OCR Text |
Show DEATH AND FUNERAL OF ARCHBISHOP MONTGOMERY There ha;; never been a grander funeral fu-neral in all the west than that of Archbishop Arch-bishop George Montgomery, held Monday Mon-day at St. Mary's cathedral. San Francisco. Fran-cisco. Thousands of citizens paid their tribute, trib-ute, and at the serviees at the cemetery Archbishop Jtiordan's sorrow bested his effort to bear up. and he said the last rites of fhe e-hurch with difficulty. The morning storm and the dark forenoon fore-noon could not prevent the dead prelate's pre-late's thousands of friends front crowding crowd-ing about the cathedral entrances with such persistence that 125 polie-ement, headed by Chief Dinan and four of the captains, had unusual difficulty in maintaining control. Hundreds on hun-dieils hun-dieils more crowded along the line of march of the funeral procession. The men stood with bared heads and there was weeping as the solemn line, over a mile in length, passed on its way. Only those who had tickets of admission admis-sion could get through the police lines, and the tickets were limited to the number of seats in the pews. Yet the men and women who were, eager to at tend the archbishop's funera.1 could not all be kept out e.f the great edifice, and In one way or another admittance was obtained by enough 'of them to fill the great aisles and the standing-room space at the rear of the cathedral un-. til there were nearly twice as many persons per-sons within the; cathedral Avails as could be seated. Hundreds of priests and the sisters of many religious orders were present, occupying oc-cupying a large portion of the main body of the cathedral, while two archbishops, arch-bishops, three bishops, three monsign-ors monsign-ors and the leading representatives of the California clergy filled the. sane-tuarv. Outside of the building thousands of men and women had assembled as early as 9 o'clock, an hour before the time of the funeral service. The crowd constantly con-stantly grew, and only a small percentage percent-age of those who wanted to pay the laet tribute of respect to the dead leader and friend could get within the doors. The morning was stormy and the spectacle of the thousands huddling un-? der their umbrellas was remarkable. Priests and others closely identified with the church activities were admitted admit-ted through the entrances from O'Far-rell O'Far-rell and Franklin streeta. and the handling han-dling of the great throng was most excellently ex-cellently managed. At 10 o'clock the cathedral was filled to its utmost capacity, and promptly on the moment the Mozart requiem mass, one of the most sublime musical compositions ever .written, was begun. The dark morning seemed singularly appropriate to the mood of the great congregation of mourners, &nd there were few in the great cathedral who did not mourn and who did not think of Archbishoo Montgomery in, more " f than ordinarily close and helpful religious relig-ious relationship. So dark was the cathedral at 10 0 clock that all the electric lights were on. as for an evening service. There had been rain, there had been hail, and there had been snow. All the elements of despair had seemed to join the peo-ble peo-ble in making it a time of gloom and hibulation. j The mass of requiem was begun by 1 '-ishop Grace of Sacramento, while Mrchbishop Riordan sat. a tearful par-ry'int. par-ry'int. with all his priests and thou-rsan.s thou-rsan.s of his people about him. A great ejioir and the great organ took up the niusic. and through the organ the rev-f-Aent sound of Mozart gave expression tj nil the sorrow and all the hope and a SB the faith and all the triumph feit by the worshipers in the great cathedral. cathe-dral. The dark forenoon glowered at the beginning of the service, and the large electric chandeliers did nor disnel the gihr. Then, as if ordered in the beau-tirf.I beau-tirf.I ceremony, the clouds broke away and just at. the moment of the consecration conse-cration the warm, bright sunlight streamed in through, the colored-art windows and filled the cathedral with its optimistic glow. Through all the remainder eif the set vice the sunshine remained a part of the scene. Bishop Conaty of Los Angeles, ,a man of scholarly and religious mien, preached the sermon, spoke the memorial me-morial tribute. He made no attempt to move the listeners to tears, but his picturing of the dead archbishop was so true to the life of the beloved prelate that there was weeping hi every pew. And when the mass was ended, then there w-as a scene such as had never before be-fore been witnessed in San Francisco. Policemen, acting with all the delicacy of ushers, hed the vast congregation