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The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'dtablissement prdteur suivant : La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul ciichd sont filmdes d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 ( o THE City and Diocsse OF LONDON, ONTARro, Canada. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH. COMPILED IN COMMEMORATION OF THE OPENING OF ST, PETER'S CATHEDRAL, LONDOI,', JUNE 28tH, 1885, BY REV. JOHN F. COFFEY, M. A., Priest of the Dioccsr of London. IConbon. 0nt.: THOMAS COFFEY, CATHOLIC RECORD OFFICE. ' ■ " 1885. fl -^r \r-['/)\U. 'flAL \{^\ ji / . / ^. 1 ♦(■•\jli-.) '^'f^^' h-i -1'%}-'' ■ ■ ' \ I ' ■ , ■■'>.-.■■ r; ) ■V, m 'V . T Right Rev. John Walsh, D, D„ IJIHHOP OK r.ONDON, ONT. Born May 24th, 1830. Ordained Priest Nov. lat, 1854. Conwecrated Bishop Nov. lOth, 18()7. The rapid approach of the day (June 28th) fixed for the solemn opening of the new St. Peter's Cathedral, has suggested the compilation of the following pages, which are inscribed to the Clergy and Faithful of the City and Diocese of London as a souvenir of old St. Peter's Cathedral, and as a brief sketch of the Diocese from its formation till the present time. I? JOHN F. COFFEY. Priest, London : Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, /SSj. » • ,•.(..; h CONTENTS : CHAPTER I. Page The City of London— Its Growth and Progress I CHAPTER II. Early Days of Catholicity in London 6 CHAPTER in. The Diocese of London — Bishop Pinsonneault's accession — His Depar- ture for Sandwich — The Dominicans lo CHAPTER IV. The Parish of Sandwich— Lake St. Clair —Baptized by Father Hennepin — St. Anne's, Detroit 14 CHAPTER V. « Right Rev. Mgr. Bruyere, V. G.. 20 CHAPTER VI. Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, Second Bishop of Sandwich — His Consecration, 25 CHAPTER VII. Bishop Walsh's Hearty Reception in London — Installation at Sandwich — First Visit as Bishop to Rome 30 CHAPTER VIII. The Tenth Anniversary of Bishop Walsh's Consecration 34 CHAPTER IX. Silver Jubilee of Bishop Walsh's Priesthood — Imposing Gathering.... 38 CHAPTER X. The New Cathedral — Turning the First Sod — Laying of the Corner Stone 43 CHAPTER XL Bishop Walsh Visits Ireland — His Enthusiastic Reception on His Return — His Views on Irish Affairs — An Address from the Clergy — The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore 48 CHAPTER XII. Old St. Peter's— 1852-1885— A Touching Good-bye -That Last Sad Word, " Farewell" — Bishop Walsh's Pathetic Parting Sermon 54 APPENDIX A. List of Priests Ordained for the Diocese of London by Bishops Pinson- neault and Walsh 61 APPENDIX B. Catholic Growth in Ontario since i86i 62 VI. APPENDIX C. ^'^^^ ^ MarriaRes Solemnized in Old St. Peter's from May, 1849, to July, 1856. . 64 APPENDIX D. Clergy of Sandwich (now London) in 1865 7° APPENDIX E. Diocese of London, 1885 7° APPENDIX F. Statement of Amounts Expended for I )iocesan Purposes and for Churches nd Educational Work in each Parish of the Diocese since 1867 73 APPENuIX G. The Ceremony of the Blessing of a New Church 74 ERRATA. ^1 Page 9. — Last line— for "these" read "those." Page 14, — Line 28 — for "guests'" read "priests." Same line.— For "St. Dominie" read "St. Dominic." Page 14.— First line, Chapter iv,— for "found" read "find." Page 15. — Second line, second paragraph— for "James Gilmary Shea" read "John Gilmary Shea." Page 40. — Line 48 — for "unisance" read "unison." \ Briti ofth turn the] 177 = who Briti Prov begii Scot( and Cane the I Intt the tion into same King furth Righ in th was easte Dioc of p years by th with Dioc Febr Midc T as tl of nc popu THE CITY AND DIOCESE OF LONDON. CHAPTER 1. THE CITY OF LONDON. Very soon after the fall of Quebec and the establishment of British rule in the vast regions over which the lily-spangled banner of the Bourbons had so long floated, the tide of population began to turn, to that fairest portion of New France, the territory now known as the Province of Ontario. The revolt of the American colonies in 1775 ^^^ its successful issue, drove thousands of their inhabitants who had persevered in allegiance to Britain to seek homes on British soil. Many directed their steps to Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, but the greater portion settled in Ontario. In the beginning of the present century many thousands of Irish and Scotch emigrants, exiled from their own country by bad land laws and gross misgovernment, helped to swell the population of Upper Canada. In 1842 the total population of the Province had reached the promising figure of 487,053, of which 65,203 were Catholics. In the next ten years the population of Ontario had doubled, and the Catholic population grown to 118,810. The tide of emigra- tion continued to pour its thousands of home and fortune seekers into Canada, and the increase of population went on in almost the same astounding ratio. In 1826 was erected the Diocese of Kingston, comprising all Upper Canada, from Glengarry to its furthest known western limits. The first Bishop of this See was the Right Rev. Alexander Macdonell, who has left an honored name in the history of his country. In 1842 the Diocese of Kingston was subdivided ; all that portion of the Province west of the eastern boundary of the County of Ontario being erected into a new Diocese, with Toronto as the Episcopal See. The rapid increase of population just noticed necessitated a further division a few years later on. In 1856 the Diocese of Toronto suffered partition by the formation out of its territory of three ecclesiastical divisions, with Toronto, Hamilton and London for Episcopal Sees. The Diocese of London, as erected by Pontifical letters bearing date February 21st, 1856, comprises the counties of Essex, Kent, Elgin, Middlesex, Huron, Perth, Oxford and Norfolk. The city of London, made choice of by the Holy Father as the Episcopal See of the new Diocese, was in 1856 a place of no little importance. It had just been incorporated, its total population being then somewhat more than 10,000, of whom little more than 2,000 were Catholics. The history of London's growth and progress is that of all our Canadian towns, a history of heroic self-sacrifice and undaunted perseverance on the part of the pioneers of civilization. From a memoir of the late Thomas Scatcherd, M. P. for North Middlesex, by William Horton, Esq., Barrister-at-law, published in 1878, we learn that in July, 182 1, "the ground where the City of London now stands was an unbroken wilderness, in all its primeval wildness, except so far as the surveying of London Township and Gore gave indication of the approaching civilization. The village plot was surveyed in 1826. Previous to this there was a squatter named Montague on the flats below the forks of the river. His vocation was hunting, trapping, and occasionally ferrying settlers over the Thames in his canoe. The limits of the first survey were : Wellington street on the. east ; North street, now Carling, on the north ; the River Thames on the south and west. The lots were numbered from Wellington street west. A few facts given by one who was an eye-witness when the village consisted of only three structures of any kind, may be of interest to the five and twenty thousand people who, at the distance of fifty years, dwell in the beautiful and busy city now covering the meadows and sloping acclivities at the forks of the Thames. Mr. Robert Carfrae claims, and doubtless truly, to have resided longer in London than any one now living there. " twenty-three years of age, June, 1827. he came to the surveyed locality, and has resided con- tinuously in village, town and city to the present time, 1878. . . The road by which he entered from Westminster crossed the Thames by a bridge at the foot of York street. On the hill across the flats, he found Mr. Yei ^es and a few men putting up a hewed log house. This was on the north-west corner of Ridout and York streets. In answer to the inquiry, ' How far is it to London ? ' the reply was, ' You are in it.' At this time there were only three houses all told in the village ; two of them taverns, the other a court house and jail. . . . The court house and jail was a rough frame structure. It stood between the present court house and Robinson Hall. In 1828 Peter Vanevery taught school in the upper part. Peter McGregor, the tavern keeper, was the jailer. During the spring of 1827 a court was held there, said to have been the first which sat in London ; and thereafter for some years a court was held every spring. The name of the first prisoner confined in the jail was Reed ; his offence, stealing an axe, the property of Mr. Dingman, a farmer in Westminster. The criminal was brought into the village 9,nd chained to a stump over night, in the tavern yard of the jailer. Next day he was removed to the jail and chained to a block of wood in one of the unfinished cells. As this was the first known crime committed in the settlement, it created a greater sen- sation than a murder would now. The heinous enormity of stealing a neighbor's axe revealed a condition of human depravity in it.s :ply ;sall ouse ame nson art. the first was the Mr. into of to a first sen- iling its direst form. None came to the Forks without paying a visit to the jail to see the prisoner. . . . Late in December, 1829, this court house was placed on runners and drawn by oxen to the south- west corner oi" the square, where it still stands, and is the only structure of any kind in London now, erected prior to the summer of 1827. For over half a century it has stood unharmed by fire and untouched by the march of progress, a monument of London in its infancy. Within the venerable walls of this landmark of early days, the first court of London was held ; the first criminal sentenced, and the first school