The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-24
HIS WORKS PRAISE HIM IN THE GATES

The public and splendid manifestation ofsgrati
tude, veneratiom and love which the people of San
Francisco gave last week to Archbishop Rordan
constitutes an epoch il the history of the diocese
Custom has made the twenty-ifth anniversary of
a priests ordination bishops conservation
time of jubilee and thanksgiving, and time when
it is permitted to the people to publicly show their
love and admiration for pastor who for quarter
of a century wore the white lily of spotless life
1t is time of oratons and panegyries when by the
voice of their orators the people give tongue to
their admiration of righteousness justice and char
ity, tabernacled in him whom they honor and pro
claim worthy to be praised The celebration of the
Silver Jubilee of the conservation of Archbishop
Riordan was popular canonization and per-
haps the greatest demonstration of admiration and
affection ever shown to any one man in the United
States west of the Missouri.
If any proof demanded of the immeasur-
able work wrought by the Archbishop in California
this uprising of the city of San Francisco armed
with gratitude and affection, would be enough.
Who could doubt that the great multitude of his
personal friends, the great multitude of those who
had been instructed consoled and won to God by the
mequaled beauty of his character and the irrisis-
table persuasion of his Speech who could doubt that
the completion of his twenty-five years of be-
nlgn and prudent government they would fail to
pour out the love and gratitude of their hearts
But that the public voice of California, political
and religious, in all its dversties should for once
unite in love and admiration for man. and that
all malevolence should pass into good will is indeed
one of the social marvelS of our time and country
II ha
life, it is also noble proof of the justice. equity
and uprightness of the people of California. In
generating and paying homage to the great Arch
bishop, the state has unconsciously honored itself
1t is too soon to measure the work wrought by the
Archbishop of San Francisco. The penetrating in
fuence of his delightful personality has pervaded
all classes After he has passed to his reward there
will be those who will record the history of his great
life and all that he has done for his people
His works praise him in the gates" Institu-
tions of learning and charity schools churches col
eges and orphanages, the increasing Christianity in
his diocese, all proclaim his fidelity to the duties
Of his exalted office. Bound to his priests by ties
stronger than those of human kindred knowing the !
sacrifices they have made of human love and human |
ambition, and all that the world holds DEAR his pa
ternal heart has always gone out to them, even as
the heart of Divine Lord went out to the young
man of the gospel "Whom when he say" writes the
evangelist che loved" Hence his priests were so
deeply devoted to him that that day of Jubilee
they rejoiced and prayed that God might leave him
with them for many years.
The history of California will hereafter record
the name of Patrick William Riordan among the
greatest of its people, as confessor for the faith
a great teacher of men, preacher of justice of
piety, of compassion.