of the Seminary having become vacant, as already described, the appointment was given to Father Peter Richard, and he was also given the rectorship of the Cathedral and subsequently the post of Vicar General of the diocese. After some little time he was sent for a few months to Pittsburg, where he labored most indefatigably in the mission field. The Rev. William Walsh, of St. Louis, who wrote a short sketch of his life immediately before his demise, one time heard him tell how, during this phase of his work, he was called upon to baptize no fewer than eighty infants, just after Mass and before he had broken his fast. In those early days of Catholic development, the life of the missionary priest in the United States was not seldom full of trials and strains, therein differing little in hardship from what Shakespeare calls "the flinty and steel couch of war." Volumes might be filled with recitals of the perils by land and sea, on the mountain and on the moor, encountered by those fearless priests who set out from the cities to plant the Church in the wilderness. This is not, however, the place or the opportunity to attempt such a task. But it is pertinent to observe that of all the phenomena which present themselves to the biographer of such men, the most surprising is the immense amount and splendid quality of the literary work produced in hours stolen from toil in the heavenly vineyard by some of the tireless great. Bishop England and the two Kenricks were prodigies in this regard. The amount of work which the latter did for the Catholic Herald cannot be estimated, since the greater portion of it was unsigned, but it was unquestionably very great. It was during the seven years of his missionary life that Peter Richard produced the more solid works which built up his fame as a spiritual writer and theologian-namely, the "Validity of Anglican Ordinations Examined," the DESIRE TO BECOME A JESUIT. 273 "New Month of Mary" and the "History of the Holy House of Loretto." The work on "Anglican Ordinations" was remarkable in its day as a forerunner of definite action to be taken later on, giving effect to the conclusions set forth by one who although young in years had the perspicuity and the learning of a sage and a father of the Church. His "New Month of Mary" was republished in London by Father Faber, and is still the best of its kind. About the year 1840 a desire for a change to a more studious and less active religious life seemed to have come over the wearied missionary. His mind was attracted to the ways of the Jesuit order, and after long pondering on the matter he took steps to give shape to his inclinings. He left for Rome, and with the somewhat reluctant approval of his brother, with the intention of seeking admission into the famous society. But on his arrival in the sacred city he was obliged to abandon the design, owing to the dissuasion of the General of the order. A strange reason which is given as among those which led to his failure in this project throws a strong light upon the psychology of the future Archbishop. He carried with him some letters from his brother, but when he looked these over he thought them too laudatory of himself, and so he faltered and gave way easily enough when he found that his intention did not commend itself to the Jesuit Superior. The story reads curiously in an age when such extreme humility might be considered, by a certain school, as a personal drawback of the most serious kind, even in an ecclesiastic. This failure seems to have caused Father Kenrick very keen disappointment. We find him bitterly deploring it in a letter to his brother, bearing the date September, 1840. It were curious to speculate what might have been the result on his theological views had the result of his enterprise been otherwise than it actually was. It is certainly within the bounds of probability to surmise that the Vatican Council must have had one opponent of the dogma of Infallibility the less to deal with. Perhaps, were such the case, the advantage to religion might be more apparent than real. It is surely a wholesome thing for truth that the negative side of the highest proposition, in a sense, that could be submitted to the human intellect, for searching analysis, is sustained by argument of such force that it barely stops short of the level that convinces. With such minds as those of Kenrick and the rest of the little group who withstood the proposition ranged on the other side, the victors may have felt proud of the decision as the triumph of the morally irresistible. Theirs not The stern joy that warriors feel but the noble satisfaction which the spirit of Christ imparts to brothers in His charity who lovingly emulate in zeal when the quest is for the truth of the Divine Master, and when that truth is found by the light of many minds outshining that of the few. In his own way the Archbishop of Baltimore shared his brother's feelings toward the disciples of Loyola, as we find from many passages in his voluminous writings. His welcome of those of them who came to Baltimore was whole-hearted, for well he knew what a powerful impulse they brought with them to the cause of education, ecclesiastical and otherwise. At the same time that the Archbishop was encouraging the Jesuits in their educational work he was not idle with regard to his own immediate responsibility in the same field. He threw his energies into the support of the Seminary in Baltimore, just as he did in the case of MADE BISHOP OF DRASA. 275 that of Philadelphia, and was successful in the end in raising up a body of clergy for the service of the diocese who reflected honor upon the American Church. Divine Providence had ordered that the field of Peter Richard Kenrick's labors should be in a wider sphere. Events were moving rapidly toward his settling down to his appointed though hitherto unsuspected work. The ground had been in some measure prepared, even before he had set out on his futile quest of a Jesuit vocation. Bishop Rosati, of St. Louis, had met his brother in Philadelphia, while looking about for a coadjutor for his own diocese; he had known Father Peter Richard by reputation, and he was convinced, from the conversation he had with the Bishop on the subject, that no more suitable coadjutor could be found. This view was confirmed by what he saw of Father Kenrick in Rome, shortly afterwards. The result was that he solicited the Holy See that he be given the man on whom he had set his heart for his assistant. Impressed with his plea, the Holy See deferred to the request and in a short time the Bulls of appointment were made out. By their terms the Right Rev. Peter Richard Kenrick was appointed Bishop of Drasa and Coadjutor Bishop of St. Louis, with the right of succession in the see. Both the Bishops left Rome together. They arrived in Boston on the 18th of November, 1841, and twelve days afterwards the consecration of the new prelate was performed in Philadelphia. Bishop Rosati acted as the consecrating prelate, and the brother of the subject, together with Bishop Lefevre, of Detroit, were the assistant Bishops. The famous Bishop England, of Charleston, preached the sermon on the memorable occasion. At Cape Girardeau, Mo., the new Bishop rested for a few days, and when the Christmas festival was over he set out for his destination. His friend, Bishop Rosati, had parted from him ere this, to undertake a mission which was to prove fatal to his health. This was the arrangement of certain difficulties which had sprung up between the Government and the Church in the Republic of Hayti—a task of no ordinary difficulty, it would appear, as we find that Bishop England had also been engaged in it some time before, as also Dr. Clancy, who had been coadjutor to Bishop England. While engaged in this delicate business Bishop Rosati contracted a disease which ultimately proved mortal, but not before he had time to return to Rome and report progress. What he had done in the island was considered so satisfactory that he was honored with the office of Assistant Prelate at the Pontifical Throne; and he was further commissioned to return to Hayti and complete the work. Accordingly he set forth to execute the mandate. He traveled from Rome to Paris with the late Pope Leo, then Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium. But he was never to fulfil his mission. He was seized with illness in Paris, and ordered by his physicians to return to Italy as the only means of saving his life. He obeyed, but it was too late. The end came to the good Bishop on the 25th of September, 1843, in Rome. Meanwhile the new spiritual overseer of St. Louis was busy wrestling with difficulties most formidable and perplexing. The diocese was in bad shape in almost every way when he assumed control. There was a very large debt on the Cathedral. This was the only church in the city, besides the little chapel of St. Aloysius, utilized by the Jesuits of St. Louis University. This large debt was a source of such concern to the new Bishop that at one portion of his early pastorate he became discouraged to the extent of thinking of relinquishing his charge and removing to the city of Pittsburg, which had not as yet been made an episcopal centre, but was |