taught, which, in time, gave way to the Grammar School, the alma mater of many boys and girls now in the sere and yellow leaf of life. And in that house, too, the first divine service was held. It was used by every denomination wishing to use it for divine worship." Mr. Horton then tells of the first business men of London. " In 1827," he says, " Mr. Goodhue, afterwards the Honorable G. J. Goodhue, kept a store in ^Vestminster, on the First Concession, two miles from London, lixere the villagers did their purchasing. During the year 1828, Mr. Dennis O'Brien took possession of a vacant blacksmith's shop, placed some rough boards on barrels for a counter, and there opened and kept the first store in London. He had also a store house. It was without chinking ; through wide spaces between the logs, inquisitive eyes outside could observe the kinds and quantities within. They were principally long-handled frying- pans, baking kettles, griddles, and :>piders — the latter a cross between a frying pan and a baking kettle. This incipient store was on the south side of Dundas screet, Lot 18, and was occupied for trade until a store and dwelling house were built on the same lot, to which goods were transferred, before any other place of merchandise was opened. In 1830 Mr. Goodhue moved his store from Westminster to the north-east corner of Ridout and Dundas streets ; and in October of the same year, Mr. John Jennings opened a store on Ridout street, near King street. Early in the winter of 1831, Mr. John Scatcherd opened a store on Lot 18, north side of Dundas street. This was the fourth place of trade deserving the name of store. At that time the population did not exceed two hundred. The village was active and grew fast. Lots were taken up and cleared ; houses, frame and log, were built, though many of them were not finished for years. The Post Office, in 1827, was kept in Westminster, on the First Concession, not far from Mr. Goodhue's^ store, at a tavern where the stage running between Toronto and Detroit changed horses. In the latter part of 1828, it was moved to Ira Schofield's house, on his farm, a few hundred feet east oC the Convent, on Dundas Street. Mr. Schofield was post-master. Later, Mr. Goodhue was appointed, and kept it on the east side of Ridout street, near Dundas. Mr. John Harris succeeded Mr. Goodhue, and kept the office at his house on Ridout street. for some Ume, Mr. Goodhue being re-appointed, transferred the office to the store of Goodhue eacon of the Mass, Rev. C. Vincent, President St. Michael's College, and Kev. M. Gagnon, Quebec; Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Mr. Morris, St. Michael's Cathedral. The Very Rev. J. M. Hruyere, Vicar General of Sandwich, acted as Assistant I'riest to the Bishop Elect, and the Very K"v. Father Rice, C. M., of the College of our Lady of Angels, Suspension Bridge, and the Rev. II. Moreau, of Montreal, performed the same function towards the Assistant consecrating Bishops. "he Very Rev. George R. Northg'aves, R. D., Barrie, acted as Notary to tne Archbishop. Seated in the sanctu. ry were : — Very Rev. E. Gordon, V G., Hamilton. Very Rev. Chas. Caron, V. G , Three Rivers. Very Rev. Thomas Caron, V. G., Nicolet. Very Rev, P. DoUard, V. G., Kingston. Very Rev. M. Brennan, R. D,, Belleville. Very Rev. G. R. Norihgraves, R. I)., Barrie. Very Rev. P. Mulligan. R. D., St. Catharines. Very Rev. William Gleeson, Buffalo, N. Y. Rev. J. B. Proulx, P P., and chaplain to H. M. F. Rev. J. B. Archambault, S. J., Guelph. Rev. Eugene Cassidy, Brooklyn, N. Y. Rev. F. D. O'Kepflfe, CM., Suspension Bridge. Rev. J. Hughes, St. Patrick's, Hartford, Conn. Rev. Ambrose M. O'Neil, Cath., Albany, N. Y. Rev. P. Ilealey, Chicopee, Mass. Rev. J. M. Earley, St. Patrick's, Rochester, N. Y. Rev. C Conilleau, S. J., Chatham. Rev. E. P. Roche, P. P., Prescott. Rev. N. J. Quinn, Binghampton, N. V. Rev. J. T. McManus, Geneva, N. Y. Rev. P. McGauran, P. P., St. Patrick's, Quebec. Rev. E. B. Kilroy, P. P.. Sarnia. Rev. F. Morrison, P. P., St. Cyprian, Montreal. Rev. J. R. Ouellette, St. HyacinJie College. Rev. M. Leniay, Ikrliel, St. ilyacinthe. Rev. J. Z. Dumontier, St. Amie, St. Hyacinthe. Rev. P. Parant, St. Jean Port Jolie. Rev. J. Hogan, St. Patrick's, Montreal. Rev. M. Lalor, P. P., Picton. Rev. H. Brettargh, P. P., Trenton. Rev. J. H. Tabaret, Ottawa. ^ Rev. H. Rouxel, Montreal. Rev. J. J. Chioholm, D. D., Perth. Rev. J. Morin, Montreal. Rev. T. Hours, President St. Louis College, Louisville, Ohio. Rev. P. D. Laurent, Amherstburg. Rev. Peter Cody, Irish town. Sandwich. Rev. T. Raynel, South Dover. Rev. N. Keroack, St. Guillame. Rev. J. Rayne, P. P., South Dover. Rev. P. Conway, P. P., Duffins Creek. Rev. J. Hobin, P. P., Niagara. / I 28 Rev. J. J. Shea, P. P., Oshawa. Rev. J. M. Laurent, St. Michael's Cathedral. Rev. R. A O'Connor, P. P., Niagara Falls. Rev. J. R. Lee, St. Paul's, Toronto. Rev. J. P. Kennedy, P. P., Penetanguishene. Rev. A. P. Kinan, P. P., Streetsviile. Rev. J. O'Donohoe, St. Michael's Cathedral. Rev. Denis O'Connor, St, Michael's College. Rev. John Gushing, do do Rev. R. Frachon, do do Rev. J. Cherrier, do do The sermon of the day was preached by the Rev. Father Dowd, of Montreal. He moved every heart in the congregation by his alhision to the removal of the Bishop elect from Toronto. He said : "You are assembled to witness the consecration of a new Hishop — to see one who has labored long and faithfully amongst yourselves in the second order of the priesthood, elevated to the first order ; and, invested with the dignity, and charged with the responsibility of a Bishop, set to govern the priests and people of a neighboring diocese. If you— the faithful of Toronto — be selfish, and think only of your own loss, this must be a day of sorrow to you, for it severs the many close ties that attach a fervent people to a devoted and zealous pastor. Hut if, in the spirit of true Catholic charity, you overcome all thoughts of self, then you will rejoice, seeing that your loss will be the gain of your brethren of Sandwich — the gain of the Church of God. It was this spirit of sacrifice that actuated the new Bishop in accepting the onerous dignity for which he had been chosen. Con- tent to labor for you to the end of his career, desiring no other earthly reward than that which he possessed in your love and confidence, he was happy and at peace. But at the call of duty he sacrificed all. The venerable Bishops who are respon- sible for the spiritual government of this ecclesiastical province, presented him to the successor of Peter as the fittest person to encounter the peculiar difficulties of the vacant difcese. The Holy Father approved of their choice. Before this manifestation of the will of God, Father Walsh could not hesitate. He knew that the true pastor should not only live, but should also be prepared to die, for the salvation of .souls. You see him there to-day, before the altar of (iod, pre- pared to consummate that last sacrifice of pastoral charity." Bishop Walsh stood, as we have said, high in the regard of the Bishop of Toronto; he also enjoyed the imiversal esteem of the clergy of that Diocese. None of the addresses received by him on his elevation to the P^piscopacy touched him so deeply as that received from the clergy of Toronto. The address from that body congratu- lated His Lordship upon his elevation to the Episcopacy. It con- tained an expression of poignant regret at i)arting from a dearly beloved brother, and of unbounded delight that one for whom his clerical brethren entertained the deepest sentiments of love and esteem, of confidence and veneration, had been chosen from their ranks to be numbered among the Princes of the Church. 'I'he address then refers to the many acts of kindness and friendship which the presenters had experienced at the hands of Bishop Walsh, and expresses the most ardent wishes and fervent prayers for God's choicest blessings upon his Episcopacy. In conclusion, His Lord- ship is requested to accept a mitre, &c. — insignia of his sacred office — from his late confreres and attached friends. 29 the His Lordship, who was deeply moved, spoke in reply substan- tially as follows : — My Ever Dear and Esteemed Friends,— Need I say how deeply grateful I feel for your too flattering address and the munificent gift with which it is accompanied. I value them both, but I appreci- ate them the more, inasmuch as they are but the expression of the extreme kind- ness and sincere friendship which I have uniformly experienced from those whom I must now, alas ! call my late confreres, and amongst whom I have spent so many happy days. The life of a priest is one of sacrifice, but he has much con- solation — ' the hundred fold more in this life,' since his lot is usually cast amongst confreres who are animated by the spirit of their holy state, devoted to the fulfil- ment of the arduous duties of their sublime vocation, and whose lives are in beautiful accord with the requirements of their sacred profession, and because he is usually umler the paternal care of a holy bishop, who is at once a father and a friend — a true shepherd, whose benign and watchful care is ever extended to the lambs and sheep of his fold. And such has been the consolation which I enjoyed during the thirteen years of my priesthood, spent in this diocese, so dear to my heart from many reminiscences. How often, during that period, had I reason and opportunity to realize the truth of the words of the psalmist : ^ Ecce i/uain, hontirn et qiiain Jiictmdnin habitare fratres in ttnuni,' Yes, the hearts which love God will also love dearly and faithfully each other, for charity thinketh no evil, and is not suspicious or envious. Mow truly beautiful ! is to see a priesthood ever busy about their Father's business, ' zealous for the better gifts,' devoted to their