The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-07-07

: They were both strong ecclesiastics
each in his own way. In Father Ra
: verdy could be found the complement
t of Bishop Macheboeuf. In great meas
ure they depended upon each other, anc
: their united efforts were well-nigh in.
2 vincible in any undertaking. When we
contemplate the condition of Colorado
. at the commencement of their work
the results which they produced must
be considered Apostolic. Only the one
who has delved into the details of Col
orado's history in the past forty-five
years can begin to appreciate the part
which these two Apostolic spirits
played in the up-building of the state
as well as the church. In the vigor
and prime of their young manhood
they carried the Gospel to remote parts
and everywhere entered into the ma
terial development and prosperity of
the state, They did not seek to rear
grand and magnificent church edif1ces,
for they realized that theirs was not
the time for such work, which properly
belongs to their successors. They did,
however, erect a spiritual church. They
cared for the sick, the destitute and
the orphan. Before their deaths they
saw Christ glorif1ed on affairs, in hos
pitfalls, orphan asylums and homes for
the forsaken in every part of Colorado,
| including the most remote and mac
| cessible passes in the mountains, Wher-
ever men were congregated.
No opportunity was lost for the es
| Establishment of schools and the dissem-
| ination of Christian doctrine. From
Denver in the East, stretching across
the State for 500 miles to Durango and
Grand Junction in the West, Bishop
Macheboeuf and Father Raverdy saw
their efforts for the betterment of
Gods children crowned with success.
At the time of his death Bishop
,Macheboeuf had the satisfaction of
knowing that no diocese in the United
States was better equipped for the
propagation of true Christian charity
than that in which he had planted the
mustard seed.
The above thoughts and more of like
tenor coursed through my mind today
as I contemplated that this soil of
France marks the birthplace of Joseph
Projectus Macheboeuf and Jean Bap-
tiste Raverdy. I stood by the bier of
the former and I paid the last tribute
of respect to the latter when his body
rested in old St Mary's, now no more.
I recall the opening words of my SER
mon: THE mighty oaks have fallen
and we the saplings stand!" L tried
to picture the beauties of the land
which the departed general had left to |
labor in the wilderness of the Rocky |
Mountains. All! but 1 had no true !
conception then of what that beauty |
really was. Today I know it, And in |
consequence I appreciate more keenly |
the completeness of the sacrifice which |
was made by these two men in leaving
France to labor in an inaccessible and
at that time practically UNEMPLOYED
country.
But yet these people all seem to have
the true missionary spirit. 1t matters
not whether it be China, Japan, India,
Africa or America, wherever souls are
to be saved the French missionary
leaves this most beautiful land with its
and pleasures to begin life
IF hardship and toll for sake of his
Master. The other day I passed
through the charming country where
Bishop Macheboeuf and Father Raver-
ly were born, and I realized as I had
lever done before that it was the spirit +
If God which impelled them to cross
oceans and continents in quest of souls.
n comparison with the work of these
wo men we priests of Colorado today
now comparatively little of missionary
ife for. we can ride into every town
n the state in a magnificent Pullman
ar and find no place so remote but that |
t contains most of the comforts of {
modern life. II
How different it was with the first
ishop of Denver and his vicar general {
who both, footsore and weary, went
rom town to town and climbed the
fountain passes to spread the glad It'd
lgs of the gospel
All! yes, we shall all miss the old
tout street cathedral, with it's hal
'wed memories and endearing associ-
tons, but we shall rejoice that a new
nd splendid structure will take the =
lace. This new edifice will be the ma
erial monument to the two men, who L
Uttered and endured more than all T
theirs for the sake of Catholicity in
dorado.
May God hasten the day which will S
illness the completion of the new ca .
ledral in Denver, which will also be
lie resting place of the mortal remains Il
Father Raverdy and Bishop Mache- F
oeuf. THOMAS H. MALONE.