The Irish standard., 1897-05-15

InxEe Size, 01.56s 660eHeSW e W.
political life were passed, there is les
son and a warning that must come home
to the heart of every Irishman who
loves his country and is willing, like
O'Connell, to struggle and suffer for her
sake
In recent letter to the Boston Pilot,
p. L. Comedian, it's special Roman cor
respondent, describes as follows the re-
pository containing the heart of O'Con-
NELL
In the left aisle of the Church of st.
Agata del Goti, attached to the Irish
College of Rome, there is mural monu-
ment of profound interest to all English
speaking visitors to Rome, and immeas-
urably dear to the Irish race. The in
scription it bears tells Of what lies with
in. 1t is as follows:
"This monument contains the heart
of O'Connell, who dying at Genoa on his
way to the Eternal City, bequeathed his
soul to God, his body to Ireland, and
his heart to Rome. He is represented
Tin the bas-relief on this monument) at
the bar of the British House of Com
mons in MDCCCXXIII., when he refused
to take the anti-Catholic declaration, in
these remarkable words, L at once re-
jeet this declaration: part of it believe
to be untrue, and the rest I know to be
false He was born vi August
MDCCLXXV., and died XIV May,
MDCCCXLVII. Erected by Charles BIZ
anconi, the faithful friend of the inlmor-
tai Liberator, and If Ireland, the land
Of his adoption"
On the 18th OF May O'Connell will
have been dead half century. It has
been proposed here to mark that date
by solemn celebration which will take
place in the Irish College, where that
Gear relic of the great Liberator. his
heart, is enclo sec, in silver urn within
the monument in the left. aisle Of the
church. The form of the commemora-
tive. celebration will, as is usual in such
cases, be that If a Solemn Requiem for
the repose Of the soul, celebrate by an
Irish Bishop, and sermon, or panegy-
ric, on his merits, preached by another
Irish Bishop. The ceremonies will be
carried out with all the dignity and
solemnity worthy of so memorable an
occasion. The project has the approval
OF the Sovereign Fontiff, Leo XIII. who
has expressed, tesides, the strong de-
sire that the comm emoration Of C+'on-
nell's f1ftieth anniversary may not DC
confined to Rome: but should be :ele
brated in other lands, especially in Ire
land, which owes Sc much to him.
1T was in Rome, month after his
death, that one Of the greatest orations
ever consecrated to his memory was
delivered by Father Gioacchino Ventura,
in the Church Ct SAINT Andrea della
Vale. In the following year the great
est of modern French pulpit orators, the
Very Rev. Father Henri Lacordaire, of
the Order of Preachers, delivered an
other masterpiece of oratory in the pull
pit of Notre Dame in Paris. He, like
his Italian colleague, dwelt affection
ately on the last will and testament of
O'Connell, when dying in Genoa.
"O'Connell saw many of his own party
withdrawn from him." said Lac6rdaire
"a horrible famine swept down
the children of Erin before his eyes.
But, whilst he was a prey to this
cruel agony, suddenly on the sacred
banks of the Tiber, voice was heard
which thrilled through the world and
Christendom. The one and the other
awaited father who should feel the
wants of modern times, who would take
them into his pacific and Pontifical
hands, and raise them from the earth to
the very height of religion. This ex-
pactation and these desires were satis-
fed; O'Connell could die, Plus TX was
in the world; O'Connell could be silent
Plus TX. spoke; O'Connell could descend
into the tomb, Plus TX. was seated in
the chair of Peter. OConnell
turned his eyes towards Rome; and.
Ae0hAAS5 q AnoI VAOAS t1euAA0I 0SC 1NN
afflfction. he left home in the simplicity
and Joy Of a pilgrim. But it was too
late; strength failed him on the shores
Of the Mediterranean, when he already
perceived the cupolas and the horizon Of
Rome. All Rome expected him and pre-
pared triumphal arches for him. His
heart alone reached the city, where Plus
TX. received it. The Pontiff, placing
his hands upon the son of O'Connall,
said these words to him: Since l am
deprived Of the happiness, so long de-
sired OF embracing the hero of Chrlsten-
dom, let me at least have the consola-
tfon of embracing his son!'
etLet us not seek elsewhere. gentle
men, the tomb of O'Connell; it is. not
"a Ireland, how worthy soever she might
be to possess it forever; the tomb Of
0'Connell is in the arms and In the soul
OF Plus TX. We raust look there. to adj
dress to the. Liberator the supreme
word. the word Of prayer and adieu :,
The memory Of the past incites the
men of the present to work well and
nffus1 lnxs Tim. honSlr of their heroes