The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-02


self-denfal and reliance upon Gods grace.
Be they who they may, man or woman, lay
man or priest, they are blessed Of whom 1t
can be said, after forty years of active life,
that their record is beyond reproach.
Nature endowed Father Caillet with many
qualities fitting him for the duties of the
man, self-respecting, considerable towards
others He was Of a mild, loving DISPOSE
ton. He was self-sacrifcing and anxious to
serve others. Christian virtues were added
in generous proportions to those graces Of
nature. He was pious priest You remem-
Der him in his meditations before the holy
sacrament. You remember him In his digni-
fed services before the altar. You remem-
Der him in the illusions of divine love flow
ing from his own heart towards your hearts
He had learned from his Master to be for
aside before the simplest call for charity or
of sacerdotal duty. He was most devoted to
his ministry. He loved his ministry, as VINO
would not who has a ray of divine faith:
What priest would not see in his priesthood
the dignity of the standardbearer of Christ,
the personifed commission of Christ? VINO,
with intelligence to understand and heart to
love, when the holy oils have been spread
upon his forehead would not feel at once
that his whole life must be to the honor OF
his priesthood, that he himself must be a6so-
lutely annihilated, that nothing live in him
but duty, nothing live in him but Christ!
The early years OF my own priesthood were
spent in close contact with Father Calllet,
and 1 testify that his example to me was
always uplifting. l testify that his example
of a devoted prestly life left its traces deeply
in my memory. In later years l was his
of admontion to that good priest; rather
had l to listen in humility to his wise coun-
sells and watch with edifcatton to myself ms
priestly life. Pensioners of ST. Mary's;
Catholics of St. Paul, you know how punctual
he was in the confessional, whittier you
brought your story of woe to receive from
him advice, comfort, benediction. You know
how, whenever you needed the light of Gods
faith, he was patient in his modest parloF
to listen, to teach, to build up within your
souls Gods kingdom. You know how punctu-
al he was every morning to stand before the
altar, and in communion with Christ Jesus,
to pray for your souls. You know now
quickly he set out when word was brought
to him that some one was SICK, ana now
patiently he attended the sick, administering
Christ's sacraments, comforting with words
of faith hope and charity. You know how,
when gloom had descended upon the nome,
whatever the cause of the gloom he was
prompt to be there and in Christs name to
bid you be comforted The great dominant
trait of the life of Father Caillet was TINS
devotion to duty. Devotion to duty Is what
makes man God-like.
How often men are mistaken IN tnelr aP-
probation of true grandeur Tney imagine
that he alone is great who IS en- throne,
commands men, whose name is spoken from
one ocean to another. Vanity Of vanities and
all is vanity The throne is all we'll II upon
it duty prevails, as the cottage OF the poorest
is all well If in it duty is served. Fame
across continent and ocean is well If fame re-
echoes the fulfllment of duty, obscurlty IN
the darkest corner of humanity IS all Wen II
the omniscent eye of God Peer.ng downward
sees there the fullfllment of duty. Man Is
great not by physical strength, nor by tne
aggregation of his Surroundings, nor by intel
lectual powers; he is great in his moral HE;
he is great where God says he IS great, ana
God says he is great In the DONG OF duty
The applause of humanity is nothing; put one
word of praise from the great Commander Is
all things, and the word of praise from the
great Commander is given when duty is done.
