The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-10-09

The Roman Catholic church from
its peculiar governmental form and
universally of mission work, or to
put the idea in another form, its con
centration of power and diffusion of
Missions has for many years been the
respository OF the knowledge of the
world and its peoples and in propa-
cation Of its principles and faith has
used alike the arts of poesy, song,
sculpture, painting, the drama and
the tribune, to the further glory of
God and the saving of souls. No des-
ert has been too dreary, no wilderness
too solitary, no city slum too pesti-
lent, no mining camp too desperate,
no wealth too proud nor any poverty
too lowly to find toiling in its midst
the simple CARRIED, self devoted priest
of the church OF Empire and of ser
vice. With the earliest discoveries
as with the earliest emigrants to
America came Rome's priesthood and
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
from Alaska to Cape Horn the bones
of her missionaries and martyrs are
scattered in rude graves or bleaching
in trackless morass and desert sand
and the memory of deeds of many is
alone kept by the mother church and
among the poets, singers, writer's and
orators.of her priesthood there is per
haps no class more worthy of honor
nor more deserving tribute than the
true and just historian of the church's
enterprise, industry difficulties sur
mounted and trials overcome, stern
beginnings and triumphant successes,
as well as Of the lives of those who
have been humble instruments in the
ever onward march of the faith, in
causing the wilderness to break forth
into singing and the desert to blossom
as the rose and of this number and
not among the least of these, though
he would perhaps decry such a state
ment as too flattering, is Father T. j.
Stanton, pastor of the church at Lon
aconing and principal of the parochial
school of st. Mary, whose history of
the church in Western Maryland en-
titled "a Century of Growth" and
published in two volumes in 1900, en-
titles him fairly to rank among the
most valuable writer's upon a section,
in many respects unique and the his
tory of which forms a valuable addi-
ton to the literature of the closing
days of the last century.
Naturally interested in this section
which contains his birthplace and
fitted by natural studious inclination
and love of research, sharpened and
made valuable by an excellent educa-
ton for this work, Father Stanton
found that this region, unique in its
geological formation, its peculiar pro-
duct and its development and alike
interesting in its settlement and the
growth and expansion in its churchly
interests, its geographical position
and Typographical formation, had
never had its story chronicled, it's
heroes and their deeds recorded and
as a labor of love undertook the task
Just how long the work was in pro-
gress is uncertain, but the result is
one of which any one might feel justly
proud and renders tribute to the re-
gion and to the work of the church
therein that is all the more pleasing
because deserved and is the only
means of tracing much that is inter-
esting and of chronicling otherwise
lost data.
Born in Oakland, Garrett county,
in 1868, the son of Lawrence and Mary
Kearns Stanton, he was educated in
the public schools until he was 16
years of age and then sent to ST..
Charles College, Ellicott City "a SUI
burb of Baltimore) where he studied
for six years, graduating in 1885. He
then entered st. Mary's Seminary in
Baltimore and there studied philoso-
ply and theology for five years, when
he was ordained a priest by Cardinal
Gibbons in 1890, after which he was
sent to the Catholic University at
Washington, d. c., for post gradu-
ate course, which gave him in all %
years of unremitting study, and in %
years one may learn much and begin
to know how little one really does
know of the universal knowledge of
the world and its sons of years devel-
opment.
His first appointment was that of
assistant pastorof st. Patrick's church
of Cumberland, under Very Reverend
M. J. Brennan, whose pastorate at
Westernport and later at Cumberland
had given his clearly logical mind a
keen insight into all this region. In
1899 Mr.. Stanton was appointed pas
tor of Homecoming and Midland and
attended both churches for six years
and when in September, 1898, Mid
land was made special congregation,
he was left in charge of Homecoming.