The Catholic bulletin. [volume], May 18, 1912, Image 4

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Published every Saturday at 315 New
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Entered as second-class matter, Jan
uary 12. 1911, at the post office, St.
Paul, Minn., under Act of March 3. 1871.
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1912.
The month of May should be a
time of great spiritual develop
ment for every devout client of the
Blessed Virgin. Whenever it does
not mark an advance along the
road to perfection it is due to the
soul's want of appreciation of the
wealth of grace obtainable through
the intercession of the Mother of
God.
There is no better way of conse
crating each day to God than by
attendance at Mass and the de
vout recitation of the rosary be
fore retiring. Those who sanctify
the early morning hours by assist
ing at the Holy Sacrifice and the
close of the day by offering a trib
ute to the Blessed Virgin need not
fear the assaults of the evil one.
The Home Rule bill for Ireland
passed its second reading in the
House of Commons on May 9, by a
majority of one hundred and one.
It is said that the committee stage
of the bill will not be reached for
some time and probably will oc
cupy a couple of months, as the
opposition is preparing a very
long list of amendments and will
endeavor in every possible way to
obstruct the final passage of the
measure.
During the time that intervenes
between Ascension Thursday and
Pentecost Sunday the Church
would have her children offer up
special prayers in honor of the
Holy Spirit, to invoke His assist
ance and protection that He may
shed the light of His guidance over
each individual soul as well as
direct the church in the fulfilment
of the divine commission with
which she was entrusted by her
Founder.
Last week His Excellency the
Most Reverend John Bonzano, D.
D., Apostolic Delegate to the Unit
ed States, arrived in Washington
and took up his residence at the
Apostolic Delegation on Biltmore
Street. In New York he received
a royal welcome from Cardinal
Farley, the Bishops of the Prov
ince, and the Catholic laity who
tendered him a reception at the
Catholic Club. On his way to
Washington, accompanied by Mgr.
Cerretti who has had charge of the
Delegation since Cardinal Falconio
sailed for Rome, he paid a visit to
His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons of
Baltimore, within whose Dioeese
he resides.
Governor General Forbes of the
Philippines in reply to a question
as to the present relations between
the Government in the Islands and
the Catholic Church declared em
phatically that, "Not an unpleas
ant incident has occurred in years.
The purchase of the Friar's land
was the successful solution of a
difficult problem, and one that re
flected great credit on Mr. Taft,
who arranged it. It laid the foun
dation for the present harmonious
and mutually beneficial relations
of the Church and Government in
the Islands."
The General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church is
still in session in Minneapolis. An
occasional rumbling from that
quarter indicates that the big guns
of Methodism are endeavoring to
make a breach in the impregnable
walls of the Catholic Church. Un
like the walls of Jericho, however,
these walls do not fall to the
ground no matter how great the
volume of noise made by the be
siegers. The Saviour Himself de­
clared that false prophets would
try to lead astray, if possible, even
the elect. But none, save those
who are wilfully blind to the light,
will be deceived by the efforts of
the Methodists to discredit the
work of the Catholic Church in
this or other lands.
Last Sunday was Mothers' Day
in Minnesota. Governor Eberhart
issued a proclamation in which he
referred to this recent fad as a
"beautiful custom of setting apart
one day in each year to pay trib
ute to our mothers.'' Many of the
non-Catholic churches observed it
with appropriate services. The
mothers of this nation who have
the right kind of children do not
need the gushing encomiums which
this day called forth to assure
them that they occupy a sacred
shrine in the hearts of their chil
dren not only on one day of the
year but every day. If we pay the
proper tributes of respect and love
to our mothers at all times they
will not suffer for want of a spe
cial day set apart for that purpose.
The State of Michigan has a law
which provides that any person
who blasphemes the Holy Name of
God by cursing, .etc., shall be pun
ished either by imprisonment in
the county jail for a term extend
ing to six months at the discretion
of the judge, or by a fine not ex
ceeding fifty dollars and, also,
that any person who profanely
curses or swears by the Holy Name
of God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy
Ghost, shall be punished by any
Justice of the Peace by a fine of
from one to fifty dollars. If these
provisions of the law are rigidly
enforced without fear or favor
Michigan is a good state to live in.
It would do a world of good to
have a similar law enforced vigor
ouslv and uncompromisingly in
other states of the Union. If such
a law were enforced in Minnesota
many people would pay dearly for
one-half of their ordinary vocabu
lary.
