The Irish standard., 1916-02-19

politan Church of Chicago, be to well
come among us the representative of
our Holy Father. To him, our Saw
ereign Pontiff, pledge for myself, for
my clergy, and for my people, absolute,
unswerving loyalty, obedience and de.
votion. His word is our law, his wish
our command, his welfare our personal
concern. In him we recognize Christ's
Vicar on earth. The infallible teacher
of divine truth, the keeper of the keys
of the Kingdom of Heaven. To him
and to his predecessors in the chair
of Peter, am bound by the closest
ties of gratitude. The great Leo bless.
ed me as young priest and sent me
forth on my mission. The lovable Plus
raised me to the episcopate, and now
the gentle peace-seeking Benedict gives
me the greatest proof of his confidence
when he entrusts to my guidance one
of the most important dioceses in the
world. To him I do now pledge 10y
atty and devotion until death. Thou
art the chief shepherd of His flock,
thou prince of the apostles. But there
is another, more intimate reason why
l welcome you here today. You and
l were friends when we were simple,
unknown priests. Nothing has ever
marred that friendship, nor lessened
the warm regard and kindly feeling
we have had for each other l was
the first to greet you when you came
to these shores, and you were the first
to wish me we'll as the pastor selected
for a great diocese. There is no one
l know from whose hands l would
rather receive the archbishop's Pal
lium than from you. In the difficult
years that lie before me, 1 will ever
have your good wishes, your fraternal
advice, your unselfish assistance, as in
the past have had your prayers.
The bishops of this province, and in
their number count the present bish
op of Green Bay, the esteemed and
beloved former auxiliary of Chicago,
regard them as part of the clergy
of the archdiocese. They were priests
of Chicago, their affections are here,
their friends are here, and can only
repeat to them what have said to
them in private, that trust they will
be generous with me with their coun-
sci. They will share with me their
friendship, they will make my house
their home. There is one other whom
deem we'll to mention. BY the cere-
mony this morning l have lifted the
burden from shoulders willing, robust,
though no longer young. He has car
ried himself with prudence, distinction
in. the always difficult period of a
sedes vacaus. He has the affection of
his fellow priests, and the esteem of
the clergy elsewhere. But more than
all else, he has attracted me by his
constant loyalty to the memory of my
two predecessors and it seems to me
but that one who has faithfully served
two archbishops will be just as loyal
W IAS ehAiu. WY loI OulCldl dCt is
to appoint as the senior Vicar General
of the diocese Mgr. FitzSimmons and
to charge him likewise with the af-
fairs of the diocese.
And to my brethren of the episco-
pate, the Most Reverend Archbishop
and the Right Reverend Bishops who
have come, many from distance, all
at great sacrifice. am deeply grateful,
for by their presence here they have
honored the Church of Chicago. it's
clergy, it's people. it's city.
And to you, priests of the archdio-
cese Of Chicago. to you l come today
as the man selected by God to be your
bishop, your leader, your spiritual
father. BY the inscrutable design of
Providence and because of no merit
of my own. l have been chosen as the
one guam Spiritus Sanctus posuit
reggere hanc ecclesiam Del" The task
is one did not seek, one from which
l would gladly shrink, not only be-
cause of the vastness of the work and
the difficulties in the way, not only be-
cause of my own youth, inexperience
and unworthiness, but also because l
follow in the footsteps of an archbishop
whose life was sacrifice, whose ex-
ample was an incentive, whose men,
ory is benediction. When in that to
me, memorable night the message
came from him who represents in our
midst Christ's Vicar on earth, that the
Pallium of Chicago was to rest on my
shoulders, from my very soul cried
out, as l knelt before the Master,
How can l follow after the great
Quigley, the prelate who has written
his name large across the history of
this wonderful diocese of the middle
west: how will my weak hands take
up the guiding reins where his palsied
fingers have laid them DOWN." And
then almost like an inspiration came
. Mary c. Manning, New York.
John L. Cannon, Providence, R. l.
Florence ]. Donoghue, Worcester,
Mass.
J. M. Tierney, St. Paul, MINI.
P. J. Mcintyre, Niagara Falls