USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume I, pt1 > Part 14
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"The liberalism of the Protestant Reformation is working itself out to its necessary results. There is now no more positive or dogmatic religion among Protestants; as a religion Protes- tantism is dead. It has begotten and brought forth the twin monsters of the day, Liberalism and Infidelity. In Europe it is working its way in the double form of Liberalism and Infidelity; in America it takes, so far, the milder form of Indifferentism and Liberalism. In the United States, owing to the nature of our government, this heresy is, for the present, in a milder form, but it is equally a heresy, whether it ends in Liberalism or in Infidelity. There can be no Liberalism in religion, and none but a heretic would, or could, pretend to be liberal with the law of God, or with the doctrines that God has taught.
"Faith does not come from man. nor does it depend for its truth or authority on man's assent. Faith is above and beyond the knowledge of man, and comes from God, with God as its author, to be accepted by man. Man has not even the right to discuss, far less to qualify, or change, or modify what God has revealed. Man has a right to examine the evidence by which the doctrine is proclaimed, but he has no right, nor power, to examine the truth or falsehood of the doctrine itself. Faith is above the knowledge of man, and therefore can be neither tried nor examined by man. If the witness is accepted and proved as of God, then the doctrines this witness teaches must be accepted. If the Bible is this witness, then all the Bible teaches must be accepted : if the Church is this witness, then all the Church teaches must be accepted and believed. As Catholics we believe the Catholic Church is the voice of God : hence it is not permitted for any Catholic to modify, or soften, or change the doctrines of the Church. These doctrines have been taught by God. and man has no power, nor right to
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change them, because they are hateful to the Liberalism or Infidelity of the age. Men talk of changing religion to suit the Liberalism of the day, as they would talk of changing the cut of their coat. Religion does not change; religion comes from God, Who is unchangeable, and when men talk of changing religion they talk heresy.
"Yet with these truths before them there are many amongst us, who seek and wish to soften the doctrines of the Catholic Church. They say, 'The Church is too strict, the Church is behind the age; there should be some change so as to harmonize with modern thought and modern progress.' That is, we should deny, or drop from our creed, some of the doctrines God has taught, not because they are false, but because they are not popular, and are offensive to modern Liberalism. Does not that look very like Judas selling Christ for popularity?
"The man who talks of softening his faith, or modifying it to suit modern ideas, may continue going to church, and calling himself a Catholic, but the germ of heresy is in his mind, and if pressed he would deny his faith for the sake of popularity.
"Mark those who have fallen away from the Church. They began by finding fault with the priest. He was not sufficiently polished, his preaching was not up to the standard, he was too dogmatic and uncompromising. They then found fault with the Church, and ended in being Liberal Catholics, that is in being a Catholic who is willing to deny a part of his faith for the sake of being popular. These men almost invariably end in denying the faith altogether, or bringing up a family without faith or God in it. A Liberal Catholic is the curse of the Church, and the curse of the congregation he is in. He is a constant grumbler and fault- finder, a disturber of the peace, and a man who never does his fair share for the support of religion. Guard yourselves, dear children, against such a man. He is an enemy within your ranks, and the more dangerous because he still bears the name of Catholic. Stand by your faith, it is the dearest gift God has given to you; teach it to your children, that they may bless you when you are in your graves. Let the world rage and mock, it did the same to Christ. Our reward is not of earth, it is of heaven; we must carry our cross, if we will wear a crown. For nineteen hundred years the world has raged against the Church: for nineteen hundred years, Kings and Emperors, Powers and States have warred against Her, heresy has risen up against Her, but She lives, and will live, like Christ, her Author, to the end. She came from God, and like God She is eternal, immutable and unchangeable." *
·On April 4, 1880, Bishop Gilmour delivered an eloquent and scholarly lecture in Case Hall, Cleveland, on "The Debt America
ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL (Interior), CLEVELAND.
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owes to Catholicity." Again he aroused the bigotry of the Protestant pulpit and press for daring to state unpalatable truths. Hle answered to deep silence, his antagonists, by publishing a series of replies, and challenged them to disprove the statements he had made in his lecture. The challenge was never accepted !
