The Irish standard., 1918-02-23
Methodist Pastor
Pays Tribute to Late
Bishop Foley Of Detroit
Lauds His Great intellectual Power
and Prudent Foresight in Provid.
ing Hospitals and Orphanages
for the Diocese.
FLoATED OLD GLORY
At HIS RESIDENCE
The City of Detroit and the World
Better Because Of His
Life.

In the Central Methodist Episcopal
church, Pontiac, Rev. Russell H.
Bready, the pastor, delivered a "pul-
pit editorial" on "a Protestant's Es-
innate of Bishop Foley" in which he
expressed great admiration for the
venerable leader of the Detroit Roman
Catholic diocese, who died on Jan. S.
He said in part:
Detroit is the head of diocese
in the Roman Catholic church, of
which there are three in Michigan,
the others being in Grand Rapids and
the upper peninsula. The occupant of
the diocese of Detroit for period
of 80 years has been Bishop John
Samuel Foley, who departed this life
Saturday, Jan. 5, 1918.
During all this time 1 have been
familiar with the name of Bishop
Foley, from the days of boyhood, as
in his official capacity he has visited
the various places where my father
was pastor. AS a boy l remember
the wonderful impression Bishop Fo-
ley made on me, with his powerful
physical frame. l have seen him a
good many times in the Office of con-
firmation; he impressed me as a
monarch of the right kind. Moving
among men on the street, Bishop Fo-
ley would attract your attention at
once, as not an ordinary man. I have
noticed people on the street stand still
and look at him, his large frame, his
massive head covered with heavy
white hair. God seemed to have en-
dowed him in keeping with the great
office which he would be called upon
to fill.
"He saw Detroit pass from a fourth
rate city of the nation to the fourth
city in population under the Stars and
Stripes. It was just the time when a
church needed statesman in it's
episcopal chair in Detroit, to keep
the church up with the growth of the
city, in planting it's new churches,
schools, hospitals and orphanages.
Bishop Foley led in the investment of
millions of dollars in institutions that
not alone served his church, but
served humanity. The Roman Cath
olic church has been far-sighted
enough to rear hospitals to take care
of the sick, and orphanages, so that
when Protestant children were left
homeless often the only thing to do
was to send them to a Roman Catho-
lie institution. Instead of condemn
ing them, it is better that we get to
work and follow their example and
attend to our own duty on these lines.
Bishop Foley set us a fine exam
pie in keeping the Stars and Stripes
floating from his official residence.
This is a ) plendid lesson in patriot
ism, to see Old Glory floating from a
score of homes along any street. In
the final days of his decline, when he
could not read any more, he desired
to hear the news each day from the
war.
"Often amid the responsibilities of
his office, in handling of the affairs
of a diocese, when time had to be
given to the consideration of each
parish and each priest in his dio-
cese, poor, broken-hearted wanderer
would ask to see him, and he would
stop everything to help and minister
to the man. Bishop Foley was man
of affairs, but big enough to bend over
an individual, like good Samaritan.
He reared hospitals and orphanages,
and, while so far removed from us in
many things, yet shall we not say in
Difference to a long life given in the
service of our Christ, that leader
in Israel has fallen, and that Detroit
is a better city, and that this is a bet
ter world, that Michigan is a better
state, because John s. Foley lived in
it and had the leadership of such a
body of Christians, and that above all,
being bishop, or a priest, or an Amer
ican, he was Christian man, which
means a Christ man.