The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-12-11
Franciscan Centenary Solemn
Service,

No ceremony ever held within th'
walls of ST. Elizabeths church at
tracted the interest that. was manifest
ed this week at the observation OF tn
seventh centenary of the FRANCISCAN
order. Catholics from every parlsi
fiocked to the West Side church to par
ticipate. and the best known pulpl
orators in Denver lent assistance II
making the services attractive.
Eastern churches have centenarles o.
their own in the communities, WheIt
Catholicity dates back for consldera'
bic time but in Colorado Christianity
is practically new and the cycle OF one
hundred years will not be completed lol
some time to come. But the Francis.
can order dates its existence from me-
dieval times, and it was in celebration
of the seventh centenary of the found
ing Of the order that the services were
held in Denver.
On Monday morning at oclocy the
Dominican Fathers from st. Dominic
church celebrated the mass. The emil
dren's choir from St Elizabeth'S school
furnished the music, and the sancuta-
ry was especially pretty. Christmas
greenery was twined about the hand
some altar. and the Christmas colors
red and green, presented an attractive
appearance Father Valley, y. T..
superior of the local branch of the Do
minican order, was celebrant. Father
Kircher, O. p, acting pastor of st. Do
minic's church. was deacon, and Father
Wulstan. o. T. NJ, of st. Elizabeth 5
was sub-deacon. There was no sermon.
The left side of the church, in front of
the Blessed Virgins altar, was reserved
for the children, and the remainder OF
the auditorium was open to the gen.
eral public. On Mondty evening sol
emn vespers were chanted at 7:45
o'clock. and a sermon by Father Viii
liam O'Ryan of st. Leo's church fol-
lowed. Mondays program was in the
hands of the Redemporist Fathers from
st. Joseph's church, with Father Cahlll,
c. S. S. r., as celebrant. There was a
sermon by Father J. j. Donnelly of st.
Francis de Sales parish in the even
ing. On Wednesday Bishop NJ. c.
Matz officiated at pontical high mass,
and that evening the sermon was by
Father Thomas II. Malone. Through
out the celebration interest was keen,
and ii was a sourceof eradication to the
Franciscan priests, who have done a
great deal for the advancement of the
church in the diocese of Denver.
1t was in 1909 that st. Francis of As
sisi founded the order of Franciscan
monks in the valley Of Spoleto, in Italy
At first it was an order for men, and
later an organization of women was
launched, known as the Poor Clares.
Still later the holy man established the
third order for all classes of people,
who were to live in their own families.
In the work of the saint there were
two principal ideas incorporated. First,
it was the glory of God and the saliva
ton of souls; secondly. social reform,
designed TO eliminate the class hatred
prevalent in the wake of the feudal
system.
His life was truly Christlike that
men of every religion and of no religion
at all have never ceased to hail him as
the most faithful follower of Christ the
world has known. Tennyson, in his IA
nous poem "Rocksyly Hail." that
scored so fercely social conditions of his
time, cried out:
Sweet Saint Francis of Assist, would
that he were here again"
Strict Roman Catholic that he was
his life has been written by Protestant
by a Salvation Army cap
tain and by the freest of free thinkers.
Roman the atheist, wrote exquisitely of
him, and perhaps his greatest cham
pion today is that doughty Protestant
divine, Paul SSabatier, the man who is
chiefly responsible for the great Fran
ciscan revival of our day.
The Franciscan order has been prom
inently connected with the introduc-
ton of Christianity into this country.
Fra Juan Perez was the friend of CO.
lumbus and accompanied him on his
second voyage. Fra Junpere Sierra and
the Franciscans labored in California
Fra Francisco Escalants was the first
of Colorado in 1776 The town
Of Escalante, in southern Colorado, is
named after him.
The Franciscans settled in Denver
1887 They have built up the parish of
St. Elizabeth, including church. school
and parish hall, and there are many
1uorishing societies attached. Father |
Francis was the builder. The martyred |
Father Leo was the third pastor. Faith |
7r Bernard is in charge at present The |
Third Order is also established here |
The Franciscan Sisters are strong in |
his and every state of the Union. Here |
hey have St Antony's hospital. st |
Ciare's orphanage, st. Roses home for |
business girls. st. Francis hospital in |
colorado Springs, st. Elizabeth's school. |
Denver, and Sacred Heart orphanage.
'ueblo. Schools at Longmont and |
Louisville are fourishing. The fathers
rave missions along the Union Pacifis.
Rock Island and c. & s. railroads.
Iridium.
Ranking with the centenary calet,ro