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 17
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"Cleveland, O., November 24, 1888.
"Rev. J. B. Primeau. Dear Sir :- As you were not incardi- nated into the Diocese of Cleveland, and as I am not willing to incardinate you into the Diocese of Cleveland, I hereby inform you that at 6 o'clock p. m., December 13, your faculties as a priest in the Diocese of Cleveland shall cease, and at the same date you shall cease to be pastor of St. Louis' Church, Toledo. Meanwhile you shall make out your financial accounts and inventory, as per Statute 220, and send them to our Chancellor.
"Given under my hand and seal, the place and date as above.
¡RICHARD GILMOUR,
Bishop of Cleveland."
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Father Primeau appealed to the Most Rev. Archbishop Elder against Bishop Gilmour's action, in thus removing him from his pastoral charge and dismissing him from the diocese. His Grace made due inquiry, and thereupon informed Father Primeau that he had no case against the Bishop. Father Primeau then appealed to the Holy See, and meanwhile refused to vacate the pastoral residence of St. Louis' church. Bishop Gilmour obtained a writ of ejectment from a Justice's Court against Father Primeau, who then appealed to the Common Pleas Court of Lucas County for temporary injunction against the Bishop. The writ was granted by Judge Lemmon, pending the hearing of the case. The case was heard during March and April, 1899, the trial lasting about five weeks. The Judge decided, on October 14, 1889, that, since the case came partly under church law, and Father Primeau had appealed to the Courts of the Church so far as the ecclesiastical features of his case were concerned, he should remain in peaceable . possession of the pastoral residence he now occupied, until they had passed upon the appeal. Meanwhile Father Primeau's succes- sor in the pastorate of St. Louis' church, the Rev. W. J. Smith, was obliged to live in a rented house, nearly two miles distant from the church, no suitable house located nearer having been available. The Holy See referred Father Primeau's appeal back to Arch- bishop Elder, with direction to hear the case at issue between the Rev. Primeau and Bishop Gilmour, the latter now being the defendant on appeal. After repeated delays, owing in part to Bishop Gilmour's serious illness, beginning in August, 1889, the case was finally put on trial in the Archbishop's residence, at Cincinnati, Archbishop Elder presiding as Judge, with the Very Rev. Dr. Byrne, the Rev. Dr. Sele and the Rev. Dr. Engbers, as legal advisors, and the Rev. Dr. Moeller, as notary. The Rev. S. B. Smith, D.D., of Paterson, N. J., appeared as advocate for the plaintiff, Father Primeau, and the Rev. Seraphin Bauer, the Procurator of the Diocese of Cleveland, acting as such for Bishop Gilmour, the defendant, who was then ill, each day arising from his bed of sickness to attend the trial. The hearing of the case was begun on March 5, 1890, and the trial continued until March 19, following, when the Court adjourned until April 23, 1890, as the intervening time was during the busy Easter season.
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CALVARY CEMETERY, YOUNGSTOWN -- THE GREAT COPPER CRUCIFIX.
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Although the defendant and his advocate were ready to proceed with the trial on April 23, the time set for its continuance, the Rev. S. Bauer having personally appeared at the Archbishop's resi- dence, yet the plaintiff and his advocate failed to appear, the latter having withdrawn from the case on the plea of illness, which plea was accepted by the Court. The next date set for a continuance of the trial was Nov. 11, 1890. Father Primeau appeared with the Rev. John H. Muehlenbeck as his advocate, and the Rev. Seraphin Bauer appeared for his client, Bishop Gilmour. The case was now vigorously prosecuted. The plaintiff contended that he could prove his incardination under the decrees of the II and III Plenary Councils of Baltimore. He relied however more on the less definite decrees of the II Plenary Council. Under this con- tention he claimed that he could not be dismissed from the diocese, and if incardinated, that he could not be removed from his parish, except for grave reason; and if such reason, or cause, were criminal, or disciplinary, that then he would have to be tried by regular process, as provided by Canon law.
