Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-08-02
Erected i'm Honor of Soldier Boys of
Historic st. Joseph's
Church.
ABBOTT Obrecht, Very Rev. J.. f
Kearney and Rev. j. j. Abel
on Programme.
WILL LAST ENTIRE WEEK.


Historic BardstoWn, once the See
City of the Louisville diocese and
where was erected the first Cathe-
dral west of the Alleghenies, will
next week be the scene of a solemn
and patriotic celebration of the
centennial of St. Joseph's church,
of which the Very Rev. Dean
O'Connell is the venerable and able
pastor. The programme is outlined
in the Kentucky Standard, from
which we extract the following:
Throughout the width and length
of the land variety of memorials
are being erected by both church and
State 10 do honor to our noble sol
der boys who went forth at the call
of their country, to battle and even
TO die for God and their firesides.
IT'S praiseworthy and just that it
should be so. Responsive to this ex-
allied sentiment emanating spentane-
ously from the heart of a great
nation, the members of st. Joseph's
church, Bardstown, deemed it a
most suitable time during the cen
tennial anniversary of the consecra-
ton of the now venerable Cathedral
to erect a monument memorializing
the names of its heroic youths who
were called to the colors of their
country, numbering one hundred and
eleven, four of whom made the
supreme sacrifice.
Pertinent to this universal express
sion of nations love and devotion
for the brave soldier boys of the
war of 1917-1918 is the following
letter from the pen of a Massachu-
sets hero's mother who wants her
sons name on monument:
II am only a private's mother;
not even that now, for he is dead
killed in France by German. I had
taken care of him for twenty-three
years. and 1t only took second for
him TO die, so they tell me. / want
to ask the Telegram to say for me
in these few words that will never
rest in peace If I don't tell the
people of Worcester what my boy
used to say to me to jolly me up,
as he called 1t, when was crying
over him being drafted. He would
say, Mother. If / am killed, / will
leave my name for you to look at
on some monument like the one on
the Common. Then won't you be
proud of me? And he would laugh,
dance me around and kiss me. Now,
o God, he is deadi Only mother
or father who has boy buried in
France knows what that means.
Now his mother wants his name
on monument and not on the wall
of a building. The good Mayor tries
to please all. If some people wants
a large building, it will be nice, but
please have a monument, too, for
even a child knows what a soldiers
monument stands for. Who in going
in and coming out of that building
In years to come will remember why
it was built? They won't care.
II would be nice to have the monu-
ment stand where all the parades
pass by it, where all the busy work
ing people can go by 1t on their way
to work, and where mothers, who
choke back sobs in their throats and
clench their hands so they won't cry
In public, can see it, can stand be-
side 1t, touch 1t and know their boy
helped place it there. I have no
grave to visit. Please give me this
much. I wish other mothers would
write the papers and say the way
they feel. know you will print
this. Mr.. Editor, so I thank you
now"
The memorial monument in honor