The Catholic bulletin., 1916-01-15
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND's WORDS
SPOKEN AT THE FUNERAL
SERVICES.

My hearers will pardon me, while
Tor a moment, dare speak of myself
obey my souls imperious command
To Richard Scannell ] must say my
personal farewell-telling the love
which for quarter-century went from
my heart towards him-telling the
Veneration, VOW to his name ant
memory, to last until the shades oi
death descend upon my own years
Richard Scannell, you were friend
to me: was friend to you. / un.
derstood you; you understood me.
Your converse was sweetest music to
me: mine, never doubted, was
sweetest music to you. The dreadful
message that you we're dead, agonized
my soul, sped around me a void that
none other will fill. Without you the
journey along life's pathway will be
lonely: shall miss you, as few others
of my fellow-trayelers would be miss
ed. Fondest is my goodbye: Heaven
be your abode: be it, one day, mine
with you, for eternity!
. death, what an eloquent teacher
men do find in thee! To learn the
meaning of life, the purposes assigned
to it, we must look death in the face,
and bid it speak. With one fell
sweep, it wipes out the things of earth,
its possessions, its joys, it's hopes. OF
itself, earth is so little, that it be,
comes a mockery, plaything to be
dangled with for few speeding years,
flower scarcely unfolding its petals
before it fades and withers. And,
meanwhile, amid it's stinted favors,
deep the sorrows, bitter the trials and
sufferings from which it cannot sever
itself. A few weeks ago Bishop Scan
nell was life and bustle-tiring him.
self in preparation for the approach
ing day, he had coveted to see-the
dedication of the new Cathedral of
Omaha. Now all is over, and when
the Cathedral is dedicated, another
will be there to guide the ceremonial
and render thanks to God that SUI
perb temple is given to the Catholics
of Omaha Is life worth the living?
The answer affrights, if life is its owl
purpose, It's own term. Speak, death,
to tell us whether all is gone when
thou strikest, whether beyond and
above thee a better and brighter life
does not await usa life better and
brighter than that which thou hast
the power to ravish from us. Or,
rather, speak to us, Thou, the ALI
supreme God, Who art the Master of
death, as of life-Whose children we
are through Thy graces of creation
and redemption. The answer comes:
we die to the life of earth: But the
just shall live for ever more. and
their reward is with the Lord, and the
care of them with the Most High O
death, where now thy sting, where
now thy victory?" This the meaning
of life: 1t is the means to an end,
the pathway over wales and mountains
to never-ceasing happiness in the
bosom of the Eternal God. This the
lesson which death does teach-to so
live on earth, as to merit Heaven.
Blessed they, in life and in death, who
learn we'll the lesson, and accord with
it the tenor of their ways.
Three score and ten, the years OF
Bishop Scannell on earth; forty-fiye
of those in the priesthood-twenty-
eight in the episcopate, twenty-five in
the rulership of the Diocese of Omaha.
He was natures nobleman. The
highest ideals of life and conduct en-.
riched his mind. The purest, most
unselfish motives inspired and perme-
ated his actions. To all that was low
or tortuous, he was the utter stranger.