The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-12-06

TloNs OF DIOCESAN lNsTITU-
TloNs.
On the occasion of the anniversary
Mass for Archbishop Ireland in the
first week of October Archbishop
bowling called attention to the fitness
of commemorating the memory OF the
great Archbishop in an adequate way.
He referred to the fact that a sug-
gestion had been made and some con-
sideTation given to the placing of a
statue of the Archbishop in heroic
size on one of the pedeStals that crown
and accentuate the broad flight OF
stairs leading up to the main entrance
OF the Cathedral on Summit avenue.
He could not bring himself, however,
he said. TO subordinate SO splendid and
so venerable Il figure to detail in a
scheme of ornamentation, be it ever
so grandiose. He had thought of
naming some building in his honor
possibly that which would be erected
as a preparatory college for candi-
dates for the priesthood, made possi-
BILE by Mr. Timothy FOley's generous
offer of $1O0,00000 for that purpose.
Neither statue nor building" he went
on to say, commended themselves
to me as an adequate memorial to a
man who lOomed so large in the his
tory of our country as did Archbishop
ireland, and who wrought so well and
so enduringly for the Church in the
Northwest as he did
Little by little it had been growing
upon him, he said, that there was a
tribute that the ArchbishOp's friends
and admirers and spiritual children
might pay him adequate to his men,
ory and in the spirit of his own desire
could he but express it. That trib-
ute was the consolidation, the unifica-
Tion and the perpetuation of his most
notable work in life.
Now, in a career so full of activity
as was Archbishop Ireland's, it might
he considered a difficult thing to deter
mine just what the most notable work
of his life was. Some would consider
the very distinguished part he took in
developing the NorthWest-the col
onies he founded, the enthusiasm he
Inspired, the publicity that he gave
10 the city and the state which in his
bOyhood was a frontier and which,
diving, he knew to be one OF the most
prosperous, most progressive, and
most enlightened states of the union.
Who could assay the value of the
Archbishop's cooperation in bringing
about so wonderful a transformation.
On the other hand, some might con-
slider his public career-hiS patr1o-
tism, his courage, his services to the
nation on so many occasions in the
course of long life as the feature of
his work that deserved best to be re-
called. AS he lay dying the late EX-
President Roosevelt, than whom there
was no better judge, wrote him to eX-
press his sense of admiration for his
splendid citizenship. When death
claimed him the secular papers, the
country over, paid tribute to this out
standing characteristic of the Arch
bishops life.
To Catholics, on the other hand, he
WAC a national figure-a strong, mas
terful man-keen for every moral
issue with a courage that never
nuailed before difficulties Many ven
Grated him for his early, his eloquent,
his consistent advocacy of temper
ance. Many saw better now the
meaning of his stand and his struggle
on the nationalistic question in the
nineties. Many admired what he said
and did for the harmonizing of church
and state; for instance, his tour OF
France in the interest of the political
ideas of Pope Leo XIII.
But for my part" continued Arch
his hop Dowling, 'if | must choose that
Dortion of my venerated predecessor
career which will endure, that which
is most characteristic of a great Shep
herd cf Souls and that in which he
found most satisfaction at the end be
cause it represented his sacrifices, his
devotion and his highest hopes, it viii
be the great educational system thai
he inaugurateG, the institutions that
he established, but which he hae
neither time nor strength nor the
means to coordinate, unity and con
Solidate. t.f Ass!g%
my suggestion then is, that We, the
hers of his great desires, distin
guiehed throughout the church by oul
association with his life and illustrl
Gus name, take up this work where he
left it and with f1lial piety devote our
selves to plan which while systema
tizing our educational effort on scale
of grand proportions, will show from
what spiritual stock we sprang and IL
what school of sacrifice we received
our training"
The plan that the Archbishop theI
de -eloped he has since on several oc
caslons discussed with the clergy ant
with, members of the laity. Twice il
tho rast week heNset it forth-on Fri
day night of last week to the pastor!
of ST Paul at meeting in the assem-