Las Vegas optic., 1913-09-11
HAS
REACHED AGE
OF 70
JOHN IRELAND Is ONE OF THE
MOST BELOVED CATHOLIC
PRELATEs I'M AMERICA

st. Paul, Mimi, Sept. lin the
modest chapel attached to the archie
piscopal residence, Archbishop Ire
Ian, who, next to Cardinal Gibbons, is
perhaps the best known and undoubt-
edly the most Influential member Of
the American hierarchy, celebrated
this morning the mass Of Thanksgiving
that marked the seventy-fifth anniver-
sary of his birth. The archbishop de-
sired that there be no particular cere-
monies. Numerous friends called to
extend congratulations, while tele'
grams and letters of felicitation ar
rived in large numbers.
Archbishop Ireland has frequently
been called the typical American pre-
late. It is more than half a century
since he was ordained 10 the priest
hood and a quarter OF century
since he became an archbishop. For
many years he has been looked upon
as the head of the so-cafled liberal
element among the Catholic clergy in
America. But for the extreme toler-
ance of his views on secular matters,
some of which are not in exact ac-
cordance with the more conservative
element at the Vatican, it is believed
that the st. Paul prelate would long
ago have received the cardinals hat.
Born in Kilkenny county, Ireland,
September IL, 1888, John Ireland, at
the age of II, came with his parents
to the United States, reaching here
in 1S49. The family lived three years
in Chicago and then came to St Paul,
where the boy studied in the cathe-
dral school for a year. In 1853 he
was sent by Bishop Cretin to a sem
mary in France, where he studied the
classics for four years
He returned to the United States
in the early days of the civil war
One month after his ordination he
went to the front as chaplain of a
/ Minnesota regiment. When the war
had ceased he returned to St Paul
and was assigned to the rectorship of
the cathedral. His clerical duties did
not interfere with his interest in all
movements looking to the public wei
fare. He aided in the development
Of the northwest by establishing large
colonies of desirable immigrants
whom he brought over from Europe.
He was active infha temperance cause
and was elected president of the Total
Abstinence Union Of America. He
was president of the st. Paul Law and
Order League, and was said to have
been an influence in inspiring the
encyclical Of Pope Leo XIII on capital
and labor He was prominent in 1890
in an effort to settle the differences
between the United States and Spain
without war and later he rendered
great service in the cause of bringing
about conciliation between the French
Republic and the Catholic church.
While he has seldom mixed N pol
itical life in the sense Of 1etivefine
addresses and making pleas for one
party or the other Archbishop Ire.
land is a man of pronounced opi,;uns
on all state and national topics, AMI
exercises his influence in his own
way, but the occasions have been few
on which he felt it his duty to break
, his rule Of non-interference. One OF
these occasions came in the fall of
, 1896 The campaign between McKin.
: ley and Bryan had only about three
weeks to run, and 20 of the leading
: business men of ST. Paul sent him a
letter asking that he give to the pub
lie in his own way his views regard
! ing the great questions then before
the citizens of the republic. On Oc-
tober 70 Of that year he sent to the
country what was then regarded as
one of the great addresses Of the
contest, which later ended so over
whelmingly for Mckinley.
Archbishop Ireland's Identification
with education in the northwest and
his record as a constructor covers a
wide field, In 1885 he established st.
Thomas seminary. st. Thomas Mill
z tary college also owes its origin to
him, while he has aided in the estab-
) lishment of numerous academies for
boys and girls throughout this section.
5 What he has himself declared to be
the greatest work of his life is now
nearing completion and will perDetu-
g ate his memory This IS the building
5 of the two great cathedrals in st. Paul
r and Minneapolis.
Plainness appears 10 be the great
, prelate's watchword-in the furnish
ings Of his home, in his dress. in his
speech, in his acts. The archbishop
r.. ri r44rfA s-