This time the trial of the case lasted until November 21, 1890. Every point bearing, or that was supposed to bear, on the question of Father Primeau's incardination as a priest of the diocese of Cleveland, was brought forward and contested. Finally, after hearing all the evidence, and the pleas and arguments of both advocates, the Most Rev. Archbishop Elder, as Judge, delivered the following decision on November 22, 1890, as published in the Catholic Universe, on December 18, 1890:
"William Henry Elder, by the grace of God, and the favor of the Apostolic See, Archbishop of Cincinnati. "To the Rev. John Baptist Primeau, Toledo, Ohio:
"Be it known to you that :
"Whereas, in our Metropolitan Court of the Province of Cincinnati, in the case of the Rev. John Baptist Primeau versus the Right Rev. Richard Gilmour, Bishop of Cleveland, after a full hearing of the parties on the question of Incardination, we rendered judgment on the twenty-second day of November, in the year 1890, to the effect :- That Rev. John B. Primeau is not and has not been a Priest incardinated into the Diocese of Cleveland :
"And, Whereas, on the same day and before the adjournment of the Court, we gave sentence, that you, in consequence of that judgment, should vacate the pastoral residence of the church of St. Louis in East Toledo, and also the church of St. Louis :
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"And, Whereas, by virtue of the Decree 236 of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, your appeal from our judgment has not a power to suspend your removal from the charge of the church and congregation of St. Louis, as ordered by the Bishop of Cleveland :
"Now, therefore, We hereby give our Mandate, that you vacate the church of St. Louis aforesaid, and the pastoral residence and all the premises; and surrender to such person or persons as the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Cleveland may designate, all the property, real, personal and mixed, and all the papers, books and other effects of whatsoever character, that belong to the congregation of St. Louis, or which have usually been under the custody of the pastor of said congregation :
"And, We order you to obey this Mandate, under the penalty of all the pains, inabilities and other punishments imposed by the Church in such cases.
"Given from our Residence in Cincinnati, State of Ohio, under our hand and seal this First Day of December, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety.
(Seal) +WILLIAM HENRY ELDER.
Archbishop of Cincinnati."
HENRY MOELLER, Notary.
State of Ohio, ss. Lucas County.
"Joseph D. Ford, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he served the original Mandate, of which the fore- going is a copy, on the Rev. John B. Primeau, by delivering the same to him in person at the pastoral residence of the church of St. Louis, in the City of Toledo, County of Lucas and State of Ohio, on the 9th day of December, 1890, at about 9 o'clock a. m., in the presence of Carlos Colton, witness.
(Signed) JOSEPH D. FORD.
"Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this 9th day of December, 1890.
(Signed) (L. S.)
ELLSWORTH N. BEARD,
Notary Public, Lucas County, O."
The Cincinnati Enquirer, inspired by those sympathizing with the Rev. J. B. Primeau, in his contention against Bishop Gilmour, published the following article in its issue of November 23, 1890. the day after the Archbishop's decision was rendered :
"THE BISHOP GILMOUR-FATHER PRIMEAU CONTROVERSY FINALLY ENDED."
"The case of Rev. Father Primeau, of Toledo, against Bishop
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IN THE DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND.
Gilmour, the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, was officially decided by Most Rev. Archbishop William Henry Elder at the Archiepiscopal residence yesterday afternoon in favor of the priest. The case is of much interest in clerical circles, as it virtually decided the rights of the members of the minor clergy in the ecclesiastical government. Rev. Primeau was the pastor of a congregation in Toledo, and has been in office for three years. This term gave him the right of remaining, or rather of immunity from transfer without cause. Bishop Gilmour sought to remove him, and he resisted the order. He was suspended, and took an appeal to Rome.
"After some deliberation the case was referred to Archbishop Elder, who is Bishop Gilmour's superior, for final adjudication. For nearly a week the affair has been under discussion before the Archbishop and his council, and yesterday a decree was given against Bishop Gilmour, thereby reinstating the suspended priest, who is, therefore, cleared of all suspicion of contumacy."
From the above article the reader may draw his own con- clusion! With the Most Rev. Archbishop Elder's decision the case of Father Primeau ended and a few weeks later he left the pastoral residence of St. Louis' church. In April, 1891, Bishop Gilmour died, and in the following month, the Rt. Rev. F. M. Boff, Administrator of the diocese, allowed Father Primeau to take temporary charge of Toussaint, a small mission, until he could find another bishop willing to adopt him. He remained at Toussaint until October, 1892, when he returned to the diocese of Montreal, to which he canonically belonged, as was proved in the trial.