Bishop, and the latter in turn devoted to the interests and welfare of his clergy. And this is the spectr.cle which has presented itself to me during many years back. May this bright picture remain for ever on exhibition to edify and instruct. It is hard to part with priests — the companions of happy years — who have endeared themselves to me by their many kindnesses— their never wavering con- fidence and steady friendships — hard to be withdrawn from the care of a holy bishop who was to me at once a father and a friend, as well as a bright example of the virtues wh'ch 1 should practice ; but the voice of God calls and 1 must obey. Hut, go where 1 will, rest assured that the bishop and priests of the Diocese of Toronto shall ever occupy a large place in my heart and in my mem- ory. There is, however, a consideration which serves to alleviate the pain of separation, and it is this : that whatsoever part of the Lord's vineyard a Catholic bishop is called u|)on to cultivate, he is sure to meet with faithful antl devoted co-laborers. In the Church there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Scythian nor Greek, nor yet a stranger — for that is as our Father's house, and all llis children are there at home, and in that home all are brethren. Whilst therefore deeply regretting, for my own sake, our separation and the cause of it, I am cheered with the assurance that in the new sphere of duty to which 1 am called, there will be found true and generous hearts who will kindly pardon my many weaknesses and imperfections in their love for the holy Church of God, and the holy office which I so unworthily occupy. Adieu, friends for ever dear, and be sure that I will not fail to remember you there where remembrance is indeed precious — at the holy altar. S ;od's iOrd- cred 30 CHAPTER Vir. BISHOP WALSH'S HEARTY RECEPTION IN LONDON. — INSTALLATION AT SANDWICH. — FIRST VISIT AS BISHOP TO ROME. The newly consecrated Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Sandwich, arrived in London on the 13th of November, en route to Sandwich, and was met at the Grand Trunk station by a large number of the Catholic citizens of London, who escorted him to St. Peter's Church, where he was received by the clergy and laity from various parts of the Diocese. Accompanying His Lordship were : Bishop Horan, of Kingston, and Bishop Farrell, of Hamil- ton ; Vicar-General Bruyere, of Sandwich ; Vicar-General Jamot, of Toronto ; Dean Crinnon, Stratford ; Dean Kelly, Peterboro'; Father Farrelly, Lindsay ; Father Murphy, Carronbrook ; Father Rooney, Toronto ; Father Laurent, Amherstburg ; Father Kilroy, Sarnia ; Father Volkert, Ingersoll; Father Gerard, Biddulph ; Father Boubat, St. Mary's ; Father O'Shea, Oshawa ; Father Wassareau, Ashfield ; Father Donovan, Strathroy ; Father Zucker, St. Thomas ; Father Stores, Father Japs, and Father Fitzmaurice. The party, accom- panied by a large concourse of people, drove to the Roman Catholic Church, which was filled by an assemblage of citizens of all denom- inations, a large proportion of whom were ladies. At the door of the church. Rev. Father Kelly, pastor of the London congrega- tion, received his Lordship, and preceded by acolytes bearing the crucifix and lighted candles, the procession moved up the centre aisle to the altar, the priests intoning the " Ecce Sacerdos Magnus." After a short interval of prefatory religious exercises, Rev. Dean Crinnon approached and read the following address to His Lordship : An Address to the Lord Bishop of Sandwich : My Lord, — The priests of the Diocese here assembled respectfully approach your Lordship with feelings of joy, to offer you our sincere and hearty welcome to the Diocese. We know that in taking charge of this Diocese you have made many sacrifices. In your former position as pastor of St. Mary's and Vicar Gen- eral of the Diocese of Toronto, you had no extraordinary fa igue to endure nor difficulties to overcome, and enjoyed the esteem and love of all. You have, my Lord, in obedience to the voice of the Holy Father, made this noble and gener- ous sacrifice to enter a Diocese |n which there are many wants and pressing diffi- culties; but the cross has no terrors for a true disciple of His Heavenly Master. He who called you to this responsible office will supply the necessary grace to en- able you to discharge it. We know how much the welfare of a Diocese depends on its Bishop; we were, therefore, filled with joy when we heard of your appoint- ment to the See of Sandwich. For Your Lordship's known ability, zeal and prudence are sure guarantees for the future welfare of this new Diocese. We are truly thankful to God for giving us a Bishop so endowed with t?lent and virtue ; and to you, my Lords, we are grateful for selecting one so capable of advancing the interests of our holy religion, \ hich is dear to us all. In conclusion, my Lord^ we beg to assure you that we will cheerfully co-operate with you in all you under- take fur the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 31 His Worship Mayor Smith then advanced, and on behalf of the CathoHc congregation at London, addressed His Lordship as follows : Address to the Right Rev. Dr. Walsh, Bishop of Sandiuich. My Lord, — It is with unfeigned delight that we the catholics of London hasten to welcome your lordship to this Diocese; and while we hail with feelings, of unalloyed pleasure the advent amongst i\s of a gentleman so distinguished for his sterling piety, talent and zeal, we return sincere thanks to Divine Providence for the blessing accorded us in appointing as our spiritual director one so eminently qualified to discharge the onerous duties pertaining to the government of the Diocese. Your Lordship may rest assured that no efforts on our part shall be wanting, no means left unemployed, to render your residence here agreeable. We pledge ourselves to give you our earnest support and to co-operate with your Lordship to the full extent of our ability, in forwarding your designs for the in- terest of religion. Hoping that unremitting success may attend your efforts in the service of Almighty God, and praying that He may grant you every blessing,, spiritual and temporal, and prolong your days in the field of labor to which you are called, we will conclude these few words of welcome, which but faintly por- tray the warmth of our feelings. Bishop Walsh replied to both addresses in a few words expres- sive of his gratitude for the cordial reception extended to him on his. first appearance among them ; and referring to the duties and diffi- culties of the position to which he had been elevated, he placed his reliance, next to God, upon the loyal support and co-operation of the clergy and laity of the Diocese, to enable him to fulfil his mission. A pontifical benediction was then celebrated, and the Bishop and party withdrew. Before the assemblage dispersed it was announced from the altar that His Lordship would ofticiate at Mass the following morning at seven o'clock, in the ...lurch — the first since he entered the Diocese. The installation of the new Bishop in the Cathedral of Sandwich took place on the 14th day of November. The official record of that solemn and impressive ceremony bears the signatures of the Bishops of Hamilton and Kingston, and of Geo. Baby, Esq., Mayor of Sandwich, besides those of the following clergy : J. M. Bruyere^ V. G., Sandwich ; J. F. Jamot, V. G., Toronto; Conilleau, S. J.; Michel, S. J.; Dean Crinnon, P. D. Laurent, Amherstburg ; B. G. Soffers, St. Anne's, Detroit ; G, Limpens, Detroit ; R. Ouellette,. Director College of St. Hyacinthe ; E B. Kilroy, Sarnia ; James. Farrelly, Belleville; F. P. Rooney, Toronto, and Jos. Bayard^ Sandwich. In January, 1868, His Lordship removed the Episcopal residence from Sandwich to London, and on the 15th of November, 1869,. procured from the Propaganda a decree making London once more the Episcopal See of the Diocese. Bishop Walsh was on his accession to the See of Sandwich, confronted with many grave difficulties. The Diocese was involved in debt to the extent of $40,000, for which enormous liability little or nothing could unfortunately be shown. But as he had on 32 assuming the mitre prepared himself for a life of sacrifice, he entered at once on the work of removing this enormous burden with a courage which surprised even those who knew him best. The clergy and people responded willingly to the fervid appeals of their first pastor during his tour through the Diocese, soliciting their aid to efface the debt. In a few months Bishop Walsh had placed his Diocese on a sound footing financially. But there was as yet almost everything to create in the Diocese, — a priesthood to be formed and educated ; churches to be built or renovated ; presby- teries to be constructed or repaired ; schools, academies, convents, and a college to be founded. His Lordship entered on his task with so much zeal and earnestness that his physical strength proved unequal to the burdens and anxieties of his office, and in the second year of his Episcopate he was stricken with a long and dangerous illness, which prevented his attendance at the (Ecumeni- cal Council. Thougli absent from that august assemblage, he did did not fail to interest himself in its proceedings, and issued to his clergy and people a pastoral letter replete with erudition on the dogma of papal infallibility. A few years later, in 1875, the Bishop of London contributed a valuable brochure to the discussion of the same subject, raised by Mr. Gladstone's famous letters on the subject. Li the year 1S74 the Diocese of London was signally honored by the promotion of the Very Rev. P. F. Crinnon, P. P. of Stratford, who in December, 1868, had been created Vicar-General of London, to the vacant See of Hamilton. The consecration of Dr. Crinnon took place in Stratford on the 19th of April, 1874. The consecrator was the Most Rev. Dr. Lynch, Archbishop of Toronto. There were besides in attendance, Bishops Walsh, London; McNerny, Albany ; Foley, Chicago ; McQuaid, Rochester ; Gilmour, Cleveland; Horan, Kingston ; Borgess, Detroit ; Fabre, Montreal — besides a large number of representative clergy and a vast concourse of laity. In 1876, Dr. Walsh paid his first visit to Rome since his ele- vation to the 'episcopacy. Upon his return to the Diocese, His Lordship made a statement to the immense congregation which filled the Cathedral to welcome him home, that will now be read with interest. He said : Dearly Beloved Brethren and Friends : — It affords me sincere pleas- ure to beat home again in your midst and to find myself once more surrounded by my faithful flock. There are some who love tr.'ivelling for its own sake ; but I am not amongst the number. I was absent, not by choice, but in performance of a sacred and peremptory duty. On the day of my con.secration as your Bishoji, I took an oath that, if able, I "vou'd visit in person the Holy See, the centre of Catholic Unity, to pay it my hoin.