The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-14

he OhOTlN LIl
and Jealous priestly labors. Faithful
shepherd Of the flock, he had ever been
Watchful lest one soul committed to his
charge might be lost. His heart bled
at the sight of the poverty and suffer-
ings of the people. And when famine
and pestilenCe We're over the land, this
brave man, conscious of the duty he
owed to his people, stood fearlessly by
their side, doing what he could to re-
lleNe their sutferingS and to strengthen
their confidence in Him who said:
Blessed are they that suffer persecu-
ton for Justices sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven" Strong as were
his feelings hitherto against the oppres-
sorS Of his country, his indignant
wrath rose to its highest pitch at this
time when, to aid to the indignities
committed against the faithful children
Of Ireland, an infamous, hard-hearted
and cruel propaganda came to this
starving and dying people with Pro
testant Bibles in one hand and food and
clothing in the other, and said:
Accept our Bible, deny your faith, and
we shall relieve your distress" Surely,
If Indignation were ever righteous, If
anger were ever just, 1T was when
moving this noble priest to denounce
such an inhuman and cOwardly system
of proselytizing.
l mention the wrongs which Ireland
has endured, because it is only in their
light that we can understand and APP
preciate the character of Father Cud-
dihy. Indeed it is hardly possible for
US to comprehend even in a. slight de-
gree the sturdy character the intense
patriotism and ardent religious devo-
ton of an Irish Catholic priest, without
] al rfs,HVe
history of his country. Would that the
children Of our race and faith here in
America were taught that history. We
know that Irish history as given to the
world by English writer's has been COR
rupted and falsif1ed They must malign
US in order to turn the minds of the
American people against us; they must
falsify the history of our fathers land
in order to keep the truth from our
children. I would have these children Of
ours learn the true unvarnished story
of the terrible prosecutions which their
forefathers suffered for the sake of
faith and country; I would have them
1 know that even the great wrongs that
Cuba has had to endure from Spanish
misrule, will fade almost into insignifi-
canoe when compared with even a part
of what Ireland has suffered from her
powerful and cruel oppressor. Not that
would plant in their hearts the seeds
Of hatred and aversion for the English
people, or for their Protestant neigh
bors. God forbid. Our earnest desire is
to see Protestant and Catholic citizens
of this union standing together like
brothers, united in the bonds of charity
and loyalty to our common country;
but ! would have those children know
that they have sprung from fathers as
brave and generous, from mothers as
pure and honest, as the world has ever
known; I would have them know at
what price the precious Inheritance Of
Catholic truth has been transmitted to
them.
have thus far hurriedly passed over
| thu honest home training, the success
full student life Of FIR Cuddihy, and his
years of close Intercourse with Daniel
O'ConneH, Archbishop McHale and
other true patriots of khose days, in
order to show you, dear friends his sor-
rowing fellow citizens of Milford that
before he ever set foot upon our Shores,
he had already achieved as a scholar
patriot and priest d fame that any man
might well be proud of. Such honored
names as that of Patrick Cuddihy cam
not every day be inscribed on the roll
| of American adopted citizenship,
doubt If any hlan, priest or layman,
eve- landed on American soil better
| equipped, mentally, morally and physl-
| cally to take a place in the ranks of
our citizens, and to become a leader in
unfolding all that our flag stands for.
! He brought with him to his new coun-
| try, as every true and honest Irishman
must, the hatred due to- the wrongs and
| bloody prosecutions which the land of
his fathers had endured for centuries
| from q foreign foe and an alien govern
ment. But neither he, nor you, nor I
| nave ever had in our hearts any
! but the truest and sincerest feelings
of good will and high esteem for
our generous English Protestant
| friends, who like their great and
| immortal Gladstone, are willing and
ready, if they mad the power, to grant
to Ireland that "home rule" which she
in Justice demands.
Father Cuddihy's pleasing presence
and highly cOmmendatory letters led
Bishop Fitzpatrick to invite him on
his arrival in this country to become
affiliated to the diocese of Boston,
which then comprised the whole state
/ of Massachusetts The invitation was
at once accepted, and from that time
until now, well nigh forty-seven years,
Father Cuddihy has stoo7 before the
ewes of this commonwealth as citizen
| and priest with a record pure as the
sun, undimmed by the faintest shadow
of scandal, injustice or offense, and
bright with shining deeds of charity
and priestly zeal
Father Cuddihy's first pastoral
| charge in Massachusetts was the parish
| of PittsfieId, embracing at that time
/ the whole of Berkshire county, with
! townships in Franklin, Hampshire and
/ Hampden, bordering on the county line.
He was then in his forty-seventh year,
with a splendid physique commanding
| presence and kindly manners that soon
attracted the attention of the whole
community. 1t excited no little wonder
among the innocent western MaSSachu-
setts folk of those times when they
/ We're assured that this manly and in
| dependent looking gentleman was a
real born Irishman and a Catholic
1 priest.
Father Cuddihys interchangeable la
| bors were directed first of all to keep
! alive the faith in the hearts of his
scattered flock, by gathering them
i around the Christian altar for the ador-
able sacrifice of the mass, and bring
| ing them to the sacraments of penance
and holy eucharist He built, en-
larged and improved the churches of
those days in Pittsfeld, North Adams,
West harrington and Lee, and I be-
lieve in other towns of his extensive
mission.
The Catholics of Massachusetts at
that time were mostly Irish immi-
grants, poor indeed. but honest and
willing to take hold of the hardest toll;
for they had cone to found here a new
Ireland for their sons and daughters
under the banner of American freedom.
Yes, a new Ireland, hand and heart
with New England; new beginning, a
glorious resurrection from the foul
darkness of religious bigotry and race
hatred TO the bright light of eoual re-