The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-22
A GREAT CATHOLIC CENTRE
HAS GIVEN FOUR PoPEs AND
TEN BISHOPS TO THE CHURCH
ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY AND
TRADITIONS.


While Europe is lost in admiration
at the heroic bravery displayed by the
Belgians at Liege, there is, to the
Catholic, a still much greater source
of pride in the perusal of the ecclesi-
astical history of the diocese which
has given to the Church no fewer than
four Popes, ten canonized Bishops,
and a female Saint in the person of st.
Juliana, says the B. C. Western Cath
Olic.
That Liege is almost contemporaries
Gus with the Church is the contention
of some writer's, but it is beyond dis
pute that st. Servais was Bishop
about 348 A. d. The ancient capital
of the province was, at that time,
Tongres, and one of the most notable
acts of Seryais was his taking part in
the Council of Rimini, which was held
in 1880 A. d. Servais died twenty
five years later, and about that period
the diocese suffered severely from the
raids of pagans. 1t was not till about
two hundred years later that an
attempt was made to win these pa
gans for Christ.
Many SANITY Bishops.
The diocese, which had been
destroyed in the pagan invasion was,
it is supposed, restored when Bishop
Falco began his great missionary
work of Christianizing the Franks. On
his death he bequeathed this task to
his successor, who, in turn trans
mitted to others the continuance of
the crusade. Thus st. Domitian, st.
Monulphus, and St. Gondulphus, each
labored at the task, while the last
named ALSO caused to be erected a
magnificent church over the remains
of st. Servais. The seventh century
proved strenuous, for paganism was
strong among the invading hordeS,
and the bishops had to wage unceasing
war against it. So disheartening was
the struggle that in $50 A. D., St
Amandus Telinquished the See and de-
voted himself to the erection OF
monasteries. He was succeeded by
St Remaculus, who governed from
ESQ to 660, when, borne down by his
diocesan cares, he resigned, and the
reins of ecclesiastical government
were taken up by st. Theodard, in
$50. He ruled for nine years, when
he was martyred. st. Lamberts S
period 669-705-was signalized by the
completion of the great work of con
verting the pagans to Catholicity The
Saint found himself menaced with the
bitter hostility of the neighborins
lords, who were continually plotting tC
secure to themselves the property O
the Church. In 705 A. ID. the BishoI
was foulIy murdered at Vicus Leudi
Gus: his successor in the See, st. Hu
bert, erected a costly basilica over
his relics.
charlemagne Appoints Bishops.
The two prelates who succeeded st
Hubert, Agilbert and Gerbald, are o
interest in so far as they owed thei
nominations to Charlemagne. Gerbalt
died in $40 a. d., and Hartgar, whC
followed in the See, built the frs
episcopal palace. In turn came Bishops
Franco, Stephen (90S-20), Richair,
(92O-45), Hugh (945-7), Farabert COAT
$50 and RATHER, all of whom had beer
monks To Bishop Stephen is due tn,
establishment of the feast and Of1ci
of the Blessed Trinity. In 959 A. d
Heraelius was consecrated, and rulet
about thirteen years. He was an en-
thusiastic supporter of the arts, an,
also built a number of churches, mon
asteries, and two collegiate churches
BY the beginning of the eleventh
century Liege had assumed mucl