Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13
his actions is the

his priest And that love and conf.
dence are reciprocated by the Sogs
CART who leaves home and all to fol.
low and serve the Irish emigrants. He
seeks him in the forest and on the
prairie as well as in camp and city.
He shares in the poverty and the joys
of the exile wherever found. Why
not? He is taken from the people to
become a man of God. He loves the
people and they love and reverence
him. Indeed this is the mystery
should say the miracle-of the con-
stancy of Irish faith and fortitude,
during the long night of Irish suffer.
ing. In the Penal days the people
sheltered the priest while price was
on his head and the English blood
hound was trailing him. Hence the
poet Banim represents the Irish lay.
man saying to the priest:
"'Who in the winters night,
Soggart Aroon.
When the cold blast did bite,
Soggart Aroon.
Came to my cabin door,
| And On my earthen floor, =,
Knelt by me sick and poor, w
Soggart aroon.
"Ah, yes it was the Irish priest who
and help them and suffer with them
and starve with them while leading
them to heaven and God. Hence the
Irish priest is loved by the Irish people
with love only second to that of God
and his blessed mother.
"The English government tried to
destroy the priesthood in ireland as
a foreward step in the moulding OF
the Irish people to English religion
and habits The Protestant Patriot
poet Davis tells us how
"They bribed the flocks, they blibed
| the son,
To sell the priest and rob the sire;l
| Their dogs were taught alike to run
Upon the scent of wolf and friar.
Among the poor,
| Or on the moor,
We're hid the pious and the true
| While traitor knave,
And recreant slave, ~
| Had riches, rank and retinue."
Kept Up Their Work.
"But all these notwithstanding the
Irish priests were protected and shield
ed. In the caves and on the mass rock
on the mountain side, the hunted
priests offered the holy sacrifice of the
mass. They baptised the infants, bur-
ried the dead, and ministered to their
scattered aocks, and wept and prayed
for their martyred people. 8
This is the real reason that a child
of the Irish race, cannot help but love
a priest, no matter what his race or
color. Hence. when few years ago, a
negro priest, Rev. Father Tolton, had
a parish in Chicago, the Irish Catho-
lies there confessed to him, crowded
his church and supported the church
for him. Hence, for six and forty
years the Irish Catholics of this city
were ever loyal and devoted to the
late Very Rev. Father Kreckel.
Tribute to Father kempker.
Hence they learned to admire, love
and revere Very Rev. Father Kempker.
They did not fail to recognize his f.
nancial and intellectual ability. They
admired his quiet and effective meth
DDS in conducting parish affairs, in
meeting accumulated parish debts, and
in giving their church the prominent
position which the mother church of
this fair city by right ought to possess.
They were proud Of the dignity his
manly presence and devotional bear
ing added to his ceremonial and sacri-
fetal duties among them. They al,
ways felt pride In bringing their nom.
Catholic friends to listen to his learned.
and solid pastoral discourses. am.
glad to bear testimony to the grand
fact that the Irish people of st. Mary'a
were ever loyal and devoted to him..
Seven-tenths of the financial support
of st. Mary's parish comes from the.
Irish portion of the congregation
Were their wishes regarded Very Rev.
John F. Kempker would live and die,
in this city. Their prayers and tears
and fllial love will follow gentle anil
learned Father Kempker to any parish
that may be blessed by his earnest am d
holy ministrations. They were loys i
to him here. Their good wishes and
prayers will follow him wherever He
may be. And they will not fail to prs "
that in the better life that is to be die
may possess an irremovable throne lin
the kingdom of that heavenly MAST or
whose good servant he has been he,i e.
II Ladies and gentlemen, l thtGlk
\ you"
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