The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-09

of the world, who refused the honor of
being elevated to the episcopacy be-
cause they believed themselves un-
worthy of IT, at Is an exalted office"
Or. Kelly said. but the candidate can
take courage and know that in sanCti-
fying himself he is sanctifying thou
sands OF others Then branching
from the episcopacy the speaker spoke
Of the church as follows:
would cay a few words today WHY we must
thank God for al lie has done in this county
in tine pIst. Thi, now diocese of Altoona Is not
new in the history Of the Catholic church Every
foot Of it is cunsccritcd by the work of the
great priests and bishops who labored there. In
less than one century We have more dioceses In
this state than were IN the whole country one
hundred Ncdrs ago. To-day we have about 100
bishops aud lrchhshopa 1900 priests and H.,
OpUD Catholics IN these United states.
The men who are honorcd by call TO the
cpis,oplcy arc not selected from noble families
in 4 worldly s,nsc. They do not come TO their
office 10y influence, but solely Ny merit. The
priests raise up one OF their own number and
salute him as bishop, because Of his pre- .cmineucc
among them. venerable bishop once told me
that he did not want a priest who was not r.
to be bishop. Every priest cannot be a bishop,
hut IL is a grand thing 10 bc worthy TO be a
bishop. This great body Of men handle thous.
ands " dollars for their diocese and yet most
~ them die aud leave scarcely enough. 10 bury
them. They are worthy followers OF the apostles.
And the priests, body OF men without peers in
any religious body Sclf-Slcrifcing, earnest and
Jealous. doing Gods worl, wherever sent There
j, the siScflood. too, the very flower OF the
/ church. who do Gods work in every field. No
matter what the necessity the sisters are always
there What patience, what industry they dis
/ play. Why they make us priests ashamed Of
ourselves by the sacrifices they make to save
souls.
The speaker then referred at some
! length to the work the Catholic church
I Is doing for education. The fine col
| leEcs and scminaries it has erected and
/ the STATS of professors employed In
! them who constitute the best of Catho-
| lie intellect of the country. These in.
| stitutions, he said, are doing a wonder.
| ful work, not only for education, but
for morals and religion as well. Ther
| taking up another thread of his dis
| course he said:
| Rrt We could not have done this only for ;h,
| Ertnd body ol Catholic men OF this country, whC
| give us such great assistance Wcll may W,
| thank God for the grdccs lie has showcrcd OF
| the American church. We arc only in the begin
| nng ot cur great destiny. While ia Lond1I
| some time ago | waS asked IL there was mucl
| leakage in the membership NJ the Catholic churcl
| in America, aud ! told them We were going Of
| like ,ouQurrng army. Oi leakage there i
some. In every army some Of the faint ant
| weak .hcartcd drop 10y the Wayside, but ar
| going on. The claims Of the church are bein!
| recognized and bigoiry is disappearing, not rap
idly but surely, for bigotry is only another worC
| for ignorance.
The new diocese Of Altoona gains a noble maj
| in Bishop GTycy. and a veteran in the service
| o' the church The priests know him for hi
| jealous work, and the heart ~ every priest IN In
| scranton diocese rcioiccd when they heard tina
! this signal honor had been conferred upon him
| lie will be q father and friend who can b
trusted by his priests, Tor he was trained in tn
priesthood by the late Bishop 0llara, who ncye
said an unkind word about any Of his priests.
some may have forgotten that when the sister
frs, came 10 Wlhmsport, hc left his own beau
| tful home and went TO board until the sister
| had a home ui their own. lie went to that par
i-h when 1t was almost hostile, but that cali
dcmcJnur and great iorbearanCC won the heart
Of the congregation, and brought back to IN
fold those who were strLying away. So great
did this congregation learn 10 love him thl
when ne was called away there was the mos
genuine regret. He found a barren field and let
it blooming like the rosc May God continu
to bless him as he has done in the past, an
may lie bless the bishops, priests and people /
the grand campaign they are engaged in.