The Irish standard., 1897-11-06
One of the Most Noted Prelates in
the Catholic Church
In HIS DAY AND GENERATION
His Heart in Sympathy With the
Sufferings of Mankind.


cabin afforded-a stool by the fire and
dinner of game, corn bread and hon.
my served in wooden vessels from a
table of rough boards-Martin Spald-
ing was born. No luxuries were there
In his early home; often the necessi-
ties of life were wanting. But in his
Sketches of Kentucky" he deplores no,
these conditions. The men were brave
and chivalrous, the women pure and
holy. The hands were indeed horny
but the hearts were true
It is picture worthy of contempia-
tion, says H. R. in the Providence Visi-
tor, that of the boy Martin seated, with
his aunt, on gray mare and travel
ing six or eight miles, to be present
at the holy sacrifice. A long, tedious
journey it was, by narrow paths winding
through dense woodlands. How did
they occupy their thoughts? By recit-
ing their beads.
Let us for moment consider the
piety of these Kentucky Catholics who
lived in the early decades of the pres
ent century. Bishop Flaget, the record
of whose life has been handed down
to us by Archbishop Spalding, waited
in Baltimore for six months after his
conservation before he went to Ken
lucky. Waited for what? For the mon
ey with which to defray the expenses
Of his journey thither When he ar
rived what did he find? A rude chapel
surrounded by dense underground, but
around that chapel knelt men and wom-
en- singing canticles, and although the
hour was four in the afternoon, many
were still fasting, so anxious were they
to receive holy communion on his ar
rival. Backwoodsmen? Yes, but back
woodsmen whose faith was living, vital;
backwoodsmen who caused forests to
disappear, and to spring up, in their
stead, towns and villages whose church
spires of all buildings ever rose nearest
to heaven; backwoodsmen who helped
to make grand nation from a mere
handful of poor colonists.
We read recently of the death of one
who, on account of superior talents and
training, had been president of the Jes-
uit college at Bardstown. This Ken
lucky institution resembles little the
College of st. Mary where Martin Spald-
Ing received his early education and
where, at the age of fourteen, he be-
came professor of mathematics. Father
Bryne, no doubt, did much to make the
old stone distillery look somewhat like
an academy; but alas, he himself was
carpenter or mason, as the case de-
manded, and the only contributions re-
ceived by him were produce-corn.
Wheat and bacon. That the appearance
of the distillery was materially altered,
is doubtful. When this Jealous man had
made all things ready and had opened
the college to the Catholic youth, he It
was, who became president, prefect,
treasurer. Indeed every office-the high
est, the lowest, and all between-were
filled by him.
At the age of twenty young Spalding
left Kentucky to study in Rome. He
was then, without doubt, the ablest
mathematician in the state. The dis
tillery, transformed, had evidently pro-
duced good results.
- On his return to America, an ordained
priest and doctor of divinity, he became
pastor of the Cathedral of Kentucky.
Then began his mission as an APOSTLE
of Christ.
Just at this time many and bold were
the attacks made by on-Catholics on
the church, her doctrines and her chill
dren. DR.. Spalding felt how necessary
1t was for Catholics to be we'll instructed
in the tenets of their faith. Priests
We're few. Catholics were scattered over
vast areas. Some of the faithful did
not see clergyman for years. Many
could be reached only through the press.
While In Rome, he had noted with what
avidity the American students read the
newspapers; on his return to his native
land he had found the Americans to be
newspaper-reading nation. What a
grand work lay before the Catholic
press! In this wise prelate 1t had ever
firm friend, strong supporter.
To the first Catholic periodical of
Kentucky, he was a contributor, or
the Catholic Advocate, published when
there were but four other Catholic pa
pers In America, he was the chief editor.
Throughout his life, howsoever ardu-
Gus his duties might be, they were never
30 great or so many as to prevent him
from preparing articles in defense Of
Catholic doctrines.
In 1910, Kentuckians cheered until