Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-02-15
Cardinal Farley and Distinguish
ed Prelates viii Take
Part.
Translation of the Remains of
the Famous Ponce de
Leon.
ARCHBISHOP BLENK TO ASSIST

Today Cardinal Farley, Arch
bishop Blenk and Bishop Gum, in
company with a number of dis
ltinguished clergy, will sail for Porto
Rico to participate in the celebration
at San Juan on February 23 of the
four hundredth anniversary of the
arrival of the first Catholic Bishop
In America. The clergy and Catholic
press have received invitations from
the Right Rev. w. A. Jones, D. D.,
Bishop of Porto Rico, to be present
at the celebration, for which ex-
tensive preparations are in progress.
Concerning this ancient see Of
Porto Rico the New York Freeman's
Journal says editorially:
New York City is talking of cele-
brating in a befitting manner the
three hundredth anniversary of the
first European settlement on Man
haitian Island, which took place
seven years before the landing of the
Puritans at Plymouth Rock, Mass. It
Will be news to many to learn that a
hundred years before these historical
events, a Catholic Bishop landed on
American soil. An invitation sent to
us by the Bishop of Porto Rico in
forms us that the four hundredth
anniversary of the establishment of
the American hierarchy is to be COM
memOrated in a suitable manner.
Cardinal Farley, as the central fig
ure at the four hundredth ami
versary oe the landing of Bishop
Manzo, typifies the great progress
the church has made on this side of
the Atlantic. From the humble be-
ginnings of four hundred years ago
she has seen her children growing in
numbers till now they are counted by
the millions in the United States,
Canada and in the republics of Cen
trail America and South America. All
OF them constitute one spiritual
family that has for its spiritual head
the Vicar of Christ.
If Bishop Manzo could revisit the
scene of his pastoral labors and be
present at the coming celebration at
the Cathedral of Porto Rico, he
would find that the doctrine he
preached to the natives is held and
taught by Cardinal Farley and by
Bishop Jones, of Porto Rico. How
different would be the experience of
cne of the "Pilgrim Fathers" If he
had a similar opportunity for visiting
church attended by the descendants
of the Puritans. He would discover
that the doctrines he and his con-
temporary Puritans held as sacred
are scoffed at as superstitious and
unteuable. Our suppositious Puritan
would seek in vain for that doctrinal
continuity which Bishop Manzo
would have no difficulty in finding if
he could be present at the celebration
OF the four hundredth anniversary
oa his landing in Porto Rico.
Cardinal Farley will officiate at
the first of the anniversary services,
solemn high mass to be celebrated
Sunday morning, February 23. The
following day Archbishop Blenk will
officiate at a special service, when
the remains of Ponde de Leon, the
first Governor of Porto Rico, who
died in his quest for the fountain of
youth, will be placed in a crypt in an
elaborate monument erected in the
Cathedral.
None of the dioceses in the United
States can compare in age with the
diocese of Porto Rico. While st.
Augustine, Fla, was an established
community and had a church in
1855. yet II had not become a do
cese until 1870. The first diocese in
the United States was that of Balti-
more. which was created in 1879.
New Orleans became the next diocese
in 1898, while New York, Boston and
Philadelphia we're created as sees in
1903, and are the next Oldest.
With the coming OF this ami
yersary celebration many interesting
bits of church history have been due
up from old records.
Archbishop Blenk was the first
American Bishop Of the island. He
reorganized the church along Ameri'
can lines and did much to bring the
people TO an understanding of the
new conditions and cordial apprecia'
tion Of the good wishes of the Gov
ernment In their behalf. He wai
beloved by all, and during his sever
years residence made many warm
lifelong friends who now look Tor
ward with pleasure TO seeing hin
lonea mOra