in place while the casket of purple and gold was borne down the broad aisla and out into the view of the thousands waiting- outside, down the broad stone steps of the cathedral and to the hearse. The Knights ot Cilumbus had formerl a large square on the street in front of the cathedral, and the League of the Cross stood as a guard of honor. The League band began the funeral march as the casket was carried through Ih.e cathedral doorway. Then the clerical procession moved down along the great stone steps of the cathedral. The casket was placed in the hearse, and slowly tho procession, proces-sion, the greatest ever known in California, Cali-fornia, meived away toward Holy Cross cometery out to Holy Cross Cemetery Ceme-tery where Archbishop Riordan. his heart overflowing with sorrow, sai'l the last ritual for the dead, faltering his way through the pathetic parting at the doors of the tomb. The highest dignitaries of the church on the Pacific coast, priests from every parish within a scope of 100 miles, monks from the monasteries, teachers from the institutions of learning, brothers of the educational orders, sisters sis-ters from convents, hospitals and asylums, asy-lums, all Ihese represented the love which the religious world bore the de-I de-I parted shepherd. Catholic societies attending in a body,, and a host of communicants not affiliated with any order or society, filling the spacious edifice from sanctuary sanc-tuary to vestibule, from transept to transept, bore eloquent testimony of the deep-seated veneration they felt fir their departed leader. The seating capacity of the cathedral cathe-dral was. not sufficient to accommodate half of those who wished to attend. By 0 o'clock the great galleries on either tide of the church began to fill. The pews on the ground floor were locked. A continual stream of humanity surged through the doors until 9:30 o'clock, when the police had to refuse admittance to any not haying invitation invi-tation tickets. At a quarter to 10 the great bell in the steeple began to toll, ringing out with a regular and mournful cadence. The crowd on the outside of the edifice edi-fice grew momentarily. The housetops in the vicinity began to show hundreds of spectators, who gajsed down on the remarkable scene which was being enacted en-acted below ' them, while the rain poured and a chill wind swept down Within the cathedral all was hushed. From the lips of the thousands already ECited not a whisper was heard, priests moved silently about the altar making ready all the preparations for the cele-hmtion cele-hmtion of the nontifieal mass: acoivtes earning long tapers lighted the candles can-dles on the high altar silently, and reverently. , There wus no entrance. of the body. For three days it had rested on a catafalque within the holy precincts of the sanctuary. The customary funeral funer-al march was therefore omitted, The mourners toeik their places near the body without, ceremony. Promptly at 10 o'clock, however, a hushed murmur rang through, the entire en-tire building, and many in the congregation congre-gation roso from their pews to watch the throng of archbishops, bishops, tnonseignors. priests, brothers and aco-ilytes aco-ilytes that filed from the rear of the great marble altar. Then the silence was broken, and Robert J. Harrison, presiding at the great organ, threw open the flood-gates of harmony, and the tremendous doleful strains of Rach-manioff's Rach-manioff's Prelude set the huge edifice quivering with sound. The acolytes led the procession from the Facristies. They were garmented In purple, but the bright red sleeve trimmings were hidden by black. Thirty of these lads advanced, and, genuflecting in the center of the altar, procejeded to the altar tall. The secular priests followed. They were all robe.d alike in cassock and surplice. Such a gathering of priests had never been seen in the west. Although Al-though the sanctuary is large, there was not room for the greater part of them, ' On passing to the rail the priests paid their last respects to the dead archbishop and glanced for the last time at his beloved face through, the casket, that etill lay open. No flowers lav upon the rich purple plush of the casket. A crosier, of gold immortelles stood eject at tlie bier, and the crosier the archbishop -had carried in the ministration if his pontifical duties rested diagonally oA the casket. The miter stood opened and upright at the head of the crosier. Bishop Conaty of Los Angeles, who succeeded Archbishop Montgomery in the administration of the see of Los Angeles and Monterey, was the first of the episcopal dignitaries to appear. He was attended by the Rev. Father