The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-01
BISHOP sPALDING.
Eminent Churchman Will Pass Sixty.
Seventh Milestone Tomorrow.
Associated Press to The Evening Times,

Eminent Churclman Will Pass Sixty.
Seventh Milestone Tomorrow.
Associated Press to The Evening Times.
Peoria, ILL.,, June Tomorrow will
be the sixty-seventh birthday of one
OF the most interesting and brilliant
members of the Roman Catholic epis-
copacy in America-John Lancaster
Spalding, bishop of Peoria. There will
be no celebration of the anniversary,
owing to the grave condition Of Bishop
Spalding's health. Nearly two years
ago he suffered stroke of paralysis,
from which he has never recovered.
Since then he has spent most Of the
time under treatment in a sanitarium,
but there has been little noticeable
improvement in his condition and it is
feared that the able prelate will never
resume his clerical duties.
Bishop Spalding comes of a family
that for generations has occupied a
high place in Roman Catholic annals
In Europe and America. The first of
the family to come to America came
over with Lord Baltimore, so that
Bishop Spalding can lay pretty good
claim to the title of American. His
uncle was the celebrated Archbishop
Spalding of Baltimore.
John Lancaster Spalding was born
in Kentucky and received his first
education in that state. He also spent
some time in Emmettsburg, and SUBJ
sequently studied for five years at
Mount st. Marys, Cincinnati, which
was then under control OF the cell
ebrated Bishop Rosecrans. He stud
led theology in Louvain, where he was
ordained in 1863 After his ordina-
tion he took a special course of study
In the Belgian college at Rome and
returned to Louisville in 1865. He
was assigned to the cathedral in that
city and, in addition to his missionary
duties, also acted as secretary to
Bishop Lavialle.
He was named by Archbishop Blan-
chet of Oregon as his theologian at the
second plenary council of Baltimore
in 1866. He was also made one of
the preachers of the council, though
he was the youngest theologian in that
assemblage. A short time afterward
he went to New York. where for a
time he was engaged in writing biog-
raphy of his uncle, the Archbishop of
Baltimore. He was later connected
with st. Michael's church. New York,
and 1t was, here, that his fame as a
preacher was established 1t was
Father Spalding's custom to preach
the Sunday evening sermon, and be-
fore he had done so very often his
reputation as concise and logical
speaker. possessed of fund of flu
ency. became so we'll known that it
was impossible almost to find stand
ing room at his lectures.
In May, 1877, Father Spalding re-
ceived remarkable and unusual hon
or, being raised from a curator to a
bishop, and sent to the Peoria diocese,
which was at that time quite scat
tered. There were fifty-one churches
scattered all over the entire territory,
three of which were in the little town
of Peoria itself. Within the compar-
atively short space of fifteen years
Bishop Spalding had increased the
number of churches to 100, with fifty
schools and academies, seven hospi-
tails, two orphan asylums. a home for
aged people, college and nearly 200
priests. The diocese today is consid-
cred one OF the best organized in
America