The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-02-13
Sketch of Archbishop Grace and
the Various La bors He Has
Performed.
An Old rIan Now Having Been
Born Before the Battle of
Waterloo.
He Has Watched the Magnificent
Growth of the St. Paul
Diocese.

| AN announcement that was heard with
| great regret by the Catholics of.the Unit
ed States generally, but more particular
! ly by those Of the archdiocese of St. Paul
over whose interests he presided for
! many years as it's second bishop, was
| that which told last week OF the critical
I illness of Most Rev. Thomas l.. Grace,
, titular bishop of Siunia i. p. L., who since
/ his resignation OF the ST. Paul see, has
continued to reside in the archiepisco-
| pal city with his successor, Archbishop
Ireland, says writer in the Boston Re-
public.
| Most Rev. Thomas L.. Grace was born
| at Charleston, S. c., On Nov. Is, 1914, SO
! that he has lived a longer span of years
than falls to the lot Of most rnortals.
From his youth he was imbued with the
! idea Of studying for the priesthood, and
we find him at the age of Is beginning
his preparatory studies for that calling
, dit NluLlnAtttls w LILO CASLo Az oSSe"AAAS
acquainted with some Doninicans, and
the manner of life led by those religious
| so impressed him that he determined
to apply for admission into their order.
His request i'll that matter was favor
ably received, and in 1880 he entered the
Dominican establishment at st. Rose, In
II or;r ~ Sofio cf ho
Dominicans in this country and began
his noyitiate as member of the Friars-
Preachers. The abilities and other qual-
tiles which he displayed as a novice and
! scholastic caused his religious superiors
! to send him to Rome for a higher course
| of studies, and he consequently crossed
the Atlantic and entered the celebrated
Roman College of the Minerva. In the
! Eternal City, after the completion of a
| brilliant theological course, he was pro-
| NOTED to the priesthood, Dec. 81, 1889,
being then in his 26th year, and after his
ordination he straightWay returned to
F.; this country and became attached again
, to St. Roses Convent, Springfield, Ky.
In thise now distant days the dio-
ese of Cincinnati embraced far wider
| was in part included in it's limits The
| incumbent of the Ohio see, moreover,
then was Right Rev. Edward Fenwick,
himself Dominican and one of the .pio-
neer members of his order in this coun-
try. In fact it was he, in company with
Father Young, 0. p, and some other fri
ars, who founded St. Roses Convent,
from the cloisters of which he had taken
and made the bishop Of Cincinnati. Hav-
ing but very few diocesan priests at his
command, Bishop Fenwick was only too
J glad to avail himself of the services OF
the good .friars of st. Rose, and when
Father Grace came back from Rome,
Bishop Fenwick called him into requi-
sition and for several years he did mis-
sionary duty in different parts
Of Kentucky, as did all the other early
inmates of St. Roses Convent Later
on he was appointed to the charge of a
parish at Memphis Tenn, where the Do
minicans are still represented; and in
that city he built the Church of IS. Pet
er and Paul, St. Agnes Convent, an or
phan asylum and some other religious
establishments, remaining there for
about thirteen years, when Rome, where
the brilliant young etudent of earlier
ed him by appointing him, In 1859, the
second bishop Of the diocese of st. Paul.
That diocese had been erected nine
years previously, N consequence Of the
recommendations made TO Rome by the
fathers of the seventh provincial council
of Baltimore, and contemporaneously
with Wheeling, Savannah, Monterey and
Santa Fe. For it's first prelate was chos-
en- Right Rev. Joseph Cretin,a clergyman
! of French birth, who was consecrated
Jan. &c, 1851. His diocese was an i'm
mense one, but it had but few priests
ed little over six years-his death oc-
curing on Washington's S birthday, 1857;
and during it he laid the foundations
of the faith with what means he had
at his command. His death was follow
ed by an interregnum of more than two
years, during which time the affairs Of
the diocese were administered by Very
Rev. A. Ravoux, who has held the Office
of vicar-general under all three Of the
prelates who have presided over this
northwestern diocese Then the success
sion was given to Father Grace, the Do
minican pastor of Memphis, and his con-
secration took place July a, 1853. DR..
Grace went to ST. Louis for his conse-
Grafton. WHICH ceremony was performed
|#by the late lam nted Arch, hI,ishop KEN
.l ~
M