Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (2)

--- WILL LIVE ON AS CHARITY APOSTLE Influence of Bishop Johannes Not Dead, Bishop Buddy Says in Sermon. Touching Farewell at Funeral in Cathedral to Former Pastor and Friend. Bishop Francis Johannes is dead but the influence of his life still Ii ves, and he will be hailed among the former chief shepherds of the Leaven- worth Diocese as the "Apostle of Char- ity," said Bishop Charles F. Buddy of San Diego in his sermon in the Leavenworth Cathedral Wednesday morning at the funeral of Bishop Jo- hannes. Bishop Buddy was a boy in Immaculate Conception parish, St. Joseph, when Bishop Johannes was pastor there. In part, Bishop Buddy said: "How often the walls of this Cathe- dral have rung with his eloquence, pleading the cause of the Savior- justice and truth, plentiful redemp- tion for all. But now those lips are sealed forever and instead of being seated on his throne where for nine years he presided in regal splendor, his remains lie motionless before the altar while bishops, priests and people are brought low and in mourning. "In my last visit with him less than two months ago, your beloved bishop and my life long friend, robed in his garb of a prince of the Church, spoke in tones of affection never to be for- gotten words of hope and encourage- ment. Today, behold him clothed in the majesty of death. 'Ecce Sacerdos magnus' . .. 'Behold the high priest who in his day was pleasing to God and was found just.' ·"Would that someone else had been chosen to recall the beautiful lesson of his life and deeds. For one who loved him dearly this is indeed a try- ing ordeal. Let it be offered then in union with the prayers of my brother priests and as an act of filial devotion-together with the gracious tribute of so many prelates of the Church and the worthy representation from officials of the state and city. "In His divine providence God chose for Francis Johannes a home ac- quainted with poverty, suffering and privation but where the light of Faith burned brightly under the inspiration of good and virtuous parents. In this first school he learned by example to love God and Him only to serve. Even in those early days the Immaculate Conception church in St. Joseph, Mo., provided a parochial school, the first of its kind in that city. The saintly pastor, Mom,i 6 nor Liuuenkamp, whose memory is still held in benediction, recognizing the talent and piety of young Francis, gave him every op- portunity for development. "Completing elementary branches under those splendid educators, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondolet, the future priest and bishop took up academic and collegiate studies in St. Benedict's College, Atchison, where he distinguished himself for steadfast- ness of purpose and a love of learning. It is consoling to see here today so many Benedictine Fathers represent- ing that grand old college which has made it possible for hunrl.reds of as• pirants to the sacred priesthood to pursue their studies. Says the Holy Ghost: 'Blessed are they who do and teach, they shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' "The rector and faculty of St. Fran- cis Seminary in Milwaukee saw gifts of leadership in Francis Johannes and appointed him prefect during his years in that institution. A brilliant course in philosophy and theology prepared hin1 for the priesthood and soon the long looked for day of days arrived when the young Levite consecrated all the powers of body and soul to the service of Jesus Christ. I "My dear friends, it is difficult for any one of us to realize the awful re- sponsibility of that final step when, by ordination, mere man is endued with power from on High to offer the adorable Sacrifice of the Mass, to administer the sacraments, to preach the Word of God.