\ge and obedience, and to make to it a faithful report of my administration of the important charge committed to my pastoral care. This duty I have performed , and I am happy to tell you that the report pr^/ved most satisfactory to our Holy Father and most creditable to the clergy and laity of this Diocese. It wor.ld be too tedious to enter into the details of this report ; but it may be useful to glance at a summary of it. Ten years ago 33 ele- His illed with :e, the this diocese found itself encumbered by an enormous debt which weijjhed upon it like a millstone, crushing its energies, destroying its credit, and rendering church progress a moral impossibility. Now every farthing of this debt has been liqui- dated, without speaking of $6,000 actually paid towards the support of the former Bishop of this Diocese. Twenty-eight new churches have been raised to the glory of God, and for the purposes of religion. All these edifices, with few exceptions, are of brick and stone, and many of them are splendid and costly structures. Besides, five churches have been greatly enlarged and improved. Seventeen commodious presbyteries have been built for the accommodation of the parochial clergy. An Episcopal residence, second to none in the Province, has been constructed, and not a cent of debt has been left upon it. Three convents have been built. Mount Hope has been purchased and paid for, and a splendid new Orphanage has been erected on it, and besides a handsome new college has been built by the self-sacrificing zeal of the Basilian Fathers. In fine, more than a quarter of a million dollars has been actually expended in church improvement within the last nine years. These facts are extremely creditable to the public spirit of the laity of the Diocese, as well as to the zeal and self-sacrifice of the priests. If they had not husbanded their resources, and instead of expending them on their families, had not put them apart for the service of God's Church, these splendid results had never been achieved. We know, dearly beloved brethren, that a good and efficient priesthood are, in a certain sense, the life and soul of the Church. They are the representatives of God, the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, the dispensers of the sacred treasures of His sufferings and death. Without them, religion languishes, and immortal souls are starved for want of the bread of life. Twenty-three pious and efficient priests have been ordained during the last nine years ; five have been regularly affiliated to the Diocese, and nine Basilian Fathers have come to take charge of two parishes, and to conduct the College of Sandwich. About 10,000 children have received the sacrament of confirmation, and most of them have been pledged to abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks until they shall have attained their majority. This is a sum- mary of the work done in the last nine years ; but, dearly beloved brethren, a great deal remains to be done. The Church of God will have plenty of work to do in the world until that day when the living and the dead shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. But methinks you are impatient to hear authentic information about our dear Holy Father, Pius IX. Well, I am happy to inform you that I found him hale and hearty, with all his mental faculties unimpaired by years, undimmed by the shadow of old age, and with a will firm as the Rock of Peter, and unshaken by the tremendous trials that have befallen him. Bear in mind, if you please, that Pius IX. is in his 84th year of age, that on the 2ist May next he will have been fifty years a Bishop, and thirty-one years Pope, and you will agree with me that he has borne marvellously the weight of years, as well as his awful responsibilities, and that he must have been specially pre- served by Divine Providence to tide the bark of Peter over the angry sea of the furious human passions that assail it at this peculiar epoch. The Holy Father received me with extreme kindness and with that sweetness and benignity which so pre-eminently distinguish him. He lis- tened with intense interest to the details which I gave him of the state of religion in the Diocese, and enquired minutely into various matters connected with the spiritual interests of his flock in this portion of our Divine Master's vineyard. He bestowed upon me many favors, for which I hope to be forever thankful, and some of which I trust the Diocese will hold in grateful recollection. One of these was thai, at my request, he bestowed upon our Vicar-General, the Very Rev. J. M. Bruycre, the dignity of a Roman Prelate, in consideration of his virtues and talents, and the eminent services he has rendered to the Church in Canada during thejlast 25 years. This is the highest dignity which, to my knowledge, has been bestowed upon any priest in the Province of Ontario, exclusive of that of the Episccp'ite. You who know the Vicar-General well will agree with me in saying that the dignity of the Roman purple was in th's case well deserved and 34 very fittingly bestowed. His Holiness also gave me free places for two ecclesias- tical students in the College of the Propaganda, the alma mater of some of the most distinguished men that ever shed a lustre on the Church by iheir genius and their virtues. His Lordship then went on to say that history records few instances of greater moral grandeur and sublime virtue than have distinguished Pius IX. during his long and chequered Pontificate. Adversity tries men's souls, and Pius IX. has risen superior to adversity amid the fearful trials which have beset him. From a human point of view, his Pontificate would seem to have been singularly unfortunate; but from a religious point of view, it has been a splendid and con- tinued triumph. He has canonized more servants of God than any of his pre- decessors, lie has crowned the peerless beauty of the Blessed Virgin by the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He has put the coping stone on the edifice of the Church, thus protecting its Divine Unity. He has re-established the Hierarchy in England and in Holland, has created an immense number of Dioceses, and appointed them Bishops. In a word, under his watchful guardianship, the Church has made gigantic strides in those new countries which the enterprise and restless energy of the age have opened up to civdization, Never was there an occupant of the Chair of Peter more unanimously and en- thusiastically supported by the Catholic Episcopate than Pius IX. Never was there one more dearly beloved; never was there one more firmly enthroned in the hearts and affections of the sujects of his world-wide kingdom; but, from a human point of view, his Pontificate has been extremely unfortunate. Scarcely had he been elected in 1846, than he began most liberal reforms, but his efforts in this direction were requited with the most shameless ingratitude. His prime minister was assassinated, and he himself was driven into exile by the fury of the revolu- tion. Scarcely had he been restored to his throne by French arms, in 1850, than the secret societies and revolutionary juntas resumed the work of agitation against him. His Lordship then proceeded to give a vivid sketch of the events which followed in succession until they culminated in the invasion of the Papal States and the capture of Rome in 1870. The Pope's temporal power, which, in the words of Gibbon, "was confiimed by the reverence of a thousand years," and stood as the guardian of the independence and liberty of the Church, was ruthlessly destroyed by the hands of impious men. The Bishop then described the acts of spoliation and tyranny against the religious orders, which followed in rapid succession after the entry of the Piedmontese soldiers into Rome. He pictured the Holy Father as a prisoner in the Vatican, deprived of the liberty and independence necessary for the discharge of his sub- lime functions, surviving all his confidential friends and advisers, who have fallen around him like leaves in wintry weather, and standing alone like an old forest oak, proof against the storm which has levelled his companions to the earth. CHAPTER VIII. THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF BISHOP WALSH'S CONSECRATION. It was in March, 1877, that His Lordship returned from his trip to Europe. On the 10th of November, he commemorated the tenth anniversary of his consecration, but the celebration of the occasion was not held till the 28th of the same month, when the clergy of the Diocese assembled at St. Peter's Palace in this city to tender their chief pastor hearty congratulations. They availed themselves of the occasion to present to His