Republican farmer., 1918-07-19
BISHOP CUSACK
 CANCER VICTIM
Catholic Prelate Elevated to High Honors From Sim
 pie Missionary Post.

Albany, July 13-The Right Revt Thomas F. Cusack, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Albany, died soon after o'clock this afternoon. Bish- op Cusack, who was 5S years old, has been in poor health since June 1917, but had been able to perform his dio- cesan dudes at intervals until recent ly. Cancer, induced by intestinal trouble, was the cause of death.
 High preferment in the Church, to whose service his devout mother had dedicated him at birth, came to Bish- op Cusack IA years ago, so suddenly that it left him breathless. One day in March, 1904, he had been plain Father Tom, a missionary priest, as simple as he was beloved. The next day, circled by reporters, he was half incredulously exclaiming:
 "A Bishop? Why I can't think of myself as ever being other than a missionary priest. Who could ever have suggested me for such an off, fee? I am not even a pastor" Not even a pastor had Father Tom been, but Bishop he had certainly be- | come-Bishop Auxiliary of New York and, honor upon honor ,irremovable rector of St. Stephens one of the most desirable parishes in the city To him had gone. at the instance of him who held the highest, the next | highest honor which the Catholic 1 Church had to bestow in his prov 1 ince.
 1 It was John Cardinal Farley, then Archbishop Farley, who recommend l ed the elevation of Father Cusack For years the Archbishop had beer 1 observing the missionary labors o1 one who had sidetracked personal am. bitions for the greater good of the 1 church. Particularly among non Catholics Father Tom had been sue cessful, and at the time his Arch bishop went to Rome on a mission O. significance unsuspected by himself Father Tom had to his credit no les than 2,0O0 conversions in New YorI alone.
 The future Bishop was born in Nev York city February 22, 1862, and pass ed his boyhood in the old Seventl ward. When first his mother looket upon him she pledged him to tn church, and it was left to the boy onl to decide the field in which he shoul do his life work. To labor anon the poors some day, and among non Catholics, was his earliest ambition and from tRat he never would b turned aside.
 In 1880 Father Cusack was grad uated from the Jesuits' College standing ninth from the top in a clas of 29, which is famous through tn honors it's members have attained
 Five years after he was ordaine
 Father Cusack- was made a rectol This was at RosendaIe, a most de
 sirable post Yet for all that he re signed after a year of service to see
 more active work.
 ! At Yonkers, whither he went to as sist the rector of St. Mary's to estat
 fish his church, Father Cusack foun work in plenty. It wasn't alway
 the work that had been laid out fo him. For instance, it as no dut of his when he heard that eight viC , tins of smallpox were quarantined i , a shanty near St. Mary's to go 1
 them. But go he did, even thoug r there was no certainty the sufferer s were of the Catholic faith. Two
 found were Catholics Of the othe
 six he made Catholics at the risk C e his life, carrying one after anorne
 into a second room of the shanty { 1 hear confession and administer th
 sacraments of the Church.