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Show ELOQUENT TRIBUTE. (Copyright, 1900, by The Intermoun-tain Intermoun-tain Catholic.) Versailles, France, June 22, 1900. Here, in this world-famed city of Versailles, Ver-sailles, scene of the glory and splendor of Louis XIV, I received this morning copies of The Intermountain Catholic containing Miss Kelly's little descriptive descrip-tive of the last services in old St. Mary's Ma-ry's Cathedral in Denver, and the removal re-moval of the bell to Logan avenue. Not even the splendor of the palace, nor the music of the fountains in the beautiful gardens, were sufficient to distract my mind from the scenes and the ceremonies, so simple yet beautifully beauti-fully and eloquently portrayed by Miss Kelly. And so the old Cathedral is gone, and I shall see it no more. It is indeed in-deed with regret that I recall the fact, for the history and associations of the holy structure are dear to the priests and people of Denver. While it stood it was a monument to the memory of the saintly Macheboet and revered Raverdy, Ra-verdy, whose graves, unmarked by monument of stone, lie beneath the mountain shadows hard by nature's towering domes in Mount Olivet. Yes, indeed, as Miss Kelly has observed, ob-served, it is easier to tear down than to build up, and in the building of the structure now demolished it was the tears and the sacrifice of these two men, which gave inspiration and hope to the Catholics of Denver. If their graves are yet unmarked by marble or granite, and though the old Cathedral be gone, the memory of these two early apostles of Colorado will forever remain in veneration in the hearts of the people, for as Father Callanan said of them, their zeal was strong, and their work left a fascination unequajed. They were both strong ecclesiastics, each in his own way. In Father Ra-verdy Ra-verdy could be found the complement of Bishop Macheboeuf. In great measure meas-ure they depended upon each other, and their united efforts were well-nigh invincible in-vincible in any undertaking. When w-e contemplate the condition of Colorado at the commencement of their work, the results which they produced must be considered Apostolic. Only the one who has delved into the details of Colorado's Col-orado's history in the past forty-five years can begin to anpreciate the part which these two Apostolic spirits played in the up-building of the state, as well as the church. In the vigor and prime of their young manhood they carried the Gospel to remote parts and everywhere entered into the material ma-terial development and prosperity of the state. They did not seek to rear grand and magnificent church edifices, for they realized that theirs was not the time for such work, which properly belongs to their successors. They did, however, erect a spiritual church. They cared for the sick, the destitute and the orphan. Before their deaths they saw Christ glorified on altars, in hospitals, hos-pitals, orphan asylums and homes for the forsaken in every part of Colorado, including the most remote and inaccessible inac-cessible passes in the mountains, wherever wher-ever men were congregated. No opportunity was lost for the establishment es-tablishment of schools and the dissemination dissem-ination of Christian doctrine. From Denver in the East, stretching across the State for 500 miles to Durango and Grand Junction in the West, Bishop Macheboeuf and Father Raverdy saw their efforts for the betterment of God's children crowned with success. At the time of his death Bishop JVIacheboeuf had the satisfaction of knowing that no diocese in the United States was better equipped for the propagation of true Christian charity than that in which he had planted the mustard seed. The above thoughts and more of like tenor coursed through my mind today as I contemplated that this soil of France marks the birthplace of Joseph Projectus Macheboeuf and Jean Bap-tiste Bap-tiste Raverdy. I stood by the bier of the former and I paid the last tribute of respect to the latter when his body rested in old St. Mary's, now no more. I recall the opening words of my ser-mon:"The ser-mon:"The mighty oaks have fallen and we the saplings stand!" I tried to picture the beauties of the land which the departed general had left to labor in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Ah! but I had no true conception then of what , that beauty reany was. loaay i Know ii. Ann in consequence I appreciate more keenly the completeness of the sacrifice which was made by these two men in leaving France to labor in an inaccessible and at that time practically unexplored country. But yet these people all seem to have the true missionary spirit. It matters not whether it be China, Japan, India, I Africa, or America, wherever souls are to be saved the French missionary leaves this most beautiful land with its comforts and pleasures to begin a life of hardship and toil for sake of his Master. The other day I passed through the charming country where Bishop Macheboeuf and Father Raverdy Raver-dy were born, and I realized as I had never done before that it was the spirit of God wihic.h imnellfrt them tr nmsa oceans and continents in quest of souls. In' comparison with the work of these two men we priests of Colorado today know comparatively little of missionary life, for. we can ride into every town in the state in a magnificent Pullman car and find no place so remote but that it contains most of the comforts, of modern life. How different it was with the first bishop of Denver and his vicar general who both, footsore and weary, went j from town to town and climbed the mountain passes to spread the glad tidings tid-ings of the gospel! Ah! yes, we shall all miss the old Stout street cathedral, with its hallowed hal-lowed memories and endearing associations, associ-ations, but we shall rejoice that a new and splendid structure will take the place. This new edifice will be the material ma-terial monument to the two men, who suffered and endured more than all others for the sake of Catholicity in Colorado. May God hasten the day which will witness the completion of the new cathedral ca-thedral in Denver, which will also be the resting place of the mortal remains of Father Raverdy and Bishop Macheboeuf. Mache-boeuf. THOMAS H. MALONE. |