On September 12, 1890, Bishop Gilmour purchased a parcel of land on Detroit street, in Cleveland, for a much needed hospital, to serve the Catholic population in the western part of the city, and intended by him to be a diocesan institution similar to Charity Hospital, which is owned by the diocese. The purchase was made possible by the munificent gift of $5000, from the late W. J. Gordon,* one of the most generous non-Catholic benefactors
*During her last illness, the wife of Mr. Gordon directed that her costly jewels be given to Bishop Gilmour, to be used as settings for a miter. Mr. Gordon added to them also the precious jewels of his deceased daughter, Georgia, a convert, and paid for the making of the miter, which is considered the costliest in the United States. Bishop Gil- mour wore it for the first time on Pentecost Sunday, 1SS8. On his deathbed he bequeathed it, with his pectoral cross, to the diocese of Cleveland in the following expressive words: "I give my pectoral cross and my miter to the diocese of Cleveland, with the prayer that my successor will find both lighter than I found them."
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of the diocese of Cleveland. He had also given frequent and large donations for charitable purposes, during Bishop Rappe's admin- istration, whose friend and admirer he was, no less than of Bishop Gilmour.
For nearly two years, prior to 1891, Bishop Gilmour had been . a sufferer from intestinal troubles, that often caused him excru- ciating pain. In August, 1890, he had another severe attack which forced him to remain a patient at Charity Hospital for several months, and allowed him to attend only to the most important diocesan affairs. In his weakened condition he was obliged to attend the trial of the Primeau case, at Cincinnati. Whilst there he was under medical treatment at the Good Samaritan Hospital. After the case was heard and decided, he returned to Charity Hospital, the worse for the worry and fatigue he underwent whilst at Cincinnati. He rallied somewhat in December, 1890, but in March, 1891, his physician urged him to go for a while to the milder climate of Florida. Before leaving, he gave his vicar general, the Rt. Rev. Mgr. Boff, full charge of the diocese. He also approved the plans for St. John's Hospital, to be located on Detroit street, Cleveland, and for the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity, at Lakewood. These were his last administrative acts as Bishop of Cleveland. Little did he think then, that he would never return to his beloved diocese, for whose interests he had labored so earnestly and unselfishly for nearly twenty years. Hardly had he reached St. Augustine, Florida, when he felt that the last call was not far distant. He there arranged his temporal and spiritual affairs, with a mind and memory that were wonder- fully clear. In the evening of Monday, April 13, 1891, and per- fectly resigned to the divine will, he gave up his soul to God. His remains were brought to Cleveland, where an immense concourse of people awaited them at the Union Station and accompanied them to the Cathedral. The obsequies were held there also, on Tuesday. April 21, in the presence of an audience that taxed the capacity of the large church. The Bishop's remains were then reverently placed in the crypt beneath the sanctuary of the Cathedral, there to rest in peace until the Trumpet call .*
*The reader is referred to Bishop Gilmour's biographical sketch for a detailed account of his last days, obsequies, etc.
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A few days after Bishop Gilmour's death the Most Rev. Archbishop Elder appointed the Rt. Rev. Mgr. F. M. Boff as administrator of the diocese of Cleveland, sede vacante. This appointment was approved shortly after by the Holy See. The administratorship of Mgr. Boff was uneventful and of short dura- tion. He was however kept busily engaged in attending to the routine and important diocesan affairs, till the advent of Bishop Gilmour's successor, in March, 1892.
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CHAPTER VI
THE RIGHT REV. IGNATIUS F. HORSTMANN, THIRD BISHOP OF CLEVELAND. HIS ADMINISTRATION, 1892-1900.
THE RT. REV. DR. HORSTMANN CONSECRATED BISHOP AT PHILADELPHIA, PA., FEBRUARY 25, 1892-FULL TEXT OF HIS FIRST SERMON (PASTORAL AD- DRESS) IN THE CATHEDRAL AT CLEVELAND, MARCH 8, 1892-SITE FOR PREPARATORY SEMINARY BOUGHT - PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, ETC., COLLECTED FOR THE DIOCESAN ARCHIVES-ST. VINCENT'S UNION ESTABLISHED-CALVARY CEMETERY (CLEVELAND), OPENED IN 1894 -BISHOP HORSTMANN VISITS ROME IN 1894-THE APOSTOLATE FOR MISSIONS TO NON-CATHOLICS ORGANIZED IN 1895-THE REV. A. F. KOLA- SZEWSKI AND HIS SCHISMATIC CONGREGATION-HIS EXCOMMUNICATION.
