The Irish standard., 1915-01-02

plexy and much anxiety was entertain
ed for his health, but he seemingly
had entirely recovered from its effects.
His death was supposed to have been
caused by another stroke of apoplexy.
When he removed to St. Paul from
Rochester, Father Riordan, as he was
more Familiarity called here, became
pastor for the st. Joseph's Novitiate,
which charge he held at the time of
his demise. His life was an inspira.
tion to womanhood and mankind.
Loving and with soft tenderness,
this American citizen bore with his
parishioners the sorrows and solitudes
of life. Many were the times that
he was called to the sick bedside of
dear friends, members of the flock
over which he administered, to aid in
giving the light of Him to whom we
must all go for reward. 1t made no
difference whether the weather was
cold and stormy or wintry: whether
the thermometer registered 10 above
or IS or 40 degrees below, Father VIM.
Riordan always went where duty call
ed. His priesthood was his profession
and he guarded the essential qualities
of one who administers to another's
wants with heart as big and cheerful
as is in the gift of any man.
And not only did he preserve his
ambitions along these lines. He was
citizen possessed with wonderful
powers of thought and speech, and
many times was he called upon for
opinions concerning civic questions Of
utmost importance. His carefully pre-.
pared and deeply thought out answers
were graciously accepted by his ad-
mirers, for Father Riordan, among
the laymen Of this city, was considered
a truly remarkable and wonderful man.
In his passing humanity loses a
friend; st. Johns Church loses one
whose place can never again be filled;
the City Of Rochester is without one
whose capability was respected and
esteemed, and this state has lost a son
whose life was imbedded with the de.
velopments and progress of a county,
which now ranks high throughout
the United States.
One of the most momentous and
memorable events in the life of this
venerable priest came when he was
invested with the purple robes by the
late Pope Plus X on April 8, 1911. The
occasion was marked by special SER
vices Wednesday, May 81, 1911, when
all Rochester Joined in doing honor to
Monsignor Riordan., The order of ser.
vices started in the morning when
Father" Riordan was invested with
the purple robes of Domestic Prelate
Officially, i'm the presence of the dig
nitaries of the church, the robes, that
included the purple soutanne, the
white satchett, and the purple man
teletto with sash, were presented anG
donned at the special ceremonies a,
which the Right Reverend Bishop p
r. Hebron presided. A banquet fol
lowed and in the evening Monsignol
Riordan was the honored guest at an
other gathering at the metropolitan
theater.
Monsignor William Riordan was 8
native of Ireland, his birth occurrine
in March, 1888, in the County of Lin
erick. He was the son of Daniel and
Catherine Riordan, to whom six chill
dren were born. Besides Monsignol
Riordan another son, Patrick, became
a priest and he was given a charge III
Australia, where he died in 1903.
Father Riordan passed his youth
and early manhood in his native coun
try and after attending the parish
schools completed his literary educa
tion in the classical institution OF
learning at Charlieville. He subse
quently attended the college at Drum
condra, Dublin, where he finished his
theological studies, and in 1869 he was
ordained to the priesthood at Dublin
Shortly after this important epoch
In his life, the young priest left his
native land for America He served for
some time under Bishop Grace at St.
Paul. One year later he was appoint
ed to the parish at Chatf1eld, where he
remained II years. 1t was while ad
ministering to the needs of his peo
pie in and near Chatfield that Father
Riordan displayed unusual executive
ability of such a high order that his
activities and zeal attracted the atten
ton of his superiors. He assisted and
caused to be erected five churches
Shortly afterwards he was assigned
to the more important pastorate in
this city, where he lived and labored
for 30 years. after which he moved
to St. Paul, which city has since beer
his home.
Under Father Riordan's wise guild
ance the present Church of st. John
was completed. He was not only the
priest Of his parish in looking after
the spiritual and moral welfare of his
parishioners, but he was an American
citizen imbued with a love for his
country, state, county and city, demo
| cratic in his views and actions and al