Frieden, the head of the Jesuits in the state, and Father Maximilian Neu-man Neu-man of the Franciscan order. He did not wear the episcopal purple. The only suggestion Of color in his gar-genture gar-genture was the purple ribbon that slipped from under his collar and the purple tassel on his beret ta. Bishop O'Dea followed, attended by the Rev. Father R. M, Piperni and the Rev. Pius Murphy, the head of the Dominican order in the state. Bishop O'Dea wore his full purples. Archbishop Arch-bishop Christie of Portland succeeded the prelate from Nesqually, accompanied accompa-nied by Monsignor McCarthy of Fresno Fres-no and the Rev. P. R.. Lynch as honorary honor-ary deacons- Vicar General John Prendergast acted ass high priest and followed - in, the procession, wearing a long capo W'f black velvet designed with fcilver jbraidln?. The ceiebrant of the mass, Bishop Grace of Sacramento, followed, robed in chasuble, inRnlple and stole of black. Father Cottle of St. Bridget's church acted as deacon, and Father M. B. Connolly acted as sub-deacon. sub-deacon. Last of all and the most commanding figure in the entire throng of dignitaries dignita-ries came Archbishop Riordan, stately, solemn and sad. He was attended by the Rev. P. J. Cummings, the chancellor chancel-lor of the diocese, and the Rev. P. O. Connor of Stockton. Archbishop Riordan walked to the center of the altar, and aa the priests in attendance stepped reverently aside, the prelate genuflected, assisted in the opening prayers of the mass at the foot of the altar, and then repaired to hfs throne on the gospel side of the sanctuary. Unconsciously as the service proceeded proceed-ed the .?yes of the clergy and laity rested on the noble figure stricken with grief and alone, now that his assistant as-sistant and chief counsellor, the man into whose hands he was to pledge the aelministration of the diocese when his own earthly ministrations ceased, and who hzd preceded him on the journey to eternity. The firs prayers said. Bishop Grace, the celebrant, retired to The temporary throne th-tt hael been erocted on the epistle side of the altar, Bishop Conaty took up his position near him. and Bishop O'Dea and Archbishop Christie sat in state on the opposite side of the sanctuary. The m.tss concluded. Bishop Conaty of Los Angeles mounted the pulpit, and paid an eloquent tribute to the late archbishop. He conshtered him as a man; humble, energetic, unselfish; as a priest, holy and zealous; -aa a bishop, tireless and wise; as a scholar, a guide in the educational movements of the day. When he concluded fhe vast congregation con-gregation was in tears. Bishop Conaty left the sanctuary in company with Bishop Grace. Bishop O'Dea and Archbishop Christie. Archbishop Riot dan remained in prayer on the throne. When the prelates pre-lates again appeared at the altar they were each robed in a long black cope. Father Connolly e-arried a large cross and was accompanied by two acolytes bearing candles. Bishop Grace toejk up his position on the outside of the rail, the custom, when the deceased is a priest or a bishop. Archbishop Christie, Chris-tie, Bishop Conaty' and Bishop O'Dea remained at the head of the catafalque. Archbishop Riordan remained on the throne. The last obsequies were then recited. Candles were distributee! to all the priests in the sanctuary and body of the church, and as the Libera was intoned in-toned the candles were lighted. Bishop Conaty taised the thurifer and passed around the bier, incensing the remains. He returned to the altar steps, and genuflecting gave the fragrant fra-grant receptacle to Bishop O'Dea who also circled th catafalque, swinging the thurifer thrice over the remains of the dead archbishop. Archbishop Christie went through the same ceremony. cere-mony. Then the holy water was sprinkled over the bier and the service was completed. The funeral of the late Archbishop was attended with the most impressive ceremonies and in its every detail was the greatest tribute ever paid to the memory of any man on the coast. But there was one incident in-cident in the day that will never be forgot ton by those who witnessed it, And, that was the moment when his grace. Archbishop Riordan. said his "last goodbye in the formal ritual of the church to the friend and coadjutor. Archbishop Riordan stood at the head of the casket, tears welling in his eyes, his voice faltering and his hand infirm. in-firm. He struggled with his emotions but his voice broke; his throat filled and he bowed his hf-ad to overcome a grief that has long choked his heart. It was after he had solinkled the holy water on the casket and had taken his place again beside Bishop Conaty to