Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-07-10

Church. DIT. 81. Mary's, by Kew. NJ. r.
Foley, Pastor st. Panl's Church, Balti-
more on the occasion of Father TRACES
sers Silver Jubilee of Ordination
10 the Priesthood.
Honor God with all thy soul and give
honor to the priests. - Ecclesiasticus
7. 33.
We are here today to honor God in one
whom He has signally honored, in one
whom his Lord called, will not simply
say to His service, but to His intimate
friendship, twenty-five years ago. In
doing as we do, we are acting in the true
spirit of religion. in the same spirit in
which st. Paul wrote toh his disciple Tim
othy, the bishop of Ephesus: LET the
priests that rule well, be esteemed worthy
of double honor. especially those who la
Dor in work and doctrine. Il Tim. 3. ~
Speaking to His priests, Christ himself
says: "He that heareth you, heareth Me,
and that despiseth you, despiseth Me. y
luke 10. l6.) A weakening of respect
for priests or growing indifference to
their work, is a sure sign of lessenlng
faith and piety, whether it be in an lndl-
vidual or in a people, sure forerunner
of spiritual decay and death.
1t is right, then, that following the IN
stincts of faith and picty We should Scze
such an occasion as this to manifest out
wardly the reverence and love which we
have in our hearts for one who has labor
ed SO long and well in Christ $ VINEYARD.
! see here our Right Reverend Auxiliary
Bishop, the representative of the veneer
ated and venerable Cardinal Archbishop.
] see here brother priests coming from
far"otr fields of labor; | see here in good
Nv number members of the laity who knew
and appreciated Faith err Tragesserin 9th"
er fields of duty. It's fitting indeed that
Father Tragesser' S ecclesiastical superb
ors and his priestly brethren; and his old
time faithful friends among the laity,
should join you, Pensioners of St An
thongs, in honoring one whom you and
they have found worthy of honor,
May be permitted to intrude my own
personality just a little at this moment?
There is not one here who knows your
friend and pastor as well as | know him.
| knew him as a little child in ST. John s
school in Baltimore, as an acoyte in St
Johns Sanctuary, as student IN St
Charles College and st. Mary's Semin-
airy. During his absence in France and
Canada lost sight of him for while.
Later, from the beginning of his priestly
labors in this archdiocese to the present
hour, none knew him so well as |. Some
fruitful years of Father Tragesser's
priestly life he spent with me at st. Paul's
in Baltimore, and can truly say that
never did priest labor more zealously,
more faithfully, more devotedly. He
truly made himself all things to all, that
he might gain all to Christ. The people
of St. Paul's who are here today will
bear me out when say these things; and
] can say, moreover, that no associate
has ever shown pastor more unseltish
devotion, more answering loyalty-and
] have learned to know and appreciate
devotion and loyalty.
have said these things at the risk of
shocking the modesty of my good friend,
but he knows we'll that would not speak
one word here with the intent to fatter
Wnra I tn do I Chpnl1 hn
ing my friends honesty but poor com
pllment, and at the same time be giving
but poor sample of my own. have
spoken these words of praise for pur-
pose. There is Latin saying which runs
thus: mi de mortuis niSi bonum.' 1t
means Speak only good of the dead. -
Some seem to thinl; it means "Speak
good of the dead only" These people
have few good words of any living NOR
tai, and, strange to say, the few they
have are generally for the stranger out
side the gates; of the neighbor at their
side they rarely have good word, to him
a word of praise is never spoken. | knew
a teacher who used to say, 81 will tell
the boys their faults, the devil will tell
them their virtues. There are but too
many like this narrow-minded teacher
who forgot that while honest, adverse
criticism may be an occasional duty,
chronic fault-finding is a constant annoy
ance, and that honest praise for honest
deeds from honest men is twice blessed.
1t besseth him that gives and him that
takes" God himself has deigned many,
many times to praise His creatures for
their good deeds. How many of Gods
servants can think, or act as if they thot
it prerogative of the devil to say good
things to their felow-servants, or of
them, passes my comprehension.
A well-known orator once told some
admirers who had presented him an ad-
dress: "a little taffy while one is living
is preferable to whole lot of epitaphy
when dead" What the orator calls
"taffy" is often but fulsome fiattery, and
very sickening; but underlying his home
ly expression, there is the sd me thought
that is worded most beautifully in an adj
dress delivered on an occasion like this