Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-11-29
Two Hundred Visiting Clergy
men Attend Golden Jubilee
Celebration.
Lieut.. Gov. Edward j. McDer-
motifs Address at the
Banquet.
GREAT PRELATE VERY FEEBLE

, Monday hundreds of the clergy
and distinguished men from all parts
of the country were in Peoria to
celebrate the golden jubilee of Arch
bishop John Lancaster Spalding, a
native of Kentucky and the first
Bishop of that diocese. Pontifical
mass was celebrated, the Cathedral
being packed to its capacity. Arch
bishop Quigley, of Chicago, was
celebrant of the mass, and Arch
bishop ]. ]. Glennon, of st. Louis,
delivered the sermon. Archbishop
Spalding, who is feeble, walked to
the altar with much difficulty.
One of the speakers at the ban
quet given by the knights of Colum-
bus was Edward ]. McDermott,
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.
After calling attention to Archbishop
spalding's abiding love for Kentucky
and the affection held for him by
many Kentuckians. he expressed his
Joy that the Archbishop had been
spared so long for his work.
"The Spalding family" Mr.. Nc
Dermott said, twas a distinguished
family in England centuries ago.
They came to Maryland with the
colonists of Lord Baltimore in search
of religious liberty when II was de-
MED in England. The Spaldings,
like his own great-grandfather and
his family, came from Maryland to
Kentucky shortly after the Revolu-
tionary war. The Maryland immi-
grants were mostly Catholics and the
majority of them settled not far
from Louisville, in the neighborhood
now embraced in the counties of
Nelson. Hardin. Washington and
Marion. where their descendants arel
still prominent. Whether Roger
Wi1liams, OF Rhode. Island. or Lord
Baltimore was the first to establish
religious liberty in America-the
difference in dates or merit being
slight will not now discuss,
though l believe the glory belongs
by priority to the Calverts. AS soon
as the Catholic colonists of Mary
land lost control of the colony rel
ligious liberty was suppressed there
as in Virginia and Massachusetts,.
1.-THE Spaldings came to Kentucky
with an ardent devotion to their
IdlLH anu Wltu du dlQCnl tONC AOi
civil and religious liberty. Nobody
has ever written or spoken with
more eloquence or power for the
preservation of those precious rights
than the late Archbishop Spalding,
of Baltimore. and the living Arch
bishop Spalding in Peoria. There
never breathed more loyal American
citizens than these two. Most of the
descendants of the Spalding pioneers
in Kentucky have been thrifty, re-
ligious men and patriotic citizens.
The most illustrious of the family
and one of the greatest men Ken
lucky has produced was Martin j.
Spalding, who was at first Bishop OF
Louisville and later Archbishop of
Baltimore, theI the highest religious
office open to Catholic in America.
As a scholar, priest, orator. author
and esslesiastic he deserves high
rank among the eminent men OF
America. His preliminary education
was gotten at st. Mary's College and
st. Joseph's College in Kentucky, but
he studied four years in Rome and
there got a high degree from the
university with great eclat. When,
at his fathers death, he received
$4,000 as his inheritance, large
inheritance for a member of a large
family in that day, he Immediately
spent every cent of 1t on the new
Cathedral in Louisville. His brother,
the Rev. Benedict ]. Spalding, also
was educated in Rome and was an
able, learned priest and gave all his
inheritance for the education of poor
boys.
"Their sister, Catherine Spalding,
was the first mother of that great
and beneficent institution OF piety,
charity and learning, Nazareth, near
Bardstown, KY, splendid religious
order that now has about 800 de-
voted and highly trained nuns who,
in self-imposed poverty. spend their
lives voluntarily in teaching the
young and In nursing the sick, with
out discrimination as TO religion. in
many parts OF America. She was also
the foundress of st. Vincent's Orphan
Asylum, and the admired and be-
loved friend OF some of the most
eminent Kentuckians of her day.
1.-The father of the present Arch
bishop was an able, prosperous man,
and before the war large slave
owner The Archbishop's mother, a
Miss Lancaster. OF Kentucky, was a
woman of great mental endowments.
She and her husband were religious.
well educated and refined. Their
large and comfortable home In the
country, close TO Lebanon, was tit
home for the rearing and culture OF
children. With such an inheritance
OF talent and prestige. In such an
atmosphere of religious zeal. learn
Ing and refinement. with such a
precious advantage In birth and
breeding, II was natural that John
Lancaster Spalding should have been
a mons. gifted hoy, an eager student.
= h~il''enf scholar. and thouehtfnl.
hish-minded man OF broad sympa-