The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-01
IN HIS PONTIFICAL ROBES.

Continued from Eighth Page.


God the salvation Of souls and the best in
tercsts Of the diocese. That he had
faults do not deny, hut that he was hon
est and independent and tenacious in do
Ing what he believed TO be right l strongly
maintain. He was quick and impulsive,
as most men are who follow a nigh ideal
and hate deceit and deceivers. but he was
just man and an honest one.
"A second motiVe-to which ! dare not
trust myself extended reforence-makcs me |
speak to-day. Nearly forty years ago as
ittle boy ! served his mass first in the |
Old church at Petersburg Va, and thirty |
one years ago, when | felt called OF God |
to the priesthood, 1t was TO him that l |
turned for advice and counsel; ana twenty
five years .ast December, he ordained me |
TO the holy priesthood. and for Ave aud |
twenty years | nave lived with him IN |
close intimate relations Of friendship. NO !
one knew him better. TO no one do | |
owe more. and am glad that may stand
here to-day aud publicly acknowledge my |
great Indebtedness to him.
Gould ! have reached MIN ere conscious
ness had }2fl him, / feel sure had not SAID (
a word to-day, for ! know he would nave |
forbidden it, but / think he would nave ]
asked me that l would, In his name ASK
of you the exercise of that sublime act OF :
Catholic charity-prayers for the repose OF :
his soul. one can scarcely ma more
attractive feature of our holy fam tnah
that which is found enshrined in "A prayer
daily repeated by us-perhapS i'Ve
thought of hy some: y believe III Tue
communion OF saints" il teIs OF u coun
mon union between us and the bies5vd
in heaven who help us by their earnest
prayers 10 God; ana Of a help extended by
ms TO those who yet deprived or the
beaiihc vision of God, llnger for time ul'-
III Gods Justice is satisfied. FOR theih 90
we pray and i'm behalf Of our dead pisnop
ask you-for whom he labored-ln justice
and in charlcty The suffrage OF your pray
ers May his soul rest in peace. Amen
The words of Father Kelley were listen
ed to with the closest attention as coming
from one who knew whereof he spoke anu
spoke only what he believed.
After Father Keieys sermon the SER
vices concluded with the solemn ceremony
of the last absolution over the body.
These were pronounced by Father Kelley,
Monsignor Ouigley Bishop NandevlVer !
and Bishop Northrop in the order named:
The service at the church was conciuded
with the singing of the solo "Pia Jesu' by
Mrs Altick after which the body was
borne from the church and the procession
to the cemetery began.
The music throughout the service was
| remarkably well rendered During the
| first portion of the service the choir sang
| Requiem Aeternam." During the mass
| the Gregorian chant, an offerlory and the
hymn "Venl Jesu" we're sung and Prof.
WIegands composition ''Libera Me" was
rendered
AS the body was brought down the aisle
the funeral march, an Andante from Bee
thoven's Fifth symphony, was rendered by
Prof Leo Menrtens with remarkable ef-
feet The music for the occasion was fur
nished by the church choir under the d.
rectlon Of Prof. Joseph Steeg.
The service at the church lasted about
| an hour and half The service at the
| grave was brief and simple being mat
accorded to all Catholics Inferred
| according to their faith. The last
rites at the grave were performed by
| Bishop Northrop, the celebrant of the
| mass large portion Of the congrega-
| ton together with many who did not at
| tend the services at the church, followed
the corpse 90 the grave aud saw the be-
| loved shepherd of the Savannah diocese
| put away from sight
! Among those in attendance upon the su-
neral were Rev. c. H. Strong, rector Of
! ST. Johns Episcopal Church, and Rev, DR..
! Topper. who Is temporarily supplying the
place Of Rev. Robb White, at Christ
/ Church After viewing the body the two
dIvines were shown TO seats on the left of
| the pulpit near the altar where they re-
ma ned during the service
Bishop Becker's last Illness was sudden.
| Thursday night he wrote two letters
which were mailed from Washington Fri
day morning and were received In savan-
| nah Saturday night. These letters were
addressed TO Vicar General Kelley and TO
Mr. Arthur J. OHara. They were not
received by these gentlemen until yester-
day Before their arrival here Father
/ Kelley and Mr.. O'Hara had gone to
| Washington in response 70 kilograms an
nouncing the bishops serious illness. The
letters were read yesterday after their
| writer had been laid to rest. In these
| letters Bishop Becker stated that he was
| in good health. The attack came upon
| him Friday morning about o'clock, and
| its serious nature was evident from the
| first Father Kelley and Mr.. O'Hara ar
| rived in Washington Saturday morning.
| Bishop Becker was then sinking rapidly.
| He was able to recognize his friends but
| was unable to make any communication
| to them, as ne would have undoubtedly
wished to do Physicians who had been
telegraphed for from Atlanta arrived
shortly before his death
! During the interim between Bishop
! Beckcrs death and The selection Of his
successor Vicar General Kelley WI be in
| charge Of the affa RS Of he 81 cese as adj
ministTator. in matters Of this kind the
va ican Is usually del berate and frequent
! ly con iderabie length of me elaDses Re
tween the death Of a b!saop aud he secc-
ton Of his successor. y priest Of the do