Evening star., 1938-03-20
Canoni7ing of Polish Martyr
Recalls DR.. Wdlsh's Mission
G.. u. Vice President
Recovered Body
From, Soviet.

A secret conststory today at the
Vatican preliminary to the final pub
lie canonization Of Blessed Andrew
Bobola, S. j., as the patron saint
Of Poland. recalls to the Rev. DR..
Edmund A. Walsh. s. j., vice presi-
dent Of Georgetown University, poig-
nant memories Of q Russian expert
ence which few living persons can
share.
More than any other, Father Walsh
made it possible for the canoniza-
ton Of the martyed Jesuit church,
man. slain more than three centuries
ago by Russian Cossacks. He is hop
ing, If nothing happens to hold him
here, to 60 to Vatican City in April
for the final solemn ceremony IN
which the college of cardinals and the
Pope again will participate.
1t was Father Walsh who was
assigned in 1923 by Pope Plus XII to
locate the body of the Beatus, which
had been snatched from its tomb in
the cathedral at Vitbesk, Poland, by
Bclshevik troops during the 1920 in
vasion of Poland. The body was
known to be somewhere in Russia.
There also rested on the young
Georgetown priest the duty of nego-
tiating with the Soviet government
for the return of the body to Rome
and the even more exacting RESPONSE
bility Of identifying 1t beyond a doubt
for the purposes Of canonization.
Overcame Many Obstacles.
All these things be accomplished
successfully, but only after more than
a year Of perseverance and diplo-
macy in which the finding Of the
body was only the first obstacle to
overcome. During these trying times,
also, he acted as the Vatican's repre-
sentative in negotiating the release
of one or more prominent Catholic
bishops condemned to death in Russia.
Few persons, therefore. are more
interested than Father Walsh in the
final chapter of his experience which
is being recorded today at the Vati-
can. Father Walsh briefly told OF
these efforts when questioned about
them yesterday.
Pope Plus had reasons to intrust
the delicate mission to the then 35-
year-old priest who at that time was
director OF the Vaticans relief mis-
sion in Russia during the great FAM
ines. In later years the pontin re-
membered how automatically Father
Walsh dealt with the Soviet officials
and assigned him on other special
missions. A few years ago he COM
missioned the Georgetown priest as
the personal negotiator for the Vati-
can in the successful settlement of
its long-standing controversy with the
Mexican government over religious
prosecutions and seizers of church
property
Fed 10000 Children.
Father Walsh had been named
regent of the School of Foreign Serv-
ice only few years when he went to
Russia as a member of the American
Relief Mission. It was then that he
also directed the independent relief
activities in Russia for the Vatican,
supervising the feeding Of 10000 chill
dren.
Weeks Of questioning Soviet OH
cials and private investigation of nu-
merous rumors we're required before
Father Walsh actually traced the body
of the Polish martyr to its hiding
place in Moscow.
1T was actually locked within q
room of a building which I had en-
tered dozens Of times" he recalled
yesterday.
The body Of the churchman had
been horribly mutilated when he was
slain 300 years ago, but had been