Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-01
OLDEST CATHOLIC :
PRIEST IN WORLD
The Rev. Father Dandurand
Was One Hundred Years
Old March %

Winnipeg, Man.-The Rev. Dam
ase Dandurand, of the quaint old
town of st. Boniface across Red
river from Winnipeg, is the Oldest
Catholic priest in the world. He was
100 years old March 22.
On March % at the centennial an
niversary of the founding of st.
Boniface, he celebrated mass IN the
cathedral at an altar before which
Indian worshipers once bowed in
old st, Boniface mission, one of the
pioneer outposts of the Catholic
Church in Western Canada. His
voice was clear and strong and car
ried to the farthest corner of the
edifce. After the service, he held a
reception for the parishioners and
visiting clergymen.
When / came into the west,
said Father Dandurand, 'it was wild
prairie dotted with Indian villages
and covered with buffalo. | saw the
irst settlers come in behind their
OK teams. | saw populous towns
and cities arise on every hand. |
saw the wilderness transformed as
by recromancy into smiling PIC
ture of farm prosperity, with cattle
IN a thousand pastures and wneat
rolling to the horizon. The last
west is still calling the homeseek-
people are still pouring in to settle
on the fertile land. have seen
Canada's Yesterday and it's to-day.
If the dear God should grant me
one more decade of life. l should
rot be able to recognize the greater
Canada of to-day in the greater ma
ton CT tomorrow"
st. Boniface, to which Father
Danurand came in 1872, was the
g
sang in "The Bells of st. Boni-
face Since its foundation in 1918
until now it has been the headquar-
ters of the Catholic Church in. West
ern Canada. A magnificent cathe-
dral Now occupies the site of the
old mission from whose 'turrets
twain the bells of st. Boniface
pcalcG their mellow call Ito the
5oattncn on the river and the hunts
men OH the plain"
r.thcr Dandurand was born at La
Pvaimc. Quebec, March %, 1919. He
W. weak. delicate child. DR..
Nelson, the family physician, used
t. !, oil; at him sadly with shaking
E~pd ?bd say: zone lung bad. I'm
a.."llu he won't live long" He was
crd med to the priesthood in 1S41
a,H held important charges in East
,rr Canada before. coming to st.
l,C'f'lace. lie was IL lillSSlOlaiS CT
ottawa when it was known as By
town and drew the plans for the Ia
ru.u; Basilica at the national cap
itHi
Except that his eyes are weak and
he Is compelled to wear glasses, all
the faculties Of the venerable priest
rerna;r unnnpaired. He habitually
takes part IN the services of :he
Oblate Order of which he is the
dean Of Western Canada. There is
no doubt about his age. The parish
record OF his birth still preserves
the clearly leGible proof.
ON THE VICTORY LIBERTY LOAN
The Sixty-third Congress, in It's
second session, authorized $4,000
600, 900 for a years war expenses. A
good part of fhis money Will not now
he spent. Between April. 1917. and
December 1918 we spent S24,oOO'-
600, 900. Allowing s2,O00,OOo,OOO for
the normal expenses of running the
Government during the war period.
there remained $22,OOO,OOO,OOO as the
cost of the war up to the end of
last war. The American people sup
plied this through subscription Tor
Liberty Bonds, the purchase of Wa
Savings Stamps, and the payment of
taxes without upsetting the econo-
mic and financial structure of the
Nation. Can they not be expected to
supply the balance with as little dis
turbance to business The Worlds