F OR months after Bishop Gilmour gave up to death his crozier and miter, speculation ran high, as to who would be his suc- cessor. Several lists of names, expressing the choice of the consultors and rectors, as also of the diocesan clergy, were sent to Rome. But Rome, in her wisdom and prudence, rejected all the names submitted, and appointed as successor to Bishop Gilmour, a priest who was a total stranger to the diocese, and one who was in every way equipped for the responsible and burdensome office of Bishop-the Rev. Ignatius F. Horstmann, D. D., Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The appointment was made on November 29, 1891, and published on December 14, 1891. When the welcome news was received in Cleveland and throughout the diocese, the clergy and laity rejoiced, and all accepted Rome's decision as the best possible solution of a question that had already caused considerable friction.
The consecration of the Rev. Dr. Horstmann took place in the Cathedral of Philadelphia, on Wednesday, February 25, 1892. The Most Rev. William H. Elder, D. D.,, Archbishop of Cincinnati, was the consecrator, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Bishops O'Hara, of Scranton, and Chatard, of Vincennes.
Bishop Horstmann arrived in Cleveland, on Tuesday evening. March 8, and on the following morning his installation, as the
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third Bishop of Cleveland, took place in the Cathedral. He pontificated, and Bishop Foley, of Detroit, preached the installa- tion sermon. At the end of the Mass Bishop Horstmann feelingly addressed his clergy and the immense audience.
Following is the full text of his first sermon in Cleveland, and deserves to be called also his first Pastoral address. It gives the key-note of his administration, and an outline of his policy, as the head and ruler of the large and important diocese now committed to his care :
"'Glory to God on high and peace on earth to men of good will.' Such was the heavenly song of the angelic choir pro- claiming to the earth the glad tidings that the God-made man was born in the stable at Bethlehem and ever since our Holy Mother the Church has made use of the same hymn at the celebration of every one of her joyous festivals. Glory to God! Peace to men of good will! What words more appropriate could I take for a text on this solemn occasion of my installation as Bishop of this diocese of Cleveland? Glory to God and peace to men of good will. Such is the message Jesus Christ sends to me today. The same message . he sends also to you. All glory be to the Most High for your magnificent profession of faith, hope, and love of God, for this wonderful manifestation of the glorious unity of the Catholic Church you gave to the world last evening and which your presence here before the altar continues. I come to you as a stran- ger ; perhaps even my very name was heretofore unknown to most of you. I come from another diocese far away. I did not belong even to your ecclesiastical province, and yet you welcome me with open arms, with your whole souls; you gave me your hearts. And why? Because I come to you as the choice of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, to whom the care of the whole Church has been intrusted ; because he has designed to select me, unworthy as I am, and to give me authority and to place me here in this portion of his trust, to feed, rule and govern for him and in his name the souls of this vast diocese of Cleveland, redeemed by the most precious blood of Jesus Christ. Glorious unity of our holy faith! We are all one, believing the same truths, all one, obedient to the one supreme head of Christ's Church. all one in loyal child-like communion with him ; and this, your enthusiastic reception of me, is a public profes- sion of your Catholic Faith, of Catholic unity.
"Did I call myself a stranger to you, brethren? Let me recall the word. No good priest is a stranger to the children of the Faith. No bishop can ever be a stranger amongst Catholics ; and when that bishop comes, delegated by the Vicar of Jesus Christ,
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he comes as one placed by the Holy Ghost to rule the church committed to his care. He comes as a father to his family, as a shepherd to his flock, as a ruler to his subjects. No stranger, then, am I to you. 'I know Mine,' said Jesus Christ, 'and Mine know Me.' It is enough for you to know that I am your Bishop, and at once, with word and heart, as loyal Catholics, you cry out: . We know you ; we reverence you ; we bless your coming ; for you come to us in the name of the Lord.' Glory to God, then, for this noble profession of your Faith. Glory to God, for this sublime manifes- tation of the unity of the Catholic Church. I would not be human, however, were I not touched by these proofs of your Catholicity. I receive them not for myself, but for my office. 'Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name be all the glory.' Personally I have no claim whatsoever, either to your esteem or your love ; but as your Bishop I rejoice with you today that the widowed Church of Cleveland welcomes her new spouse and pastor. God grant that my mission amongst you may be for the edification of all, not only of those of the household of the Faith, but also of all who are outside of the fold of Jesus Christ. God grant that my work amongst you may be for the resurrection of many and for the ruin of none. O supreme blessing, if when I must sing my Nunc dimittis, I can say truthfully: 'Those whom Thou gavest me I have kept and none are lost, O Lord, through my negligence or fault.' Such, brethren, is my prayer at this solemn moment.