Bishop Gilmour found it impossible, for lack of means, to build a new and commodious seminary of modern architecture on the land he had purchased in Euclid Township, as mentioned above. He was therefore forced to enlarge the present building, so as to decently accommodate the professors, and the increasing number of students, necessary to fill up the ranks of the clergy, then and for years before insufficient to meet the wants of the rapidly growing diocese. Hence, in 1884, the diocesan seminary was enlarged by the addition of the present south wing, which contains suites of rooms for professors and separate rooms for students, neatly and comfortably furnished. During the following year, the main or centre building was entirely remodeled by changing the upper two stories into a very handsome chapel, and locating a lecture hall and the library on the first floor. The wing and changes cost nearly $20,000.
St. John's Cemetery and the old allotment of St. Joseph's Cemetery located on Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, were very nearly filled with interments, and the available burial lots nearly all sold, in 1873. The question of locating a new cemetery had to be met. This was not of easy solution owing to the widely spread territory of Cleveland, each section wishing the cemetery con- veniently located. Finally, in 1874, the purchase of a tract of land, comprising about 37 acres, and located in Newburg Township, was urged on the Bishop by a number of Cleveland pastors, they claim- ing that it was most suitable for cemetery purposes; that in a short time an excellent road would be built from Broadway, in Newburg, to the land. Much against his own judgment, as to the advisability of the purchase, he yielded to his advisors and bought the land, the purchase price being $37,500, secured by mortgage. Hardly had the purchase been made when the effect of the "Black Friday" panic of 1873 made itself felt very forcibly in Cleveland. Land values fell at least 50 per cent. The promised road to Newburg land was never built, and so the cemetery project
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ended in failure. The Bishop offered $10,000 to the original owner of the land to cancel the sale, but his offer was refused. He was obliged to shoulder the debt without any financial assistance. This debt, with that on the land he had bought the year previous, caused him much anxiety, but by careful manage- ment it was gradually paid off, the final payment having been made about six years later. The diocese of Cleveland now owns, clear of debt, the so-called "Euclid Farm," and "Newburg Farm." Both parcels of land have since developed into very valuable properties; the former to be used for its original purpose, as a site for the diocesan seminary, which will be built as soon as means are available.
As above stated, St. John's Cemetery, and the old allotment of St. Joseph's Cemetery had become nearly full of interments, and no burial lots were to be had. In order to tide over the necessity of purchasing land for that purpose, during the period of financial depression between 1873 and 1878, Bishop Gilmour had the west part of St. Joseph's cemetery graded and put into proper condition, according to the modern idea, now almost universally adopted for burial lots. The result was that the new addition to said cemetery, comprising about eight acres, became very attrac- tive, although it had been rejected for years previous, because "it was not level." The beautifully graded, undulating surface, the serpentine drives and well kept lawns, added much to the appearance of the new grounds, which were solemnly blessed by Bishop Gilmour in the fall of 1878. Thus, present cemetery needs were met to the entire satisfaction of the Catholic public.
For many years Bishop Gilmour had maintained the principle that the property title to charitable institutions, supported exclusively by a diocese, should be held by the bishop of the diocese in which such institutions are located. Most of the bishops in attendance at the III Plenary Council of Baltimore held the same view, and a decree was passed by the Council to that effect. However, when it was submitted to the Propaganda, along with the other decrees of said Council, for approval, it was rejected. The question was then referred to His Holiness. Leo XIII, who shared the views held by the American bishops, but directed that for the present nothing be done in the matter, and to bring it up before the next Plenary Council.
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Early in 1884, some months before the III Plenary Council of Baltimore convened, Bishop Gilmour insisted that the title to St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, Cleveland, be transferred to him, as Bishop of the Diocese, basing his claim on the fact that it was, and had been from the very beginning, supported by the offerings of the laity. The title had been held by the Sisters of Charity, then known under the civil corporation of "St. Joseph's Hospital." Bishop Rappe had bought the property on which the Asylum is located, and transferred the title to the new corporation for the purpose of avoiding taxation, as he feared if the property were held by him the Asylum would be considered private property and thus taxable. It was shown by evidence that he never intended it to be the actual property of the Corporation, which had never paid the diocese for it. The transfer by deed was considered by him a mere formality. The Sisters, who so faithfully and zealously had served the Asylum and its diocesan wards, believed, no doubt, in good faith-strengthened by advice given by those outside of the community who opposed the Bishop-that the property actually belonged to them as a Corporation. The matter was referred to the Archbishop of Cincinnati, the Most Rev. Dr. Elder, who heard the case in Cleveland, on August 14, 1884. Before the case was ended, the Sisters' advocate, the Rev. Charles Evrard, felt that his clients could not prove their claim, and asked that a compro- mise offer be made by Bishop Gilmour, in view of the many years of faithful services rendered by the Sisterhood to the Diocese of Cleveland. A most generous offer was made by the Bishop and it was at once accepted, thus ending the case. A few months later (October 6, 1884), the Corporation deeded the property to the Bishop for the diocese.
