The Spokane woman. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1921-1935, 1928-05-17
BY Pauline Suing Bloom

Nleill men ana SOou men pay tribute 10 the in
huence of their mothers in their lives and in the
light of history Motherhood must be given the
honor of being the highest and nobest as well as
the most honored career of all the professions
which engage the attention of women of the world
today. Mothers wont TO dream great dreams
for their children. Many are doomed TO dsap-
pointment and to some honors far beyond
their fondest hopes. One of the mothers who has
seen donors heaped upon the head of her son is
Mrs. Catherine Bolger White, the mother of Charles
Daniel White, ID. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Spo-
kane.
One of the greatest joys that have come into the
life of Mrs. White is the privilege of making her
home with her son. For many years he was head
OF seminary for the education of young for
the priesthood and the most that she could hope
for in the way of having home with him the
privilege of his coming home for Sunday night sup
per.
Then, one day, lie came and just the way he
hurried into the house made her realize that some
thing very much OUT of the ordinary had happened
He had hurried 10 her frs-"just the minute he
had had the news'-he wanted to tell her before
she might read ii newspaper that he was To be made
bishop.
Weren't you delighted? the question came.
I'VE were just happy that we sat down and
cried-both of u.s. Mrs. White said.
And then came the plans that made il possible
for mother and to have their home together
again-what mattered il that that home was to be
in the far west, miles from anyone they had
known before! In all the states of the Union there
not more than dozen bishops of all denomin;l-
tions who have their mothers living and in the
Catholic church there are not more than three who
have that privilege
In the old fashioned family life of past gener-
alions when there three four half II
dozen to be set up in life following her first
born, the heir all the family estate he who held
first place in the mother heart was the son that
destined for the church Mrs. White reared
her son Alone his father, Patrick White died of
pneumonia when the boy was only three years old
and she has been widow for 10 years. For years
she sewed at home. Il was never hand to leave the
care of my boy TO any one else she said Then
property that had been left to her into value
and there was sufficient income for her indcpen-
dence. Asked how she guided her boy into tile
church, Mrs. White disclaimed any of the credit
for ii. Il was that selfish that | did not want him
to CO." she said. His decision to study for the
priesthood brought with it the appointment of six
years in the American college in Rome.
Even today Mrs White does not like to think of
those six years, but during that time she went
twice across the water to visit him. The first visit
came for his vacation in 1907 ana they travelled to-
gether for three months through Italy and Switzer-
land. Then she went back in 1910 to be present
his ordination to the priesthood in the church of
st. John Lateran where the relatives of the stu
dents who received Holy Orders witnessed the
event from balcony over the sanctuary, it being
large the ordinary American cathedral.
After his ordination the young priest studied in
Rome one year until he received his doctors
degree.
When her son went across the seas to study for
that high and holy office which prepared him to
become the spiritual shepherd of thousands of
souls of his church in Eastern Washington Mrs.
White showed the stuff of which she made.
She did not ego to pieces" many woman would
be partloned for doing at great separation, but