The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-13
Continued
BISHOP LAWYERS INSTALLATION

cipline; devoting my best energies to
the advancement of all the interests of
religion; and like Waterman on the
walls of Jerusalem, keeping an I'M
wearied supervision over the faith
and morals of those computed to my
care. And | most gladly will spend
and be spent myself for your souls"
In the fulfllment of this mission be-
sides the grace of God | shall need
the help and the confidence and pray
ers of the clergy and of the laity.
After invoking the divine assistance,
first turn to you, Reverend Fathers,
for counsel, for comfort, for support
in the work which lies before me.
With you as diligeat fellow.workers,
will be able to safeguard and extend
the interests of the Church; but with
out your hearty and constant cooper
alton my labors will he hampered and
will not be crowned with the best re-
suits. If | may judge the future by
what you have done in the years gone
by, l may safely predict that the do
cese of Lead, will have as able, as
lldIu-WOIhlllS, DIS LSdlOuS, do
as devoted, as self-sacrificing body OF
priests as ever stood at Gods altar, in
any land or in any age.
1t is scarcely necessary to remind
you that the progress or decay of re-
ligion depends largely upon the char
acter of the clergy. 1t cannot but be
thus. The Church is an army in bat.
fIo Of
Priests are officers in that army. As
the leaders are so will their followers
be. If in the past ages the clergy
were representatives not of religion
only and the claims of God; but of
moral order, of the rights OF con
science and the sympathies of man, OF
the bonds of authority of human sOci-
ety-the only trusted guides of life
such they can be and are still, and
such they should always strive to be.
1t is true that Christ will save His
Church throughout all the centuries.
We have His own word for it. That
is His sacred promise. But that prom,
Use is no excuse for inactivity-nC
apology for a lack of the missionary
spirit in His followers. And it is just
as true that He made no promise con
corning the well-being, the splendor,
the influence Of His Church in this
age or in that country. 1t is beyond
question that the external glory of
His Church, the prosperity of His
Kingdom on earth, the influence of His
followers on the world around them in
every century and in every country
is in the hands of His clergy, in the
hands of His bishops and His priests
But it is not the bishop alone, nor is
it the priests alone, who build up the
Kingdom of Christ, and make it known
and respected: but it is the Bishop
by an active and intelligent, docile and
generous laity, who accomplish it.
The statement is as true today as it
was when Cardinal Newman wrote
that 1.-The strength of the Church lies
is an intelligent and we'll instructed
laity-men who know their religion
who enter into it, who know just
where they stand--who know what
they hold and what they do not hold
When Bishop, priests, and people,
are united in the bonds of love and
confidence and loyalty all must anG
will be we'll, and their union will be
productive of a harvest of good works
which will delight earth and fill the
storehouse of heaven.
1t is gratifying to me to be able to
assure you, my spiritual children OF
the laity, that your pastors who know
you WE'LL have already informed me
that your spirit of Catholicity is sound
and that your obedience to your Bishop
and your attachments to the Holy See
are as true as the needle to the pole
That you may continue to be worthy
members of the grand old Church tC
which it is your privilege to belong is
my fervent prayer this day. May Goo
shower upon you His choicest bless
ings.