For the same reasons as above stated, the Bishop asked a few years later (1889) that the title to St. Vincent's Asylum, at Toledo, be transferred to him by the Corporation known as the Sisters of Charity, of Montreal. All the Toledo pastors, with one or two exceptions, held the Bishop's view, and were unwilling to support the Asylum unless it were made diocesan property. This the Sisters respectfully refused to do, claiming ownership in fact and in law. The case was referred to the Holy See, which appointed His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, as its delegate, with
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power to give a final decision. His Eminence tried the case at Toledo, in St. Vincent's Hospital. The Rt. Rev. Bishop was his own advocate, and the Rev. Dr. Quigley acted as such for the Sisters. After a full hearing of the evidence, Cardinal Gibbons decided that the title to said Asylum should not be disturbed. In years past the Bishop had made annual appeals to the diocese for the support of the orphan asylums. But he refused to do so in future for St. Vincent's Asylum, on the ground that if it was now to be considered property of a community, incorporated as a civil body, with its Motherhouse outside of the diocese, the corporation must not look to the diocese for any support of its Asylum. With the Cardinal's adverse decision fully accepted, the Bishop made no further contention in the matter .*
In March, 1887, Bishop Gilmour published a "Constitution and By-laws for the Government of the Parochial Schools of the Diocese of Cleveland," of which the principal features are: The examination of parish schools by district boards, and the annual examination of teachers by the diocesan board of examiners. However, owing to want of means and proper facilities, this laudable feature in the proper management of the parochial schools had to be abandoned a few years later.
Between 1877 and 1887 the following institutions were estab- lished in the diocese: 1877-Convent of the Poor Clares, Cleve- land, and the Ursuline Academy, at Villa Angela, near Notting- ham; 1884-Cleveland, St. Alexis' Hospital, Protectory for Girls, in charge of the Sisters of Notre Dame; Louisville, St. Louis' Orphan Asylum for Boys; 1885-Toledo, Little Sisters of the Poor. The Jesuit Fathers, to whom had been entrusted, in 1880, the pastorate of St. Mary's church, Cleveland, opened St. Ignatius' College, in a frame building, opposite their church, at the corner of Carroll and Jersey streets, September, 1886. At this time, also, the Ursulines opened an institution at Nottingham for the education of boys under twelve years of age. It is known as St. Joseph's Seminary.
Between 1877 and 1891 thirty-five churches were built and as many new congregations established, which fact showed that
*In December, 1900, the Sisters of Charity, of their own accord, transferred St. Vincent's Asylum, Toledo, to the Rt. Rev. Bishop Horstmann, thereby vindicating Bishop Gilmour's contention.
.
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generosity and activity were as strong as ever in the diocese, in spite of the financial panic which for over five years during this period had depressed the country at large.
In 1877 Bishop Gilmour began to systematize the routine and business affairs of his diocese by establishing a chancery office, which up to this time had existed only in name. He had plats made of all the church property, and the respective deeds indexed and labeled for ready reference. Parish, and "permit" records, records of priests and religious institutions were begun, and blank forms for diocesan and annual reports, together with letter books and letter files, were introduced.
Bishop Gilmour had also a large steel vault built as an annex to the Chancery office, in which to preserve from destruction by fire the valuable and constantly increasing diocesan archives. The vault is 14 feet wide, 18 feet long and 9 feet high. It is filled with well arranged cases, shelving and files, making it an easy matter to reach any of its varied contents at a moment's notice.
In 1878 the collecting of historical data of every congregation and institution in the diocese was begun. Promptly and kindly did the clergy and the heads of institutions respond to the Bishop's request for the same, and soon there was an abundance of historical matter, which is now on file in the diocesan archives. From this source the writer has largely drawn for the history of the diocese.
In May, 1882, the sixth Diocesan Synod was held in St. Mary's Seminary, one hundred and thirty-nine priests of the secular and regular clergy being in attendance. As a result of this Synod we have the present diocesan legislation, which, with the exception of about half a dozen of its two hundred and sixty-two statutes, is in perfect harmony with the laws of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, held in November, 1884.
