Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-15
HONOR D[AD BISHOP
Months Mind for Very Rev. T.
NJ. Lehman, Deceased, Gel.
ebrated Here.
Catholic Priests Of Iowa Gather
to Honor the Memory OF
Their Dead Friend.
Very Rev. D. S. Phelan. IL. D..
of St. Louis, Delivers the
Panesyric.

the Roman Catholic church, the cele-
bration of the months mind for the
dead, was held in this city today at st
Mary's church, in honor of the lat;
Right Rev. Thomas Matthias Lehman
d. D.. bishop of Cheyenne, Wyo.. who
died in this city just one month age
today.
The service was largely attended
the church being filed to its entire
seating capacity, with visiting priests
and the congregation. Beautiful flow
ers We're arranged everywhere. the
altar being literally banked with fra
grant blossoms, palms and ferns.
Solemn high requiem mass at 10
o'clock. said by Rev. Matthias C. Leni-
han, pastor of st. Mary's church, and
assisted by many of the visiting
priests, began the service. Special
music by the choir, and congregational
responsive. readings and singing of the
favorite hymns of the late bishop, We're
interspersed thruout the entire ser
vice, which did not conclude until IL: 80
o'clock this afternoon
After the first gospel Very Rev. D.
S. Phelan. LII. D., of ST. Louis, editor
of the Western Watchman, the fore
most Catholic paper of America, who
was warm personal friend of the
late bishop, and was one of his class
mates at St. Vincent's College, Cape
iGirardeau. Mo-, delivered the pan.
egyric. DIR. Phelan spoke as follows
The church is designated an army.
We are all soldiers, made so in our con-
Observation-Disclosures of the army Of the
Gross. We are here this morning in re-
Spouse to the bugle call that summons
us to the bier of a dead captain, to pay
tie last honors to a fallen chieftain. For
prince of the church is dead.
There is a hierarchy in the church.
She is an imperial church. There are
nine choirs in heaven; there are nine
orders in the church. In the beginning
there were only apostles. The apostolic
office embodied all the powers and juris-
diction of Christ's kingdom on earth. An
apostle was an officer of the highest
rank. But the apostles placed bishops
ever particular churches to govern and
rule within the limits of a diocese. They
also set apart deacons, whom they or
GAINED with prayer to the subordinate
work of the apostolic ministry. So that
in the very beginning we had apostles,
bishops and deacons. Afterwards there
occurred further subdivisions. The epls-
copate was subdivided and the priest
hood became distinct; and the deacon
ship was further subdivided, creating
the orders of sub-deacons.
These orders of the hierarchy are
honored in the church Her princes are
clothed with the purple of imperial
Rome and crowned with the symbols of
the Shepherd King. The purple robes
show forth what is grandest in earthly
greatness, and the crosier indicates the
gentle rule OF the shepherd kings Of Is
rael. There is not on this earth any
homage comparable to the homage paid
the sovereign pontiff. When he appears
kings take off their crowns; when he
stands kings kneel; when he mounts
kings hold the stirrup Of his saddle.
When he moves it is under a golden
canopy, and upon a sedia gestatoria
borne on the shoulders of princes. The
honors paid a bishop are second only to
those paid pope; for bishop is in his
diocese what the pope is in the universal
church. When he appears all the faith
full kneel for his blessing. When passing
before him the rubrics prescribe that a
genuflection shall be made. When he
enters town all the people march out
to welcome him; all the church bells
ring, and he is received in the parish
church with swinging Of censors and the
loud acclaim of .Ecce Sacerdos Magnus.'
but 1t is not the.purpose of the church
TIC make flesh glory In the sight of the
Lord. Under these trappings of royalty
beats a heart of humble servitude. I'm
der the purple is often the hair shirt. Be-
meath the mitre throbs mind Of sub
mission and humbleness. Once year
the sovereign pontiff steps down from
his lofty throne, lays aside his purple
robes; goes down on his knees, washes
the feet of twelve poor men and kisses
them with affectionate reverence. once
a year the bishop descends from his
throne and on the floor of the sanctua-
nv takes an apron and basin and washes
the feet of twelve poor men, kissing
them affectionately when the washing is
over.
The purpose of the church is to hon
or God, mot to exalt men. She chooses
what is most beautiful and precious to
Law at the feet of the King of Kings.
She raises men on high that by hum
bling themselves to the dust they may
add to tie glory Of the majesty on high.
She levels the mountains of glory she
herself has raised that the King of
Glory may enter in and all flesh may
see the salvation of GOD.
But she Is not insensible of the
greatness of the honors she bestows
when she raises her sons to the priest
hood and the episcopate. She makes
close scrutiny into their virtues. When
the young Levite advances to receive
priestly orders she asks the people to
testify as to his character. She Sits the
faithful to find priests for her affairs;
and when she has select ed the young Lee
yite she sets him apar and gives him
4 special education of years, that n the
shadow of the sanctuary and In the in
,ense- laden atmosphere of her affairs he
may imbibe the spirit Of the Master
And when imposing hands upon him she
ends the work of preps ration with a
prayer, a prayer to the .foung priest, the
prayer of mother to and for a son
whom She sends forth into the world
she beseeches him that his life may be
4 sweet odor to delight the church of
God. 1t liz so important that priests and
bishops should be worthy men. The
world thinks little of theory; it has no