The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-05-17
ANCIENT ROMANS.
Bv Rev. 81. g. Hughes.


Who does not know the old Roman
studentJthe priest, often bishop, who
] passed the days of youth and early
| manhood within the walls of the great
Alma Mater in her happier days, and
came away with am undying, un-
quenchable love for her set deep in his
heart? Let not any such who may
chance upon these lines be offended at
the title placed above themfor to be an
ancient Roman needs not more than q
ripe middle age. 1t is not length of
days. but rather the sad and sorry
| changes that have come so quickly,
and, like a whirlwind, have swept
away so much that was lovely and
pleasant to behold, that made the
writer choose this heading to his
those worthy meni With how calm a
visage do they look out upon the world
of today Others may prate of prog
ress and of the need of keeping up with
the times. They have seen, they have
, lived in other times, as far removed
from ours by change as if centuries
had lapsed between. Each is in truth
a ''laudator temporis acti." And who
shall blame them? For the old majes
tic Rome has set her seal upon them,
and they walk through life upon a
lliSAlGI level lOI IL IdCll Will
him sweet memories of the days that
are pastmemories which are a fount to
strength in the evil days that have
succeeded. To have lived in Rome be-
fore her enemies possessed her; to have
made one in her glorious religious pa
geants of the past: to have seen the
pope as king, his rights acknowledged
and acclaimed by all; to have seen
Holy Church exercising unhindered her
influence in every sphere of life; to
have drunk in learning at the feet of
masters who were giants in their day;
lis not this to have lived a life well
worth the living? Is it any wonder
that an almost imperceptible accent of
pity should be discerned as those last
representatives for us of things that
have been, speaking of the days of
their youth, draw a contract between
their own lot as Roman students and
that of those who wax eloquent upon
their own experiences of the Holy
city? Readers of that charming vol
ume by the great Cardinal Wiseman,
in which, in mastery style, ne records
his own recollections of life in Rome
will understand my meaning. Many
there are still with us who lived in
Rome during the days that followed
upon those whose history is so vividly
portrayed in that memorable book
And each has his own store of recol-
lections; never. perhaps, written, but
oft and again recounted to sympathetic
ears. One will tell how it was the
proud privilege of his college to walk
close to the vicar of Christ in some
great annual procession, or to carry
the canopy over his venerable form-a
duty kings have not disdained-in the
splendid ceremonies of Corpus Christi,
l7o,, 4I,1 ~
was compassed round about by the il
lustrious throng of the highest in
Gods church. Another will tell how
he was chosen to preach the sermon
in st. Peters before pope and cardi-
nails which by immemorial yearly Gus
tom had been delivered by an alumnus
of his own particular Alma Mater.
well remember the enthusiasm with
which a worthy priest described to me
the kindly action of the kindly Pho
Mono who came to him in person to
present him with the commemorative
medal given on such an occasion, and
which had by some mischance been
forgotten. Others will tell of chance
meetings with the holy father during
a ramble in the gardens of some prince
ly villa without the walls, and of gentle
and fatherly kindness
shown TO unknown youths by the most
exalted parsonage upon earth. Then
there We're the grand days of high fes-
tival, when the pope in person graced
with his august presence this or that
church in the city, and perhaps himself
sang the high mass of the day Meet
ings, too, are well remembered with
illustrious men whose names are now
a part of history. Tales are told of a
kindly word of encouragement from |
/, III, i ~.
heaTer on to great accomplishments |
and higher effort. Memories are there, |
toe, of great teachers, known now only |
by the volumes that line the walls of |
college Libraries. whose spoken words. |
more stirring than printed page, are |
laid up in many heart. kindling still |
an enthusiasm that will last as long |
as life. Many a scene, too, may be re- I
called at will. witnessing to the deep !
and fervent piety of the Roman people; |
TO their whole-souled devotion to the |
church. their love for their prelates and |
priests. And. above all, the ancient |
Roman viii live over and over again
hose happy moments when he knelt. |
perhaps for the last time, at the feet of
the common father of the flock. to re-
eeive his blessing and to hear from his
apostolic lips that "godspeed" which
made his heart burn within him, and
pound him closer than ever to the
,ause Of God his vicar and his church.
Not all this is changed. Some of these
privileges. if more rarely, are still to
De enjoyed. But much, alas, has
hanged; and the ancient Roman, re-
-isiting the scenes of his youth may
'ome away indescribably saddened
some, indeed, I have known. who re-
used to face the sight, willing rather
o dwell upon the happy visions of the
)ast, than to look upon SO much that
s sad in the present The younger
generation viii not, perhaps entirely
inter into such feelings. They have
lot known. except by hearsay. another
tate of things than now exists. They
'ount it still, and justly, as it was of
Id, high privilege to call themselves
~ the name of Roman" and they,
90. when the time comes. will look
Jack with pride, and in their turn en-
,indle in others love and admiration
or that which is. and ever must be.
indying. in the holy city, that majesty
which, for all time, as in glorious
mantle. wraps her round.-Donohue'
Magazine.
Death of Mrs. Addie M. E. Trewhela.
/ E