Lordship the following address, which they accompanied with a purse of $3,000, in testimony of their affectionate esteem for the good Bishop and their appreciation .of his abilities and sterling qualities. The priests whom the Bishop ^6 i«a len 5t of ion lop ordained since his arrival in the Diocese presented him, in addition, with an address and with a beautiful and vahiable ostensorium for the Benediction Services. His Lordship was also the recipient of a splendid Episcopal chair, the gift of St. Mary's Academy at Wind- sor, and also several other valuable presents from other institutions, all showing the deep esteem entertained for him by those over whom he has charge. Amongst those present were : Bishop Crinnon, and Revs. T. J. Dowling and P. Lennon, of Hamilton ; Rt. Rev, Mon- signore Bruy^re ; ^^ery Rev. Dean Murphy, Irishtown ; Very Rev. Dean Wagner, Windsor ; Rev. Dr. Kilroy, Stratford ; Rev. J. Bayard, Sarnia ; Rev. J. Gerard, Belle River ; Rev. P. Brennan, Mount Carmel ; Very Rev. D. O'Connor, Sandwich ; Rev. F. Hours, Chatham ; Rev. J. O'Neil, Kincora ; Rev. E. Delahunty, St. Mary's ; Rev. W. Flannery, St. Thomas ; and the majority of the young clergy were also present. ADDRESS BY THE PRIESTS. May it please Your Lordship : We, the priests of the Diocese of London, beg leave respectfully to address you, not alone for ourselve , but also in the name of all the laity of our various par- ishes, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Your Lordship's elevation to the Episcopacy. We desire to congratulate you on the success which has attended your administration of this important part of our Lord's vineyard during the past decade. The difficulties which lay before you were very great indeed, and numerous, when you were commanded by our beloved and glorious Holy Father, the great Pope Pius IX., to leave a charge in which you had every security of a happy future, in the respect and affection of your colleagues in the sacred ministry, and in the love of your parishioners. Your virtue, ability and zeal as a priest were a proof of your fitness for a much more important and laborious office, and this office you were required to fill. The Church here was still in its infancy. The debt was large, many parishes were yet not formed, and in those which did exist the church accommodation and the priests' residences were, in most cases, inadequate to the wants of both the clergy and the people. You were not, however, deterred by these circumstances from yielding a willing obedience to the call of duty, and you undertook the grave responsibility of governing the Diocese. The result has been that not only the old parishes, but also the many new ones which Your Lordship found it expedi- ent to establish, are well supplied with priests, with commodious parochial schools, and with large and elegant churches, which afford complete accommo- dation to the different congregations, and testify to their spirit of self-sacrifice, and to their zeal for the glory of God, Besides, the debt of the Diocese has been paid, magnificent institutions of charity, a prosperous college and several convents have been established, all of which have been productive of immense benefit to religion, and full provision has been made for the Catholic e \tion of youth, wherever it has been possible to do so. All this good, it is true, could not have been effected without the earnest co- operation of priests and people; but without a zealous and energetic Chief Pastor to plan and direct these improvements, very little could have been done. Not least amongst the religious works which your Lordship ha.^ called into being, is the creation and establishment, on a permanent basis, of St. John's Society, which provided for the decent support of the infirm and aged priests of the Diocese. Amid all these important works, the sanctification of the clergy and your beloved people have been ever foremost in your mind. Hence to your ability % and zeal for religion we must chiefly attribute the present satisfactory condition in which the Diocese stands, for the Bishop is the directing mind of the Diocese. While thus adverting to your ability in administration, we must not omit to mention that whereas energy and zeal are often accompanied by harshness, Your Lordship has been able to reconcile the successful administration of an important charge with a suavity of manner which has endeared you to all, so that you are regarded by all as a kind father ; and it is this quality, more especially, which has secured to you the filial affection of both clergy and laity in the Diocese, and the respect and admiration of all with whom you have intercourse. Permit us, then, on behalf of the laity, as well as for ourselves, to tender to you our congratu- lations on thi prosperity of the Diocese, which, after the Providence of God, is due chiefly to Your Lordship. We hope you will be long spared to continue the work of promoting religion amongst us and of furthering the spiritual and tem- poral interests of our people. In conclasion, we beg of you to accept this purse as a testimonial of our sin- cere reverence and affection for Your Lordship. London, Ontario, Nov. 28th, 1877. Signed on behalf of the Clergy and Laity of the Diocese, ADDRESS UY THE YOUNG CLERGY T/ie Right Rev, John Walsh, D. D.* Bishop of London: — My Lord, — Your Lordship has often said that you had a special affection for the young priests who had received ordination at your hands ; and although you loved every priest in your Diocese, yet for those whom you had brought forth to sacerdotal life you felt more intensely the sentiments of a father. My Lord, allow us to say in return that, whilst all the priests of the Diocese of London esteem you as a Bishop who, by his talents, hi"^ eminent qualities and virtues, is one of the brightest ornaments of the Church in America, who love you as a father always ready to sympathize with them, and share their troubles as well as their joys, yet we claim it as our special privilege to show you more love and gratitude, because our ordination at your hands has formed a more intimate connection between your Lordship and ourselves, and because, also, since we entered the holy priesthood, we have always found you a kind and loving father, ever watchful to preserve in its full vigor and freshness that sacerdotal life which you imparted to us. And as a feeble token of that love and gratitude, which it will ever be our happiness to cherish for you, we beg of your Lordship to accept this ostensorium, praying at the same time that Almighty God may spare you many and many years to impart with it the blessings of the Eucharistic God to your loving clergy and people. F. J. Oeulette. p. J. O'Shea. P. J. Brennan. N. Gahan. B. Waiters. J. Ansbho. H. B. LoTZ. P. M. Kelly. J. M. McGrath. J. M. J. Tiernan. J. J. O'Connor. T. Corcoran, P. Molphy. Ryan, Carlin, West. A. P. Schneider. THE lUSHOP S reply. Dearly Beloved Clergy, — I have not words to express in an adequate manner my heart-felt thanks for the kindly sentiments which your address so well expresses, and for the munificent gift of three thousand dollars which yourselves and your devoted people present to me on this occasion, as also for the grand ostensorium presented to me by the young priests of the Diocese. Munificent as 37 ate /ell ves ind : as are these gifts, and out of all measure with my deserving, 1 value far more highly your esteem and affection — those treasures of the heart which can neither be esti- mated nor purchased by gold. Believe me, that next to the favor of heaven and the approval of my conscience, there is nothing I prize so dearly as the good-will and confidence with which you honor me, and of which, coming from such a clergy, any bishop might well feel proud. Mindful of my many shortcomings, I cannot in justice appropriate the praises which your generous hearts bestow upon me. We are told in Holy Scripture, " to praise no man during life," for it is death that sets the seal upon his character and his works. Those, however, who look through the prism of friendship, will see encircling their friend the most varied and beautiful lights of virtue and merit which are invisible to the eye of strict impartiality. The picture you draw of me is not mine, it is the ideal of what I ought to be, and indeed of what I would wish to be, viz., the good shepherd who gives his time, health, and life itself, for the spiritual welfare and sanctification of his people. God knows that to do this is my most earnest desire, and that my happiness here, and my hopes of happiness hereafter, are bound up with the spiritual weal and religious prosperity of the clergy and people amongst whom I have labored for the last ten years, and in whose midst I desire to toil on to the end. You allude to the difficulties that beset me on my arrival in this Diocese, and also to the happy results which have flowed from my administration. At the outset it was my good fortune to obtain the loyal and hearty co-operation of the clergy and laity of the Diocese ; and, in the presence of such a combination of forces, difficulties that seemed formidable, and embarrassments that were dis- couraging, disappeared like the mists of morning before the rising sun. And if we have reason to congratulate ourselves on the liquidation of the diocesan debt, on the construction of many beautiful churches and commodious presbyteries, and on the educational and charitable institutions that bless the Diocese, the pleasing result is, in sober truth, due, under God, to your untiring labors and enlightened zeal, as well as to the living faith and exhaustless generosity of your devoted flocks. It is you, gentlemen, who have borne " the burden of the day and the heats." It is you that have carried out with unswerving courage and tireless energy the