The San Francisco call., 1898-03-31
FIFTY YEARS
 AS 4 PRIEST Remarkable Career Of Father DemeSani of the JeSuits.
 ! A Celebration Will Be Held in Honor of the Aged Priest
 Next May.
Brief Notes From the Different Churches Throughout the
 City.

For fifty years Father Phosphorus Demesani of the Society of Jesus Jesuit community has had the highest ideals of a preacher continually before his mind. Although 75 years of age, he is in perfect health and is in possession of all his fac ulties, looking less an old man. in fact, than many half his own age
 For half a century he has laboTed for the church and has consecrated the flower of his youth and the bloom iof his manhood in the study of man and God converting the one by disseminating the truth and the words of the other. He has lived all these years in the world and at the same time beyond it, taking nc 1n- terest in earthly affairs other than to, ad- minister to the wants of suffering human ity. For fifty years he has labored insthe cause of righteousness, piety and virtue; and to crown his noble career ne IS to see the day that both his fellow-workers, and those he has labored for. will honor his name by a celebration seldom seen in the Catholic Church-a monument of de- votion and prayer erected to the memory of a man still living. The celebration next May will mark the first of its character ever held in the Catholic Church in this city.
 Father Demesani was born in Rome. Italy, on the 11th of May, 1923. It was dur ing the early years of his boyhood that he first manifested the desire of entering the church, and at the age of Is he was admitted into the Order of Jesuits.
 From this early period his brilliant ca reer dates. After several years of close application to study he left the college and taught for several months in Cath ollie seminary.
 After his return to the college where he had first taken up the work of Christ he again pursued his studies for several years and was finally ordained a priest of the order on the 2d of May, 1S4S.
 Soon after his ordination he was sent on a mission to Canada. where he re- mained for twenty years preaching, teaching and working indefatigably in the cause of Christianity.
 On October g, 1888, he arrived in San Francisco and joined the society of Jesu- it's in the old St. Ignatius College on Mar ket street, which formerly occupied the He remained in this city until 1887. when he left here to take the professorship of philosophy in the Santa Clara College and at the same time the ministry of the Catholic Church at Mountain View Santa Clara).
 He held the professorship at the college until July, 1894, when he was recalled to again resume his duties in this city.
 From this time he has continually re- mained here, being employed in teaching moral philosophy and modern languages in the new college on Grove street.
 In addition to an acute and thorough knowledge no of moral philosophy, he is an accomplished linguist, speaking French and other languages with the fiuency of a native.
 of his priesthood falls on Tuesday, March 2 the celebration in honor of the event will not be observed in the church until the following Sunday.
 at 10:30 o'clock in the morning by Father Demesani, assisted by the clergy of St Ignatius Church.