The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-06-04
"CRADLE OF BISHOPS
Name Given to St. Johns Parish
Rochester, MINI.


gelists, Radisson and Graseilliers, to
the resplendent celebration at St.
Mary's chapel, the st. Paul seminary,
which marked the accession of six
new bishops to the ranks of the epis-
copacy. And throughout these two
centuries and half the august plans
of Providence have been unfolded
with unusual favor and significance.
There is one chapter of this unique
history which reached it's elimination
in the skiold ceremony of May 10,
and which is deserving of special men,
ton. 1t tells the remarkable story
of how a comparatively small parish
in southern Minnesota has given to
the Church three bishops, how under
the inspiration and influence of a
parish priest who has since become
one of the most distinguished men,
bers of the American hierarchy. ST..
Johns parish, Rochester. Mimi, has
justly won for itself the right to be
known as "the Cradle of Bishops"
The pioneer Catholics of Olmsted
county and their children love to re-
call the coming of a young priest to
Rochester in the early sixties. The
town was then small but promising.
The railroad had just been extended
from Winona and settlers were pour
ing in, eager to obtain a foothold in
this garden spot of the whole north
west. Catholic settlements were FORM
ed to the east, the west and the south
of the village, and one of them, ST.
Bridget's settlement to the north, a
church had already been built. In
Rochester itself, however, there was as
yet no place of worship. The young
priest was obliged to say Mass in a
hall OH Sundays, while his week days
were divided among the outlying dis
tricts where frequently the humble
farmers abode-not unlikely the hero
ic log-hut-served for the nonce as
temple in which the sublime mys-
teries were celebrated.
This was a new experience for a
young priest Of refinement and Gull
ture, fresh from his studies in the
south of sunny, polished France
Hitherto he had never lived the life
or known the environment of a rural
people. The parishioners were just
starting life. They had come for the
most part from the Emerald ISLE
And though temporal goods and adj
vantages were things of hope and of
the future, these settlers, among whom
he labored, were rich in the actual
possession of faith, courage and good
will.
But the energetic young pastor, who
from the very first had created a pro-
found impression, soon set about the
erection of suitable church in the
thriving village. His efforts every
where met with cordial support, and
in a very short time the new struc-
ture was ready for divine service It
was, not a large church, but it was
beautifully and solidly built of ma
tive stone, and at once became the
pride of the town. And heartily did
both pastor and people rejoice that the
altar of God at length reposed under
worthy roof erected by them as their
first offering to the Most High, far
from the land Of their fathers in the
distant region of their new home.
And now on Sundays, for miles
around in every direction, the faithful
f1ocked to Mass The Lord prospered
the new parish; and the zeal. devotion
and sanity life of the young priest
were blessed with abundant fruit The
fame of the ST. Johns pulpit-for st.
John the Evangelist was the patron
of the ne3 church-had already spread
far and wide among the settlers. Fa-
theirs and mothers, no matter how far
the distance to church, would al
low nothing to interfere with their
going to the late Mass on Sunday, and
the young people We'd with their ell
ders in attendance Nom Catholics
the judge, lawyer, the doctor and the
merchant, We're almost equally assid-
uous in being present to listen to the
thrilling eloquence of the gifted
speaker.
Nor were the stirring sermons Of
those days. in any sense, of the se1.
sational kind. The doctrine preached
was Catholic through and through.
The truths of the olden faith were
presented with such consummate
charm and unfeigned sincerity that it
went straight to the mind and heart
of the congregation. And what is
more, after events have proved that
those who sat in the pews of St. Johns
church during the years of that ear
ly pastorate, have carried with them