In July, 1882, Bishop Gilmour went to Europe, to visit, among other countries, his native Scotland, which he had not seen since he left it, as a child, in 1829. Besides traveling exten- sively through Ireland, England, France and Germany, he also paid his ad limina visit to Rome, his first official visit to the Holy See, although he had been there for a few weeks in 1875, as an invalid. During his absence (till February, 1883), the Very Rev. Vicar General Boff administered the affairs of the diocese.
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At the Diocesan Synod, held in 1882, the following Statute (No. 242) was published: "Cities, where there is more than one church, shall, after the present cemeteries are filled, have but one common cemetery." A few years later it was found necessary by some of the Toledo parishes, to secure additional land for burial purposes, as their parish cemeteries had been nearly filled with interments and the supply of burial lots nearly exhausted. There were then four distinct Catholic cemeteries in that city. Bishop Gilmour felt that now the time had come to put into effect in Toledo the above quoted Statute. In this he was seconded by nearly all the local pastors, and especially by those who had no parish cemeteries. Accordingly, in 1887, he bought several adjoining parcels of land fronting on Dorr street, quite near the city limits, and easy of access. The total purchase, made on borrowed money, amounted to forty acres of very choice land, beautifully located. During at least three years he made frequent trips to Toledo, between spring and autumn, whenever his manifold duties permitted, to superintend the laying out and beautifying the new cemetery. He personally paid the expenses connected with these frequent trips and the buggy hire to and from the cemetery, besides giving his time and attention to the project. Today, thanks to the Bishop's unremitting efforts, not always seconded as they should have been by those supposedly most interested, the Catholics of Toledo have in Calvary Cemetery -as it is named-one of the finest and most attractive burial grounds in this country, and of which they are justly proud.
On January 3, 1889, the Seventh Diocesan Synod was held in St. Mary's Seminary, Cleveland. It was attended by one hundred and forty-four priests, of whom one hundred and thirty- three belonged to the secular clergy. On this occasion the officials of the Matrimonial Court, and of the Disciplinary Court,' were appointed, as were also the Synodal Examiners. Nine parishes in the diocese were also made rectorates, viz., in Cleveland-St. Peter's, St. Malachy's, St. Stephen's; Toledo-St. Patrick's: Tiffin-St. Joseph's ; Sandusky-Sts. Peter and Paul's; Fremont- St. Joseph's; Delphos-St. John's; Youngstown-St. Columba's. The pastors of these parishes, at the time, were also declared irremovable rectors.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH (INTERIOR), CANTON.
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It had long been a question with Bishop Gilmour, how to arrange for the prescribed annual Retreats for his clergy, which had grown too large in number to be accommodated at the same time in any diocesan building. It was suggested that he arrange for such Retreats by calling half of the clergy each year to the Seminary, and by having annually two separate Retreats, each could be attended by one-fourth of the priests, who would then be properly accommodated. The Bishop readily adopted the sugges- tion, which went into effect in the summer of 1889, and has ever since proved quite satisfactory to the clergy.
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CHAPTER V
THE RT. REV. BISHOP GILMOUR'S ADMINISTRATION. (CONTINUED.)
BISHOP GILMOUR'S LAST YEARS OF ADMINISTRATION FULL OF TROUBLES AND TRIALS-THE PARNELL BRANCH OF THE IRISH LAND LEAGUE-1TS OPPO- SITION TO BISHOP GILMOUR-HE LECTURES ON "THE IRISH QUESTION"- THE LADIES' LAND LEAGUE DENOUNCED BY BISHOP GILMOUR-THE LADIES' LAND LEAGUE IS CONDEMNED AND ITS MEMBERS EXCOM- MUNICATED-THE ANTI-CATHOLIC CLEVELAND LEADER-ITS EDITOR, EDWIN COWLES-BISHOP GILMOUR SUED FOR LIBEL-THE "CATHOLIC KNIGHT" CASE-THE CASE OF THE REV. P. F. QUIGLEY, D. D .- THE CASE OF THE REV. JOHN B. PRIMEAU-SITE PURCHASED FOR ST. JOHN'S HOS- PITAL-THE "GORDON MITER"-BISHOP GILMOUR'S LAST ILLNESS-HE DIED AT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA .- HIS REMAINS BROUGHT TO CLEVELAND-THE RT. REV. MGR. F. M. BOFF IS APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DIOCESE.
