The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 30, 1902, Page 3

THE fUNDAY CALL. - < 1Big HEN George Montgomery, Bish \7' p of Monterey and Los An- hop adontgomery—The (Nan== — = —_—— xS Wwas necessary that all the children be confessed in preparation for the service of the next day That evening all the Indians of. Pala TS upon the duties of adjutor Archbishop of the i came together in the little adobe chapel, oebeiors 0 e R which they themselves hgve . The o i g e ciass for confirmation was I e and the gas ger. It was in S8an Franciseo coufession would naturally last a long time. The priest, knowing the Indians so well, knew that it was necessary to keep them interested. Otherwise, if one or two should become restless and leave all would follow. As he was to attend to the confessions it devolved upon the Bishop to entertaln the audience. For just four hours the Bishop talked to those In- dians, holding every ome until the entire class was confessed. A four-hour address Is long enough un- der the best of circumstances, but to talk four hours to an audience of Indians is a test of the resources of the best of speak- ers. These Pala Indians fairly worship the Bishop. They recognize In him a prince of the church and treat him with a rev- erence not unlike that of the Israelites of Jerusalem who spread their garments in the pathway of the Christ. While they do not literally carry out this idea, they do in spirit, clearing a pathway for him to their huts and showing the utmost devotion. Another attribute of the Bishop Is his absolute fearlessness. His moral fiber has the strength of his mental conviction. On the occasion of Eugene V. Debs’ visit to Los Angeles a delegation of work- ingmen invited Bishop Montgomery to a place on the platform during Mr. Debd’ address. “The Bishop consented upon-the one condition that if Mr. Debs said any= thing contrary to his opinifon he might be allowed to express himself. This was readily granted by the committee. Mr. Debs’ defense of labor was some- what of the nature of a soclalistic tirade. He cricd down the rights of capital and closed his speech by saying, as he point- ed to the flag draped above his head: “These very stars and stripes, our em- blem of liberty, are manufactured In & sweatshop.” As he sat down the Bishop arose, walk- ed ‘to the front of the stage, quiet, dig- nifled, but evidently stirred to the very depths. The audience was almost entirely of ‘workingmen, who have no stancher friend vears of his priesthood. time he was ordained a priest in ¢ was consecrated Bishop in » was the field of his s. and for eleven years of that time retary and chancellor to Arch- we these two men in the eleven asociation a strong bond nd in the light of the pres- eresting to recall a remark y Archbishop Riordan when Bish- gomery went to Los Angeles. dinner given by the f the diocese in honor of the new hbishop was called upon After referring with much > his close personal relation hop, he said: vacant chair in the office In will always be vacant u he comes back to fill it.” is not strange, then, that upon Arch- n’s making application for ame to receive first con- opaganda at Rome hop Montgomery. than strange had the ded the wish of the Arch- he has great reverence, is entirely lacking in ie did not aspire to become t was through no personal has received the appoint- stor with the right of suc- a form: born in Daviess County, Kentucky, December 30, 1847. His parents > olics, his father bear- atholic name of Pius. t means they were the advantages ot when possible, to a r the priesthood. He first schools, and later L ucky. He after- than Bishop Montgomery. It was a w se at St. Charles Col- ll:hln'ce for him to make & strong play 4 Pt “ ov favqr. But this is what he said: o 2 NN, RENERHIE A e ‘While I admire Mr. Debs for his £ at St. Mary's Seminary, near Balti- lessness in expressing his opinions, I mor which city he was ordained by would be a coward were I to sit here and rdina the age of 32. by my silence seem to give assent to what e was ly assigned to a par- he has said. What we must all learn Is 8 cisco, where he spent the that the man who does not own property € rs of his priesthood that has no right to own property until he tion a earns it or acquires it by law; and the 5 € ation as Bishop. man who owns property has a right to > $he man, 3bup in- own it and to be protected