The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1912-03-15
Friday, March IS, 1912

friday, MarCn 10, 1917
Sermon Preached by Father Cunnane
at the Memorial Mass of the Late
Father DeWulf
The following is the sermon preached
at the Memorial Mass of the late
Father DeWulf at st. Vincent's
Church, Baltimore, on February 18th
By Rev. Joseph A. Cunnane.
Father DeWulf was pastor of st.
Mary's Church here for several years
and is well and favorably remembered
III this locality:
Our glory is this, the testimony of
our conscience that in simplicity of
heart, and sincerity of God and not in
carnal wisdom we have conversed in
this world, and more abundantly to-
wards you. AS also you have known
US in part, that we are your glory, as
you also are ours in the day of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Il. Cor. C. " 12-1D.
With these words the great Apostle,
Paul, prefaced his first Epistle to the
Corinthians, an Epistle in which he pic
tured to them and through them to all
the world the true character and glory
of the priestly ministry. Although he
had founded the Church in Corinth, and
had converted multitudes to the faith,
yet he declared that nothing of those
results came from human wisdom, but
from his preaching in simplicity of
heart, and sincerity of God, "Christ
Crucifed" and Him alone. No glory
did he assume as arising from himself
save from his conscience testifying to
the above fact; none other from men
than through their salvation in ''the
day of the Lord Jesus Christ" tThat
as it is written he says, she that
glorieth may glory in God
Under Christ, the great High Priest,
ST. Paul is the exemplar of every true
priest of God; for if the Apostle ex-
horted the faithful of the church saying
.'be We imitators of me as am Of
Christ how much more directly did
he address these words to the priests
destined to be his co-laborers in the
Lords Vineyard?
In no more intimate or efficacious
way could the Apostle be initiated than
in the simplicity of heart and sincerity
of God of which he speaks, and by vir-
tue of which he was impelled to spend
and he spent ''for the greater glory of
God and the salvation of souls. :" Who
that knew Father DeWulf even only in
part did not recognize in him the por-
traiture of the Apostle in these res
poets? To those who knew him in full
it was his simplicity of heart and sin
cerlty in the apostolic sense that stood
out strong and striking. Hence abb
sence of all guile, and of duplicity, an
ever present singleness of purpose, and
unaffected contempt for ostentation
characterized his every word and ac-
ton. Double dealing of every kind,
compromise, and what the world calls
diplomacy were ever foreign to his ma
ture, hence the straightforward frank
ness, verging at times on abruptness
in his manner. He cultivated not that
ttcarnal wisdom which adjusts mems
speech and conduct to the attaining of
hollow and ephemeral popularity. His
simplicity of heart lifted him above all
that, and placed him beyond the petit
ness of seeking the appreciation and
friendship of others by the sacrifice of
principle and sense of duty. From this
Arose the contrast exhibited in. his ma
ture; On the one side, an artless, guile
less disposition, and a buoyancy of spir-
it, like those of a child, which made
those who knew him well cling to him
in affectionate friendship; on the other,
his firm, manly, and fearless character,
like that of St. Paul, upspringing al
ways from that same simplicity of
heart which revealed to him in clear
and unclouded vision the straight line
of his duty towards God, and his neigh
Dor. From this line his sincerity rem
dered him answering in every detail
of his priestly life, though he was the
least narrow minded of men. In all his
ways and impulses he was sincerity it.
self His feelings, his friendships and
his utterances ever rang true. His
word and promise he held to be most
sacred. From this sincere nature out
came the courage of his convictions, his
high sense of honor and, above all, his
frsa
every priestly duty. For his sincerity
was indeed, ''of Cod, in that it was
Godgiven, supernatural grace filling
him with the spirit of the truest and
most honest faith and genuine love of
God and of souls. All things pertain
ing to the advancement and glory of
Gods Church were dear to his heart,
and he equipped himself for her service
by wonderful fund of knowledge con
corning all things priestly and eccles-
iastical
His rriestly life extended over many
long years from the day when young
man, in the blush of his priesthood and
all his vigor and ardent aspirations he
arrived on these shores till the day one
month ago, when the Angel of Death
found him the venerable and honored
dean of the clergy of this diocese. 1t
extended over many scenes and widely
separated localities only from the
far off shores of his native land. but
also throughout this portion Of the Mas
ter's Vineyard. At times he was up
building missions, parishes and churches
in the remote and rugged rural dis
tricts; at others he was filling with
honor and success offices of high trust
in city churches as those of St. Peter
and st. Matthew in Washington, and
lastly here in Baltimore. The mission
ary spirit that had led him to leave
homo and kindrQ6 an6 oo,1ptryr Soap,o5