Our Catltolic Heritoge in Texas
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bishop, confessed that he had felt that Texas was too big not to have an ecclesiastical province of its own. He was happy that his pleadings had been heard, although he would miss hereafter the smiling friendly faces of the bishops of Texas at his provincial council meetings. The genial, irrepressible Bishop Francis P. Kelley, who had done so much for Texas through the Catholic Extension Society, which he founded and directed until 1924, with characteristic good humor added a scintillating touch to the ceremony as he extended his congratulations and expressed his joy at the good fortune of Oklahoma in being made a part of the new ecclesiastical province. With a note of impressive sincerity, Archbishop John J. Glennon ended his remarks by declaring: "The Catholic Church is dedicated to justice and liberty, and its children are ready to make the same sacrifice today as the men of the Alamo made in giving their lives for the same principles." His eyes twinkling with kindness and gratitude Archbishop Drossaerts replied humbly: "I can say in all sincerity that I never dreamed I would someday be a bishop, much less that I would become the first archbishop of the province of San Antonio." He had dreamed of happiness "in a little nook with a little book," he exclaimed. "I am merely a victim of circumstances, having always longed for the quiet life of a country pastor." Thunderous applause greeted his concluding remarks, and al- though the great honor would bring heavy responsibilities and personal sacrifices, he said that he was glad because: "At least we are assured of home rule in Texas. Texas is too big not to have a province of its own, it is time we were paddling our own canoe." 94 The investiture took place Wednesday, February 16, 1927 in the old San Fernando Cathedral with four archbishops 95 and fourteen bishops present. The new archbishop marched in procession to the church through streets lined by the multitude that filled Main and Military Plazas to overflowing. Significantly the Ecce Sacerdos and the proper of the Mass was intoned by the exiled seminarians from Zacatecas, from where more than two centuries before had come the saintly Antonio Margi!, apostle of Texas Missions and builder of San Jose. Immediately after the Pon- tifical Mass Archbishop Shaw of New Orleans placed upon the shoulders "The quotations cited are taken from the detailed account of the ceremonies in Tke Southern Messenger, Installation Edition, February 17, 1927. 95 The four archbishops that graced the occasion were: Most Reverend John J. Glennon of St. Louis, Most Reverend Albert Daeger of Santa Fe, Most Reverend John W. Shaw of New Orleans, and Most Reverend Peter J. Hurth, C.S.P., of Bosnia, India, residing at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.
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