in his owner- K = ship. If that flag was made in a sweat- on stock, he has shop it floats over the freest country om birth that this acei- the face of the earflthl' e Ags 4 A Catholic to the very core of him, el L) w s ng Bishop Montgomery Is yet possessed of a - e, M6 R g - strong spirit of toleration. He not only < SSmasPhion Siket Seniiey. preaches it but he lives it. On a sion when he was to deliver Perhaps the most notable event in the en a e man designated to intro- history of the Newman Club, a literary club composed of the prominent Catholic laity of Los Angeles, was the reading of a paper by the Bishop at one of their monthly meetings, on the gubject of rell- glous toleration. A minister of every non- Catholic denomination in the city was in- vited, together with @ layman of his chureh, and these were alternated at the banquet table with Catholic clergy and laymen. While not ylelding one jot or tittle of Catholic dogma, the Bishop made a strong plea for toleration, dwelllng on the fact that no church was without its dark blot of persécution; that each in its day of power had been merciless to the weak- er churches; but that this was a matter of the past, and whatever the differences and prejudices of the mother churches had been, all should be left behind when people crossed the Atlantie. Any one who had ever sat with the Bishop at a banquet will have noticed when he raised his glass for a toast that it contained only water. He Is a total abstainer. It Is not, however, from fear of weakness on his own part, but as a help to others. The Bishop was founder of the League of the Cross Cadets of San Francisco. The boys of this organization are asked to take the pledge until they are 21. This same request the Bishop makes of all boys whom he confirms, merely as a mat- ter of protection to them during the time when habits are most easily formed. Responsibility for the spiritual welfare ©of many thousands of people might be « m th ght 10 make a point of his . distingpished American Bishop firmly declined contends that Ameri- in tracing a line the Pligrim Fathers; lized citizen of the much a citizen as the { George Washington. sery is 2 man who radi- ere is force in the keen, glance his blue-gray eye. There broad chin and his quick, vigorous d in the strong grasp of his s a man whose very presence gives £y nd infinite capacity. of great activity. f the sort that builds upon a tonic. Once when ske was not afrald of breaking € by such an energetic in- e replied that on the n preached away a head- t physical allment. in Los Angeles he has of parochial” work. Being a Bishop, he does not forget that be is never too busy to 1 or hear a confession. k c was bu hort time ago that he went expacted to drive all but serious thoughts 2 answer a sick call, a consid- S e Nk Mot w Wik (e s G8 The 10 Ditapi ey hy Bishop. He bas a fine sense of humor wagon. None of the priests of his house- and & keen sense of the ridiculous, Amus- hold were able to go when the call‘came, ing incidents that occur sometimes in the . midst of most solemn ceremonies pass ap- end the Bishop performed this service as t t were a part of his office. hop’s day begins even earlier of his family. He still has the rmed in his seminary days, of o'clock. Until 6 o'clock, the ch for many years he has he attends to his spiritual de- parently unnoticed, but they are never lost on the Bishop, who will recount them afterward with great enjoyment. As usual with men of large natures, the smile and tear lle ciose together. The Bishop is & man of great tenderness and he does not seek to hide his love for his family or his fellow-workers. Not long ago one of his priests, for whom the Bishop had a sincere affection, left the dlocese for another fleld. At the railway station the Bishop put his arms about the priest and cried like a child, and many times when called upon to perform the burial service at the grave of a friend his voice trembles with emotion and tears roll down his cheeks. The Bishop is fond of anecdgtes and is a famous story-teller. One of his favor- its_stories is that of the man who died and left his money to a Jewish rabbl, a Protestant minister and a Cathollc priest on condition that each man put $00 in his coffin. On the way to the cemetery the three men rode In the same carriage and the minister incidentally asked the priest how he had deposited the $00 