suggestions and directions of your Bishop. It is under your immediate control, and through the creative power of your labors and sacrifices, that temples to God have been raised, parish schools multiplied, institutions of higher education encouraged and sustained, and the Orphan Asylum supported, whilst you neglected not to discharge, in a faithful and edifying manner, your sublime duties as ambassadors of Christ and dispensers of His saving mysteries. My duties amongst such a clergy have been light indeed, and in many instances I have been obliged to restrain, instead of stimulating, their zeal and devotedness. I can, therefore, cordially endorse the high but well-merited compliment paid to you by His Excellency our illustrious Apostolic Delegate, when he said : " This Diocese has been blessed with a clergy whose zeal, at once active and prudent, and whose spirit of self-sacrifice have been, and are, the admiration of their people." I cannot omit here expressing my warmest appreciation of the labors and self- sacrifices of the President and Professors of our College of the Assumption. These gentlemen are doing a work the importance of which it is impossible to over estimate. Nor can I, on an occasion like the present, forget to mark my recognition of the Zealand fervor of our religious communities whose fidelity to duty and to the objects of their holy vocation has been always to me a source of the greatest edification and consolation. These religious ladies care little for human applause. They look higher for their reward. "They do good by stealth and blush to find it fame." They work noiselessly and without ostentation ; but like the silent forces in nature which, though unseen by man produce the might- iest and most beneficent results, so the silent labors of our religious communities eflect a good that is simply incalculable. But after all, how weak and insignificant 38 Are ail human eflForts in the work of the ministry, unless blessed and fertilized by the graces of God. "Paul may plant and Apollo water, but it is God who gives the increase. Therefore, neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." The greatest talents, the most brilliant gifts of genius, the most ceaseless activity, if not motived, and made fruitful by the two-fold love of God and of our neighbor, may please and dazzle and win admiration; but they avail nothing in the sight of God; and are blighted by the curse of laziness as regards the salvation of souls. Hence, in order to the efficient discharge of the sublime duties of the sacerdotal office, in order to bring down upon our work the fertilizing dews of divine grace, we must lean u])on God, without whom we can do nothing, either for our own personal sanctificalion, or for the salvation of our neighbor. These are all truths, gentlemen, but they cannot be too often repeated. Like the Apostles on the Sea of Galilee, who in the absence of their Lord fished all night and caught nothing (it was only when He was present the miraculous draught of fishes took place), so we, "fishers of men," unless united with God, and anointed by his Holy Spirit, shall labor and toil without any results fruitful in glory to God and in good to man. The love of God burning in the hearts of His ministers, and the "form of all justice shin- ing forth" in their lives, like the light of a transfiguration, and clothing them in its heavenly beauty. These are the loadstones that draw souls from the rubbish of worldly and sinful pleasures, and attract them to holiness and to God, their centre and the heart's resting place. I say therefore to you, in the words of our beautiful ordination service, and I apply the same to myself: — "The Lord chose the seventy-two, and sent them two and two to preach, that in word and act He might teach the ministers of His Church that they ought to be perfect — founded, that is, in the power of the two-fold love of God and of our neighbor." Where- fore, in your conduct hold fast to the integrity of a chaste and holy life. Under- stand what it is that you do. Imitate that which in your hand you hold, so that, celebrating the mystery of the Lord's death, you may come even to the mortifying of your own members from all vice, and concupisence. Let your teaching be the healing and medicine of God's people. Let the odor of your life delight the Church of Christ, that by word and by example you may build up the house which is the family of God, Receive again, gentlemen, the expression of my lasting gratitude, and be assured that the memory of the extreme kindness of your- selves and people on this occasion will, like the presence of a good angel, serve to cheer and encourage me amid the trials and necessities of life. CHAPTER IX. SILVER JURILEE OF BISHOP WALSH's PRIESTHOOD. — IMPOSING GATHERING. If the celebration of the tenth anniversary of His Lordship's episcopal consecration was a gladsome and happy occasion, it must be admitted that the commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of his priesthood on the loth of November, 1879, was one of the grandest demonstrations of the kind ever witnessed in Canada. This impor- tant occasion brought together from distant parts many of His Lordship's confreres in bygone days, while all the Priests of the Diocese, who could possibly attend, were here to congratulate their respected and revered Head on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his pastorate. Many came from the most distant parishes of the Diocese to do honor to His Lordship, whilst the presence of the venerable Bishop Crinnon, of Hamilton — one of Bishop Walsh's most intimate 39 [ship's must )f his [ndest jmpor- His )f the their )f his locese arable limate friends — showed that the regard and respect entertained for him is not confined to the Diocese of London alone. The presents offered to His Lordship were rich in design and vahie, the princii)al one being from his priests, which was a comjilete set o( the " Greek and Latin fathers," imported at an expense of over $700. The presentation took i)lace after dinner in the large recreation room of the Palace. His Lordshij) presided, having on his right the Right Rev. Bishoj) of Hamilton, and Father JJrettargh, of the Diocese of Kingston ; and on his left the venerable Dean Proulx and the Very Rev. Father Rooney, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Amongst those at the table, besides the household of His Lordshij), were noticed from the Diocese of Hamilton, His Lordship IJishop Crinnon, Revs. Father Lennon, O'Connel and Corcoran ; from the Archdiocese of Toronto, Very Rev. Administrator Rooney, V. G., Rev. Dean Proulx, V. R. C; Vincent, V. G., Pres. St. Michael's College, and Rev. Father McCann ; from Kingston, Rev. Fathers Brettargh and Brennan ; from Ottawa, Rev. Father Coffey ; Very Rev. D. J. O'Connor, President of Assumption College, and Rev. Father Williams, O. S. F., of Chatham ; from the Diocese of London, Very [Rev. Deans Murphy and Wagner, Rev. Dr. Kilroy, Rev. Fathers Boubat, Flannery, Bayard, Gerard, Duprat, Andrieux, Vil- leneuve. Japes, Ouelette, O'Shea, P. Ryan, Brennan, O'Neil, Gahan, Watters, Ansboro, Corcoran, Kelly, Molphy, Ryan, Connolly, Carlin, West, Ronan, Keefe and Moran. After the cloth had been removed. Very Rev. Dean Murphy arose and read the following address to His Lordship : — To the Right Rev. John Walsh, Bishop of London : My Loru, — We, the priests of your Diocese, hail with delight the twenty- fifth anniversary of your elevation to the sacerdotal dignity. In union with the bishops and dignitaiies of other Dioceses, who are gathered here to do you honor ; in unison with the numerous bodies of the Laity all over the Province who send to your Lordship their felicitations ; and in con- cert with the Kcli^'ettses of different communities to whom you have been so long a time, a kind father, a wise counsellor, and prudent director, — We, the priests of your Diocese (on the greater number of whom you conferred Holy Orders), come one and all, proud and joyous to claim you especially as our own Bishop and Father, endeared to us as you are by the sacred ties of paternity and dis- interested devotion to our welfare. We wish on this occasion of your .Silver Jubilee, to speak the "things [we have seen and heard," even though we feel you would much prefer our silence — for your dignified firmness on more than one important and trying occasion, and the exalted position which your personal and official character as our represent- atives, has given to our Holy Faith in Western Ontario, demand it of us. While spending yourself in the visitation of our scattered missions, encourag- ing our humble but earnest efforts to advance the Religious and Educational in- terests of the people confided to our care, you have ever been to us a model at the altar and in the pulpit. The Priests of the Archdiocese of Toronto, so well and so honorably represent- ed here to-day, remember how you labored in word and work while in their midst. Your generous hospitality, the kind welcome you had for all, the paternal counsel and serious advice you know so well how to intermingle with friendly intercourse, are still treasured up amongst their happiest recollections. 