The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-12-11

life of a priest is an open book. Faults
IRE not hidden, virtues are easily seen,
and when at the close of priesthood of
forty years one is held by a large COM
munity in high esteem as Mgr. Caillet
Is held, his life surely was u good life.
He was ordained priest in the year
1857. He had come as a student of the
olOgy to Minnesota three years previous
ly. Mgr. Caillet belonged to the family
of our early and -to-be-forgotten
French missionaries. The early priests
of the Northwest, of the whole West,
were, as a rule, sons OF France. One
great reason for This fact; as the mis-
sions of entire Christendom show is that
wherever an appeal is made for absolute
zeal, thorough disinterestedness, plenary
giving of ones self to the cause of re-
ligion and charity the sons of France
Immediately leap to their feet and go
forth. The diocese of St. Paul was
singularly blessed in its early mission
aries. Its very founder name with
love and respect Father Ravoux, who is
sionary in Minnesota long before Mime
sofa had come out from the conditions
Of barbarism. Our first bishop was
child of France-with you name him
with the reverence due to a saint, Mgr.
Cretin. Around those were gathered
many ether early missionaries, sons of
France, and from justice as we'll as
from gratitude in the name Of the dio-
cese OF St. Paul pay my tribute to them.
They are rapidly going from us; 4 few
only remain. May they. with Gods per-
mission, remain long.
Ordained in the year 1851, Father Gail
let served for some ten years in the
cathedral. Afterwards he was the pas
tor of st. Marys. In his later years he
was called to higher duties. Now his
career is over. During those forty years
his life WAS irreproachable, stainless.
What a record this is. We are all in
the battle: the enemy shoots his poison
ed arrows towards all OF lis, and no one
Keeps himself in safety without vigil
lance, seif-denial and reliance upon Gods
grace. BE they who they may. man or
woman, layman or priest, they are bless
ed of whom it can be said after forty
beyond reproach.
Nature endowed Father Caillet with
many qualities fitting him for the duties
of the holy ministry He was instinc-
lively a gentleman, sclf-rcspecting, con-
siderate towards others. He was of a
mild, loving disposition. He was self
sacrificing and anxious to serve Others
Christian virtues were added in gener-
GUS proportions to those graces of ma
ture. He was a pious priest. You re-
member him in his mediiations before
the Holt Sacrament. You remember
him in his dignitel services before The
altar. You remember him in the effu-
sions of divine love flowing from his own
heart towards your hearts. He had
learned from his Master to he forget
full of himself: to put himself at once
aside before the simplest call of charity
or of sacerdotal duty. He was most de-
voted to his ministry He loved his
ministry. as who would not who has n
ray of divine faith" What priest would
not see in his priesthood the dignity of
the standard-bc:rer of Christ, the per
soniiied commission of Christie Who
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 he
to the honor of his priesthood; that he
himself must be absolutely anuhil,tcJ
that nothing live in him but duty, moth
ing live in him but Christ The early
years of my own priesthood were spent
in close contact with Father Caillct, and
testify that his example to me was al
ways uplifting | testify that his ey-
ample of Il devoted pricstly life left its
traces deeply in my memory In later
years | was his bishop. Never did |
have to give word of admonition to
that good priest; rather had | to listen
IN humility to his wise counsels and
watch with edification to myself his
priestly life. Pensioners of st. Mnry's
Catholics of st. Paul. you know how
punctual he was in the confessional
whittier yon brought your story OF woe
to receive from him advice. comfort and
benediction. You know how whenever
you needed the light of Gods faith he
was patient in his modest parlor to
listen, to teach, to build up within your
souls Gods kingdom. You know how
punctual he was every morning to stand
before the altar and in communion with
Christ Jesus to pray for your souls.
' You know how quickly he set out when
word was brought to him that some ono
was sick. and how patiently he attended
the sick, administering Chrlst's sacra
ments, comforting with words of faith
hope and charity. You know how. whom
gloom descended upon the home, what
ever the cause of the gloom, he was
prompt to be there, and in Christ.s
name to bid you be comforted. The
great dominant trait of the life of Faith
er Caillet was this devotion to duty
Devotion to duty is THAT makes mon
Godlike. How often men are mistaken