Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (2)

esses Statue on Historic Site

Reconsecrated By Bishop Buddy Father Turibius, O.F.1\1., De- livers Principal Address On Historic Significance I "It is fitting that we gather 011 / Easter Sunday to erect and bless a statue in honor of him who

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Presidio Hills Blessing Sunday at 4 P. )I. PRIESTS TO ASSIST

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--- I worked so unselfishly to save this I Fr:piciscan Superior From plac · from ruin--ntting that we Santa Barbara to s I- should do this on Easter Sunday, ( ? . pea \. the day of Resurrection to a new __.,.,. At Ceremonzes life, for it was here that the dy- '\ ing hopes of the Spaniards took Standing, perhaps, on the very on new life and energy and here spot that Padre Junipero Serra the bil'th of a new civilization was swod when he first invoked the started in California," the Rev. blessing of God upon the land to Father Turibius, O. F. M., super- which he had come as an apostle ior of the Franciscan seminary at of Christianity and civilization, Santa Barbara, said Sunday aft- the Most Rev. Charles Francis ernoon at Presidio Park as hun- Buddy, D. D., wlll bless a beauti- J dreds of San Diegans gathered tc ful s 'atue of that early Francis- witness the blessing of the Most can nfl.ssionary on Easter Sunday Rev. Charles Francis Buddy, bish- a fternoon at 4 o'clock at Presidio . op of San Diego, of the statue of H ills, where he will be assisted by Padre Junipero Serra. priests of the city. The statue had just been moved The Rev. Father Turibius, 0. F. to its new location at the head M., superior of St. Anthony's of an earthen ampitheater that Seminary, Santa Barbara, wm was the location of Father Sena's give the principal addrern at the first chapel in California. ceremony, having come to San Di- His Excellency, Bishop Buddy ego early this week at the invi · a- spoke briefly following the bless- tion of the Rev. Father James. ing of the statue. The ceremony O. F. M., pastor of Immaculate was a simple one, made colorful Conception parish, Old Town, who by the vestments of the clergy and with Percy Broell, superintendent the Altar boys and the somber of Presidio Park, and president of brown robes of a number of Fran- the North San Diego Chamber of ciscan priests present, dressed a& Commerce, has made the ar- Father Serra and his band of the rangements for Sunday's cere- monies. St. Joseph's choir will sing sev- .ral numbers and a band will complete the musi~al numbers on followers of St. Francis was, when the first chapel was blessed on that spot. Other speakers included George W. Marston, whose gift to the city

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The thrilling ·story, San Diego's birth was retold in ,Serra park on Pre sidio hill Sunday afternoon when His Excellency, Bishop Charles Francis Buddy blessed a statue of Padre Junipero Serra. Bishop Buddy stands before the mi- crophone near the statue. To the left of the bishop is seated the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John M. Hegarty, pastor of St. Joseph's Cathedral. By his side is Anton May~ rhofer, oldest parishioner of the Cathedral parish. At the extreme right of the statue is Percy Broell, park superintendent and master of ceremonies. The Serra stai~le, done by Arthur Putnam, was one of the three historical figures completed by the sculptor before his death.

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"In view of this sad and sombre tru' h, it is grat.ifying to see that. Serra come there arn public spirited individ-

"Wonderful men

like F'atner the world, do

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their work and pass 011. Other the park is, and Percy C. Broell. uals who try to s~em the tide of heroes come to take their place. Serra park superintendent and forgetfulness, who in due appre- Many men pay lip service to the president of the North San Di- ciation of the glories of the past indeed, are the men of today whc I ego Chamber of Commerce, who raise their voice to speak of the , will pause to do more in honor of acted as master of ceremonies. t mem:ories of by-gone days, who in the glorious dead than to speak in Father Turibius spoke in part their generosity are not satisfied wordy eulogies. And an eternal as follows: j with verbal eulogy, but who per~ debt of gratitude is owed to th••. ! "It is a sad commentary upon petuate the memory of those they men who erect monuments ann man's greatness that man so easi- love by the erection of monu- build parks to honor those who 1 Iy forgets the heroes of the past. 1 ments. This Presidio Park is just have done great things for hu- Turn back the scroll of time's rec- . such n monument wherein live the mankind. or9- an you will find names that j glory of early San Diego. Thi& "This intrepid apostle of Cali- at one time were emblazoned with :I comm.unity owes a debt of grati- fornia, Junipero Serra, led a life letters of gold, in a later age have I! ture to the one who magnanim- of service, unselfish devotion anci lost their brilliancy and color; I ously set aside this plot of ground I sacrifice. The faith of JuniperJ . names ,hat were household worcls to keep alive the memory of t.hosf' 1 Serra 1vas rewarded, and there- I I and uttered with reverence by ev- who from here blazed the trail of J fore, we also shall be rewarded foi ery lip-in a subsequent age arc civilization throughout our fair cur services to humanity, and for silent and buried in the voiceless state. Thanks to his efforts this our steadfast faith in our God,'' crypt of oblivion. We need not go place has been secured from the J ,br h.t-,WH t1:1blta(j il111lai' dedifr,·,t back far in time to see ibis truth clutches of a purely commercial "We consider ourselves fortu- verified. Within our own day we life." I nate in living at the same time see the idols of popular fancy on Father Turibius reviewed the with these and pity former gen- the radio or screen quickly de- history of the early happenings in erations that knew them. not, ~nd throned. The many heroes w~ose San Diego and told the story that I y~t, we too manage to live w1.th- names were sacred, whose lives San Diegans so love to hear re- I out them, bec_ause oth~r h~1oes were considered essential to our told, the story of Junipero Serra's I hav~ taken then- ~lac~s m our af: happiness, are soon forgotten. steadfast faith and of the novena. 1 f~ctions and ad.mll'a_tion. Out o•.

the program. The statue of Father Serra ha:;

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1 pression of a pe~s1m1s ~c mm , / the clear and, 1mmed1ate _verdi_cL I of truth. 113n s greatnes~, _is b~1lt I I on sand and the ever shiitmg tide l of human feelmg changes and ob- 1·t t ·ts h M b 'lds o11 I . , , s1ght--out of mmd, is not. the ex- t' • d b t u.

t St J o d . . osep , en mg on day and marking the rewardi~g of Serra's faith by the appearance or. LS eas. h

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The park is the gift to the city of San Diego of George W. Marston,

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?een placed near the Serra cross. / who .has _been ~isti~iish~d f_o~ Just off the main street in Pre- many yea1S by his lm e fo1 ea1l:y sidio Park, where the first eras:, J history of t_he ci.y and the efforts ·was planted and where Mission and mane~ he has expended to San Diego de Alcala was bcatect I perpetuate it. The museum it- until it ,,-as mo\·ed to i•s present self. 01 mission type archi~ecture,

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tablishment of civi]jzat!on aloni;. an Ul the California coast was not the, running water that in its never I resting course carries his interest. work of a cool, calculating busi- ness man, but. rather. that of the from one place to the at.her un- til they are buried in the bound- inspired Franciscan, Father Serra. who would let nothing stand in less expanse of the ocean. l era es l s ape.

location in Mission Vall~\"

\Yas de~igned as a repository o.'. by-gone days in this city. Mr. 1 s museum. Broell. working '\l·ith Mr. Marston, H. 11 · ·

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named after Father Serra. wa.; h

his way," Father T1.u·ibius said .

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ig_ state for ns1tors and new-comer;; penor of_ the Franciscan Order on interested in the historv of the the Pac1f1c coast was celebrant. West. - ie ass a . '\I' ich th e SU-