The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-18
ABBOT OF SI. BERNARD
RT. REV. BEKNARD .MENTGEs sUc-
 CEEDs HIS REvERED UNCLE.
lfony Dfrsiuxuished Priests of the Church of Rome Present a4 the Ceremony s M Ut Mopastcry Near kA
 Cnilsnan.

t.ullman. Nov. i7.--(spscisl)-with tns solssnn ceremonies of the Catholic Cnurch
 Rt Rev. Bernard Menses, Q. D. was
 given the final blessing e aooot 2. Ss
 Rernard monastery and president of st. pernard coilege teddy by. Rt. Rev. Ed ward P. Allen, D. D.. Bishop of Mobile.
 Father Bernard Menses succeeds his upe,e. Father Benedict Menges who died iast summer. He is an excellent young man and dearly beloved by all who know him. He is eminentiy fitted for the posi- tion: to which he has been chosen.
 Those present and who assisted Tn the solemn ceremonies this morning. were Rt' Rev William McClesky. Bishop of Louis yi,ie: Rt Rev. Sebastian Byrne. Bishop of Nashville: Rt. Rev. Peter, of St, Johns, Minnesota; Rt Rev Innocent, Atchison, Kan; Rt. Rev Athanisirnus St. Vincent. Ind: Fathers Moore Gleason, Abbott, Shannon and Ennis. of Nashviile diocese; Father Runnebsanl. ! Cincinnati: Father Hart. Chicago: Fathers kuiiap' Demen, KreifenkAmp. shaeffer, Fred and Glenn Bockiags, covinston diocese; Fathers Fin ney and Bstkers. Mississippi; Fathers coyie, Mcodinian, cassidy. Brady. Menner. Kelly, Doyle, 0avest., Henry. Mobile diocese; Father Marrion. Asheville. Y. C.: Rt. Rev. F., Joseph. O. S. B.. st. Vincent Abbey. Pa ]: Very Rev. Felix. delegate from N. c. and P Eugene: Benedictine Fathers from the ,6ssstons; Rsrs1P. Theodore. Isnatius. Rob ert, Clarence. Urban. Augustine. Alphonse ana .siyincsut Lsity; Mir Louis Merkie, busi1ess manager Bensiger Bros; Peter wallrath, editor .'sternenbanner," and president Catholic Ted. of Indiana; Miss Emma Schwartz Miss Kate Udry and Miss Mary Baum of Ripley. Ohio.
 Among presents received are especially msntionabie; A precious miter, from St . .rrs- Nff desk. from two friends: ring from stu
 dents of St. Bernard College; an album from
 the deanery of Birmingham, and an ivory cross from Benziger Brothers
 The ceremony was a very solemn and impressive one and was witnessed by large number of people not Catholics The chapel where the ceremony occurred was taste- fully decorated In white blue and yellow and 6 profusion of flowers The long din- ing hail where. banquet was given at
 noon was decorated with the national col ors and was most tasteful and attractive. The newly elected Abbot is a native of the Palatine: he was born December Il. 1s6s. and Is nephew of the late deceased
 Rt. Rev. Abbott Benedict Menges. O. s. B.,
 who departed this fife July lith. 1904 After
 the death of the Abbott Benedict. the elec- tion of a successor became necessary and.
 accordingly. on July goth Rt. Rev. Bernard
 Menges. O. S B.. was elected by the chapter
 of St. Bernard Abbey to fill the office. Ab-
 bolt Menges attended the parish school in
 the place of his birth until his fourteenth year. He then came to the United States, whither his uncle, who was at the time pastor at Huntsville. Ala, had precede him. Feeling a vocation for the monastic | life. he went to St. vincent's Abbey. Beatty Station. westmoreland County. Pa, the mother house of the Benedictines in this l country. and there devoted himself to the l study of the classics After finishing his classical course he entered the novitiate al | St. Yincent's. Tn 1889 he made his solemn
 VOWS. Having completed his studies at St vineant's Abbey, he Joined the newiy-elected abbey at St. Bernard. CulIman, Ala. He was ordained priest by the Iamented Jere-
 miah Osulliran. Bishop of Mobile. at Bir. | mingham, Ala. After his ordination he fol | some time taught various branches in St Bernard College, then became pastor o Sacred Heart of Mary Church. Tuscumbia Ala. and afterwards took charge of St
 Michaers Church. Ripley. Ohio. remaining | for fire years. There he evinced his innat. energy and ability, vigorously taking ir | hand repairs and Improvements on th,
 church and labored with great zeal for thu | honor and glory of God and the welfare o
 those under his charge.
 l In 1902 he was appointed director of st | Bernard College at Cullman. which posi-
 tion he has hold to the present time nnC under his supervision the institution u l tlourshihg never before.
 | The history of the monastery tc the ah
 bacy of which the Rt, Rev. Bernard Mense has been raised reads like a romance II | the year 1892 a small but resolute band O Benedictine Monks under the leadership O
 the late Abbott Benedict Menges arrived among the pine forests of Culiman. Thougl few in number and almost penniless. the, were indefaugable in their efforts to carr. into execution their only ambition to furthe the cause of religion and education in tn South. Without delay they set about tn acquisition Of a plot of wooded land tw
 miles east of town upon which they imme diateiy begun their labors in earnest. Man were the hardships these self -sacrificinl monks were forced to undergo: privation ninre rigorous than those of America earliest settlers were theirs in plenty. Blu their energy and perseverance finally tri umphe.i and today the monastery and col lege of St Bernard stand as q splendi, monument to their constructive ability an, undannted perssverence. -t
 1 ! Ever since the founding of their order fl the Sikth century. the Benedictine monk have made the education of youth one O their foremost cares. In accordance witt the policy of the brethren who have gon bfore them the monks at St. Bernard hay spared no effort to make St. Bernard Col lege the really excellent temple of learning It is today. But above all they lay stres upon the combination of the moral with tn
 mental training in the education of th young men under their charge
 1 The success of their method of teaching | is borne out by the fact that young a
 St. Bernard College Is in years its staff 0 abe professors. Its Ideal climatic condition
 and perfect sanitation. which latter fact ha
 elicited from the United States Health Bul
 letin of New York words of unsolicited anC luustinted praiae, have contributed to enabl,
 Its graduates to more than hold their owI ! with thoss. of long-establlshed institutions