Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-05-06

The Rt. Rev. Alfred a. Curtis, ID.
D., said his Last Word" to the con
gregation of st. roter's Pro Cathedral
Sunday morning. 1t WINS an unusual
scene. that Of n bishop who had asked
the Pope to relieve him OF his charge,
standing before the people with whose
interests he had been closdly associated
for a decade, aud explaining to- them
why DO had taken the step. And the
burden of his explanation was that he
had as7ed TO be relieved on account of
his age and on account Of throat
trouble. But he said more. for be
spoke with appreciation OF tho clergy
OF the diocese and OF the laity Of the
diocese and declared that be could say
before his eminence that he would not
exchange the people OF Wilmington for
any other people ON the face OF the
earth.
A large congregation attended the
macs and the bishops statement, which
took tho place of sermon, was listened
to with deep interest. In beginning,
the bishop said that no was going to
give such proof OF esteem and affec
ton 90 in all his life he had never
given another. Ito had never intended
to suy publicly what he was about to
say. AS Catholic be had held one
place before coming here and as a
Protestant, four places, but when the
time cane he left without even men
tioning in the pulpit that he was GO.
ing. AS parents seem to love their last
child host. so his people were beloved
to him as the children OF his old age.
First, ne desired to disavnw certain
| things which might be invented as
causes of his asking 10 be released from
the charge Of tho diocese. He woul,i
| tell, be said. somu of the things which
might be asserted as motives for his
going away but which wero not.
~ don't go from Wilmington, he
declared. because like some other
place better. That is not so. / am just
as content here as can be in any othei
place" Then he went on to Gay that
| it did not make much difference TO
him where lie was; but il ono place
more than another attracted him that
was the pines and creeks and marshes
OF the Eastern Shore OF Maryland,
though be was not going there. lie
was, he atldoG, satisfied with Will.
mington.
again l have heard it whispered
not in Wilmington, but nbroad-that
perhaps 60 because | have been disap.
pointed in the clergy Of the diocese.
That is no more the reason than the
other. l have always said that the
clsrgy of Wilmington will mt suffer by
comparison with the clergy of any Other
diocese in the country. am euro tnai
there Ia not one in all the body OF the
clergy that has not given me his entire
respect. " 1'he bishop gave especia
praise to Vicar. General Lyons, his as
sistant, who. is pastor OF st. Peter's,
and said he would not attempt to ex
press how much he owed to him, wht
had done everything and more than hi
could have claimed and expected; wht
had not spared himself TO secure tn,
comfort OF the bishop or the improve
meut OF the diocese.
SO then ! have no quarrel with th,
clergy have been here ten and one
half years and there has been no publi
: uontlict between bishop and clergy, a
you know.
c "And still less have l any ground o
complaint against the laity of tn,
D diocese OF Wilmington. All that liv
' with me know that when ] have spokei
of the laity of tho city l have Spoken
with admiration of their generosity.
j |
would not exchange tho people of vii
r, mington for any other people on tn
. face of the earth
"Nor il it 10 that | think my worl
failure. | am freq TO say that NOR
5 has been accomplished in my episco
d pate than | have expected. Throug
. the signal ability and the long an
u hard labor of my distinguished prede
ceHsor ] was able to do sumething, an
}. the effect of what has been done b
liishop Becker and myself, Bisho
:. Monaghan will he able to do more tina
q either of his predecessors, v
q Having thus disposed Of the variou
things that Hre not the reasons for hi
X withdrawal, the bishop turned to III
/. reason.
i. "Wbat ia tho reason?" he asked, an
added, Cant you sec. yuurRelf?"
!, Il am old, " said the bishup answer
y ing his first question. 81 am nearer
y than TO. AS they say in the West,
: am past the great divide. Last wint'
i was particularly hard on me-
!. lie went on to say that it takes
- long time 10 got bishop: that a yei
y and half has elapsed since he asked
J" be Released; and he was afraid the
might bave been vacancy. He rcferre
- VI luo ways Ot Dlu MUD NHu got uu lh'
~ that they aru tho very pillars, and aga
Ny spoke OF his nge, and particularly
a. his throat, which troubles him 30 th
IT is 40 effort for him to speak, 9Th
o. has been tn, case for many, mar
al years." he said, land ! know l ca
o never be any bettor :" He thought tb
be after rest he might be able 10 preat
occasionally but he was not able to
70 the incosRant public speaking requir
ell of a bishop in this country. Furth
ty ho said that no was great deal old
CO in soul than in body, and was no long
ar equal mentally to the headship Of q
diocese. He declared that the bish
II should be able to interest himself
al new enterprises, but that he could ne
H. He could not take the part in the
10 that no should and SO he felt good
tal pnthing; and 30 he would try to d
himself into snme corner whore
d, could think little and pray lit
-; until the end, which he thought Il
's' far oil. lie could not take things oasi
" he said, and felt that he could 4
~ spare himself 40 long rs he had The
sponsihility for the diocese.
ias If he could stay he knew the peol
at would be kind. hut he did not feel II
il would be right to take advantage
el their Kindness and thereby do an
81 jury to tho whole diocese. Besides
ON WIS not question of himself or nohnc
Tor hut was a question Of himself ant
Ut yOuDnpr, and giIOuUpr. and lo truRit