Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-05-26
WELCOME TO BISHOP RICE
Reception for New Head of Cath
Ole Church in Vermont.
DISTINGUISHED Guest Of the Evening
Expressed Hts Appreciation of the
Cordial Sentiments Voiced by
Representative Speakers.
Fifteen hundred people attended the

lington to the Rt. Rev. Joseph j. Rice.
-. ~. recently consecrated bishop of
the diocese of Burlington which in
cludes the entire state Of Vermont.
representatives. of the city State and
United states united in welcoming
him, and the large audience was made
up OF members of all combinations.
a feature of the evenings program
was the presentation of a purse to the
bishop and an informal reception at
the close at which the bishop met those
present
The stage was decorated with Amer
lean flags and the bishops color. pur-
pie. was festooned over head. The
bishop was seated In the certer, with
the RI. Rev J. NJ. Cloarec on his right
and Mayor j. r.. Burke on the left.
Others seated In the first row wero
exGov. T.. A. Woodbury.. Col. r. w.
Jones. Collector Of Customs Charles
n. Darling. Lieut. Gov. John A. Mead.
the Rev. p. ]. Barrett, Major y. l..
Tate and the Hon. c. p Smith. About
80 other leading business and profess
sional men Of the city including many
clerCymen were also seated on tho
stage. Neither Gov. C. H. ProutY nor
Pres. NJ II. Buckhan1 Of the univer-
sity was able to be present, as in
tended. because of Illness
Mayor Burke presided at tho exer.
cises and in a few words welcomed
! the head of the Catholic Church in
Vermont on behalf of the people Of
| Burlington. He said by their large
| attendance at the reception that even
| ing they showed their sentiment, with
| his, that the reign of Bishop Rice
might be a long one.
After a selection by Watermans or
chestra. Lieut. Gov. Mead was intro
duced He welcomed the bishop on
! behalf of the state and spoke OF the
| efforts to make a new and better Yer
mont and of the states resources. He
said that Vermont was first in the pro-
duction of marble. granite lime and
| among the first in maple sugar dairy
| products, etc. but said that no success
could he permanent without spiritual
aid, and that he welcomed Bishop Rice
as one who was to lead the people
| along those avenues.
| The Hon. G.. II. Darling next spoke
and said that the custom of giving a
public reception to the bishop was a
| beautiful one and he believed that
nothing would touch him more deeply
than this welcome to his new work.
| It could not but encourage and
stimulate him to better efforts.
| He spoke of the close relations be-
tween the government and religion.
and said that the United States had
more than 30,oO0O0o church communi-
cants and that the strongest guaran-
tee that the people had of the
faithful and loyal service Of the President
WAS the oath he took so help me God,
land that the same thing was true OF
the Supreme Court Judges and the chief
! Lawmakers of the country. He also men
toned tho great work being done
, throughout the country by the churches,
the ,naiNt ca nance of schools, hospitals
and colleges. With the continued sup
port of the peopls the new head could
he productive of great good ard ne hoped
that the good done would be as Cathohc
as the church itself.
NJ. p. Mcmahon then presented to the
bishop the purse on behalf Of the la'ty
and said that the laity was now assist
| Ing the clergy as never before ana mat
| this was evidenced by the layren's mis-
sonary movement. which Included the
whole civilized world. The purse was a
token which spoke for tho hearty CO.
operation which would exist between the
laymen and the bishop.
Miss r. I.oretto MulQueen then render
ed the soprano solo, In All Eternity,
in an excellent manner. She was assisted
by the Misses Jordan on the flute and
cello. G. n. Wilder played the accom-
panment on the piano. Tho solo was
followed by the singing Of the TIE Deum
by the 81. Joseph's choir, under the d.
rec ,ion ri r.. J, Reaupre. The entire or
chestra Hseiet,1 ar.l T. O. Beaupre off
al at the piano.
The last speaker was Bishop Rice. As
he arose there was hearty applause which
lasted for several minutes. The bishop S
| remarks were repletc with humor which
did not fail to arouse many rounds Of
laughter and appla use. He prefdcod his
| remarks by apolosiz!ng for taking "a lit
| tie taste OF the liquid. discovered by sam
uel de Champlain" He then spoke feel
lingly of the reception rendered him by
the loyal sons and daughters If Yer
mont and said that he should always re
member II as one of the pieasanteSt events
! of his life. Without it he could not hut hc
happy in what he characterized as tine
| most charmingly beautiful spot I'm III"
United States, whore heaven and earth
seemed to vie with each other IN showing
| the handiwork of Cod" Even this pleas
ure was enhanced by efopening of the
hearts OF the people toward him and he
accepted it as a tribute to the holy office
which he held, and to the sterling worth
of his predecessors.
lie said that there was no greater
pleasure in life than the establish
ment of cordial relations between man
kind He prided himself that. In leav-
Ing former focks he left many Of the
staunchost friends outside as we'll as
inside his parish, In speaking o,
meeting the many at the informal re
ception to follow. he laughingly apol'
ogized for the forgetting Of some OF
the faces afterward and said that those
so forgotten could console themselye.
with the thought that the remembers
ones were probably possessed Of som,
popularity such as a hair lip on mar
or the absence of rat on woman.
At the reception. which followed
nearly every one in the hall awaite,
an opportunity Of meeting Bishop Ric'
and the long line took nearly half al
hour to pass down one aisle on to III,