Evening journal., 1909-07-12
TRIBUTE TO
LATE BISHOP
Mass in Memory of RI. Rev.
Alfred A. Curtis at The
Cathedral
BISHOP MONAGHAN
WAS CELEBRANT

Nft1 OLLLDthfllh
The annual ponthcal mass OF requiem in,
memory Of the late Bishop Alfred A. Cur
It's. OF the Catholic diocese. was celebrated
in 81. Peters Cathedral Sixth and West
streets, this morning. The mass was very
largely attended. the Cathedral being al
most wholly occupied
For those who were personally ac-
auainted with the late bishop the cere-
monies we're most touching. while for
those who know the late bishop only as
one OF the most beloved churchmen Of
Delaware they were in accord with their
Impressions of him IN their impressive
ness. A border of Grape about the sane
tuary was the only visual sign Of mourn
Ing.
The office for the dead was recited at
o'clock and the celebration Of the mass
began at 10 O'Clock. The celebrant was
Bishop John j. Monaghan. The other Of
ficers Of the mass we're the Rev DR.. VIII
liam Temple Of st. Ellzabeth's Church,
deacon; the Rev. John Connolly, Of st.
Thomas Church. sub-dcacon' the Very
Rev. Dr. d. J. FLYNN. president Of Mt. ST..
Marys College. Emmittsburg, Md, and
Father Fromentin OF the Salesianum, dea-
cons Of honor. and the Rev. John j.
Dougherty. master of ceremonies.
The preacher was the Rev. Edward
Mickle. of Cape Charles, Va, close
friend OF the late bishop durins 30 years.
Father MiclSle paid most touching tri-
butte TO Bishop Curtis.
Representatives Of number Of societies
attended the mass as individuals. The girls
OF the Blessed Virgin Sodality OF the Cath
edral were present in body In the san
ctuary during the celebration Of the mass
we're the Rev. Edward L. Brady. the Rev.
Frank u. Connolly, the Rev. James Nc
Sweeney, the Rev. John Mccarthy. OF
Philadelphia, the Rev Charles McGold-
rick, of Centerville, the Rev. Eugene Muir
ply, Of Easton. Md. the Rev. James
Mooney, OF Delaware city. the Rev.
Father Isenring and Father Mahoney, OF
the salesianum.
In his tribute to the late Bishop, Father
Mickle said in part;
FATHER MICKELs SERMON.
let MS consider Bishop Curtis not
as the priest. not as the bishop, not
even as the Catholic, but let us divest
him. as it We're, of all these and con-
slider Alfred Curtis simply as the man.
such as he would have been had he
been born in a far-off country and
had never been blessed with tho
knowledge of the supernatural life. ]
knew him for thirty years. knew him
as a son knows his father, rather than
f "a "a f.f.iarf 1rrgtsIr his l,fgi,,f, TpIooT
we all looked up TO him in this species
of relationship rather than otherwise.
Bishop Curtis ever impressed one
with the firmness of a rock or of a
mountain. All his ideas were big.
and he was not tolerant of anything
petty or small. 1t naturally follows
that such man was courageous, and
Bishop Curtis had indeed courage. hut
courage as a supernatural rather thar
as n natural virtue. AS a boy he dis
played indomitable courage. He knew
no obstacle. The very fact that despite
obstacles to his education. he persisted
in his studies and became a really
great scholar gives MS an insight I,
his extraordinary courage.
"a white lie. even I'm Jest, Bishoy
Curtis would not abide, although he
was very alive to humor. His slight.
est promise TO do a thing could al.
ways be relied upon and he is the only
person ever met of whom / was alb
solutly sure on all occasions.
Bishop Curtis narrowly escaped
paganism. He did not step into tbs
Catholic Church from the Protestant
Church directly. but he stepped int,
tho Catholic Church from darkness
and misery following his renunciation
1t was often evident that he had Z,
fight desperately against temptations
and Il was due to that fact that h'
had such kindness and sympathy foi
the weak He was known, indeed, fo
the wildness of his temper in youth
and this temper would sometimes
show as he preached. But very Of
ten he was preaching TO himself an,
he keenly felt such to be the case
What suits me. suits no one else
quote from one of his letters In thi
we see him as one not OF another clay
but as one of ourselves whom we cal
strive TO emulate.
"His retrospective power was power
fully strong and his ideal was perfec
ton.
81 do not say that Bishop Curtis
goodness could have been possibl
without religion but all his qualitie
were perfected by his religious AM
other qualities added. God first mad
him a man and then called to the ser
vice of His church and His priests an
/; people have thanked God that for ou
. bishop He gave us such a man."