Evening star., 1908-01-13
EUl0eY OF FORMER PASTOR
FATHER McGUIGAN'S TRIBUTE
TO DIR. d. J. STAFFORD.
Address Of Acting Pastor >of St.
Patrick's Church on the Deceased
Priests Life Work.

Appreciation Of the late Dr. Denis j.
Stafford, former pastor of ST. Patrick's
Church. who was buried from that ediflce
last Tuesday, was expressed in an elo-
Quent sermon delivered to the congrega-
ton Of the church yesterday by Rev.
Thomas E. McGuigan. who has been act
ing rector since DR.. Stafford was first in
capacitated bv the illness which event
uallv caused his death. Father McGuigan
complimented the members of the congre-
CATION upon the hospitable spirit which
prompted them to give up their regular
pews SO that friends and admirers and
guests from afar. and men of high posi-
ton in the public life of Washington.
might gather in st. Patrick's to pay the
last tribute to DR.. Stafford. He spoke
also of the self-sacrifice of the members
of the Catholic societies of the District of
Columbia. who united to volunteer a
guard about the bier while the dead
priests body lay in state in the church.
In beginning his eulogy Of DR.. Stafford.
Father McGuiRan asked: 'Why all this
devotion. this reverence. this love: why
this universal homage of deep, personal
sorrow at the death of one of Gods
priests?
Il shall not try to answer this ques-
ton We may analyze character. we may
discern the wonderful gifts Of mind and
HSdTl lHdC SnQOW one. we may uWcI
upon the separate traits that make one
powerful and lovable. vet we cannot say
that personality is merely the sum of
them all. The wonderful influence OF DIR.
Stafford. so marked In life. so spontane-
ously acknowledged in DEATH is so much
explain.
His True Judgment.
I'm part it arose from his true judg-
ment. One could watch at the rectory.
day in and day out. the line Of people
that came and went. and could learn 1t
was a word of advice. counsel. an en-
couragement. a direction. that was asked.
His Judgment was true. An individual, q
family. an organization was set right. and
DR.. Stafford was the hidden influence
add to this his deep personal sympathy
in every single interest brought oefore
him. Only those who lived with him.
talked with him. chatted with him. could
sound the breadth and depth Of that heart
Of sympathy that made personal the grief
Of all men. and sought about for means
to assuage It, More than this, MS sym
pathy met men on the road TO success,
and his bright and buoyant congratula-
ton redorbled many an effort Of his fel-
low-men.
"If an influence was thus diffusing it
self among the people from what might
be considered natural traits. what could
priestly attalnments? His grasp of d.
vine truth. the result Of hard and con-
tinued study in Scripture. in theology,
in philosophy. in history. produced In
him an answering loyalty to the church.
so that her welfare whether off in the
islands OF the Pacific or right here at
home. was always foremost In his
thoughts and in his works. What hurt
religion hurt him. What advanced re-
ligion rejoced him.
mo less notable than his grasp OF
divine truth was his zeal to expound II.
More admirable to me was his earnest
ness and perseverance. oftentimes eio.
quence,, in explaining the teachings OF
the church to an individual In his office
than his power In preaching to the vast
concourse In church. An enthusiasm ema-
mated from him that caught all VINO
labored with him, that elevated and ideal
ICED his own duties and expelled Worka-
day routine. from every avenue OF en-
deavor.