Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (3)

"Elminently 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 re-ligion took on a vigorous growth. New congrega tions were founded and new churches and schools dotted the hills. He revisP,d the diocesan statutes to conform with the decrees of the third plenary council of Baltimore and strengthened the religious edifice by I the formation o[ Catholic societies. "Then followecl the long and fntit· John ~vard, known for his greatness of mind and ' kindness of manner. He inaugurated Catholic high schools and promoted Christian education. I "My dear friends, you are witnesses\ that while each one of his predeces– sors completed an effective program according to the plan of the Almighty,\ Bishop Johannes by a life of personal sanctity and progressive achievement measured up to each and to all. "The very motto ,on his coat of arms 'Deo Servare Regnare Est'-to' serve God is to reign-indicated the I motive of his regime. Be it said to the honor of the Catholicity of Leav– enworth that priests and people took up the note of their bishop's zeal. The sons of Ignatius and the sons of St. Benedict, Franciscans, Carmelites, Au– gustinians, the great religious orders, the bulwarks of the Kingdom of Christ on earth-the Sisters of Charity, Bene– dictine Sisters of St. Scholastica's, Sisters of St. Francis. Ursulines, Sis– ters of St. Joseph, Oblates, and Sisters Servants of Mary-all worked hand in hand with the secular clergy for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, letting their lights shine that the people seeing might glorify their Father in Heaven. "It is not necessary to recount the material monuments that follow Bish– op Johannes, the schools and churches . erected under his direction, for these i are but corollaries of a fervent apos- 1 tolate. Like St. Paul he was all things to all men but the orphans, the poor, , the halt a-dd tlie lame will grieve most at his pas~ing. "It is true that the Ward High School with its splenclid curriculum and its enrollment of six hundred stu– dents; the Confraternity of Christian . Doctrine· the organization of the Prop– agation 'of the Faith with its far reaching parish branches, to extend the Kingdom of God on earth, these are indeed enduring works. There are generations still unborn who ':ill thank God for the fervent promot10n by Bishop Johannes of the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary to protect the Faith and - morals of the young nd to foster devotion in the acad– , emies and high schools of the diocese. "But greatest of all is the deceased ! prelate's immortal apostolate of_ the I poor by establishing in every pansh a conference of the St. Vincent de Paul , society. Already we pray he has mer– ited to hear from the Saviour 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I ~as thirsty and you gave me to clnnk, naked and you clothed me, a stranger and you took me in.' While other shepherds of Leaven'"'.orth may. be known as pioneer orgamzer, executive, educator Bishop Johannes will be J1ailed a~ the apostle of charity, and in this he harmonized all the elements of his vast diocese. "My dear sorrowing people, m_en di_e, but the Church lives on. She l!ves m , the hearts of loving, loyal children. Bishop Johannes is dead, but the in– fluence of his life still lives and throbs i to increase your Faith and to wa_rm · your hearts with love for Jesus Christ. I "And so dear Bishop Johannes. hero of my youth, and inspiration of later I years, my devoted friend, farew~ll. In : our own halting way we have tned to 1 imitate the consoling messages by which in your day you lifted the hearts of thousands in affliction. "I•'or me and for many a priest you have pointed a better ''.·ay- solving our difficulties gently Jeadrng us along the path of the Cross. "Your consecrated hands have re– laxed their hold upon the Crosier and are now folded in prayer, significant of the rest you deserve so well. The miter has been lifted from your brow and in its place you are crowned anew with the dual coronet of suffer– ing and victory won. Your golu p_ec– toral cross and your episcopal nng have lost none of their lustre and the virtues symbolized in your life by 1 1 these jewels will shine as the stars J for all eternity. ful career of Bishop

"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 Goel. "Fortified with the sublime prerog– atives 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 patriot and a great churchman de– voted to the best interests of God and cduntry, my answer would be that he lived always in the presence of God. On that substantial foundation his life was reared and out of that unity came 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 square 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 point to Father Johannes as the faithful exponent of the priesthood, the man of prayer, the Alter Christus ancl the Vir Def. "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 sent to teach the Gospel to the poor– to heal the contrite of heart. In each function of his sacred office whether at a marriage feast or at the bedside 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 spok:e the Word of God with all the eloquence and conviction 'of one having power . . . going, 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 I 1earn it; but by the revelation of J"esus Christ.' "The eloquence of Bishop Johannes brought many souls te; the truth. He literally carried out the injunction of St. Paul: 'Preach the Word; be in– stant' in season, out of season; re– p-rove, 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 Jost 1 sight of his mission. V.'here force of argument failed to convince his priest– ly life compelled respect so that like his divine Master he could challenge the whole world. 'Which of you shall convince me of sin?" f "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, holy, 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– t1·ious predecessors. The pioneer, Bishop Miege. zealous missionary of the Society of .Jesus, laid the founda– tion and in the construction of this magnificent Cathedral lrnilded more wisely than he knew. The learned Benedictine, Bishop Louis Mary Fink, known as the organizer, saw the divi– sion of the original diocese.

I I This is Father Fr:;i,ncis Johannes, pastor of Immacu– •late Conception parish, St. Joseph, Mo., as he appeared 1 in December of 1927 when he was appointed Bishop of 1 the. Leavenworth Diocese. He had spent practically all I of his life in the one parish, including thirty years as a priest.-Catholic Register Photos. =-.. =·-=======- WILL LIVE ON AS "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

CHARITY APOSTLE Influence of Bishop Johannes Not Dead, Bishop Buddy Says in Sermon. Touching Farewell at Funeral m Cathedral to Former Pastor and Friend. Bi<,hop Francis Johannes is dead but the influence of his life still lives, and he will be hailed among the former chief shepherds of the Leaven– w Jrtll Diocese as the "Apostle of Char– ity,· said Bishop Charles F. Buddy of Sa-ri Diego in his sermon in the Leavenworth Cathedral Wednesday mor..ing at the funeral of Bishop Jo– harilles. Bishop Buddy was a boy in Immaculate Conception parish, St. Joseph, when Bishop Johannes was pastor there. In rart, Bishop Buddy said: "l-fo,v often the walls of this Ca the– dral have rung with his eloquence pleading the cause of the Savior_: justi,::e and truth, plentiful redemp– tio1 for all. But now those lips are s ,, forever and instead of being on his throne where for nine ye· he presided in regal splendor, his remains lie motionless before the altar wh: le 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.'

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 tho·se 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, Monsignor Lhlnenkan,p, ;vll_ose memory is still held in benediction, I 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, I the future priest and bishop took up academic and collegiate studies in St. ' Benedict's Colleg,e, Atchison, where he distinguished himself for steadfast– ness of purpose and a love of learning. It is consol'ing to see here today so many Benedictine Fathers represent– ing that grand old college which has made it possible for lrnnc!reds of as– pirants to the sacred priesthood to pursue their studies. Says the Holy Ghost: 'Blessed are t!HlY 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 lu philosophy and theology prepared him for the priesthood and soon the long looked for clay. of days arrived when the young Levite consecrated all the powers of body and soul to the. service of Jesus Christ.