The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-01
Continued from page ~
AN APOSTLE OF AMERICA.
His Missionary Zeal.

AO 0CAS 40 AA1AAJ 90 ANO cpO0I4O0
Cretin, Ravoux, Galtier, Mazzuchelli,
Pelamourges-to outlying districts,
with the hope of converting the wild
tribes of Indians who roamed over the
vast region lying between Canada and
the Gulf, between the Great Lakes
and the Rocky Mountains. These
apostles were inspired with his own
zeal and enthusiasm They learned
from him the lessons of self-sacrifice
and self-denial, bearing witness that
saint may infuse his own virtues in
to his spiritual children. For years
they had been his dear disciples be-
fore they ventured out alone in quest
of souls. Each one of them bore the
impress of the sanity model; and,
after performing an apostles part
among colonists and Indians, passed
on to enjoy an apostles reward.
His Letters Breathe the Spirit of st.
Paul.
The letters of Bishop Loras to these
disciples, when he could no longer
be with them in person, constantly
remind us of the letters of Saint Paul
AS keen critic of human nature has
declared, large part of the real life
of a man is found in his letters. 1t
was so in the case of Saint Paul; not
less is it true in the case of the saint
ly Bishop Loras. He wrote numerous
letters which breathe the same ardent
spirit as that revealed in the great
Apostle of the Gentiles. And it is
matter of regret that only few ex-
cerpts can be quoted here in confir-
nation of what has already been OBJ
served respecting his zeal and holi-
ness.
To Father Ravoux he writes: "You
report of having mastered three Indian
dialects spoken in Minnesota and the
Dakotas. We counsel you not to stop
until you have mastered all the dia-
lects spoken in the Northwest. We
must bring all the tribes into the Fold
of Christ. Remember that the loving
Saviour suffered and died for ALL"
To Father Galtier who was stationed
at Fort Smelling, and who seemed to
be proceeding rather slowly with his
work in the vicinity of Saint Paul,
Bishop Loras wrote as follows: indus
try is always an essential virtue in a
clergyman. The best lesson taught
us by our Protestant brethren is in
dustry. See those sturdy New Eng
landers how they come to our Western
cities and build up mills and factories
and workshops. They put us to shame
The penance we shall impose upon
you is to work necessarily for the
people. Remember, the reapers are
few and the harvest is great May
the loving Master watch over you
from His eternal abode!"
Zeal for Temperance.
In his pastoral letters to his clergy,
he continually urged the holy virtue
of temperance, employing this Ian
guage to his priests: 1--WE request this
example of temperance from you,
Father, for the best interests of our
holy religion and for the temporal
and eternal welfare of our Catholics,
for whom you shall have to answer
at the bar of the tribunal of God" In
the interests of Catholic education, he
writes to Bishop Cretin, of Saint Paul:
Thank God, there are now seven re
ligious communities teaching the Cath.
Ollie youth of my diocese! We hope
to make the number a dozen. Before
God, we are convinced that if the
Church is to flourish in America, ou1
youth must be taught and trained by
the holy men and women who have
consecrated their lives to the task"
On Behalf of Colonization.
Writing to the editor of the Boston
Pilot in 1855, he has this to say about
Catholic colonization: "By all means
use your powerful influence with the
Irish people to persuade them to leave
the overcrowded cities of the East
and come out to the rich farm lands
of the Mississippi valley. Already
there are several colonies of Germans
in my diocese, and they are immensely
prosperous. The Western lands should
be filled with Catholic farmers In
stead of being slavish hewers of wood
and drawers of water in the city
where there are so many temptations
they rapidly and easily become indie
pendent on the land. Their families
have happy homes, and their children
grow up in the practice of our holy
religion. It seems to us that we can dc
nothing better for God and Holy
Church than to promote Catholic Col
onization in the West"
The Golden Fruitage.
The letters alone of Bishop Loras
without any other testimony, would be
amply sufficient to prove his saintli
ness of character, as they unques
tionably reveal his nobleness of soul
God buries his workmen but He
carries on their work. The zeal and
energy displayed by Bishop Loras die
not die at his death. His heroic anG
vitalizing example still animates the
great churchmen whom Divine Provi
dence has sent as guardians of the
flock throughout the spacious valley
of the Mississippi. Like the tree be
side the waters of which the Psalmisi
loves to sing, Christianity struck its
root deep into American soil, and the
fair form Of Catholicism rose up ant
grew and prospered, till her branches
now cover the land and present leave!
of healing to all our generations Tht