40 The Parish of St, Mary's, in the city of Toronto, though now governed by the wisdom of an excellent and able successor, will not for many years to come forget the influence of your Apostolic zeal and fervid eloquence. Hut we, my lord, have known you in your Episcopacy, and can testify to the supreme wisdom of the Holy See in the choice of a Chief Pastor. Our relations have been of the most intimate. Indeed, it may be said of the priests of this Diocese (what is peculiar to the blessed spirits above), there is no dissension here, no rivalry except for good work, no mine and thine— but all are united in the constant love and preventing will of him who governs, or rather who guides. We, therefore, my Lord, while expressing our heart-felt wishes for your welfare, and paying due liomage to the virtues and talents we so pride in, desire to mark this occasion of your sdver jubilee by a solemn act of thanksgiving for the many benefits your zeal and prudence have conferred upon this Diocese — for the singu- lar proofs of love and devotedness you have given to every one of us, your faith- ful and much attached priests, who all, with one voice and one heart, here to-day, pray for many more years of usefulness, prosperity and happiness to our much- loved and venerated Bishop. As an earnest of our sincerity and in testimony of our deep and lasting gratitude, we hereby offer to your Lordship's acceptance a complete set of the Writings of the Holy Fathers, while recommending ourselves to yiiur Lordship's prayers, and begging the favor of your Episcopal blessing. In reply, His Lordship spoke substantially as follows : — My Lord, Very Rev. and Rev. Gentlemen,—*- I am sincerely thankful to His Lordship, the Bishop of Hamilton, and to the clergy of the neighboring Diocese who are our guests, for honoring us with their presence here loday. His Lordship was once a venerated priest of this Diocese, and he is always welcome to London. I had the honor of belonging for years to the clergy of the archdiocese of Toronto, and need hardly say that those friends and companions of my better and happier days are heartily welcome here. As for you, beloved clergy, how can I sufficiently thank you for all the kindnesses you have ever shown me, for the unwavering confidence with which you have honored me, and for the special proofs of good will which you bring to me to- day ? The kindly sentiments so well expressed in your too flattering address are more honorable to you than they are to me, for they show you possessed of the great ecclesiastical virtue of dutiful homage to, and veneration for, the sacred ofHce of the Episcopate which I so unworthUy fill. Would that I could honestly appropriate all the good things you say to me, for then I would be less unworthy of your esteem and affection. However, your words should, at all events, have the effect of urging me to do all in my power to acquire all the virtues and good qualities with which your friendship would fain see me adorned and enriched. The works of the Holy Fathers, your splendid and munificent gift, will always be valued by me, for their own sakes, as well as because they will ever remind me of your attachment. These immortal works of the Fathers are the consolation and encouragement of the Catholic priesthood. Their pages teach the great sacer- dotal virtues that shone conspicuous in the lives of their authors, that steadfast devotion to duty in the midst of the most formidable difficulties that distinguished them, that loyal fidelity to the Church which, in them, not rarely went even to the shedding of their blood — all these things and more the Fathers teach, whilst with the marvellous unisance, like the scattered echoes of one voice, they pro- claim in their respective ages the great Christian truths which the Catholic Church, and she alone, holds to-day in their integrity and purity. We are the heirs of the Fathers, who hold their heritage, and that heritage is at once " the Church of the Fathers and the home of the children. " You congratulate me on the twenty-fifth anniversary of my ordination to the holy priesthood. Would that these precious years had been more profitably spent. Twenty-five years are but a speck of time in the life of the immortal Church, but they are a great deal in the life of an individual, spanning, as they do, the golden vale of his existence. In looking back through these vanished 41 led by ) come r to the :lations of this sension lited in guides, ivelfare, ark this 2 many e singu- ir faith- : to-day, much- nony of nance a lurselves sing. id to the ith their Diocese, years to ;e friends lere. As ndnesses rou have ) me to- dress are d of the le sacred honestly inworthy nts, have ind good nriched. ways be nd me of alion and at sacer- steadfast nguished even to whilst they pro- Catholic are the " the :n. nee on to the profitably immortal , as they vanished yenrs, whilst there are many things in the retrospect to trouble the individual conscience for duties omitted or imperfectly performed, yet are there many things also calculated to comfort and encourage. Within that pei"iod, short as it is, the progress of the Church in Ontario has been very great indeed, 'inhere are nearly as many priests in one diocese now as there were twenty-five years ago in the four dioceses and the Vicariate Apostolic that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Ontario. There were vast districts then without a priest or church. Clhildren fjrew up without religious instruction, and many of them were in consecjuence ost to the faith. The little ones of Christ were famishing for the bread of life, and there was no consecrated hand to break it unto them. The holy sacrifice of the Mass, the great central act of Christian worship, for which the most glorious structure that ever was designed l)y luiman genius, and raised by human hands, is too unworthy, was offered up at distant intervals in the snu ky cabin or the humble log chapel. Now this sad state of things has utterly disappeared, and instead we behold the Church and her institutions in a hopeful and flourishing condition. The number of priests has, as I have already said, been greatly increased, hew missions have been established, churches and presbyteries have been built in sufficient .lumbers to supply our most urgent wants. The separate school system, greatly amended, is being worked with efficiency and with bene- ficial results ; there are a sufficient number of colleges and conventual academies for higher education, whilst the orphans and the aged poor are provided for in institutions estal)lishe(l for the purpose. To the holy bishops and zealous priests, some of whom have passed to their reward and others of whom still remain to edify us by their example, this happy state of things is, under God, mainly due. They bore the burden of the day and the heats ; they sowed in tears that we might reap in joy ; "sowing they went anf'. wept, casting their seeds, but we, coming with joyfulness, carry the sheaves" (Psalms cxxv., 6 verse ) It is for us to take up the great work they begun, and as far as in us lies to carry it to a successful issue. Canadi is a free and happy country. No penal law has ever soiled the virgin pages of its statute book ; no State trammels hamper the action and clog the activity of the Church. Here the bride of Christ may walk forth in all her majesty and loveliness like unto the spouse of the Canticles coming up from the desert, ' ke the morning rising, and fragrant with perfumes of sweetest odor. Here there is open to the divine ener- gies and zeal of the Church a field of labor fair and free as that on which 'he eyes of the patriarch rested when about to separate from Lot. Great, then, are our opportunities, and great also our responsibilities ; may we not be wanting to them. Snch are the thoughts that are uppermost in my mind to-day, and to which I have thus ventured to give expression. I thank you once again for your extreme kindness, and I humbly pray that the blessing of our Heavenly Father may descend upon you and abide with you always. Before concluding, His Lordship referred to the presence of His Lordship Bishop Crinnon, and in glowing terms proposed his health and the health of the Priests of the Diocese of Hamilton. The Bishop of Hamilton replied in a few well-chosen remarks, in which he referred to his long acquaintanceship with Bishop Walsh, commencing in 1851 and continuing and strengthening to the present time. His Lordship referred also to the first arrival of Bishop Walsh in the Diocese, and paid a glowing tribute to the zeal of the Bishop of London, but said he could not forget his old friends of the clergy, of whom he was and whom he had known so long and favorably. In the progress which the Church had made in Ontario, we must not forget the self-sacrificing priests who, in season and out of season, were ever to be found occupied in the Master's work. To them is due in a great measure the grand evidences we 42 see on every side of us of the great progress of the Church, and he could not allow the occasion to pass without congratulating them and wishing them every blessing which their exalted and trying position required. Speeches were also made by Fathers Rooney, Froulx, Brettargh and Brennan, and after some time spent in social chatting, the Right Reverend gentleman and reverend visitors adjourned to the Con- vent of the Sacred Heart, where a grand entertainment was prepared. Telegrams congratulating His Lordship and regretting the absence of those who sent them, were received from the Archbishop of Halifax, the Bishop of Ottawa, from Bishop Jamot, from Canon Woods, of Halifax, and from many other friends, both lay and clerical. Amongst other presents were a magnificent gold chalice from the Bishop of Hamilton, a beautiful gold Porte-Dieu, a magnificent episcopal cincture, and several rich presents in silver plate. 'Y\\Q. Free Press oi Nov. nth, 1879, gives the following report of the celebration of the day at the Sacred Heart Academy .