The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-05
+ . j
TO THE OLD CATHEDRAL

inscription tells the story of his epis-
copal years. Whatever he loved, what
ever he touched with his hand, is holy
of his holiness. The Cathedral is the
child of his heart: it was begotten
of his purpose to honor, as best he
could, the Almighty God, and draw to
God, as best he could, the faithful peo-
pie entrusted to his spiritual guidance.
Listen--in it's dying voice, the Cathe-'
dral speaks aloud the name of father
and founder, Joseph Cretin.
Listen--It rehearses the names of
pioneer. priests-Galtier, Rayoux, Pey-
ragrosse, Caillet, Oster The old
French missionaries, who prepared the
way to it's 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 eXemplars of the
Good Shepherd of. whom they pro-
! fessed themselves the messengers.
Pioneer priests, we remember you, we
thank you. And you, particularly, we
remember and thank, Augustine RAJ
voux-for years the Churchs solitary
sentinel in st, Paul, the loyal CO.
laborer of the first bishop of the Do
cese, the builder of the larger portion
of the old Cathedral, so long after
wards the counsellor and guide of it's
bishops and priests. The old Cathe-
dral were forgetful of itself, were it
forgetful. of Father Ravoux. 1t loving
ly 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 confessional.
Dear to them the old Cathedral. Here
they knelt to make sturdy profession
of their faith, to bend their souls be-
meath the flow of divine grace. Gen
erations will come and go-superior,
they may. be, in wealth of worldly
goods, in social attachments, in gifts
of intelligence. Well for them if with
their new estates, their faith is that
of the pioneer Catholics of ST. Paul,
impervious to assaults of error or
worldliness, adamantine in it's power
of endurance. Old-time Catholics of
st. Paul, receive our heartfelt homage.
Later Generations of Priests and Peo-
pie.
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 faithful
ly present on his throne, Sundays and
holy-days during twenty-five years OF
his episcopal service. The thousands
still live who knew Bishop Grace
Was he not the good bishop? Mild
and sweet-mannered of piety angelic
of ardor of love for Gods Church
of whole-souled willingness to spend
himself in the service of his flock, sc
, prudent in counsel, so anxious that
; others should do as he was doing, yea
better than he himself was permitted
to do. Good Bishop Graee-the ole
! Cathedral -,Would-' visit as with its
wrath, if our farewell to itself were
not a farewell to you. In fond re
membrance of you, your old throne il
the old Cathedral will have the place
of honor in the sanctuary of the new
To priests, related at one time OF
another with the Cathedral, l neet
> pay no other tribute than the re
{ hearsal of names-so fondly are those
' names remembered. | recall those
: who later took place in the ranks O.
r the episcopate. There are the dead
: John Stanley, Bishop of Fargo, fol
many years pastor of the Cathedra
. Parish, whose name still today i:
1 spoken in deep affection, and JOSEPH
e B. Cotter, Bishop of Winona, who wa'
D child and youth in the Cathedral
g and received in it's sanctuary thu
episcopal Conservation. There arr
q those present with us this morning
S Thomas O'Gorman, one of Bishop Gre
: tins cherished pupils, Bishop of Siou.
e Falls-James j. Keane, Archbishop o
G Dubuque, for many years a priest il
/ ST. Paul, consecrated Bishop in thu
Il Cathedral James McGolrick, Bishol
s of Duluth, at one time priest in tn
e Cathedral Parish; and James Trobec
S Bishop of st. Cloud, long priest il
h st. Paul, both consecrated Bishops il
# the Cathedral, and John J. Lawle
e with his eighteen years of pastorshi
). while priest or bishop. Other bish
/ ops, too. there are, though absent, VIII
a remember the Cathedral as the spirit
n ual mother of their priesthood an
l. their episcopate, among them Patricl
S R. Hebron, today Bishop of Winona
n for several years pastor in the Cattle
# dral Indeed, the Diocese of st. Pau
h has been one of the most fruitful nul
i series of bishops in the Church @
s America: fourteen of it's priests hav
l. been called to the episcopate.
L OF the people-parishioner of tn
{ old Cathedral-from it's first day O
d ministrations to the last-what els
l. can l say, but that they have beel
|, a loyal Catholic laity. None Other
II now living, as verify as 1, can pay t
Il them their deserts. From the twenty
y first day of December, 1861, to tn
g present day, / have been with them a
> priest, or as bishop. l have know
Il them well. For ardent faith an
It heart-deep piety, for ready eo-opera
e ton with their clergy in works of re
y ligion and piety-what better peopl