continue the service of the burial of the dead that the head of the diocese gave way to his feelings. He was chanting the prayer in Latin when his voice stopped aud he sobbed soffy, and later, a third time, he faltered. Then he ottered up this final prayer in English: "Let up :ray. "Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that whilst we lament the departure of our brother, Thyservant, out of this life, wo may bear in mind that we are niot certainly to follow him. Give us grace to make ready for that last hour by a dovout and holy life and protect us against a sudden and unprovided death. Teach us hq.vv U, pray that when thy summons tones we mav go forth- to meet tlie Bridegroom and enter en-ter with Him into everlasting lif- "Through Jesus Christ, Our Lcrd, Amen. "Let us Tray. "Almighty and most merciful Father, who knowest the weakness of. our nature, na-ture, bow down thine Ear in pity unto Thy servants upon whom Thou hast laid down the heavy burden of ?or-ov Take away out of their hearts rite spirit of rebellion" and teach them to see Thy good and. gracious purposo working in all the trials which' Thou dost send down to them. Grant thf.tj they may not languish in fruitless;) andj unavailing grief, nor sorrow, as those who have 310 hope, but through ncln tears look meekly to Thee, the Godi of all consola tion. Through Jesus j Christ, Our Lord. Amen. j "Eternal rest grant to him. O Lord, and may perpetual light -shine, upon him. These last few words of prayer came with a slow, unsteady tone, The service was over. The late prelate wa.s to be carried back into fhe vault t-. the rest pf eternity that his life's work had gained. Archbishop Riordan Rior-dan stepped back and walked under the canony to a position just within the portals of the eloor to the tomb An acolyte and priest supported him as he turned and sought a place in tho shadow. He was weeping. gis cemetery attendants lifted the casket, and bore it to within the silence of the vault. The mourning relatives and a few of the priests followed It. Archbishop Riordan walked to hia carriage car-riage and wa driven away. 'fhr great silent crowd turned and went its way to the depot. It was not simple curiosity that attracted at-tracted the thousands ef citizens to the funeral of Archbishop - George Montgomery. Mont-gomery. It was the sineerast of nor-rov nor-rov and reverence. Eight thousand people, half of then within the portals of the cathedral and the other half standing crowded together in the storm-that was blowing without, with-out, were there to pay ' their last respects re-spects to tho dead. It was neiM'.y I o'clock when the first of the people began to leave the church. Soon afterward the nuns and the priests made their way-out, down th-'i stenfi and into the lower ohapel. Across Van Ness avenue, their swords lowered, stood the companies of the League of the Cross. About the hearse, with its four black horses, the Knghts of Columbus had formed u sou f re of hono-. On the opposite sid of the street tht) other, societies were in line and out uheid, across Q'Farreii street, v as the I.eagne of the Cioss Eand of 'thirty piecj. .' ' ' ' : I , '' '''"'''' ''; l" When the casket had been placet m tho hearse, the procession began, tne carriages containing the relative abd the mourners preceding the hearse. Several of the societies also vvalUod ahead. A detail of mounted policemen cleared the way and the League of me Cross Band led. Down Van Ness avenue ave-nue the cortege moved, between tht? thousands on the sidewalks. As the procession moved alone:, th-bell th-bell in the tower of tin iavin..m Catholic Church on Fell -Me-t toilet! ac intervals of fifteen seconds.- When Oak street was ret'che.l ti'e b. U .Sacred Heart Church te.ok up the meurnful sound. Cp sfr-et to Octr.via the cortege vert, and titvn 'he turn was mad'- fort the line through ths Mission. At Haight ar-.l O. tavia i streets he baud was drawn up a.-d a.s iie hecrse parse,; (he funeral inarch was again niayi ii. At Twenty-fifth and Vah ncia fireciS the honored pallbearers. tV- llioer-nians, llioer-nians, th" Knights 1 Co'm-.jbus. tin Society ef Si. Vincent de P.M.i nnu toe several others were drawn in shiule file along both sid-s of the Fn.et. v. i ill the League of the Cros e r,':.nies ir: advance. The ,1. arse nas.-i-l i-'tvv.-.