• — The entertainment given at the Sacred Heart was a brilliant display of ability and talent. Everything that could tell of veneration and grateful affection for a devoted pastor was exhibited in the most delicate and refined manner. The re- ception room presented a magnificent appearance. In honor of the occasion, the Silver Jubilee, the decorations were silver. The columns were entwined with autumn leaves of every hue, and around the walls and over the curtained windows hung graceful festoons of the same. The richly draped crimson canopy, prepared for the Right Rev. Bishop, was likewise ornamented with silver and autumn leaves. In dififerenl parts of the room were inscriptions commemorating the principal events in the life of His Lordship. The rear of the apartment represented a celestial scene. Amid azure clouds appeared groups of bright angels with snow-white wings. The effect was very much heightened by a number of gas jets, which, skillfully concealed by a scroll bearing an appropriate motto, threw a most brilliant light on the angelic creatures 'mid the clouds But fi r lovelier than all the other ornaments of the room were the bright, happy faces of the youthful scholars. The allegories Dure the stamp of originality. One of the most pleasing pieces of the evening represented angels descending from their thrones to tell of their mission relative to His Lordship. The five young ladies who personated these evinced superior ability, while their modest bearing won the approbation of all present. They carried beautiful white banners of some trans- parent material, ornamented with silver. The device on each acquainted the visitors with the character of its bearer's mission. Nothing could have better spoken to the heart of His Lordship than the arrival of a merry Irish robin, who, at the head of six other little birds, had winged her flight from t|jc Emferald Isle to take part in his jubilee. What she had to say about Kilkenny and her home in Ireland elicited repeated outbursts of applause from the audience. She told His Lordship, in sweetest verse, that she had brought him his aged mother's blessing and a shamrock which she had kissed for his sake. Tears glistened in the eyes of that beloved parent as she gave the little robin her message, but they were tears of joy that God had given her to see the 25th anniversary of her noble son's ordination. The vocal and instrumental music were of a high order. An exquisite arrange- ment of one of Moore's far-famed melodies, accompained by the soft, sweet tones of the harp, particularly charmed the listeners. A grand Italian chorus was rendered in a masterly manner. A most pleasant hour quickly sped. '.;a.v/ I 4; ■cl5. THE NEW ST. PETER's CATHEDRAL, LONDON, ON'IARK). 43 At the close, His Lordship spoke from the abundance of his heart to the chil- dren, whose gradual progress in virtue and science he watches with paternal in- terest. After thanking both scholars and teachers for the labor of love they had performed in preparing this entertainment, Mis Lordship declared that the Sacred Heart is the pride of his Diocese; that world-renowned Sacred Heart which has educated so many of the first and finest Christian women of Europe ; that he could not claim the merit of having brought those religions, since he found them here when he came. He referred to the glory of the work to Bishop Pinsonneault, and added that if it had been left to him he would have called them here "with a heart and a half." He begged to God to grant that their prosperity might continue, and blessed them with the little ones they are fitting for earth and for heaven. He concluded by naming some of the distinguished guests who honored the Institution by their presence that evening : — His Lordship Bishop Crinnon, of Hamilton; Very Rev. Father Rooney, Vicar General of Toronto, with several clergymen from the same Diocese; Rev. Fathers Brettargh and Brennan, from Kingston, and Rev. Father Coffey, of Ottawa, with about forty of His Lordship's own zealous co-laborers. In honor of this jubilee a grand holiday was proclaimed for to-day, the announcement of which was hailed by a spon- taneous outburst of thanks from the pupils to His Lordship. The distinguished manners of the pupils, and the proficiency which they dis- played, is a convincing proof that ihey are the objects of a constant and untiring care on the part of the devoted band who merit so well the success with which, their efforts were crowned last night. CHAPTER X. THE NEW CATHEDRAL — TURNING THE FIRST SOD — LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE. The new Cathedial of London is now daily advancing towards completion. Already its lofty and majestic form attracts the eye of every stranger visiting this city— already this stately pile may be justly termed the pride of this metropolis of Ontario's fair western peninsula and the glory c " the Diocese of London. In point of architectural merit, in beauty and symmetry of proportion, chaste- ness and refinement of ornamentation, solidity and strength of con- struction, this splendid edifice already, it may be fairly stated, stands without a peer in this Province, and will, when completed, be, in most regards, wilhout a rival in this country. His Lordship Bishop Walsh had long set his heart upon raising in God's honor and that of Holy Religion a tem- ple in some manner worthy the solemn and sublime rites of the Church of Christ. There were, however, difficulties in the way. Upon His Lordship's assumption of the chief pastorship of this- Diocese he had an enormous debt to remove, while various works; of religion and charity of the most pressing necessity called for im- mediate attention and energetic action. It was only after a priest- hood had been formed, schools and presbyteries built, churches constructed or renovated throtighout the Diocese, a magnificent col- lege placed on a solid footing, religious communities established— in a word, piety, learning and religion everywhere made flourish 44 that His Lordship consented to entertain the purpose dear to his heart of erecting a Cathedral for his Diocese that would for ages stand in testimony of the depth and sincerity of the faith of the Catholics of Western Ontario. The good time at length came, and the Bishop of London invited Mr. Joseph ConoUy, of Toronto, one of the very ablest gentlemen of his profession, not alone in Canada, but, we feel safe in saying, on: this continent, to draw up the plans for a structure befitting the times, worthy the priesthood and people of the Diocese of London, and creditable to the most beautiful and picturesque city in the Dominion of Canada. Our fellow-citizens, always justly proud of this fair city nestling in the very heart of the garden of Canada's premier Province, now feel more than ever proud of London, as it lays just claim to the title and dignity of a Cathedral City. The plans drawn up. His Lordship at once took steps, in view especially of the encouragement from priests and peo- ple, to have ground broken and work commenced. The turning ot the first sod for the new Cathedral is thus re- corded in the episcopal archives, July 1880 : " In the name and for the worship of the most blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and in honor of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, and St. Peter, first patron of the perpetual chorus ; of St. John the Evangelist, its second patron, we dig this first sod on the spot whereon the Cathedral is to stand. May God, for whose greater glory the work is undertaken, bring it to a successful issue, and may He bless and protect all engaged in it. "tJOHN WALSH, '* Bishop of London." The corner stone of the new Cathedral was laid on the 23rd of May, 1 88 1. To the Catholic Record \yq are indebted for the report of the ceremony: London has seldom, if ever, witnessed a religious ceremony so imposing in all its attendant circumstances, and so important in its character, as the blessing and laying of the corner stone of the new Roman Catholic Cathedral on Sunday. The event distinctly marks an era, not only in the history of the Church in London and the Diocese, but through the entire Province of Ontario. The blessing of the corner stone was essentially a religious ceremony, quite in accord with the sacredness of the t'ay. It will not be necessary to narrate all the steps in the long series of circum- stances since the idea of erecting a cathedral first had conception ; steps leading onward to this great central point— the corner stone laying — and which are destined, in time, to culminate in the dedication of the edifice to the worship of the Divine Being. More need not be said than that the project had origin more than a decade of years since, and has been one of the great and worthy aims which the Bishop of London, aided by the clergy and people of the Diocese, is pushing on to a successful issue. The new cathedral immediately adjoins the site of the old church, on Richmond street, the main entrance facing southward. It will consist of nave, aisles and transepts, choir or chancel, chapels, baptistry towers, sacristy and morning chapel, The length of the interior will be 180 feet ; breadth about 68 feet ; breadth across transept over 100 feet ; height from the ground to ridge of main roof 88 ; and each imposing tower with its spire 45 cum- |iding are fP ^^ lore laims se, is site It listry 1 80 [from Ispire about 215 feet high. The style of architecture adopted is that of the early French period, in which many of the grandest mediaeval cathedrals were designed and completed. The seating capacity of the cathedral will be 1,200. The walls, of which the ponderous stone foundations are already from nine to twelve feet above the surface in different places, will be constructed of best brick faced with brown stone facings of Ohio cut stone. The structure will be a credit to London and a monument of architectural beauty to Mr. Joseph Connolly, of Toronto, by whem the plans were prepared. The contractors whose tenders were accepted are as follows : — Thos. Green & Co., carpentering, $18,000 ; McBride <'• Boyd, galvanized iron and tin work, $3,600; Mr. A. S. Corp, painting and giazing, $3,020; Mr. George Riddle, sating, $1,500; Gould & Statfold, plastering, $1,995, ^"