T HE latter years of Bishop Gilmour's administration (1882- 1891) were for him years of troubles and trials, caused by his love of order, enforcement of discipline, and the vindi- cation of the rights of his episcopal office. The result was that he had to meet almost constant opposition. He was maligned, often not understood, and very often misjudged for many of his admin- istrative acts, which in the nature of things he could not always or satisfactorily explain to the public, or to those affected by them. The few who knew the "inner history" of these acts-among them the writer-knew also that the Bishop had at least thorough honesty of purpose, and absolute personal unselfishness as his guides, even though they did not always deem some of his acts opportune or prudent, so far as they were able to judge.
Some of these acts developed into "cases" which reached the newspapers, often in distorted form, garnished with falsehood or misrepresentation of facts. Thus the Bishop was placed before the public in an unfavorable light, as though he were harsh, arbitrary, and a selfseeker. At times appearances were against him, but he knew, as did also the very few mentioned, that he was misjudged.
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When circumstances warranted, he would explain such of his episcopal acts as aroused opposition or strife, but more often he could not speak, and so bore insult and assault in silence. His silence often shielded those whose conduct forced him to act, and who, feeling secure because of the Bishop's enforced silence, were loudest in their protests and strongest in their opposition against him.
In this chapter the writer will endeavor, to the best of his ability, in the light of truth and charity, to give a brief account of the more noted "cases" which gained widespread publicity, disturbed the peace of the diocese and caused Bishop Gilmour many a heartache.
THE PARNELL BRANCH OF THE IRISH LAND LEAGUE.
Not long after Bishop Gilmour's advent in Cleveland he found an element among the laity of his flock that was more national than Catholic, and which soon showed opposition to him because he refused to accept its views or to permit it to meddle with his affairs and duties as bishop. That element appeared under various disguises, always cloaked under "patriotism." It was organized into a society of one name, and shortly after of another name-from an apparently harmless literary association to the oathbound and condemned Clan-na-gael society; but it always remained the same disturbing un-Catholic element in the community.
In 1881 it was known as the "Parnell Branch of the Irish Land League." It advocated the "No Rent" policy as the best means of solving the question of Land Tenure in Ireland.
When Bishop Gilmour condemned the Parnell Branch for holding this morally untenable view he aroused their bitter enmity. They then tried by every means to make the public believe that he was opposed to their native land, whilst the very contrary was the truth, as by word, pen and deed he proved.
In order to aid the Irish cause in regard to land tenure, and at the same time to disabuse the public as to his position towards the Land League policy in general, he delivered a lecture on February 6, 1882, in the Cleveland Tabernacle, before an immense and most attentive audience. The subject of the lecture was : "The Irish Question," which he discussed in a masterly manner, eliciting
سيع ت حت مملوء .
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frequent and hearty applause. Following are a few passages taken from his lecture; they are self-explanatory. Referring to the "No Rent" policy, he said :
"Now, what is 'no rent?' On what is it based? In its naked deformity 'no rent' means that the tenant, under the plea that he is poor and the landlord rich, will pay no rent for the use of the land he occupies. But this is theft-clear, unqualified theft,-and is based on the communistic doctrine, 'property is robbery.'
"On the same plea the robber is justified. No viler doctrine was ever promulgated in the streets of Paris. It is un-Catholic, it is un-Irish, and if continued in and forced as a part of the Land League doctrine, then the Land League is doomed, and no power on earth can or ought to save it. No special pleading nor plausible theorizing can conceal the fact that 'no rent' means robbery. As well take a man's purse, as take his land. The cause of Ireland is too sacred to be wantonly dragged into the gutters, or the fair flag of Erin be tarnished by robbery. There is too much that is holy in the original Land League movement to require any of the mad doctrines of Paris to give it strength. Keep the Land League pure say I. Keep the stain of robbery from it. Let it stand upon the right of the tenant to a support from the land he cultivates, to a right in the improvement he makes, to fixity of tenure at a fair price now and ownership hereafter, and I pledge success to the Land League, and at no distant future an end to landlordism in Ireland. With the battle cry, 'fair rents now and a fair price here- after,' the Land League must win because it says 'justice to the tenant, justice to the landlord,' and under such a banner there will be unity, and strength, and victory."
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