The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-05-06
TRIBUTE TO BISHOP TROBEc

Church's aim and end is to make men
holy. Christ established His religion
to make, men saints. From the age Of
the apostles and the early martyrs to
our own age, heroism of virtue is the
one end of Catholicity; and the su-
preme fruit of the grace of Jesus Cru
Gifted Now, my brethren, it Is to
the class of the saints that Bishop
Trobec belOnged-most plainly, most
conspicuously. He spent his. whole
life in acquiring supreme fervor OF
faith and hope and love-a triple
stream of Divine force poured forth
among his fellow men for their eter-
nal welfare as if it were his hearts
very blood. There is not a soul in
| this great congregation but beats and
| throbs with immense gratitude as it
bends it's farewell chances upon that
benignant face and form; for he be-
longed to you all in the most gener-
| Gus fullness of apostolic zeal. We
| Bishops and priests who knew him,
know how holy and beneficent his life
was. To know him even for a short
time was to know his holiness always
afterwards"
| This last sentence tells of the i'm
preston he made upon us two Paul
lists during the brief period of our mis-
sions; especially during the main one
I at Wabasha, which to the present
writer, was the most memorable in re-
gard to the pastors holiness of all the
| IN which ho caryad
A True Priest.
Every Christian is set forth to two
great vocations: to save his soul by
the grace of God; and to aid his
neighbOr in the same divine undertak-
ing. But one called to the office of a
Ipriest OF Christ, and especially If he
receives the fullness Of the priestly
grace by being made Bishop, is call
ed by an inmemorial tradition for
these same ends another Christ-Al-
ter >Christus. That in generous
measure was the grace and the office
granted to James Trobec. | had rath-
er choose to be his humblest parish
iOner than heir to throne He was
i'm city built upon a HILL light il
luming the whole house of God. He
epitomized the whole purpose OF the
Redeemer in becoming man and in dy-
ing for sinners and establishing His
Church and instituting His Sacra.
ments.
Bishop Trobec was of the second
generation of the Jugo-Slavic mission
aries to the state of Minnesota. The
first generation was brought out to-
America by Frederick Baraga, who
evangelical the Indians of the upper
peninsula of Michigan and of north
ern Wisconsin and Minnesota, begin
ming in the thirties of the last century.
Father Trobec, after his ordination by
. Bishop Grace in 1865, began his life
work of saving souls. He passed
from one parish to another and sue
cessiyely laid in them the foundations
of religion in all priestly ministra-
tons, including the founding of Cath
Ollie schools. Meantime, he became
one of the foremost patterns of sacer-
dotal piety and zeal. When he was
made Bishop he was already advanced
in years. God alone knows what cour-
age was granted him to accept that
BURDEN; and what bliss he experienced
in laying it down at his resignation
at a very advanced age. His. latest
years were spent in preaching and
other holy labors at Rice, MINI. sin
the home of his nephew, Father John
! Trobec, pastor of that parish, and
: his own two sisters, who from the: be-
ginning of his priestly life had been
: his housekeepers, and who are irsep-
arably mingled in our memories MS fit
associates of his apostolic career
They yet survive him, awaiting their
call to Paradise. Father Trobec
, writes me that his uncle's death was
| sudden. I'm the morning he offered
Holy Mass; after dinner he collapsed,
: and within an hour his pure soul was
with his Maker. I administered the
) last Sacramento to him" 81