cf dIr-Nr 10 rlIl
Caillet's life. That was the characteristic
of his whole career. Men appreciated this
devotion to duty. Father Caillet attained
great influence over m nds and hearts. he
was potent factor among Catholics, among
all the citizens of this community. His
influence was the reward of his devotion to
duty, of his kindness of SOUL of his purity
of life, of his charity. And wherever influence
was allowed him he always made use OF 1t
for greater good, for greater good to re-
ligion, to charity, for greater good to re
souls and the hearts of those who were IN
fuenced by him. There was none who was
not the better for acquaintance with him, for
contact with him. The success of Father Gail
let's priestly life was marked. Shall l appeal
to st. Mary's parish, to this temple always
replenished with devoted worshipers, always
inspiring and attractive in its ecclesiastical
appearance? Shall | appeal TO the school
house hare by, the fruit of the sweat OF his
brow, Of the plann.ngs of his mind, through
which thousands of children have passed
strengthened in their resolve to be good citi
| zens and pious Christians? Rather would
| appeal, when l talk of his successful priest
| ly career to the souls of those who have
passed under the hands OF his ministry, and
| tell of the hearts that have been cOns0led
| of the minds that have been frightened by di-
! vine faith, Of the souls that have been made
strong in their battle against sin and inites ty.
| The success of his ministry Is found in t';e
| thousands and thousands who have been
edited by the Christian fe. There is none
! who is not made the better man If he has
| passed near some one OF whom it is said, he
! is good Christian. Virtue, like the sweet
I'D of dc 1Icyh Z hn air ar,6
! whoever breathes that air charged with the
| fragrance of virtue is q better man, better
| Christian. A whole community is improved
before God, lifted up to higher asp rations
! and higher life by the example Of one single
| good soul.
void has been made among us by the
death of Father Caillet good priest has
| gone to his reward, and when l say good
/ priest mean much. In the presence of one
| who above all things else a priest, who
! loved to see priests multiply around him,
| whose last wears were given to the holy Oc-
! cupation of breathing the spirit of the priest
! hood into hundreds of young men, let me, in
your name. thank Christ for the gift of his
! priesthood to the world. The priesthood is
not this man or that man; when speak
of the priesthood the humanity of the priest
must be forgotten. The priest is the bearer
| of Christs cross. the speaker of Christs
| truth to the world. Without the priesthood
! Christ's action would not be upon the world.
! Christ would be memory of two thousand
years ago. The priesthood perpetuates Christ,
makes Christ to be living force. The priest
! is among US, ever ready by gifts of holiness
| to blot out SINS to strengthen souls, to give
| light to minds in the name of charity to help
| humanity. Every child of humanity is a
child of God; it matters not whether he be a
| Hebrew or a Samaritan, he Is a child of
! God, brother of Christ Jesus, and to him is
the priest of Christ sent. The priest of
| Christ holds together by the power of divine
cement truth and grace, the moral forces Of
| humanity. If today the family is intact it
| is because the priest, in the name of Christ,
lirr,r, IL,
human passions and bidding the flowers of in
! nocence grow within its portals If social
| government is able, by moral force to keep
men together, 1t is because the word of God
! goes out from the priest, saying that author
! ity is divine, and that submission to author
! ity is submissive to God. Aye, if we are not
| pitted one against another because might is
| right, and because to the strongest belong
! the spoils if we are not reduced to the lot
| of savages fighting for every small part Of
| their possessions, If we are not on a level
secure unless the uplifted sword inspires
! terror, it is because Christ has conquered and
| lives it is because the moral life of hui
mainly is made to endure through the reign
| of Christ, through Christ's ministers working
with Christ, for Christ and in Christ's name.
So in the presence of a departed priest, a
model of priests, we thank Christ for his
priesthood, we proclaim the priesthood the
| best gift of God to humanity.
Brethren, we stand in the presence of
death. Death is awful. How it stills the
voice, how it stops the vibrations of the
heart. Never before was Father Cai,let in
this sanctuary without, by motion or word,
saying something to you now all is silence,
! death reigns. Oh, God death is terrible.
All things all the rumblings of humanity.
are silent when death passes. And after
death the Judgment. God is, brethren, and
| God reigns. Gods reign begins in earnest
when death has come God reigns in living
humanity by HIS love, by His mercy, by His
/ justice even; but in living humanity some
forget Him, some blaspheme Him, some VIC
late His commandments. and it is asked by