The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VIII, 1909Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VIII, 1909
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
“You, ladies of the Queen’s Daughters, honor us with your presence here
today. You have presided at the formation of this work; your ideas are
here incorporated and you have pledged yourselves to its support;
therefore, may I be the first to welcome you to its hospitality.
“Let me then, Bishop Harkins, in closing, hand over to you these
evidences that the building so happily completed is entirely
unencumbered; and let me assure you that while in doing so I now resign
the responsibility which has been my preoccupation and pleasure for
several months, still, while either Mrs. Carter or myself live, our
hearts are in this building, both for the name it bears and for the work
which we have confidence it will never fail to do in our community.”
RESPONSE OF BISHOP.
In response Bishop Harkins said in part: “Mr. and Mrs. Carter, I receive
very willingly and gratefully these evidences of your generosity. I
express to you my thanks and those of the entire community. There may
have been other cases in the United States like this, but this is the
first case that has come to my knowledge where a memorial of this kind
has been reared to an apparently lost, but not really lost, son.
“This is a very special, a very peculiar case. It shows not only a very
strong affection, but a very lively faith. It is that faith that is
necessary, a faith in the future, a realization that death does not end
all.
“Your son was a Cathedral boy, and when I say that I speak with a
considerable degree of pride. He was one of us and we knew him and loved
him. You determined that he should live on in a certain way and live
just about where he lived when he was here. So you have made your boy to
live; you have given him a kind of earthly immortality, if I may use
that term.
“He will live in the persons of the poor children who will be cared for
here. They will have the uplifting influence of the good sisters, the
Queen’s Daughters, the clergy, and all who can help them in any way. Yet
it will be he who will be living here.
“I thank you in my own name and in the name of the diocese of
Providence. I am sure that all those here present agree that no better
example can be given a community than that given here today. There is
gratitude in the hearts of all the citizens of Providence for this gift.
“In the name of the sisters who will have charge of this institution, I
wish to thank you. I welcomed them to our city here in Providence, for I
knew that I could not do greater service than to bring here the wise and
careful administration of charitable work they have always shown. They
will be mothers to the children. They will try to give, and will
well-nigh succeed in giving, all the maternal love that is given
children in the most favored homes. They will train them not only in
their duties to the church, but in every duty they must perform in civil
life.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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