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I PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, August 1, 1963 Archbishop O’Hara Intense Love Of Church Following is the text of the sermon by Bishop Francis E. Hyland at the pontifical requiem Mass on Wednesday, July 24th in Pholadelphia for Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara, Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain and former Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia: “I will most gladly spend and be spent myself for your souls.” (II Cor. 12, 15). In the year 1929, when Gerald Patrick O’Hara, at the early age of 34 years, was elevated to the office and dignity of Bishop, having in mind the quoted text of St. Paul, he chose as his episcopal motto "Vitam impendere Christo”—to devote one’s life to Christ; or as the Archbishop himself under stood his motto—and of course it is the same thing—to devote one’s life to the cause of Christ’s Church. I venture to say it would not be easy to find another whose ★★★★★★★★★★★★★ The Southern Cross wishes to thank the Philadelphia Catho lic Standard and Times for the text of Bishop Hyland’s sermon and the pictures of Archbishop O’Hara’s funeral. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★ entire ecclesiatical life and ca reer corresponded so literally to his motto. We all love the Church: “Holy Mother,” we call her with filia affection. But with Archbishop O’Hara love of the Church was a verit able passion, and he could never really be at ease as long as there was something which he personally could accomplish for the Church, or for the souls committed to his charge as pastor and Bishop, or for the members of the hierarchies of the three countries in which he was privileged and honored to serve as the personal re presentative of the Supreme Pontiff. The Archbishop was kind and generous to a fault; kind and generous of his time and his many talents kind and gene rous indeed of his meager ma terial means. He was a man who was thoughtful of everyone, ex cept himself. The Archbishop would be the very last to think of himself as a martyr even in the sense of a martyr to duty. But those of us who were privileged to know him well during the last 10 or 12 years of his life knew that his health was poor, to say the least, and that physical pain was almost his daily com panion. Yet until a few days ago, when death stilled his zealous labors, he carried on his arduous duties in behalf of the Church and the Supreme Pontiff. It was of course his intense love of the Church which urged him on an substituted, as it were, for the physical stamina which he no longer possessed. When one speaks or thinks of Archbishop O’Hara he always returns to the theme of love of the Church. But there was also something else. The Arch bishop was endowed with an un usual ability, a truly re markable facility of being able to rise magnificently to an oc casion or a challenge. When he returned to Savannah in the early fall of 1950 after his ex pulsion from Romania, his health and his nerves were shattered. In the opinion of a physician-friend, he was like a soldier who had just return ed from the battle front. Dur ing those months he was usually tired and weary because of his inability to rest properly; he was nervous; at times he was easily disturbed and upset; at times he found it difficult to concentrate upon his work. But on the occasion of a function or a ceremony, he would suddenly spring back to life; he would become almost an entirely new person; he would be totally oblivious of his physical ailments and his mental distress. More often than not on those occasions, his sermon or ad dress, as the case may have been, would be an eloquent per formance, and always on those occasions, after the ceremony or the function, as he moved among priests and people—"my priests and my people” he call ed them with affection, he would be graciousness personified, communicating to all the in nate charm and warmth of his personality. I have referred to the men tal distress which the Arch bishop endured for a time after his experiences in Romania. “Distress” is the word he him self used when he spoke of i| those experiences. On a number of occasions as we chatted briefly of an evening, the Arch bishop, staking the arm of his chair or the top of his desk for emphasis, would say: “Believe me, I would glad ly return to Romania tomor row if I could. Oh, it would not be easy,” he would add, “and perhaps I could ac complish very little for the Church at large in a Commu nist land. But think of the many acts of kindness and charity I could perform in the name of the Holy Father for individual bishops, priests and laity, to reassure those unhappy people of the paternal concern and love of the Vicar of Christ. It distresses me and distresses me greatly that now there is no one in Romania to do these things in the name of our Holy F ather.” Vitam impendere Christo. The distress which the Arch bishop endured during those months was surely a re-echo of those other words of the great Apostle of the Gentiles: The charity of Christ presses upon me. The highlights of the career of Archbishop O’Hara are well known to all of you. It was an unusual and a varied career, one that is unparalleled in the annals of the American Hier archy, It was a career which took him to Georgia in our own