The Irish standard., 1909-07-10
An Eloquent and Touching Tribute to the Memory o.
the Late Prelate of Winona by the Archbishop
of St. Paul.
REVIEW OF HIS NOBLE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Today the Diocese of Wnona Stands Forth One of the
Prosperous and Fourishng Dioceses
of America.
hope for reder1ption.

!, hope for redemption.
What is man, what is the purpose
Of his passage across the earth? Re-
ligion gives the reply, repeating in it's
message the revelation of eternal
truth and simultaneously giving voice
to natures deepest instincts, to reasons
loudest clamorinss. Man is a being of
body and Of soul, the body emerging
from the dust of the earth, and unto
dust returning, the soul, spirit of the
immediate breathing of the Almighty
author Of all things, fashioned to His
own image and likeness, made to be
immortal once created destined never
to die. The stay of man upon earth is
the preparation for Eternity, the battle
against evil being waged under the
eye of the Omniscient, with help from
His omnipotent love. the measure of
merit being that of the performance
Of duty, as pre1eribed by the.supreme
Master, the j,tdsss.er,t Il spoken as
the soul freed from the schackles Of
mortality sees face to face the great
Judge. from whom issues the sentence
of love If it's inspirations have been lis
tened to on the field of combat, or
that Of Justice if those inspirations
have been spurned and the arms of
Righteousness forsaken by the combat
ant. Has man lived, as God willed-
there the value of life; there it's pur-
pose: thence it's ending in bliss for all
eternity in the presence of the AL
mighty God Himself.
Must we mourn without consolation
as we bid farewell to our beloved
Bishop Cotter?
AS the mortal man, he has paid the
penalty of his mortality; as the i'm
mortal man, he has gone to the Eter-
nal God. whom he served. as best he
! might while pilgrimaging upon earth.
o eternal Judge, with the hope which
thy promises beget, with the knowl-
edge of the manner of life of our de-
parted friend which is ours from daily
observation of words and acts, we bid
him go forth to the throne of judg-
ment to hear the divine salute-"Well
done, good and faithful servant; enter
now into the JOY of the Lord"
A beautiful life was that of Bishop
Cotter-pure Of stain as the newly fall
len snow. linpid in it's coursings as
| the brightest of rvulets, moving ever
F., with utter singleness Of purpose. re-
joicing ever in the effusion of sweet
est love, in the outpouring of others
! love i'll return for his own. freighted
! every day with deeds of righteousness
| and of charity, the more resplendent
! services to religion and to humanity,
! as years deepened his powers of in
| fuence, and growth of opportunity
| opened wider range to the spread of his
fragrant activity.
He was the kindliest Of men--ever
in this regard the self-same, whether
as the young man struggling with the
vicissitudes Of the world, whether as
the. priest working in a parish. or the
bishop ruling over a. diocese. He won
| all hearts by, the sweetness Of his love
his will and purport of action was ever
| to please, to serve. He passed by do
ing good. No enemies had he: none
could have been so vile as to hate one
| so incapable of hatred, to revile one
SO incapable Of doing injury. so in
tent on efforts to avoid giving displeas-
| ure. -
He was most. resolute In the accom-
plishment of duts, most self sacrificing
/ in the obedience to it. Need recall
the earlier years of his priesthood In
Winona, when the flock he tended was
poor of the poverty of pioneer settlers
when the territory committed to his
! pastoral care was vast In extent. al.
most inaccessible in the rudeness Of it,
roadways: Did he ever complain? Die
he ever hesitate to rush whithersoevel