Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-19
LAST TRIBUTE PAID
TO BELOVED PRIEST!
People from All Ranks in Life
Crowd st. Joseph's Church
at Funeral Service of Monsig@
nor Jerome NJ. Cloarec-Sers
mon by FIR. TurcOt !,

Hundreds of people, Catholic and
Protestant alike. crowded St Joseph's
Church to the very doors Friday morn.
ing to do homage to the man who foT
more than half century had devoted
his life to their happiness and welfare
Monsgnor Jerpme Marie Cloarec. Long
before the service they began to arr,vs
and when tho service started every scat
was taken and long rows Of people stood
in the aislcs almost to the sanctuary and
at the back there was hardly standing
room. Then others sat In the balconies.
The church was draped In the mourning
colors black and purple, the altar and
pulpit being in black and the posts in
purple, while purple streamers hung
from the choir loft. These decorations
will remain in the church for thirty ia, a.
The requiem mass was most impre ssive.
the Rt Rev. J. ]. Rice, bishop Of Bur-
lington. celebrated and a large number "A
the clergy took part. The Rev. ". n,
Cassidy of 81 Mary's Cathedral was ths
master Of ceremonies; the Very Rev J. n,
ellis. V. G., of St Mary's Cathedral ", al
the assisting priest and the deacons q
honor were the Rev. G. f.. Provost al
bennington and the Rev J. y. sham al
of Bellows Falls The deacons Of the m 2 81 |
burgh. N v. and the Rev. r. T. Leona rf
of Middlebury. The thurfer was the Row
Norbert j. LaChance Of Alburg. Jhs
Rev. F. A. Welch of Orwell was the -
sistant master of ceremonies and the
acolytes were the Revs. p. L. Boivin II
Hyde Park and w p. Crosby of Proctor.
Under the direction Of e. !. Beaupre the
music was beautiful, the organ. choir md
chancel choir seeming to pour forth thelr
music in a supreme effort To show a.
devotion of the people for their priest.
THE SERMON.
The Rev. FIR. Joseph Turcot p r Of VIZ
nooski preached the sermon in F'rench
and whom he finished there was not a
dry eye in the church. He took as his tese
the seventh verse of the fourth chap on
of the Second Epistle of st. Paul I'd
Timothy; II have fought the good fight.
I have finished my course, ! have kent
the faith, as 10 the rest there is laid up foH
me a crown of Justice which the Lord,
the Just judge, will render TO me IN thae
day Tracing the life of Monsgnor
Cloarec from the time of his arrival in
this country about 65 years ago. ~
stranger in a strange land" the preacher
outlined the life OF the priest so closely
identified with the growth of the Cath-
Ole Church in Vermont. He told of the'
leading events In the life of the deceased,
his arrival in Burlington. a young priest,
in all the fervor of hs ordination ardi
with the burning zeal Of a missionary
LAS the Jews of old were given the proph-
cts to be their guides, and watchful sen-i-
nels to ward off danger so is a Catholic
priest prophet In the mids. of his peo-,
pie" said Father Turcot. II
He told how Monsignor Cloarec spent
his whole life In teaching from the pull,
pit, the truth which he believed. "IIe was
the modsi for morality" the speaker SAIL
minister ring to the people the sacramento
consoling them In time of sickness ard
trial. 1t was here that many Of the ar-
dience showed that they were deeply at
fected. as they were reminded OF all that
the dead priest had done for them.
He dwelt on the various activities which,
shall endure as lasting monument to
the memory of the beloved preate and
concluded by showing Monsignor Cloarso
n model priest as a representative of Cod:
urging the parshioners CT St joseph
not to forget in death the man who spent
his life for their spiritual welfare. ffa
said that tho tribute OF gratitude which
they owe him should be paid by fervent
prayer for the repose Of his soul His cons
cluson was most touching as ne turned
toward the body OF the priest bidding him
farewell forever. farewell from the
clergy and the people.
The body Of Monsignor Cloarec VIII
rest in the shadow of the altar to which
he so often offered the sacrifice Of mass
in the beautiful church. consecrated ~
him to the glory of the Almighty, this
most fitting mausoieum which could bd
erected over his remains.
After the sermon the casket Of the ista
prelate was closed, escorted down thd
aisle with fitting ceremonies and taken
TO the chapel. where it rests beneath the
altar. The vault will not be closed as
once and the caslIet rests within a steel
casket The Very Rev. J.. F. ellis ota<
ciated at the entombment. !