Southland, to Romania in East ern Europe, to the Emerald Isle from which his own fore bears came, and finally to Great Britain from which we have de rived so much of our basic customs and culture. We of the Archdiocese of Philadlephia are justifiably proud that Holy Mother Church should have reposed so much confidence in one of our own, and prouder still that the confidence was never mis placed. May I strike a personal note here to say that I share this pride with Philadelphia in a special way, because I was pri vileged to be the Archbishop’s Auxiliary for seven years in the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta, and because as the first Bishop of Atlanta I was the beneficiary in so many ways of the aposto lic zeal of Archbishop O’Hara, who was the chief shepherd of the Church in the entire State of Georgia for two score years. The Archbishop brought to th<3rs various offices which he oc cupied in the Church personal talents and abilities of a high order, a stern sense of duty, an intense love of the Church a willingness and readiness to serve the Church in any capa city and an unfailing loyalty and fidelity to the See of Peter. As we look back over the early life of Gerald Patrick O’Hara and consider the circumstances which combined to form his priestly and episcopal charac ter and to develop the outstand ing qualities which I have mentioned, we recall most readily the sterling Catholicity of the family and the home in which he was born and reared, his thorough Catholic education as a boy and youth and his seminary and ecclesiastical training at Overbrook and at the center of our Holy Faith in Rome. But there was another period of training which Archbishop O’Hara underwent which helped considerably to form and develop his priestly and epis copal character and enhanced the qualities which were his by nature and grace. I refer to the training which the Arch bishop received as a young priest and bishop under the tutelage of His Eminence Den nis Cardinal Dougherty. I am quite certain the Arch bishop would never forgive me were I to fail to mention today this period of his life. It was a period of training which I am sure was by no means easy. The Cardinal could be a stern though just superior: he was a man in whose life sentiment seemed to play little part, at least on the surface. Yet be tween these two men, apparently of such diverse character, there was an affectionate relationship which endured as long as life itself. The relationship between them was that of spiritual fat her and son. I recall a day in Harrisburg, in November, 1935, when the then Apostolic Delegate inform ed Cardinal Dougherty, that his Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Pa trick O’Hara was to become the Bishop of Savannah, Ga. The Cardinal was visibly moved by the announcement, and the few words he said in reply to the Delegate were uttered with a quiver in his voice. “Your Elcellency,” he said, “I am sorry to lose Bishop O’Hara because I love him as a son.” The Archbishop on his part revered and loved the Cardinal as a father. I recall the day of May 31, FORTY BISHOPS were present for the funeral Mass and burial of Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara in Philadel phia last week. Archbishop O’Hara had been a bishop for 34 years and numbered many members of the American Hierarchy Attend Rites For Archbishop The following members of the Hierarchy were in attendance at the Requiem Mass; His Eminence, Francis Car dinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York; Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States; Most Rev. Martin J. O’Connor, Rector, North American College, Rome; Most Rev. Patrick A. O’Boyle, Archbishop of Wash ington; Most Rev. Karl J. Alter, Archbishop of Cincinnati; Most Rev. Celestine J. Damiano, Archbishop-Bishop of Camden; Most Rev. James P. Davis, Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Most Rev. John J. Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia; Most Rev. Lawrence J. Shehan, Archbishop of Baltimore; Most Rev. Ambrose Senyshyn, Arch bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia; Most Rev. John P. Cody, Arch bishop of New Orleans; Most Rev. Paul J. Hallinan, Arch bishop of Atlanta, Ga.; Most Rev. Joseph P. Hurley, Arch bishop-Bishop of St. Augustine, Fla. Also, the Most Rev. Cuthbert O’Gara, C. P., Union City, N. J.: Most Rev. George L. Leech, Bishop of Harrisburg; Most Rev. Joseph Yuen, Bishop of Chumatien, Honan, China; Most Rev. Vincent S. Waters, Bishop of Raliegh, North Caro lina; Most Rev. J. Carroll Mc Cormick, Bishop of Altoona- Johnstown; Most Rev. Thomas J- McDonough, Bishop of Sav annah; Most Rev. Henry T. Klonowski, Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton; Most Rev. E. P. Mc- Manaman, Auxiliary Bishop of Erie; Most Rev. Francis E. Hyland, Titular Bishop of Bisica (St. Charles Seminary); Most Rev. Geroge W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton. Also, the Most Rev. Joseph McShea, Bishop of Allentown; Most Rev„ Jerome D. Hannan, Bishop of Scranton; Most Rev. Nicholas T. Elko, Apostolic Exarch-Byzantine Rite, Pitts burgh; Most Rev. Martin W. Stanton, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark; Most Rev. Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of Bridgeport; Most Rev. Edward J. Harper, C.SS.R., St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Most Rev. Thomas Holland, Coadjutor Bishop of Portsmouth, England; Most Rev. Coleman F. Carroll, Bish op of Miami; Most Rev. Francis J. Furey, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia; Most Rev. T. Austin Murphy, Auxiliary Bish op of Baltimore; Most Rev. Gerald V. McDevitt, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia; Most Rev. John J. Maguire, Aux iliary Bishop of New York; Most Rev. James J. Hogan, Auxiliary Bishop of Trenton, and Most Rev. James W. Malone, Auxiliary Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio. 1951. The Archbishop came into my room at the Cathedral rec tory in Savannah. “The Car dinal is dead,” he said, and he dropped into a chair and wept as a child. The ecclesiastical career of Archibshop O’Hara ended in Philadelphia as long ago as January of 1936, and subse quently took him to places far distant from this city. But how eminently appropriate it is that his mortal remains should be borne back to his Cathedral Church of Philadelphia, to which he so often came in the company of Cathedral Church of Cardinal Doutherty, and that they should be interred in the Cathedral crypt close to the mortal remains of the man who was his mentor and, above all, his father in Christ. To the brothers of Archbishop O’Hara, to his nieces and nep hews and other members of the family, I extend heartfelt sym pathy. We share your sorrow, your grief, your sense of loss. I speak in behalf of all pre sent here today whowereprivi- leged to know the Archibshop, because to know him was to love him, and all who loved him are going to miss him, even as you will miss him from the family circle. But I speak especially this morning in the name of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia which mourns the departure of an outstanding prelate of the Church who rose from among the ranks of her clergy, and in behalf of the Church in Geor gia which laments the demise of a former father in Christ whose name will ever b e held in benediction in the Empire State of the South. My dear people, in this hour of sorrow and bereavement, you will derive comfort and conso lation in the blessed and en during memory of a dear one, who, in the words of his epis copal rnouo, devoted his life to the service of Christ’s Church; in the memory of one who spent himself unto death in the cuase of Christ Jesus our Lord. Certainly during these 43 years as priest and prelate, the Archbishop has stored up for himself abundant treasures in heaven. But we members of the clergy bear the great priest hood of Jesus Christ in the fragile, earthen vessels of fallen human nature. We pledge ourselves, therefore, my dear people, to unite with you in prayer, even as we have this morning through the Holy Sacri fice of the Mass, that Almightly God in His infinite goodness may have mercy on this faith ful servant of His and grant eternal rest to his noble soul. To Commemorate Council BUDAPEST, (NC) — The Hungarian government has given its approval for the con struction of a new church in nearby Budakalasz to commem orate the holding of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the Catholic weekly, Uj Ember, has reported. ARCHBISHOP JOHN J. KROLL of Philadelphia is shown as he entered the Philadelphia Cathedral for the Requiem for Archbishop O’Hara. Chaplain to the Archbishop (left) is the Rev. Joseph W. Kavanagh, of Philadelphia, secretary to Archbishop O’Hara when he first came to Savannah in 1936. Priest chaplain at right is Rev. Joseph Jones, C.SS.R., a secretary to Archbishop O’Hara at the London Apostolic Delegation . (Philadelphia Catholic Standard and ; Times Photo) Queen Voices Sorrow LONDON (NC)—Queen Eliza beth has expressed sorrow at the death of Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara, American-born pre late who had served as Apos tolic Delegate to Great Britain since 1954. A message from the Queen’s secretary to Father Liam Car- son, the Archbishop’s secre tary, expressed her “sorrow in the sad news of the death of Archbishop O’Hara.” “Her Majesty desires me to assure you of her sympathy in your loss,” the message said. °7 Day Pilgrimage & Tour Irom Chicago (Etcorted) to Our Lady of the Cape St. Anne de Beaupre St. Joseph Oratory Province of Quebec, Canada from Chicago via Air Conditioned Bui. AUo included in the above a tour of: Ottawa, Montreal Quebec City, and Detroit, Botton. New York It Washington, D C. Dates of Departure: June thru Oct., 1963 VVwk-End pilgrimage touri to Our l.ady o| the Snows. Belleville, Illinois. Write for bochure and com plete details to: ST. JUDE & ST. ANTHONY PILGRIMAGE & TOUR 1825 W. Belmont Avenue Chicago 13, Illinois Ave Marie pilgrimage tours to Europe, Holy Land & Mex ico. Name Address City State Ble sses Jubil arian MASAKA, Uganda, (NC) — Msgr. Victor Mukasa, the first East African priest, who obser ved his golden priestly jubilee, has received a special blessing and an autographed photo from His Holiness Pope Paul VI. Msgr. Mukasa was ordained on June 29, 1913. Superior General LONDON, (NC) — Father Gerald Mahon, 41, has been elected Superior General of the Mill Hill Fathers. Father Mahon, who was rector of a minor seminary in Kismu, Kenya, succeeds Father Tho mas McLaughlin who resigned from the office because of poor health. 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