'.'Fortified with the sublime prerog- a t1ve of these God given powers Father Johannes turned his hand to the plow and never looked backward. If you were to ask what was the under- lying motive that made him a great r patriot and a great churchman de- voted to the best interests of God and country, my answer would be that he lived always in the presence o! God. On that substantial foundation his life was reared and out of that unity ?am_e the trinity of virtues-humility, Justice and charity-that dominated his every action, that made him so be- loved, of God and man that enabled him to stand four squ~re to all the winds that blew. Well poised and deliberate, his bearing like his life was upright. His achievements were but the fruits of this great tree. "The priests of the Leavenworth Diocese will cherish his memory as their kindly shepherd and Father in Christ. _But we priests of St. Joseph know him best as the ideal priest. Indeed, he was the glory of the priest- hood. As must needs be, we had our share of trials and sorrows in our day, but no matter how many of us proved unworthy, we could always po_int to Father Johannes as the faithful exponent of the priesthood, the man of prayer, the Alter Christus and the Vir De!. "We marveled at the long hours he kept vigil in the confessional, where mercy and hope abounded and where every penitent felt the grace 'to be reconciled to God.' How well he exem- plified the charity of Christ as fore- told by the Prophet-'The bruised reed he shall not break and the smoking flax he shall not quench.' He had been I sent to teach the Gospel to the poor-- to he~! the contrite of heart. In each function of his sacred office whether at a marriage feast or at tlie oeasiui:, of the dying, his presence brought in- spiration for the better things. "But the outstanding constructive work of his life was that of teacher. As a true ambassador, he spoke the Word of God with all the eloquence and conviction 'of one having power . . . g_oing, therefore, teach ye all na- tions. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to ob- serve all things whatsoever I have commanded you . . . For I give you to understand, Brethren, that the Gospel which was preached unto you is not according to man; for neither did I receive it of man, nor did J learn it; but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.' "The eloquence of Bishop Johannes l!rought many souls tr, the truth. He literally carried out the injunction of St. Paul: 'Preach the Word; be in- stant in season, out of season; re- prove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.' With the ideal of Christ ever before his mind, the great teach- er we are laying to rest never lost sight of his mission. Where force of argument failed to convince his priest- ly life compelled respect so that 1 !ke his divine Master he could challenge the whole world. 'Which of you shall convince me of sin?" "With this background it is no won- der that the elevation of Father Jo- hannes to the episcopate rejoiced the Church of God. His advent to the diocese of Leavenworth was greeted by a loyal and enthusiastic priesthood. It mattered not whence he came nor how obscure-sufficient that he was sent by Rome. This authority unites the see of Peter with the see of Leav- enworth and again manifests to the world the four marks of the Church- one, hoJ.y:, Catholic and Apostolic. "Here in Leavenworth there was placed on the shoulders of its fifth bishop the heavy burden of glorious traditions in the records of his illus-1 trious predecesso!'s. The pioneer, Bishop Miege. zealous missionary of the Society of Jesus, laid tlle founda- tion and in the construction of this magnificent Cathedral builded more I wisely than he knew. The learned Benedictine, Bishop Louis Mary Fink, known as the ol'ganizer, saw the divi- sion of the original diocese. "Eminently successful was the brief but constructive administration of Bishop Thomas F. Lillis, now the ven- erable and nationally esteemed bishop of Kansas City. Under his jurisdiction religion !:ook on a vigorous growth. New congregations were founded and new churches and schools dotted the hills. He revised the diocesan statutes to conform with the dec!'ees of the third plenary council of Baltimore and strengthened the religious edifice by I the formation of Catholic societies. "Th u ~ollowed the long and fruit-

It was in February of 1932 that Bishop Johannes, speaking at the an- ' nual fourth degree K. of C. banquet in Kansas CitY. Kas., made the now famous remark that, in spite of the It was during this first year or his depression, "the world is not going to bishopric that Father Berthold Jaeg- the dogs." Already noted for his care- gle, O.S.B.. of Conception Abbey, an fully considered observations in a I old friend of Ilishop Johannes, was ill serious vein, his optimistic talk on for several months in St. l\Iary's Hos- this occasion was marked by a keen pita! here and the bishop visited him sense of humor. \ frequently. In fact, Bishop Johannes "This country is not yet ruined," he hardly Jet a Sunday pass without vis- said. "We have faith in our constitu- iting one or two hospitals. tion and our government. ,ve have Bishop Johannes first appeared in faith in the thousands of American public in I'ansas City, l\Io., when he at- men and women of training and good tended the Pontifical l\Iass in the ca- breeding whose conduct is above re- thedral, in October of 1930, at the proach and who are to be found opening of the national convention of throughout the length and breadth of the National Council of Catholic l\Ien. the land. The funeral of one of his priests the "Our Lord Himself is an optimist," same day prevented him from attend- he went on. "He promised heaven to ing the silver jubilee of Bishop Lillis those of good will. He is an optimist the previous December. from the beginning and His Church is About this time, the effects of the pervaded with that spirit of seeing in depression began to be felt fully in every man something good. * * * Our this district. Bishop Johannes was not Lord has taught us to take this spirit yet ready to start actual construction of optimism into our very souls. on