The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-02-18
DEATH OF A NOTABLE CONVERT,

DEATH OF A NOTABLE CONVERT.
By the death of Mgr. George H.
Doane, rector of Saint Patrick's Ca
thedral in Newark, New Jersey, the
church lost one of its most valued
clergymen. He was convert and one
of those men whose work has helped
to make the Catholic church in Amer
lea so highly successful. He was the
son of an Episcopal bishop, and his
brother is at present the Episcopal
bishop Of the diocese of Albany. Mgr.
Doane was himself an Episcopal min
lister, but became convert to the
Catholic church when he was "a years
of age. The event made him the OBJ
ject of bitterness on the part of his
family, but he lived down this bitter
ness. and his large and disinterested
work in behalf of his fellow beings
and his deep interest and participation
in all public affairs intended for the
betterment of, mankind made him one
of the most beloved of men in the
city in which he lived At the time Of
his death he had lived down all the
the church of his father and was re-
Spected by ProtestantS as well as
Catholics. Ministers of the Protestant
churches attended his funeral, and the
bells of the First Presbyterian church,
the oldest in the city. tOlled ut the di-
rection of it's pastor. trustee of
result of Il good life spent in the serv-
ice of religion as it was given to him
to see it. He was uncOmpromising in
his allegiance to his church and would
admit of no compromises if the con-
versation got upon religious themes,
and yet he was one of the most prom
Interested in every public work, often
criticising the action or nOr-actiOn Of
public officials. In nearly every public
gathering he was a prominent figure.
and his advice was sought by scores
of men without as we'll us within the
church. There are those living still in
New Jersey who remember something
Of the stir caused when one Of the
brightest young ministers in the Epis-
copalian faith suddenly announced
that he was about to leave the faith of
his father. 1t then became the duty
of his father. who was then Bishop of
New Jersey. to pass the sentence of
deposition from the ministery. His
own father writing OF this event said:
"On Saturday. the 18th of September,
was brought to know what that
means Of which we read in holy scrip
ture about cutting off the right hand
and plucking out the right eye. 1t
was my dreadful duty to pronounce
sentence Of deposition from the min
stery on my oldest son and first born
child. whom had admitted to the dia-
conate some seven months before with
so much JOY" And his brother. who
is now Episcopal Bishop of Albany,
| looked upon the matter in the same
light. He lived. however. to be the
chief mOulrler of the funeral of this
| convert whose earnest devotion to
duty and whose upright life lead thou
sands who mOurnetl, to love. Mgr.
D0une was one of those men who fol-
lowed duty as he saw it and nothing
existed that could change him from
that purpose In those days to become
IL Catholic was undoubtedly severe
disappointment to the father who look
ell for greater things as he understood
them. He pleaded with his son but
to no purpose. This son lived, an I'M
compromising advocate of his chosen
religion. but he was never intOlerant.
Those outside the church never lost
their regarl for him. His life was an
example of the fact that converts are
the most untiring in their efforts to
further the interests Of the church. AS
Cardinal Newman and Manning were
great among the Cardinals Of the
church, although both had started In
life taught to despise that church, SO
Mgr. Doane, in his more humble posi-
ton. was great among his associates.