The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-07
TRIBUTE TO BISHOP CRETIN
Eloquent Grafton Delivered by Judge William
L. Kelly at the Semi Centennial
Jubilee Anniversary.

jubilee anniversary of the arrival at St.
Paul of it's first Catholic bishop Right
Rev. Joseph A. Cretin.
Mr.. Chairman: In this distinguished
presence, gentlemen so eminent in
church and state; confronted by SO vast
an audience; expected to speak to sub
ject which to properly present requires
time, requirements and gifts 1 do not
possess-the historians research, the
poets imagination, the orators matcn-
less power-I may well, on the very
threshold pause to crave the most in
dulgent consideration from you all, my
neighbors and my friends.
The average duration of human life
we are told, is but thirty-three years
The individual man may, then, properly
measure his existence by days. Great
communities like cities and nations, by
years. But there is one institution, and
indisputable and stupendous fact in
human history, which tells its years
upon the rosary of the centuries-the
church Catholic-the Church of the
Living God.
From that first Pentecost in an upper
chamber in Jerusalem, when the visible
presence of the Holy Ghost rested as in
tongues of fire upon each of the apos-
tolic band to the last in yonGer
cathedral, by the authority of Christ and
under the seal of the Fishermans Ring
EA4C mas BS6i 1OE all IlIneS, IOr all men,
Tor all conditions of life an unerring
guide and most tender mother
This great multitude of earnest and en-
thusiaStic men and women before me in
this city, which a few years ago was an
almost unknown frontier village, now
the magnificent capital of q magnificent
state, assembled to commemorate the
1lueth anniversary OF the coming Of a
bishop of the ancient faith and the
Of ,fe,s
ing else cam the truth, the vitality. the
power, the universally of the teaching
church.
MY friends mere in st. Paul. in this
Auditorium at the close of the nine
teenth century there are as many diff
1erent languages and dialects spoken by
men, who learned them at their mothers
Knee as were heard on the streets of
Jrusalem at the first Pentecost And
now as then, whatever the tongue
wherein we were born, whatever the
race or cline or color, we hear from our
holy Mother the voice of Peter through
the lips Of Leo XIII. and the priesthood
and hierarchy whom he and ms prede-
ceSsors have sent, procla ming to all
men tine wonderful works of Cod and
nearing we bow before the Lord Jesus
who commissioned Peter.
Our celebration of Bishop Cretin's
by reason of its composite character be-
comes for us all, whether inside or ont
side her never closed portals, an object
lesson of the worldwide presence of
another church.
And, for US who in the voice of Leo
Mi. recognize the teaching authority
of Peter this demonstration is an act
% OF faith as magnificent as it is public
wish to particularly emphasize the
No fc.oI
non-Gatholic fellow citizens taking part
in this jubilee. 1t is especially fitting
Ole settlers, that you are here, for YOU
welcomed fifty years ago with our
brethren, some who are with us still
and many who have fallen asleep, their
bishop at yonder landing You stood side
by side with them that happy day, and
You and they, through sunshine and
storm, laid deep and broad the founda-
tons of our beautiful city. And YOU
twain wrote above it's portals, "WeI-
ccme to all who come willing to labor
bearing the olive branch of peace" And
lhougn perchance an alien hand sought
to SOW the dragons teeth you helped
US stamp out that harvest ere it ripene5
INTO wrath. We bid you welcome. non
catholic friends, old settler and new
conner alike. And We pray God that in
the future we will in all that upIifts
anu ennoGlcs humanity continue to stand
slle by side, and that His divine grace
VIII eventually span as with a. bridge of
stars the space that divides all Christian
peoples.
rms latest part of the nineteenth cen
fury to me seems full of signs. which
Ioretell the wonders of the twentieth.
Beneath the surface humanity's great
heart is throbbing as never before, and
needs but the Masters touch to bring
ali its hopes into full fruition.
never before have art, invention, sci
ehce and tireless effort made the nations
so near and knowledge so easy. Steam
ana eIectricIuy-Or to state it more aeon
fately, electricity and steam-are oblit-
Grating time and space. That wondrous
pFouuctlon OF brain, muscle and rnachin-
cry, the daily newspaper, places in our
hands each morning the chronicIe ~
events over all the earth. The lands
nave been gridirCned with steel. the
mountains pierced or surmounted the
ocean depths invaded with wires NILS
ing with human thought. We call orr
last ships now the "greyhounds of the
seas and over the land with almost fine
sWlItness Of an arrows flight the wheels
OF commerce move. Activity marks all
peoples and in every department Tho
spirit of inquiry, which is the sniri+ oe
unrest Tor many, invades all ranks Of
society, among none greater than with
our Christian peoples. Among them es
peclally there is activity in thinking. in
doing in learning. Now this truth ie
evident mat the more we know. the
more we travel, the nearer we get to
true knowledge Of things of OURSELVES
ana OF each other, the broader and bet
Ter ana more tolerant we all became
The old philosopher left this as The SIM
Of wisdom; Know myself" I presumo
70 acd, Know yourself as YOU really
are ana know your neighbor as he is
IN IaCt and not as his enemies or yorr
pleiuaices have painted him.
~ 4la TINS feeling in my heart tonight.
CLASP hands with all at this our iubi
lee. JUL
IN 1879 the white population of ST. Paul
was aoout go souls, the whole state s
z''ys ana yet, with what seems to Us
now a prophetic vision, the council Of
Baltimore, in May of that year repre-
scented to the holy see the propriety Of
erecting bishopric at ST Paul. 1t was
not until the next year. owing to the
revolutionary troubles of the times that
Rome acted. On July IS, 1850. the new
see OF st. Paul took its place in the his
tory OF the church and of the world, and
on July g 1870, Joseph A Cretin Illus
trlou1 as the parish priest of Ferrey.
was named its first bishop. Consecrated
on Jan 81, 1851, in Bel,ey, France. by tie
bishop who had twenty-eight years before
elevated him to the priesthood, he
started Without delay on his then long
ana Iaooilols journey 10 his post Of
duty And though, as was the fact in
all ms vast see, but two priests awaited
has coming on at st. Paul the other in
distant Femb.na, ana though his pro-
eathe raj was a log cabin ana his epjs-
coral residence no more 11re4aptio,,s .