New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-20

The elevation OF a missionary priest 20 Be the
Auxiliary Bishop OF Nevv-Yoric has brought the
Rev Thomas r. Cusack before tho public III d
: way Of which ne had never dreamed The appoint
Nrnent also surprised many heads OF The Catho1o
IIhurch In this city Tar older than That O FaheI
N ry.aot eud not q few Ct first Sell 20 wondering
Y Why the Pope had picked out man alnlost un-
known Tor such signal honor
IN Fetper Cuesol the Catholic Diocese o. New
York has its first bearded bishop We're Il not
Tor his priestly garb, the casual observer might
take him fo- q physician or DerchanCe an engineer
Thoughtfd eyes and high forehead snow ihe
mar 20 Re a student, and g firm mouth and square
chin indicate that re can study deeply and per
ristently. A tail figure. broad shoulders ana an
erect head give him commanding presence Al
though as soon as he speaks one may discover
that his disposition retiring rather than aggres-
Five-that ne Is man OF peace, instead Of com
bat. who car achieve success rather by persuasion
than by argument
The bishops beard while q may disguise psrt
o. his face. nevertheless reveals something 90 his
character. Early IN his clerical career he began
% Jet his beard grow. Some OF his associates o.
the cloth objected. and one or them called him
"A priest should be shaver" said the clerical
friend "A Ehorn chin IS frlic7tiy>a - the
rhurchn is his rrieetly Earh Iulsgine FOR
example one o. rs wearing sack coats and check
t-orsers"
rsther Cuesck explained that he had n affection
c. she '~oat. and said that beard projected him
Prom e.->noss. If r. board made him hotter equipped
81" Go e. l's work De added there could be no evil
O. f- vl.a-rve~ his critics might think
p left ta himself The new bishop would have
continued To lead Iife of obscurfty Fe prefers
the path to tho highway. An Incident illustrative
of his retiring nature IS TO be seen in tho way Re
shark from making SET speech 9t the dinner
to~t August which followed the presentation os the
saihUE- to Archbishop Farlev. AS the Superior OF
he Nev-Yara hrestrlate. Dc had been asked 70
speak on The fHo~o of missionary work among non
Catholics 2; was su easy task 70 prepare the
Efeeoh fo- DIS wears 90 labor in this line %.
vo-k had mrse him peculiarly familiar with tho
subject.
Il suppose yra Pre- going 20 speak extempo-
roneouey-' FrIf one of his fellow missionaries.
'h"u nl.-. iaHv 81 aU ,.v heart. anyway"
The superior shook i'e head. Although ~ was
sccust1-red tn speak ,hCat p note or figure 10
prompt h.@ memory -t-f- af-~- night nt missionary
1uee'iurs PED. bad rrf dared 90 trust 20 IFS memory
- suca ar ae.r-.laEe 20 I-0Iatos and high church
funotior1r.-s. ffo aatol $50 -arvoasIy rs he was
, ira'-inr she rome 90 tho Aroetclate. at 80. IL
1is1,rv-ef.. or tire asv tho pal'ium was presented
il"f one .r he colleagues asked r'-n - 10 81.
$50. rut sIrrne. wish = were VAS the reply.
'Then F..1e o.- ''-e would speak in my place"
= was frat speech. however. which was largely
.rrfTr n. .H r-lGL.rr about DIS appointment ~
bishop TT--a present ~ the dinner had IN op-
r'o--rrttv rs tr.v had hardly had before q study
snr tho men nrd lc4-u'rg what ne was doing The
humility 70 tho man made profound impression on
Archbishop Tal'eV. and awakened stlu grenter
Interest 90 l's vrra. The Archbishop had seen
Father Cusack only Incidentally before and he had
only learned about him through the Catholic pub
iicatiCus crd from what the rectors OF various
rarehos tod him
Archbishop Corriran Was extremely fond %
Eishon Cuscci, and some seven Gears 60 he chose
the vouur priest who -rcs then only tlirty-seven
sears old 80 hoai hand OF missionary workers.
known re The cler-Tc-l. Aucs-siate TIE arch
bishop had heard about Sic young man and what
Re had done while an assistant 10 thu rector %
r.. M1ry's Church IN yo1kars. Among other
sh!rrs. 10 had learned - On experience q the
,ourr assistant. in which - h-ared r-s-ro1cs ana
probable death. in Tcrforu'i0g what he believed 70
d his 6sty
y az n tine when Tcnkors was threatened
~Itr % smallpox c-iEerni~ T-1r ueetfIcnce had a.
ready Visited TIE poorer part fhe city ana claired
several victims. one might. after ne lad gone 70
bcs. word came 10 TIE assistant rector that in
Eianty not Far away thc-e were eight persons suf-
1erinE with tho disease ard that the condition az
several cf them YVES 50 serious that they desired
zhe ninis,rati0-s of priest T. storrnIug out
ti8e. end the hoy who brought tho message sai1
hopelessly:
we want Yer 20 come. father. but I'm 'fraid
yer won. The ole man said 81 WY no use comm
Ter ser a prart likes Il he'd TOO much ter night
rays he. FER to bother via n few devils down wid
fhe rits'
The priest answered him by having rs hard
O. the lads shoulder. reassuringlv. Then Re
wrapped uD his throat in mufier and started out
IN She stricken family he found eight inmates
huddlrd together on the floor around a stove Two
said they were Catholics and after De had heard
their confessions and had Administered the sa-ra-
ment. tho other six also asked fo- his rn-Istra-
tiors HIS duties done. he 6isinfcc.cd himself ana
giving notice 10 the proper authorttics he Ia
eight scerers taken clean beds n the detention
camp.
Archbishop CorrlEan also heard q Father Gu
Eacs little later when he rector % the parish
e. Rcsendale. When the priest took hold he found
that the finances % the church were In a w-oeul
condition. and that It's property was threatened by
overwhelming mortgage. by constant ana en-
ergetc work he succeeded IN raising $1,000 in one
year and Do placed The church on q sound fnan-
cal basis by the end OF his pastcrate
IN tie last seven years Bishop Cusack has had
many rough and trying experience as head u
the New-York Apostolate. In the winter months
he and his associates have been accustomed 70
take distant tours through remote country dis
7-icts. holding meetings IN barns. hotel parIors
town halls and occasionally q street corner
In order 20 reach the laboring class. the mis-
esonarieE were wont 70 set up z8o o'clock every
morning and hold masses until the last factory
whistle blew. Then they would hear the confess
IRONS 81 the women and lecture n Tho afternoo,
ana evening.
On one OF these tours Father Cusack and an ss-
toclate were holding missionary meetings in o.,
put OF the way New-England hamlet 20 which h