the memory
the Rev. j. A. De Ruyter, over who
remains the last sad rites were SAID
st. Peters Pro Cathedral.
The body reposed in state from
until IL. 30 clock Monday night. at 5
Joseph's Church, of which the deceasC
was pastor. and during the time IL
building was open to the public mo
than 5000 people took advantage
the opportunity to view the remain
which rested in handsome black ca
ket in the centre aisle. The body "
clad IN violet vestments, and IN u
hands was chalice. The trimming
the casket were Of silver, and on 7
lid was heavy silver crucitiS, unt
inscription, "Died August 2lst, Is!
Rev. John A. De Ruyter, Aged
Years. " The remains were natural
appearance and impressed those "
called with the idea of perfect rest
The interior OF the church was drar
in mourning and the occasion was |
usually impressive.
Early in the evening an immei
throng of people, both white and C
ored, had gathered la the vicinity
tho church, and all were eager for
opportunity to look for the last I'll
upon the face with which many W
SO familiar. AT 8 o'clock the fr
doors were thrown open and the peo
We're allowed to enter and pass arot
the easket, the lid of which had b.
removed. The crowd was so great t
at times it was difficult to move ab
in the building, but the people mo
out as rapidly as possible and m
room for others. The doors renal
open until IL. 80 O'Clock, and all Y
desired had an opportunity to looi
the deceased priest.
Representatives of Catholic socie
OF the city, with Simon Doherty
Division No. l, A. o. H., in chal
acted as guard of honor, and in fe
they kept watch over the remains +
9o'clock until Tuesday morning.
four guards stood watch over the b
for two hours, when they were relic
by others. The watch was kept by
following persons: From O'Clock u
II, ID. Melarkey, A. II. Lowell, }
McCracken and W. j. Mcmahon;
IL until |, Il. +. Lowell, M. j. II
James Ward and Hugh Gallag
from l until 3. George Higgins, III