The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-07

who met him here is attested by this
short clipping from the S.. faul Demo
crat, July g. 1851, il its account of his
arrival in this city.
Many CT our citizens are wcI az
quainted with Bishop Cretin. lie spent
some time in this territory shortly after
his first arrival in the United States.
Those who know him well, AMI Of dIt-
ferent sects, represent HIM as h. ghly
educated and excellent man and an Amer
lean in all his sympath,es and warmly az
tached to the free Institutions of the
country"
Bishop Crotin was educated at st. SUI
pice, he was an accomplished gentleman
and true character.
That he was truly "a highly educate d
and excellent man and an American in ell
his sympathies'' is well attested by the
re spect and love evinced towards him by
all his fellow citizens-Protestant' and
Catholic.
The first bishop of st. Paul, reared IN
one of those homes of p ETY. and cour-
| ageous patriotism where the prosecuted
refugee never failed to find succor and
protection from the terrors of the French
revolution the hunted priest and re-
ligious, the devoted layman who woulo
not deny his faith, were always welcome.
Gods blessing that followed this fam
lily was plainly written in the ilustuous
and beautiful lives of Bishop Cretin and
his kindred.
His earnest desire seemed to be to die
the death of martyr in the pagan mis-
sionary field. Looking over the record OF
his brief years-he died at siXty-one-We
are struck with the unSelhSh zeal OF the
men who were pioneers in this new WOfld,
and who like him, gave up everything
for God and human kind. His burning
zeal was to win souls to Christ, and ne
held the soul of the brown man and red
man as priceless as his own.
The pioneer is enc who clears the way
for the advancing army AS Columbus
the ChriSt-bearer, filled with unqueS-
tioning faith, turned his proWs from the
beaten ocean tracks, and without chart
sailed fearleSsly into the west, so they
who followed him to the new world
plunged into trackless wilds with the
child's simplicity and the martyrs cour-
age. Whatever the motive OF the lay
men, the priests motive was of the SUB
Hruest order. When Cortes, preparatory
to invading Mexico, burned his ships, he
did an act of courage and OF prudence
the courage to risk his own life and the
prudence which made mutiny impossible.
But these men of whom l speak left no
burning ships behind them. They had
none They had burned their ships
years before, when at Gods altar they
dedicated their lives to their fellow men.
And this is what the Catholic priest has
done from the beginning, and does every
day for all men. Oh Soggarth Aroon Il
love to call you by the endearing title
of the Irish tongue), will men never
learn the sublinity of your office and the
glory of your character?
The church, though not widespread,
was no stranger in Minnesota when the
Minnesota were French. The intrepid
priest, if ne did not lead, always
closely followed les couriers de bois-the
explorers of the woods, as they were call
ed. France has done much for the
World-much for America For it Is a
fact in our history, written In the blood
of Frenchmen, that the declaration of
independence-but a voice at tirst-be-
came through the Valor of French and
Continental troops a living reality lin
the trenches before Yorktown, in Viz
ginia," the 18th day of October, 1851, as
the capitulation of CORVALLIS reads.
1t was the sanity Marquette, who in
1913 opened the way from Green Bay,
Wis, by the Fox river, to discover the
Mississippi. Following him came La
Sale in 1851, navigating the Father of
Waters to it's mouth, naming the whole
valley Louisiana and taking possession
of 1t In the name of Louis XIV. With
La Sale came the Recollect prist, Father
Hennepin, who assembled the Mississippi,
was carried a prisoner by the Dakotas
to the falls above US at Minneapolis,
which he called st. Anthony.
AT tronte nae the Ursuline Sisters own
the ground where the most ancient
church In Minnesota, erected in 1725, once
stood, so that this soil though virgin.
had been passed over by the husbands
man centuries before Bishop Cretfn came
| SAID that there We're but two priests
IN BlshoD Cretin's diocese when he came;
rather Gaultier had in 1871 built a small
church at ST. Peter and blessed the basil
lea and village here under the patronage
Of st. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles.
he, Jealous, good man, had passed by to
other fields of labor and was not hel e
then; his spirit from the heaven above
looks down this night upon his WORK
1t was my purpose to name tonight
none save the deathless dead. But no
story of Bishop Cretin or OF the church
IN Minnesota is complete if it omit the
name of Mgr Augustine Ravoux. To
name him in St. Paul audience Is
work, we stand in silent admiration be-
fore the simple majesty of his greatness.
There's another who has come from far
Calgary to take part in this festival,
served the mission at Pembina Grand
and venerable, with the glory Of his very
many years upon him, still a splendid
type of the physical man.
There Were giants in those days =
Giants in physique, giants in labor, giants
IN virtue, plety and good works. And
thank God, they used their giant strength
not to destroy but to save. Years and
Father RaVouX and Father Laconlbe! Be.
yond it, the Master has prepared a man
sion-not made by hands-for His serv-
ants.
Bishop Cretin came just a little in ad-
vance of the tide Of immigration which.
following the star of empire, set in TO-
wards the West. His flock grew; his la
bors increased; but having once put his
hand to the plow, he never looked back
ward Short-lived as was his admins
tration,- for he died in 1857, the increase
IN the maternal church attested his zeal
ana that Of his Jealous priests. At his
death 70 churches and IS stations were
served by 70 priests; s convent schools,
the happy beginning of the magnificent
establishment of the Benedictine Fathers
IN StearnS COMMUNICATING brothers: the
noSplIIal ana many Catholic schools, and
a Catholic population of $4,000 marked the
progress of events. The present Cathe-
dral had been begun, to be finished and
opened Tor worship shortly thereafter by
rather RaVouX, who bore the burdens OF
the eplscopate as administrator of The
diocese, until the conservation and ARR
val in 1859 of the Most Rev Thomas
Iangdon Grace, the second bishop oil st.
Paul; he, in turn, to be followed by one
l need not name, who, by the grace OF
God ana the favor OF the apostolic see.
rules this archdiocese today.
OF Archblshop Grace I cannot permit
myself to try to speak. His name brings
to me a flood of memories so tender. the
heart becomes too full to allow the lius
70 fashion word. AS a boy l knew
him, as far as boy could know priest
Of his age, in my fathers house in old
Kentucky. Learned. retiring, courtIy, he
was gentleman of the old school. And
when l say this much, nothing more is
REQUIRED. His work is before Your ewes
l need not point it out The time Is sd
short since you all saw upon our streets
his familiar and kindly face, and great
events nowadays so crowd each moment
in its fight that We must wait perforce
until times mellowing hand has done it,
work.
Great men grow greater by the lapse OF
time;
We know those least whom we have seen
he %