The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-15
ARCHBISHOP BOWLING.

A writer in The Guardian, of Lit
tie Rock, Ark, who is acquainted
with our new Archbishop, gives
the following sidelight on the
Archbishop's character. He
writes:
The press announcement that
Bishop Bowling Of Des Moines
has been selected to succeed Arch
bishop Ireland as Metropolitan of
st. Paul was received with much
joy by those Of us in the East who
were privileged to know the man
in earlier days. The new Arch
bishop prepared for his subse-
quent career by training at the
Catholic University to which may
be attributed his rapid advance
along the road Of ecclesiastical
preferment. AS a teacher Of his
tory in the Provincial Seminary
at Brighton, Mass, the writer first
formed his acquaintance. His
classes were attended by the boys
preparing for the priesthood in
New England with enforced
punctuality and unfailing regu-
larity, since to the day narration
Of historical events, the genial
professor gave a touch Of human,
not to say humorous interest, that
made the study Of his particular
branch of sacredotal training
delight rather than a burden.
From the teaching rostrum he
assembled the wider educational
field as editor of the diocesan or
gan, The Providence y Visitor,
That paper, like most Of it's kind,
had been blest with a checkered
career. Father Bowling infused
new spirit into the publication,
and while surrendering no inch to
heterodox opinion he voiced the
safe and sane sentiment of reason
able Catholic thought which gave
to the weekly a character all it's
own, one which made it the pio-
neer in religious journalistic fields
now trod by most Of the Catholic
editors of the country. When he
was chosen as Bishop Of Des
Moines he fastened to his See,
cheered by the congratulations
and prayers of the friends, lay
and clerical, he left behind him in
the East.
His work in Des Moines may be
better known to the readers of
The Guardian than to some of us
who are farther removed from the
scene of such activities. Echoes
Of his zeal have reached us from
time to time, however, and from
the reports written large Of deeds
accomplished, as chronicled in the
Catholic papers, we have been in
formed of his great success in rul-
ing the See over which he has pre-
sided up to now.
He goes to st. Paul, therefore,
fully equipped to conduct the af-
fairs and perpetuate the fame of
that illustrious archdiocese. By
early preparation, by natural dis
position, by scholarly endowments
he is fitted to follow the great
man whose name has been identi-
fed with progressive Catholicism
in the United States. Independ-
ence Of opinion and fearlessness of
expression are not lacking in the
new Archbishop as one may learn
from his history of the Providence
diocese in which he did not shrink
from criticism Of certain church
happenings, criticisms that were
not over much relished by the
more conservative wing Of the &C.
clesiastical body. The dominant
Equality that rules his other gifts is
the bubbling sense OF humor
which permits the new Arch
bishop to see the funny side OF
even serious things and thus re-
store the proportions that make
for sanity. We congratulate the
| Archdiocese Of ST.. Paul, accord
ingly, in the possession OF a pre-