The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-20
ADDRESS OF HON. ]. v. WILLIS

by the Honorable John W. Willis on
the occasion of the cornerstone laying
of the new Club House of the Knights
of Columbus in St. Paul last Sunday
afternoon.
Far from the coast of Spain lie the
Bahamas Far from the Bahamas
are the beauteous hills and prairies
of Minnesota Remote are our own
days from the day when the famous
Expedition of Discovery sailed from
the coast of Spain out into the broad
Atlantic under the command of an
Italian navigator. Neither time nor
space has barred from worldwide
knowledge and profound appreciation
the name, the deeds, the high renown
of Christopher Columbus. Therefore,
we who live in the heart of the
American continent, near the head
waters of the Mississippi, are privi-
legged to share in rendering homage
to the Discoverer of The New World.
This day brings new tribute to that
majestic memory. This day is marked
by new triumph for great brother
hood. The Order of the Knights of
Columbus here and now initiates,
with formal ceremony, the construc-
ton of a monument to the hero whose
name constitutes the chief word in
the title of the Order.
Adhering to the One True Faith of
Christ, the faith which inspired
Genoa's most famous son, the brother
hood at this place and in this hour,
LAYS a cornerstone under the auspices
of Holy Church; represented in her
ministry, for the present occasion, by
the most distinguished prelate of
America.
Aspirations of Columbus.
A beautiful sense of consistency is
exhibited when a Catholic fraternity
seeks inspiration from the career of
the Great sDiscoverer. His primal
voyage was made under the impulse
of two lofty aspirations: These were
to convert heather peoples to the
Catholic faith and to rescue the Holy
Sepulchre from the control of the
infidel Turks. For this latter purpose,
and for this alone, did he stipulate
and Aragon, for a large share of the
wealth which he believed attainable
from the lands toward which he
turned the prows of his three caravels.
A profound religious spirit ruled all
of his impulses and his actions. No
sooner had he landed upon the shore
of the Western World than he uttered
this pious invocation:
20 Lord, eternal and almighty God,
who by Thy holy word didst create
the heavens, the land, and the sea,
hallowed and glorified be Thy name!
Praised be Thy majesty, which has
vouchsafed to suffer Thy holy name,
by the work of Thy humble servant,
to be made known and proclaimed in
this new part of the world
To the first land which he discov-
cred he gave, in grateful homage to
our Divine Redeemer, the name, San
Salvador.
In his letter to Luis de Santangel,
Minister of Finance of the Kingdom
of Aragon, and in that to Rafaelo
Sanchez, Treasurer of Spain, both
giving formal announcement of the
successful event of his first voyage,
Columbus displayed the same spirit
of fervent piety. The letters come to
a conclusion in these words:
Let then, the King and Queen, the
Princes and their happy Kingdoms,
unite with all Christendom in return.
ing thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ
for granting us such victorious sue.
cess. Let them make professions,
celebrate solemn festivals, and orna,
ment the temples with palms and
flowers; and let Christ exult with
JOY on earth, as in Heaven, at the
prospect of salvation for so many
nations heretofore destined only to
perdition. And let us rejoice, at the
same time, not only at the exaltation
of our faith, but, also, at the increase
of temporal goods of which Spain and
Christendom will gather the fruits.
Prophetic Vision of Columbus.
The vision of Columbus was, in
IIuIu, pIOpu0L1C. Nearly dill the p0O
pies of the Western Hemisphere are
willing and happy devotees of the re
ligion professed by him and in which
he gloried. All of South America, the
states of Central America, the
fiourishing Republic of Mexico, the
new Republic of Cuba the islands Of
San Domingo, Puerto Rico, Martinique
and many other islands among the
Antilles, and the Province of Quebec
are Catholic. A very large proper
ton of the people of our own Repub
lie are Catholics and that proportion
is constantly and rapidly increasing
The loving favor of Heaven and it:
angelic host rests upon America.
The New Club House.
In the spirit of high endeavor which