The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-11-18

more blessed and his work fruitful
he future.
This noon the ladies of the paris
ave dinner to the visiting prizes
t the Knights of Columbus hall tn;
was sumptuous spread goes witt
mt saying.
Congratulatory Letters.
The following coneratilatory lcttc
we're received by Father Hughes:
Toronto, Canada. November |,
l9l0.-Very Rev. Robert Hughes.
Church of st. John. Mankato, Mimi.
!. Dear Father Hughes: Il have
your invitation to participate in
the Jubilee festivities, and regret
very much that / shall not be able
to- he there i'm the flesh, though l.
certainly shall be present in spirit.
All your friends on this side of
Canada will pray with us on that
morning as Justify as our forces
viii permit, sad mnltos Almost"
Faithfully yours in Christ, A. F..
Burke. president of the Catholic
Church Extension society of Can
ada.
st. Paul. MIMI. November 2.
l9l0.-Rev. II. Hughes Dear
Father: thank you for Your
kind invitation to take part in
the celebration of the twenty-fffth
anniversary of your ordination.
shall not be able to beiin Mankato
on that suspicious day. Permit me,
however, to wish you many years
yet to labor in the holy ministry;
many blessings from Heavcnduring
those years so that what remains
to you of your earthly life be as
fruitful in good works ass that por.-
ton of it which is now consigned
to the past. Very sincercly,;'John
Ireland. aatst z :.i
Montreal. November 2, 1916
Rev. Robert Hughes. Church of ST.
John, MankatO. MINI. Dear Father
Hughes: / am very thankful to
yon for your kind invitation to
the various celebrations in connec-
ton with the twenty-flfth anniver-
sary of your ordination to the holy
priesthood. The distance separat-
ing us being so far. it will be quite
impossible for me to attend.
am happy to send you my con-
ordinations, and my blessing. that
God may keep you cad multos
amos" in His vineyard. | am
dear father. respectfully yours,
Paul Arch. of Montreal.
Chicago. November 5. l9l0.-The
Rev. Robert Hughes, Church of st.
John. Mankato. MINI. Dear Father,
Robert: One of the earliest recel-
lections l have is of seeing you in
my fathers house, saying good
bye" when you were leaving the,
island to study for the priest
hood. l can shut my eyes and see
you standing there, shaking hands
with my mother. After YOU had
left the house, | remember her.
telling me, in an awe-struck sort
of a way, how far you We're GO
ing. away and that you We're going,
to devote your life to God, ,:+.
You know / always believed that
apparently insignificant little affair
had a good deal to do with my
own vocation.
Knowing this, You can imagine
with what pleasure | salute the
twenty-ffth anniversary of your
ordination. and wish you many,
many more years of usefulness in
the service of the Altar. Few
priests have more useful lives to
look back upon, and the blessing
of it all is that you still have
your health and strength; your
zeal and your energy, to 90 on and
make new conquests of hearts and
souls.
/ cannot be with You at Man
kato on November 10. I will be
very far away. for duty is sending
me out to the Pacific coast on
business of great. Importance for
the society; but if l cannot be
there, I will remember Just the
same, wherever I am. and while
that solemn high mass is going on,
I will try to join in the prayers
that ascend from the sanctuary
for your continued spiritual and
temporal prosperity. With best
wishes, I am faithfully your friend,
Francis c. Kelley. ~
Career of Father Hughes. 49,.
Father Hughes was born; in Prime,
dward Island. Canada, in 1858, as th,
d family bible leaves witness. 1t j
teresting to know that this bible wa
by his father with the frs
70 pounds he earned of his own. i
lows the serious turn of mind of tn,
,ung man who was to become th'
ther of two priests. a sister in re
sion, and two physicians. The .chil'
baptism was named Robert. for hi
aternal grandfather. The Hon.. Rob
t Moony who is remembered as M
oquent parliamentary speaker, anc
lie of the most active supporters o.
e splendid free school system, thai
i'll obtains on the island.
His Desire to Become a Priest.
As boy Father Hughes attended
e district school, after which he made