The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-09-28
ARCHBISHOP JOHN IRELAND.

He is gone The struggle between soul body is err
For than the rugged constitution Of the departed
peate had fought back the nroads of disease and the be-
nImbing weight of growing nrmites. Never known to
have fnched in contest Archbishop John Ireland yielded
he was When the Divine Will became clear IN this regard
the High Priest of God bowed down humble obesance
and with the docity Of child went oyfuy into the pres
of his Creator Noble his e rich his conquests
edfyng his death Now he gone but his memory shall
live long admire lofty ideals brave hearts and
sstout champions of the right
For well nigh half century the name John Ireland
has been synonymous with the exalted standards Of
patriotism and religion His favorite expression when
speaking OF the early pioneers There giants in those
days, never more fully verified than in himself
sssed of broad vision and of powerful grasp he spurned
all that savored OF the the sycophant the para
SITE He lowered far and away his contemporaries
and by his strong shining attracted to himself gaze Of
myriads This universal surrender of and minds to
his influence he directed sefaudaon nor to personal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT but to the upbudng of Church and State
Puny minds tried to pick flaws in the magnificent fabric
which he woye about the Tabernacle and the Flag the
superb figure stood forth soldy grounded on the
impregnable rock of loyalty to God and country
Now he is In life he had all consuming pas
SION In this he was immersed in this did he move and
live and have his being This passion was the Church of
God In boyhood he dedicated his future years the service
OF the great God The unfolding of his youth behed him
drinking the wisdom that to bear fruit abundanty
Scarcely the sacred oil of ordination dry his
when he bending the the battle
held and IN the midst OF bursting shell and deep rumbng
guns leading the torn and bleeding soldier back his
The era of witnessed the expansion of his mani
fold activities His latent mental and spiritual powers soon
developed into tremendous forces for good The per-
sonaly of the man swept away all opposition and broke
down the barriers that separated him from the attainment
OF his dearest ambitions the upbung of the Church of
God His feowmen looked askance at the Catholic religion
and sneered at its claims and pretensons Archbishop John
Ireland went forth modern Galahad and by his elo-
quence his fairness his charm and his rrefutabe logic
the admiration of his countrymen religion
which he worhily champoned Henceorth the men of
this land would live tremendously together Did the
OF nemperance threaten to wreak havoc the midst
of his people? Forth sailed the leader and by word
example he built up strong, temperate following Was
the Church attacked by enemies from without? The
of the nation instantly and nsncyey turned toward the
giant whose habitat St Paul. So swift, powerful
crumbled where they stood For fifty years has he left his
path streWn with the wrecks of evil that fan would have
reached the sanctuary but to poute it.
Unlike the most of men, the good that he did will live
after him. 1t will live in the noble of religion
and zeal that dot the diocese which he ruled 1t will
the glory OF true patriotism 1t will live in the pen of the
historian as he traces the growth of the Church God in
this besseddland It will Live in the spirits of those who
bound to him in the ties of friendship of those who
knew the inner workings of his great mind the loness
his motives and the purity Of his purpose every under
taking.
Eighty years of life did God vouchsafe His servant =
eighty full years oyerowing with good did this
servant return to God His public life known loved
of all his private life of prayer and penance Was
secret of but few Early and nightfa Of each day
behed him bowed in feryent and lengthy converse with
God His heart and his intellect opened wide to receive
the grace and the strength which he prousey avshed
in gaining the souls of his feowmen for God His victories
for religion the fruit OF prayer fully much Of
personal effort.
And he is gone. When future historians linn the
dim past and record the scroll of Time the life of Gods
Church America amid the faint blur of names will
stand FORTH emblazoned letters of FURNISHED gold the
words, John Ireland Archbishop of Saint Paul.