Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-03-04
LouisviIle's Prelate Made Bril-
liant Responseto Church
and America.
Toast Given at Banquet Follow
ing Conservation of Bish-
0p Schrembs.
LOCAL RELATIVES RETURN HOME

Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Sayer and
children and Jacob Schrembs have
returned from Grand Rapids, Mich,
where they attended the consecra-
tion of Bishop Joseph Schrembs on
Washington's birthday. Mrs. Sayer
is a sister and Jacob Schrembs is a
brother of the new Bishop. The
Right Rev. Denis O'Donaghue,
Bishop of Louisville, also attended
the conservation ceremonies, and at
the banquet that followed the relig-
ious rite responded to the toast,
"The Church and America" Bishop
O'Donaghue said In part:
AN event like this turns atten-
ton to the church in this diocese
and to the church in general in this
great American republic. The first
Bishop appointed for the Mother See
of Baltimore passed away less than
one hundred years ago. The church
statistics for this country, just pub
lished, places the number of Bishops
at 100. The number now Is Ill, as
two have been consecrated today.
The number of priests now engaged
In the ministry in this country is a
little less than $4,000. In the first
Catholic directory, published in
1888, the names of but 22S priests
are given, and of this small number
six were credited to the Territory of
Michigan.
"The Catholic church has no
apology to offer for her existence
here. This continent lay hidden be-
tween two great oceans until the in
trepid Catholic mariner. Christopher
Columbus, turned his frail crafts to-
ward the setting sun and sailed
until ne reached its shores. The
church works in the open day, with
out schemes to foster or secrets to
conceaf. To slanderers she has no
word but pity; to her prosecutors;
the other cheek is turned. The
church stands and will forever
stands for the truths of revealed
religion; for justice, virtue and love
of home and country. She stands
as the divinely appointed guardian
of the family and the teacher and
protector of the child. With the evil
of divorce no compromise is pos
sible and from the crime of race
suicide she turns with instructive
horror. The church stands for the
education and training of youth in
the practice of Christian virtues and
in the knowledge of divine faith
necessary for salvation.
'In patriotic devotion to flag and
country Catholics have not been
wanting, showing themselves always
ready to answer the call Of the coun-
try In its day of need. When the
destructive civil war came to divide
these States into two republics, the
Catholic soldier stood shoulder to
shoulder by the side of his fellow
man in the dreadful conflict. In
the recent war with Spain common
religious faith did not. dampen the
ardor of the Catholic soldier who
fought on either side, and when the
battleship Maine went down in the
harbor of Havana the list OF the
lost began, the poet tells us, with
names of Kelly, Burke and Shea.
"The church here enjoys religious
freedom in common with other de-
nominations and has no favors to
ask. We pray that this peaceful
condition may continue. 1t is a
hopeful contrast with the present
conditions In other countries across
! the sea, where secret enemies con-
spire for the plunder of churches
and seek to annihilate every vestige
of religion. The church here is
confronted with an appealing re-
sponsibility. The harvest indeed Is
great and the laborers too few, but
trusting in the providence of God
and working faithfully, the golden
sheaves will be carried to the garden
OF paradise"
At the banquet Bishop Schrembi
was presented by the priests OF the
diocese with purse OF $2.500.