The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-09-05


pose to honor, as best he could, the
Almighty God. and draw to God. as
best he could, the faithful people en-
trusted to his spiritual guidance.
Listen-in its dying voice. the Ca
thedral speaks aloud the name of
father and founder, Joseph Cretin.
Listen-it rehearses the names of
pioneer priests-Galtier, Ravoux.
Peyragrosse, Caillet, Oster. The old
French missionaries, who prepared
the way to its building, who prayed
and preached in the old Cathedral!
Hither they had come from distant
lands when none others were near
to break the bread of life-and in
all things they were noblest exem-
plars of the Good Shepherd of whom
they professed themselves the mes
sengers. Pioneer priests. we remem-
Der you, we thank you. And you
particularly, we remember and
thank, Augustine Ravoux-for years
the Church's solitary sentinel in st.
Paul, the loyal co-laborer Of the first
bishop of the Diocese. the builder of
the larger portion of the old Cathe-
dral, so long afterwards the. counsel
lor and guide of its bishops and
priests. The old Cathedral were
forgetful of itself were it forgetful
of Father Ravoux 1t lovingly speaks
his name.
Listen again-The pioneer men
and women, many your own fathers
and mothers, speak. They speak from
pew, from altar rail, from confess
sional. Dear to them the old Ca
thedral! Here they knelt to make
sturdy profession of their faith, to
bend their souls beneath the flow
Of divine grace. Generations will
come and go-superior, they may be,
in wealth of worldly goods, in social
attainments, in gifts of intelligence.
Well for them if with their new es-
tates their faith is that of the pioneer
Catholics of St. Paul, impervious to
assaults of error or worldliness, ada
mantine in its power of endurance.
Old-time Catholics of St. Paul, re-
ceive our heartfelt homage.
Later Generations of Priests and
People.
Others speak to us-the bishop
and the priests who later ministered
in the Cathedral, men and women
who followed in the wake of the
early pioneers. There is Thomas L.
Grace, second bishop of st. Paul, so
faithfully present on this throne.
Sundays and holy days, during the
twenty-five years of his episcopal
service. The thousands still live who
knew Bishop Grace. Was he not the
good bishop? Mild and sweet-man
nered. of piety angelic, of ardor of
love for Gods Church, of whole
souled willingness to spend himself
in the service of this flock, SO pru-
dent in counsel, so anxious that 9TH
ers should do as he was doing, yea,
better than he himself was permit
ted to do. Good Bishop Grace
the old Cathedral would visit us with
its wrath, if our farewell to itself
were not farewell to you. In fond
remembrance of you, your old throne
in the old Cathedral will have the
place of honor in the sanctuary of
the new.
To priests, related at one time or
another with the Cathedral, L need
pay no other tribute than the re-
hearsal of names-so fondly are
those names remembered. I recall
those who later took place in the
ranks of the episcopate. There are
the dead--John Stanley, Bishop of
Fargo, for many years pastor Of the
Cathedral Parish, whose name still
today is spoken in deep affection,
and Joseph B. Cotter. Bishop Of Wi
mona, who was a child and youth
in the Cathedral, and received in its
sanctuary the episcopal conservation.
There are those present with us this
morning Thomas O'Corman ono Of
Bishop Cretin's cherished pupils,
Bishop of Sioux Falls-James ].
Keane. Archbishop of Dubuque, for
many years, a priest in st. Paul, con-
secrated bishop in the Cathedral;
James McGolrick. Bishop of Duluth,
at one time a priest in the Cathedral
parish; James Trobec. Bishop of st.
Cloud, long a priest in St. Paul, con-
secrated Bishop in the Cathedral.
and John j. Lawler, with his eigh-
teen years of pastorship, while priest
or bishop. Other bishops. too. there
are. though absent, who remember
the Cathedral as the spiritual moth
er of their priesthood and their epis-
copate, among them Patrick r. Heff-
ron. today Bishop Of Winano, for
several years pastor in the Cathedral.
Indeed, the Diocese of st. Paul has
been one of the most fruitful nurser-
les of bishops in the Church of Amer