The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-12-06
Active Old Age

Inc world is always interested ir
nearing of men and women who have
preserved their bodily or mental vigol
far beyond the limits usually assigned
to human activity. The nonagenariar
grandmother who can still read with
out spectacles, or the equally old
grandfather who daily chops the wood
Tor the kitchen stove, and who walks
/ four miles every. election day to de-
posit his vote@these are nofabilities
| of whom not merely their relatives,
but all the residents of their county
| or district, are not a little proud.
In higher sphere of society, the in
tellectual vigor and administrative
ability of very old statesmen, rulers,
ministers, is a favorite theme of the
modern newspaper; but physical health
and strength in extreme old age in
Variably eXcites more wonder than do
unimpaired mental faculties. The
| present Holy Father, retaining at 92
the intellectual verve of a sexagenari-
an, commands the admiration of the
world. But if his constitution had so
far withstood the onslaught of years
that he could still walk briskly about
the Vatican gardens for an hour or
two daily, he would certainly impress
the most of US as being a great deal
more wonderful than he is.
The Archbishop of Philadelphia and
the Bishop of Rochester are no longer
young; nevertheless. we are always
conscious of a little resentment when
they are referred to as "old" gentle
men. 1t is by courtesy that we call
them venerable prelates. 1t is told
of Archbishop Ryan, who has passed
his SEVENTEEN birthday, that he
preached a long sermon in Cleveland
on occasion of the golden jubilee of
st. Johns cathedral, participated in
subsequent features of the celebration
until Sunday evening, then took train
for home, travelled all night, and on
arriving in Philadelphia drove at once
to the cathedral. where he sang ponti-
fical requiem mass. He didn't even
wait for breakfast, adds one of the
daily papers.
Very gratifying, indeed, is this evil
dence of uninpafred vigor on the part
Of the beloved archbishop, but we in
sist that it is not marvellous. Ten or
fifteen years hence will be time enough.
we hope, to refer to the extraordinary
of the venerable Mgr. Ryan.
Our excellent contemporary, the Stand
ard and Times forgets that he
is ten years the junior of
Bishop McQuaid, who thinks
nothing of working all day and
being on the train at night. The Cath
olics of Rochester viii be disposed to
smile at the affectionate boastfulness
of devout Philadelphians and we can
assure our editorial conferes that if
they were to take walk with Bishop
they would regret long be-
fore it was over that a drive had not
been proposed.
Pleasantly aside, in view of the i'm
portance attaching to the prolongation
of lives exceptionally good and useful
it seems almost too bad that the trio
are not blessed with the hardy physique |
Of French ecclesiastic who lived one |
hundred and three years-Abbe Des-
roches, pastor of LisieuX. Centenarians. !
Of course, are not extremely rare; but |
very old men as active and vigorous |
as Father Desroches are notable even /
among centenarians. At the age of 81 |
this French priest acted the role of |
heroic fireman and saved a mother and
her two children from a fierce con-
1agration: and five years later, when
lie was 1O2, he jumped into a river
md rescued a drowning waterman.
Father Desrroches died in 1892. Had
lis birth taken place a little later, he
would have lived in three CENTURIES
va Maria