"And now what shall be my message to you? What other than that of our divine Lord Himself to His Apostles after His resurrection : Par vobis ; peace be to you. Peace! It is the only real good here on earth. All else is vanity. Peace! The peace of the Holy Ghost, which surpasses all human understanding. Peace through the truth-the whole truth, as it was made known by Jesus, preserved by His Church and as communicated by Her to us through her divinely appointed teaching authority, especially that of the Roman pontiffs. Peace through the grace of the Holy Spirit in-dwelling always in your souls. Peace to all who are of good will, who desire earnestly to do the will of God. Like St. Paul, I can say sincerely as your Bishop, I know neither Roman nor barbarian, I know no nationality and never shall. You are all my children, intrusted to my care, and I realize that the great Bishop of souls, the Prince of pastors, our Lord and Judge, will demand your souls at my hand. Awful responsibility! To be a priest would make the very angels tremble: but to be a Bishop, with the care of over 200 priests and over 200.000 souls, who can carry such a burden? Were it not for the divine assurance: 'You have not chosen me but I have chosen you and I have sent you. that you should go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit shall
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remain'; were it not for the consoling words of St. Paul: 'I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me,' I would cry out : 'Spare me, O Lord; have mercy on me; take this chalice away from me.'
"Brethren of the clergy, I depend on you, on all of you, to support me in my sublime vocation. I can do nothing without you. I am simply your general. You are my officers and without your intelligent, obedient co-operation, your zealous, self-sacrific- ing ministry, all my efforts will be in vain and useless. I must ever be likes Moses on the Mount, praying with uplifted hands, while the children of Israel were engaged in battle. My hands must be supported, on the one side by my clergy, faithful, true, loyal, zealous; and on the other by you, dear children of the laity, seconding all their efforts for the glory of God, the spread of religion and the sanctification and salvation of souls. I depend on your material support, on your generosity, on your spirit of self- sacrifice and on your prayers. Give me only good, whole-souled priests and I know I shall have a faithful, God-fearing people; and with priests and people, all working together for God's glory, the future of this great diocese of Cleveland will be a joy to God and man.
"As a seminarian I met your first Bishop, Bishop Rappe; as a priest I knew your late revered Bishop, Bishop Gilmour. May their wishes inspire me and their prayers help me to follow faith- fully in their footsteps: and whilst they pray for this Church of Cleveland, let us, dear brethren, pray also for the happy repose of their souls, and praise these men of renown, our fathers in their generation, whose godly deeds have not failed. They worked and suffered much to build up this diocese. Their bodies we buried in peace but their names shall live unto generation and generation. Let this Church of Cleveland always declare their praise.
"And now, dear brethren of the clergy and dear children of the laity, placing all my trust in the mercy and goodness of God, I begin my work among you. My life belongs to you. Servant of the servants of God, is the noblest of the titles of the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth. Your servant is also the noblest title your Bishop can claim. The Master has said: 'The Son of Man hatlı come not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.' 'And the servant is not greater than lis Lord.' My duty is to follow Him. 'I am thy servant; grant me understanding that I may know thy testimonies, O Lord!' My glory is to be His servant and yours. I place my vocation under the guardianship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He, the great Bishop of souls, must teach me the virtues required by my high office, to be meek and humble, true and loyal, firm and
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1 courageous for the Faith and the good of souls. It is He who has imposed the burden on me. His will be also the duty of giving me the light and strength to fulfill its obligations.
"May the ever Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, guard me; she who has ever guarded my steps from childhood till now, whom I have ever loved and revered as my mother in every deed, whose protection has never failed me; she, I feel, will continue her motherly care in my regard. She shall ever remain my hope, my strength, my sweetest consolation amidst whatsoever trials and crosses may afflict me.
"And St. John, the beloved disciple, the favored apostle and model bishop, under whose patronage this cathedral church is placed, will watch over me and pray for me before the Throne of Grace that light and strength may be vouchsafed me in the discharge of my sublime ministry.
"And the angel protector of this church of Cleveland will, I am sure, watch over and defend me in every danger.
"O God, my sovereign Lord, what is it that I now ask of thee ? With Solomon, I do not ask for riches or honors or length of days. I ask for nothing temporal or worldly. No, Lord; all these are vanity, but grant unto Thy servant, I beseech Thee, heavenly light and wisdom and prudence ; grant me the sevenfold gifts of Thy holy spirit that I may rule this vast flock which Thou hast committed to my care, with justice and mercy ; that I may answer the desires of Thy own Sacred Heart; that thus, when my life's work is over, they may be my crown and my glory forever in heaven.
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