in the coffin. The priest answered that he had put in a $500 bill and in turn asked the minister how he had deposited his, to which the minister replied he had put in $20 notes Then the priest turned to the rabbli and asked him. The rabbi replied that he had put in his check for and taken out the change. Bishop Montgomery is justly popular and his popularity extends far beyond the boundaries of his church. Catholia and nen-Cathollc alfke admire this man, who I8 characterized by dignity, tender- ness, courage, and, above all, charity and until the breakfast hour, spends his time reading the He takes a keen interest in events and is a close student of and social science. In spite of old duties he finds time to read he new books that touch upon these topics, as well as books of a gious mnature; - thus ~keeping abreast of the times. His however, are Invariably devoted to dogma and morals, as he believes the ur is the place for religious teaching d not lectures on secular subjects. tuality 18 one of his strong points, method and promptness he is accomplish an enormous f work. ance of his punctuality, the d that during his stay in San e people’ Uving near the here he said early mass used Lo clocks by him. He was known 4 certain cormer at ten minutes and 1if the clocks did not shuw ume it was known that they had G d not Father Montgomery. th His are devoted 10 his mail BERTHA H. SMT g cails, He is the most ap- S 3 tacai proacliable of men, and the lowliest man o =3 parish can’ come to him of need, feeling sure of a sympathetic interesl. Be- the Bishop and the laity there has existed a strong tie, for the man without Lhe arrogancé of exaltéd posi The Octopus is ome of the longest novels of the day and therefore it will take five ismues of the Sunday Call to publish the complete story This splendid novel began the Sunday Call of November But while his cordiality and frank- 9 amd will be completed next of manner invile contidence, it al- Sunday, December 7. By pur- v ort of familiarity. He hs chasing "Iel-Q five issues of Much as his opinions are sought and free- “The Octopus” was written y are expressed :pon (;erl;ln sub- . by the late Frank Norris. s, there is a point where the Bishop's . It is Mr. Norris’ stromgest o with St stopesBul 45 tna hnflsfen in tne ’nebwla‘paperm ana untli he in tne same manner does ne keep his Of orie thing they may be sure—the with so little success. movel. ng < enough 1o him 16 get beyond thay TCCIVes @ papal bull, he knows nothing own counsel {n politics. His posftion and roro. o3 L Sintiie 66 & ai WA ih e opiities Statile ' ThG Trdlie of his: Hitile sia teeiial It has Justly been consider- polnt. He cau waive questioning with the (o0r o Monterey and S s Y Seartam & ;,mc::, 20.0a peld byytse SchurmcHeR for the oppression of tho' weaker classes with as much consideration as though | fN €= mearest spproach to diplomacy of a prime minister. To-day "rn o i cl”" 8 o5 Angeles. :v.:(]_lp:];o:lnu::"eor vz:te:o !n:llillence at \ R will be scratched. An innate sense of they were the most influentfal people In VP wrtlion. b " p is the one man with any e Catholic clergy from one end of the ' gb i . yet he never ) A2 vight and justice governs his every any parish. It portrays life and scemes . of Catholie affairs on b, State to the other are speculating as to indicates by the slightest suggestion his : opinfon. The Bishop grows almost flerce Not long ago he made a trip to Pala | 1n California more vividiy « who hesitates to-nlmit that &t & . 0P Successor. and naines have Choite of Randidates. ‘He ls stricely coss in his, denunciation of the outrages com- to confirm a class of Indian children. than any other book eiy settiod that be Is 0 becoime the /o>, Poen recommended by the priests uclentious fn the matter of Ilx public duty, mitted by the Government against the The trip was a hard one and was made By - ~eitggr ¥ D, or Archbishop. He inaists that miy Ofe 1S, dlocese. but no gne. bax. the PUS when He goss to the. palls to iukt hie California Indians. He has been a tire- In company with the priestwho ministers |~ gn% o STRARY Culb—November oty knuwaiige W L RN I Whel iy m:hgp.' chqlc: 0 mig be the ;Izt: ::: lf:l'f:tslw?lslmr;:;‘“ do not know less worker in’their ' behalf and feMs to that little branch of mission Indians. N keenly the fact that his efforts have met Upon arrival of the Bishop and priest it -—