The age-herald., 1901-04-18
FATHER BAASEN
 IS 4 M0NS|GNOR. The First Catholic of That Rank
 in Alabama A SPLENDID CEREMONIAL
Event Took Place In St. Bernard's Monastery, culIman--Two Bishops and Many Priests and Monks
 Took Part-filstoric Sketch.

Cullman, April H.--(Special. )-Yesterday there took place in St. Bernards Mon- astery, with the splendid ceremonial of the Catholic Church, the solemn investi- ture of the Rt. Rev. Monsignor John B. Baasen, first monsignor of the Catholic church in Alabama. It was one of the greatest events that ever occurred In the long history of Roman Catholicism in what Is now the State of Alabama, a his tory covering q period of more than two centuries. Two bishops, the. Right Rev. Bishop Allen, of Mobile, and the Right Rev. Bishop McCloskey, of Louisville, Ky, together with a great number of secular priests and monks took part In the noble ceremony.
 The following programme of an enter tainment given in honor of the Right Rev Monsignor Baasen on the occasion of his investiture, was happily carried out:
 "A Blind Prince or the Rightful Heir" a drama in four acts.
 Dramatis Personae.
 Stanislaus, King of Sarmatia-Charles Lawrence M fss #z8
 Edmond. the Rightful Heir-Francis Grady.
 Prince Rudolph, the presumptive heir Francis Tracy tr.
 Oberto. an honest agriculturalist-Her man Leising, M. A.
 Elvino, son of Oberto-Eugene Compton. Starow, a villainous confident of the prince-Ignatios Diaz.
 Kalig, red0ced gentleman and an upright man-Henry McVeigh, M. A.
 Molino, a good natured villager-Joe Day
 Courtiers. attendants, etc.
 This sketch of the life of Monsignor Baasen and his investiture was kindly prepared by Father Charles, o. s. B., of St. Bernard's Monastery:
 Rt. Rev. Mgr. John B. Baasen.
 Right Rev. Monsignor J. B. Baasen, on whom the dignity of domestic prelate was conferred at St. Bernards Monastery on the 17th instant, studied classics for two years at St. Vincent's Benedictine Col lege, Latrobe, Pa. Afterwards he went to Mount St. Mary's College, Emmits- burg, Md, and completed his classical | course. He then took up the theological course, which he completed in 1861. On August Il of the same year he was raised | to the priesthood by Right Rev. John | Quinlin, D. D., who was then Bishop of Mobile. The young priest came to Ala bama in the same year and was placed | in the territory between Montgomery, | Ala. and Pensacola, Fla, and he had | charge of this territory during the civil | war, and can relate many interesting ex- | periences that befell his lot during that | eventful period. iAftr | After the close of the war he was placed in charge of the missions in northern Ala bama. In this charge was included not l only northern Alabama but also the east | ern part of north Mississippi, western | part of northern Georgia and the south ern part of Tennessee. Northern Ala bama and the parts of those states to which his labors extended were at that time almost wilderness, but he endured the hardships and inconveniences with apostolic zeal, and his kindly spirit and indefatgable labors won place in the hearts of all with whom he came in con- tact.
 So extensive have been the labors of the good father in this State that there is scarcely a place that has not felt the influence of his earnest and self-sacri- fcing labor. In northern Alabama there are several churches dncluding the church at Culman) that were erected during his work in that field, and show how earnestly he must have labored In 1873 Rev. ather Baasen was trans ferred to, the southeastern part of the diocese of Mobile, and for three years Apalachicola. Fla. and Eufaula, Ala, came to recognize the labors of this earn |
 est priest.
 In 1881 he was placed in charge of the flock at St. Michaels church, Pensacola, and remained in charge of this congre- gation until he resigned and retired from | active service in 1900. While in charge of | this congregation his heroic and self-sac- rificing traits of character were shown, for the yellow fever became epidemic in | that city, and he remained attending to the wants of his flock. He himself fell sick with the disease. and there is no doubt that the prayers of those to 1 whom he had shown such fatherly devo- tion were conducive to his recovery
 Since retiring the Rt. Rev. Monsignor has made his home at St. Bernard's Mon astary. and Is at present professor of moral theology in St. Bernard Seminary and he Is beloved by all the inhabitants of St. Bernard's. Students and members, of the community alike feel the warmth 1 of his genial presence.
 | In January. 1901, the Holy Father Pope. Leo XIII, conferred the purple on this worthy priest in recognition of the faith full service by making him Domestic Pre-. late to His Holiness.
 The ceremony of inyestiture took place on Wednesday morning, April 1T. 1901. On the previous evening; the students of St. Bernard College rendered "The Blind Prince" or '.The Rightful Heir'--a drama in three acts by James Kenney-in honor of Rt. Rev. Baasen The characters were all we'll sustained, and the large audience gave evidence of their high appreciation