The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-10-03
DIOCESE Of DENVER. !
CITY OF DENVER.
Another Set Back to the Work of
Building Cathedral.
lSpecial CORRESPONDENCE.

bul1Q102 SaIueQTdl-
Especial Correspondence
The Catholics of Denver have at las
awakened To a realization of the fac
that for at least some years to come
there is little hope of rearing a temple
worthy of serving as cathedral to one
of the most flourishing dioceses of the
country The latest setback to this
work was announced on Friday of last
week when, in a public statement, Rev.
Michael 4. Callahan, pastor OF the pro-
cathedral announced that unfortunate
mining investments had greatly de-
pleted the church treasury and that all
the cash that was on hand for the work
was tied up in stock in Cripple Creek.
The blow was a hard one, and over
more than one breakfast table that
morning the unfortunate news was the
subject for discussion. Those who had
contributed toward the fund felt it
keenly, but those whose financial con-
dition rendered their giving assistance
impossible also felt the blow. The more
kndhearted Immediately thought of the
awful pang ii must be to the jealous
pastor, and FASTENED to offer their SYM
pathy. Those who were even less con-
cerned, and to whom the loss meant lit
lie or nothing, felt that it was their
duty to decry against the affair and to
make the burden of the pastor the
heavier.
But withal. the loss is a heavy one.
With it is buried the hope that the
Catholics of the city have cherished
for years, almost countless. 1t means
that on that handsome site at COlfaX
and Logan avenues no temple shall lift
its lofty towers to the heavens-that no
cathedral chimes will peal forth their
message within the history of perhaps
the 111-pSpr1t crpDaVa tipD TTH-ar, since hp
conservation of Nicholas Chrisostem
Matz as bishop of the diocese of Den
Yer, it has been the hope by day and 4
the dream by night of the Catholics of
the state to IN time erect a church that
would be a credit to the sanity Mache-
beuf apostle Of the Rocky noun !
tains," who first planted the seed of
Catholicity in this region. True. their
assistance might have been more ma
terial and might have made the work I!
of the clergy much lighter, but no one /
seemed to realize that it lay within the |
power Of the laity to subscribe the nee |
essary funds.
Since the dawn OF the pastorate of !
Rev. Father Callahan eight years ago
the plans have assumed a more sub |
stantial aspect and year by year has |
brought encouragement to the people.
Father Callahan has labored as few
~ itSlS NOuiQ nave ndQ the courage 10
labor to gather together the required
funds. and his aspirations toward n
S250,000 cathedral have been known to
every citizen of the city. He worked
night and day, and talked continually
of his hopes for the future: and now
crushed and almost broken-hearted. he
has been advised to give up the work,
but steadfastly and stoically announces
his determination to stay with it as
long as he has strength left in his body
10 make up the loss which has been
sustained in investments.
Risked in Mining Stock.
The news that So, 900. the entire cash
on hand for the erection of the proposed I
cathedral, had been risked in worthless /
mining stock by Rev. NJ F. Callahan, !
who was custodian OF the fund, came /
with terrific shock to the people of Den J
Yer. But to Bishop Matz il was even \
more. He is heartily discouraged over t
the affair. but has given his word to /
the people that at any cost he will be- /
gin the work on the church in the t
spring OF 1904. q
Heroically Father Callahan has +
borne the brunt of the entire unfor- h
tunate occurrence. His sole idea in c
investing the money placed in his +
charge was that he might double the s
amount and thus insure more speedily u
he erection of a handsome church il
Mining brokers represented to him that
he investment was most secure one; y
hat absolutely no risk was being run, c
md that AS soon as the money was re- q
luired upon the awarding of the con q
ract it could be withdrawn with no n
inconvenience. Father Callahan in his b
zeal to show splendid results to the q
committee which had entrusted the II
work to him, was carried away and d
placed the entire amount in the hands Il
# the brokers. Then each week F
rought the idea clearer before him II
hat it was not quite as safe as he had r
believed, and when it was announced .,
hat an executive committee would h
con be called to consider the awarding n,
f the contract, Father Callahan took cs
he blow manfully and went straight ! q,
@ the bishop with the intelligence that "
would be impossible to take any fur h,
her steps at present, as the money c,
as tied up in stock. Bishop Matt was
t loss to know what to do The an =,
ouncement he feared. would result in 81
Gkind remarks directed against the e.
ealous pastor, and this he wished to 20
rare Father Callahan, knowing the Of
)irit in which the deed had been CT
one. ~
Finally rumors began to go aaoat q.
mong the priests Of the city to the oe
fleet that a change in the pastorate IL
the cathedral was imminent This ID
was made through the Il,
llumns of The Intermountain Cath ~
lie two weeks ago, but at the time iie
as discredited by many and pro-
ounced false. II was said that 81
ealth forced Father Callahan to of
Y his resignation but he insisted later aS
1,, al l.
wen out TO the people Accordingly y
2 made a public announcement of the leS
fair. Had it come from any other IN
'urce there are hundreds, of friends In M
enver alone who would have taken up M
lie cudjels in behalf of the pastor. but 1r'
2 shirbed none of the responsibility OF
1T boldly told i'm just what manner Ia
lie money had been lost. pc
But Little Money Available. orr -
His confession fell as a bombshell Ion
the parishioners of the cathedral. =, -
well as to the people of Denver in IN,
neral The news that the So 600 sol
opposed TO be safely slowed away in Lof
Denver bank had been used in spec toi
alton in Cripple Creek mining stocks SUI
as severe blow. But little of that sal
oney is available today for the build tht
z Of the long promised cathedral for era
lich purpose the money had been the
posted. Without consulting the
her members Of the building COM
ttee Father Callahan specialized and 4
st practically all. In his effort to hes
cuperate the church funds he sac4- We
ed his personal bank account. the Nc
suit OF years of frugal saving and vii
lat money he brought from his boy ma
DDS home in Ireland As result the
e enufe amount is in 4 tie-up and par
may be years before the smallest OF
ruon OF 1t can be extricated. 1t is one
ilhleu cE rather Callahan that the has