The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-12-22
His Work in America Was most Wonder
ful Achievement in the Field of
Ecclesiastical Endeavor.
How He Vanquished James Anthony Froude,
the English Historian, in Their
Memorable Controversy.

In his personal recollections Of Faith
er Tom Burke, the noted Dominican
priest. Rev. II. Il. Lilly, 0. p, has con-
tributed the following to the Domin-
lean Year Book Gor 1907:
If the Catholic Church in America
should ever erect a Temple Of Fame,
ono of it's important riches should be
assigned to a. man whose connection
with the Church in the United States
was both transient and accidental,-
the distinguished Irish Dominican.
Father Tom Burke. During his brief
lsojourn in America, hardly sixteen
months, his name became a household
word, not only throughout the various
states OF the Union, but wherever the
English language is spoken. Long be-
fore his arrival in this country Faith
or Burke had attained pre-eminence
as a pulpit orator, During the years
Of his residence at Rome, one or the
intellectual treats which English
speaking visitors to tho Eternal City
promised themselves was to hear tho
gifted Dominican.
In Ireland, his fame had reached it's
O'Connell. Here was one case, at least,
zenith in tho natcllless Grafton on
in which the culogist came fully UP to
the requirements of the great occasion
But, after all, it was only in America.
that he found a fitting field for the dis
play of his marvellous gifts. Previous
to his coming here, the world had many
opportunities of admiring the hrilliancS
OF his attainents; but very few, COM
paratively, had any conception of their
varied and vast extent. The work which
he performed in America, whether we
consider it as a. manifestation Of in
tellcctual activity or of physical cndur
ance, will so on record as tho most
wonderful achievement OF our times III
tlle field OF ecclesiastical cndcavor.
And when we remember that his work
was performed by a. man OF frnIl con.
stitution who subsstcd. habitually, on
barely sufficient nourishncnt to sus-
tain life, we arc forced to recall The
assurance that mot III bread alone
dotl, man live 1t has been estimated
that during his stay in America no do
livered nearly four hundred lectures
besides his sermons, and whilst this
estimate seems excessive it is probably
not far from tho actual truth. His lee
lures rarely lasted moro than an hour
and a half, and he said, himself, that
he never preached over an hour with.
out regrettlng it," His ordinary Sum
day. sermons We're always we'll within
that limit.
The proceeds Of his lectures i'm Amer
lea ran up to near half a million dol
lars. OF this enormous sum, lie him
self received only Il trife; and, indeed,
in the beginning. 1t had not occurred
to him to profit by his American mis-
sion at all; for lle came here purely
on business connected with his Or
der. At the General Chapter of Client.
held in 1871, it was determined to send
a visitor 10 st. Joseph's Province. and
the Master General, who had unlimit-
ed confidence in the zoal and discretion
Of Father Burke, selected him for the
important post. His first care, there
fore. was tho visitation Of tho Prov
ince. That finished. he expected, no
doubt, to be called upon for an occa-
sional sermon or lecture: but the rtaul-
tiplicity Of applications that soon be-
gan to pour in upon him took him
completely by surprise. At first he ac-
cepted the "invitations' without any
understanding or promise Of recon-
pense, but it soon became evident that,
If he were to 60 back to Ireland alive,
some check must be placed on the de.
mands made upon him. His friends
suggested that, thenceforward, he
should exact for each pay lecture" a
regular fee Of two hundred dollars,