-i them. Tf was after Z o'- io -k w'.vu ; he funeral train .l-Mt-d f t ib".y 'ro--' C iiv try. Three thousand people met the funeral tr:1n b-m iv.g the remains of the late Archbishop as it o;iii. d into tin- station at Holy Cros -Cemetery. They lineJ the main path l-aoing ii n the gates and they swarncd over the lawn to the vault. Twenty divi'ii;;. studfrnts from thr eoilege at Meno Park awaiud in their Mack ossai p.s and white surplice.. The train s-topp -d end the priest? and aolvtes alight J The e-asket was again t'iai ed in a ltears-e, fhe students .egan ih -ir i-imnl of the Miserere Met Do:ni:)" and the-procession the-procession beg-an its march. Slowly it wound its way rnrough tac two rows of mourning spe-t:itors. Following Fol-lowing the he-aise? were nuns .ind priests and the dead prelate's remand rem-and the priests from the ce.llegc chanted the Benedictus. The archbishep's nearesr surviving relative is a brother. This lintgnni -ry. who resides in Seattle. Th latter has several sons. One of the cousins of the deceased is Professor John Montgomery Montgom-ery of Santa Clara college, wno at-tair.eel at-tair.eel prominence as the inventor 'f a fly'ng machine. The archbishop was a nephew of Zachariah Montgomery, formerly a prominent attorney of his city, who was assistant attorney general gen-eral during President Cleveland's r-'-ond term. The deceased was honorary chaplain of the Young Men institute I and took greai int-rest in the work of I tht; Catholic Ladies' Aid society and St. Paul's Society tor Relief of the I'e.e.r. Expressions of deep sympathy - for Archbishop Riordan in the death of h's saintly coadjutor, Archbishop Montgomery, Mont-gomery, were sent by all the prominent churchmen in America. f:i San Frji?-cis'ti Frji?-cis'ti he was beloved by all classes. Last Saturday the Rev. Dr. R. M. Kaplan, rabbi of the Bush street tem ple, replaced the regular Satttrlay sermon ser-mon with a highly eulogistic discourse on the late Archbishop Montgomery. The church was filled to the doors vr.th the devout of all denominations, anxious anx-ious to hear the rabbi's sermon on the Catholic archbishop. Dr. Kaplan has always been an admirer ad-mirer of Archtishop Montgomery, especially es-pecially beca tsc of the work of the archbishop in maintaining friendly relations re-lations between the Catholic and Jewish Jew-ish churches of the city. "I will speak." said Rabbi Kaplan :it the outset of his sermcn, "In honor ef a picus man who lc.ved God by showing show-ing no prejudice to any man. 1 refer to the late Archbishop George Montgomery, Mont-gomery, a truly righteous man. who in his life enjoyed the esteem and respect of every on?) who knew him, and who in death is mourned by all, irrespective of creed or denomination. "A truly good man. like truth, bo-longs bo-longs to all. As truth, charity and justice are universal ideals, so the tntii who stands for these ides Is is universal. univer-sal. Greater than Mohammedan. Jew, Catholic or Protestant is tbe man the truo and good man who loves ll men as brothers of the same human family and children of God, the Father of a'.l. Such a man was . the late Archbishop Montgomery. He had sympathy for anyene in sorrow or distress, irrespective irrespec-tive of the religion to which he belonged. be-longed. When an appeal was made in this community for funds with which to help the persecuted Jews in Russia, he was one of the first to send a contribution, con-tribution, and his contribution was accompanied ac-companied at the same time by a very sympathetic letter expressing his profound pro-found sympathy for the suffering Jev. s in Russia." Touching in belie? in the hereafter. ! the rabbi said: "In the Jewish conception thcre is no ! division in the realm of eternity. Th--'righteous of all creeds and beliefs a.nd we. look noon Archbishop Mont-j Mont-j gemery as a righteous man according to Jewish teachings may share the eternal bliss. "The friendly feeling that exists between be-tween the Jews and Catholics of this city is due to men like Montgomery. He has done much toward the eradication eradi-cation of prejudice. He was the kind pf man who believes that in religion as In a family, for instance, it makes no difference how one may name the Father, so long as he lives up to what tvj knows to be the proper attitude to his God in the one case, and the father in the other. "The. Jews, of all religions, take pride in making sacrifices to their beliefs, and for that reason we appreciate Archbishop Montgomery as one who lived up to the ideals of his church end made great sacrifices for that church." The following beautiful tribute Is front the Episcopalian bishop of San Francisco: "My own feeling is that we have lost one of our best citibens, a man of true principle and of high public spirit and of forceful religions conviction -rd life. All religious people can well feci that we have lost a leader and can sympathize with Archbishop Riordan and his church in their own great loss." Wm, S. XJchcls, Bishop Protestant Episcopal Church. |