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 SAINT PAUL

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SAINT PAUL

Paul and St. Anthonj' Falls. In 1855 the Brothers of the Hoty Fanaily took charge of a school at St. Paul for boys in both the grammar and higher grades. The Benedictine Fathers from St. Vincent, Penn- sylvania, sent some of their men to Minnesota in 1856, and soon a college was opened near St. Cloud in Steams County. .\ seminary was conducted in the bishop's own house, where the necessary train- ing was imparted to young Levites of the sanctuary. Works of charity or of general benefit to society wore not neglected. A hospital was founded at St. Paid by the Sisters of St. Joseph; the St. Vincent de Paul Society and other similar a.ssociations were organized ; and a Catholic temperance society was established in 1852. Among the more noteworthy Catholic pioneers were Jean-Baptiste Faribeault, Antoine P^pin, Vital and Gervais Guerin, Joseph Turpin, Abraham Perret, Benjamin and Pierre Gervais, Joseph and his son Isaac Labi.ssonniere, Pierre and Severe Bottineau, August L. Larpenteur, Louis Robert, Charles Bazille, and WiUiam F. Forbes. Of the early priests, apart from Fathers Galtier and Ravoux, the following may be mentioned: Thomas Murray, Daniel J. Fi.sher, John McMahon, Francis de Vivaldi, Dennis Ledon, ISIarcellin Peyragrosse, George Keller, Claude Robert, Louis Caillet, FeUx Tissot, Anatole Oster, Francis Pierz, Michael Wiirzfeld, Demetrius Marogna, O.S.B., and CorneUus Wittmann, O.S.B.

After the death of Bishop Cretin the See of St. Paul remained vacant for over two years. Father Augustine Ravoux was appointed administrator; under his regime the present stone cathedral was completed and opened for service in 1858. The second Bishop of St. Paul was Rt. Rev. Thomas Langdon Grace, O.P. (1859-84). He was born, 16 Nov., 1814, at Charleston, South Carolina, entered the seminary at Cincinnati in 1829, and the priory of St. Rose, Kentucky, in 1830, where on 12 June, 1831, he made his religious profession as a member of the Order of St. Dominic. In 1837 he went to Rome for further studies, and was ordained there to the priesthood by Cardinal Patrizi, 21 Dec, 1839. After his return to America in 1844 he was employed in the ecclesiastical ministry first in Kentucky, and afterwards for thirteen years at Memphis, Tennessee. In 1859 he was called to the Bishopric of St. Paul by Pius IX; his consecration took place at St. Louis, 24 July, 18.59; and on 29 July following he took pos- session of his see, over which he presided until the day of his resignation, 31 July, 1884. He was then made titular Bishop of Menith, and afterwards, 24 Sept., 1889, titular Archbishop of Siunia; his death occurred on 22 Feb., 1897.

Several modifications were introduced in the territorial arrangement and the direction of the diocese during his incumbency. By the creation of the Vicariates of Northern Minnesota and Dakota the northern part of Minnesota and the territory west of Minnesota were erected into new ecclesiasti- cal juri.sdictions In 1875 Bishop Grace received a coadjutor in the person of Rev. John Ireland, then rector of the cathedral. The number of the Catholic people in the diocese continued to grow, largely through the bishop's activity in inviting settlers; at the time of his resignation in 1884 it amounted to about 130.000. In addition to the races already representea there came also many Catholics from Bohemia and Poland. The number of priests grew with the increase of the people, and they were Bo chosen as to correspond to the needs of the flock; in 1884 they were 153 in all. Side by side with the diocesan clergy there laboured fathers of the Bene- dictine Order, Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, and Oblates. Charitable institutions were kept up and multiplier! wherever necessary. Hospitals were opened at Minneapolis and New Ulm, orphan asy- lums were erected at St. Paul and Minneapolis,

and homes were established for the aged poor. The education of the children was promoted in all possible ways. Catholic schools were founded and provided with Catholic teachers; the Brothers of the Christian Schools were called to St. Paul; and new academies for girls were opened. The growing needs in the field of charity and education necessi- tated the coming of more religious women. In the cour.se of time the Congregations of St. Benedict, St. Dominic, St. Francis, Notre Dame, the \'isitation, the Grej- Nims, the Good Shepherd, the Sisters of Christian Charity, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, and the Little Sisters of the Poor furnished their quota. Like his predecessor. Bishop Grace never lost sight of the education of candidates for the priesthood. In 1860 he opened a preparatory school for young boys who felt a vocation for the priesthood. Among its pupils was Rt. Rev. John Shanley, late Bishop of Fargo. Unfortunately, after some j^ears of existence it had to be given up for lack of accommodations.

To Bishop Grace succeeded his coadjutor, the Rt. Rev. John Ireland, D.D. (1884—). He was born at Burnchurch, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, 11 Sept., 1838, and came to St. Paul with his parents in 1852. Bishop Cretin sent him to Meximieux and H.yeres, France, where he completed his college and seminary course; he wjis ordained to the priesthood at St. Paul, 21 Dec, 1861. During the Civil War he served as chaplain to the Fifth IVIinnesota Regiment, and was afterwards stationed at the cathedral. In 1875 he was appointed titular Bishop of Maronea and coadjutor to Bishop Grace of St. Paul, in whose cathedral he received the episcopal consecration, 21 Dec, 1875. Upon the resignation of his prede- cessor he became Bishop of St. Paul; and on 15 May, 1888, he was rai.sed to the metropolitan dignity as Archbishop of St. Paul. The ecclesiastical province was organized with the suffragan Sees of Duluth, St. Cloud, Winona, Jamestown (Fargo), and Sioux Falls, to which were added afterwards those of Lead (1902), Crook.ston, and Bismarck (1910). The crea- tion of the Diocese of Winona diminished the terri- tory of the archdiocese by the southern section of Minnesota. In 1910 an auxihary bishop was ap- pointed in the person of Rt. Rev. John J. Lawler, titular Bishop of Greater Hermopolis. The Catholic population kept steadily on the increase, so that at present it numbers about 260,000. Much of this growth is due to the archbishop's own efforts. From the day of his consecration as bishop he organized a systematic movement for the colonization of dif- ferent parts of Minnesota. Various settlements such as De Graff, Clontarf (Swift Co.), Adrian (Nobles Co.), Avoka, Fulda (Murray Co.), Grace- ville (Big Stone Co.), Minneota, and Ghent (Lyon Co.), owe their origin and prosperity to his labours. With the increa.se of the people grew also the number of priests, which at present (exceeds 300. Of the religious orders, one, that of the Marist Fathers, was aflded to the existing ones. The charitable institu- tions were maintaincnl and increased. The work of temperance found always a most zealous advocate in the archbishop. Catholic education received from him a liberal and wi.se patronage. Catholic grammar and high schools were multiplied and rendered more efficient. A new departure in the higher education of women was made by the Sisters of St. Joseph in the opening of St. Catharine's College in 1905. To the religious communities engaged in teaching was added another, that of the Felician Sisters.

The training of the candidates for the priesthood is imparted in two in.stitutions. On 8 Sept., 1885, the Seminary of St. Thomas opened its gates to students of both the college and seminary curriculum, with an attendance of 27 in theology and philo.sophy, and of 39 in the cla.ssics. St. Thomas continued to house the two departments until in 1894, when it