The Irish standard., 1909-01-30
zAFAMoUs JESUIT.
Is Rev. William o'5rien Pardow, SD.
Passes Away.

u, who was stricken with pneu-
lonia, early last week, died early yes
,rday morning at st. Vincent's Hos
ttal, says the Sunday Sun Of Jan. IL.
:aSsuffered a severe chill last Sunday,
it was not thought to be dangerously
TOR several days after that. On FRI
~, however, his condition became so
srious that his physician decided to
ave him taken to the hospital. Fri
az night he grew steadily worse and
Is life was despaired of several hours
efore he passed away.
iii the death Of Father Pardow tho
atholic Church in America has lost a
ian who was regarded by many peg
ons high in Church authority as The
best preacher the Church possessed
l.. this country. For a number #
ears, at all events, his sermons ind
ctures had been very largely attend
dswherever announced, and his elo-
uence, no less than the frankness
18th which he expressed himself on
arious public questions Of the ho1r,
ad made him as we'll known as any
satholic clergyman in America.
Perhaps the sermon that created
lost discussion was one that Father
'ardow delivered in the Cathedral i'll
Iarch, 1908, on 'The Revolt Of Science
rom the Catholic Church" In this
ermon he denied th"t the Church d.
fred to abridge liberty of thought.
s"The only person." said he, with
omplete liberty Of thought is the I'M
utored savage. He can think the moon
made Of green cheese if he so desires
nd that the stars are pinholes in the
ilue paper of heaven. Then science
ONES to him and says dogmatically
hat he is either a fool or an idiot IN
sss he consents to tetter his mind
nth the conclusions OF science. Yet
cience is opposed to the Church be-
ause she is dog1natfc. There is MOTH
ng the Church so much invites IS
air investigation, but Investigation
which starts in with a preconceived
opposition is merely wasting time. The
Pope has thrown open the vast treas
Tres Of the Vatican and virtually says:
Study these manuscripts and If y,u
ind anything there to the discredit of
he present or past Popes blazen it
-prth to the world. But your pro-
tournaments must Le facts, not con-
ectures' Cannot God reveal things
10 the world that can be accepted as
truths just as we'll as Huxley, Tynda,l
Ind Darwin? If he has done so should
lot His truths be accepted dogmati-
'Sally?'
EgIn the same sermon Father Pardow
Aealt with the case Of Calico. declar-
ing that the Church's condemnation OF
ialileo was as an interpreter of the
lime he delivered this sermon and the
lectures referred to, Father Pardow
was attached to the Church of st. Ig-
hatius Loyola.
AT the time Of his death Father Par
low was over 81 years of age. Despite
certain physical limitations he was q
Striling looking man. He must have
seen the smallest priest of all the local
Results, for he stood scarcely five feet
three inches and his figure was rs
slender as boys. But one had
scarcely to look at him to see that
mere was the possessor Of a command
Ing intellect. In his later years he was
auite bald, and the absence Of hair
sevealed all the more clearly head
chat was almost Websterian, it's chief
features being the extraordinary ca
soacity Of the skull just over the tenn
Piles. His features were finely CHS
oiled and classic, indicating him to be-
khe aristocrat that he was. His dyes
were dark and full, and his face pos
alter.
In the pulpit Father Pardow was ut
his very best. He spoke slowly TN l
sxtemporaneously, except for the use
ola few notes which he had scrubbed
upon small slips of cardboard and
which he slowly tore into fragments,
spne by one, as he passed the various
divisions of his discourse. He oos-
,sessed a voice whose strength was
out of all proportion to the size of his
body. 1t was both deep and sweet and
Its least intonation could be heard to
the furthest corner of St, Patrick's Ca.
thedral, where he often preached lur-
ing the lifetime of Archbishop Corri-
gan, with whom he was in big favor.
Father Pardow was rot only an ora
tor. He was also scholar of great
attainments. An olnnivorous reader
ihA prided himself on his accuracy of
i!diction, laying much stress upon the
finest standings of the words, a char