Ward High School but decided to Things at times look rather discour- go ahead anyhow in order to furnish aging, but the world is still a good some of the necessary employment. place to live in." Excavations began in October of 1930. Just before Christmas in 1932, the In April of 1931, Bishop Johannes bishop issued a call to the priests and for the first time attended a meeting laymen of Kansas City, Kas., to form of the bishops of .the St. Louis prov- a conference of the Society of St. Vin- ince held here and went with the cent de Paul in each parish. He ap- other bishops to visit the new St. pointed Msgr. John P. McKenna to John's Seminary, then nearing com- take charge of the organization work. pletion. Later Msgr. McKenna was named spir- Later, the same month, the bishop itual director. This society probably spoke for the first time over the radio more than any other thing, will long in Kansas City, Kas., broadcasting a remain as a monument to Bishop Jo- mission appeal. The same radio sta- hannes among the laity of his see city. tion Tuesday morning broadcast the He not only urged the formation of Requiem Mass from St. Peter's church. the society but continued his interest Forty priests were present in the in its every act up to the day of his chapel of St. Mary's Academy, Leav- death. He appointed John C. O'Brien enworth, on May 1, 1931, when Bishop as president and asked that he be Johannes observed the third anniver- given a copy of every financial report sary of his consecration. A reporter as well as a report in writing of each for The Register, who visited the quarterly meeting. bishop weekly, on hearing of this cele- Later, the bishop engineered the es- bration could not suppress a smile at tablishment of the Society in Topeka the elaborate observances of a third and Leavenworth, and had plans to es- anniversary.• Bishop Johannes ob- tablish it throughout his diocese. From served the smile and responded with the very beginning, he insisted on the good humor that he was of an age to men giving first attention to the spir- enjoy such celebrations then, whereas, itual needs of the poor. Temporal re- if he waited until his silver jubilee lief was never neglected but the spir- rolled around, he would be too old to ituat needs were most important to The Simple Priestly Priest to Rome in the fall of 1934, and when a Central Verein branch. In the spring he visited Pope Pius XI, he presented I of 1931, he also spoke at the state con- to the Holy Father, a student for the vention of the Catholic Union of Mis- 1 Leavenworth D10cese, Alexander M. souri. In August of 1932, he was a Harvey of Topeka. Father Harvey is speaker at the national convention of now a priest of Kansas City, Kas., and the Central Verein in St. Louis. was one of the assisting priests at the The bishop presided in the summer Mass Tuesday morning. of 1931 at the golden jubilee of the Among the things he reported to the parish at St. Marys, Kas., once the pope on that occasion was the organi- Cathedral of what later became the zation of the Society of St. Vincent de Leavenworth Diocese. In May of last Paul in his diocese. year. he presided at the centenary of Last October, when St. Anthony's the Kickapoo parish, site of the first parish, Kansas City, Kas., was plan- Catholic church in Kansas built for ning to celebrate its golden jubilee, Indians. He was greatly pleased when Bishop Johannes planned to celebrate two little boys garbed as Indians car- Solemn Pontifical Mass on the first ried his train in the procession. day and was keeuiy interested in all When Father George Christ of Em- the details of the affair. Just two met, Kas., who was ordained in Bel- days before the celebration, he en- gium, returned to the diocese in Au- tered St. Margaret's Hospital for ob- gust of 1931, Bishop Johannes did him servation at the advice of his physi- the honor of presiding at his first cian. When Sunday morning came, Solemn Mass in St. Rose of Lima however, the physician advised him church. to remain in the hospital and his stay Another notable appearance of the was lengthened to several weeks, dur- bishop was when he presided and iug which he suffered a heart attack preached at a military Mass on the and au attack of appendicitis. grounds of Fort Leavenworth at the I In November, he was recovered suf- close of the Citizens Military Training ficiently to return home for a short Camp there in August of 1931. time, but suffered a relapse and re- Later the same month, when Mon- turned to the hospital. Shortly before signor Shorter called "the greatest !iv- Christmas he was believed to be in ing white friend of the Negro race," danger of death, but about the first was unable, due to illness, to attend of the year seemed to be again on the a convention of the Federated Colored road to recovery. Catholics in St. Louis, Bishop Johan- He felt so well that he undertook , nes himself attended in his stead. the trip to Denver alone. Shortly after Probably there was not a prouder arriving there he had another relapse moment in Bishop Johannes' life than and entered St. Joseph Hospital. At the the afternoon of Sunday, October 25, time of Msgr. Orr's death late in Jan- 1931, when he dedicated the new Ward uary, the bishop's death was expected High School in the presence of the hourly. But again he recovered and largest crowd of Catholic people ever seemed to have a better chance than gathered in that city, and including before. Early last week, his third re- children from all the parochial schools. lapse occurred and death. occurred His feelings were shared by Msgr. Orr, Satnrday morning, as a result of heart who stood by his side during the pro- trouble. It was believed on Thursday I gram following the blessing of the that he had contracted pneumonia but building. it was later determined that this was not so. J care for them. Bishop Johannes. In this, he was fol- lowing out the century-old rule of the l In his first year as bishop of Leav- enworth, Bishop Johannes was the society itself. principal speaker at the state conveu- tion of the Catholic Union of Kansas, Bishop Johannes made his only visit

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