The so-called "Guardian of Lib
erty" held their first convention
recently in Boston. General
Miles, the principal speaker, per
sisted in maintaining that the pur
pose of the organization was not
to make war upon any political
party or religious creed, or to de
prive any citizen of his rights or
privileges, but to stand guardian
over the institutions we have in
herited and the principles of the
Constitution of the United States
under which we are enjoying the
greatest blessings of any people
in the world. It is charitable to
suppose that the poor old General
has reached that period of life
when the mental faculties lose
their vigor, else how account for
the fact that he cannot compre
hend the purpose of the organiza
tion, so plainly set forth in the
eighth article of its constitution,
which says: "We maintain it to
be inconsistent with and destruc
tive of free government to ap
point or elect to political or mili
tary office any person who openly
or secretly concedes superior au
thority to any foreign political, or
ecclesiastical power whatsoever."
If this is not directed against
Catholics will the General take
advantage of an early opportunity
to explain just what it means.
ASCENSION THURSDAY.
During this week the Feast of
the Ascension, which the Church
observes as a holyday of obliga
tion, recalled to our minds the
closing incident in the earthly
career of our Saviour. He had
fulfilled His mission. He had
proved His divine character. He
had founded His Church, He had
commissioned His Apostles to con
tinue the work inaugurated by
Him and as a final pledge of His
abiding love for them he bade
them return to Jerusalem to await
the coming of the Holy Ghpst who
would strengthen them to declare
His Gospel "in Jerusalem and in
all Judea, and Samaria, and even
to the uttermost part of the
earth." It was the last message
that issued from the lips of the
Saviour prior to His ascension into
heaven.
The ascension of our Lord
marked the re-opening of the
gates of heaven which had been
closed against mankind by the
sin of our first parents. With him
there entered into that abode of
eternal happiness the souls of the
saintly men and women who had
lived and died prior to His advent
upon earth, the souls of those
whom He had visited in their
prison-house in Limbo to announce
to them the close of their weary
years of waiting.
Each year in commemoration
of this great event His faithful
followers strive to ascend to a
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, MAY 18, 1912.
higher plain of spirituality by
making their lives conform more
closely to the sacred maxims of
perfection which He actualized in
His own person. The Ascension
has a wealth of meaning for those
who strive to overcome the ob
stacles to their spiritual advance
ment by utilizing the precious
means of grace placed at their
disposal. The first Ascension day
was the natal day of countless
souls who had hitherto been de
prived of the true apd enduring
joys of the soul that sees God face
to face. Each recurring anniver
ary is a natal day for every soul
that hungers and thirsts after jus
tice and deems no effort too exact
ing or long-sustained that enables
it to gain a victory over its evil
tendencies and ascend by step
ping stones of its dead self to a
closer and more intimate spiritual
union with Him Who bids it aspire
to the highest perfection.
CANADIAN CATHOLIC IMMI
GRATION.
During the past few years no in
considerable number of Catholic
settlers have found their way to
Western Canada, and each year
adds its quota to those who have
already settled there. Up to last
year no concerted action was made
to direct these Catholic immi
grants to localities where they
would have all the necessary fa
cilities for their spiritual up
building. During the past few
months, however, steps have been
taken to remedy this and to as
sist immigrants in locating in
places where churches and schools
are already established or, at least,
where facilities are provided for
the practice of their religion.
Through the initiative and un
der the direction of the Winnipeg
Council of the Knights of Colum
bus the Catholic Immigration As
sociation of Western Canada has
been organized for the purpose of
looking after the welfare of Cath
olic immigrants who desire to lo
cate in Western Canada. The Rev.
Father Casgrain of Esterhazev in
Saskatchewan, was authorized to
ascertain the conditions in West
ern Canada and find out what
steps should be taken for the fur
therance of the interests of the
immigrants. Among the sugges
tions which he made was to dis
tribute literature among intending
settlers and provide them with a
map showing the railroads and
centers of population as well as
the districts where Catholic
churches are located. As a result
the committee in charge of the
project in Winnipeg undertook the
publication of such a map and last
week we received a copy of it. It
is a complete map of Western Can
ada showing the location of
churches and missions throughout
the whole of that vast district.
This map was made under the di
rection of Father Casgrain who
was formerly a Major of Engin
eers in the British Army, and
who has a great reputation as a
map maker. He traveled through
the Provinces of Manitoba, Sas
katchewan and Alberta, gathering
detailed information regarding the
Catholic churches and missions
and this has been embodied in a
very serviceable map which will
be placed in the hands of the cler
gy and others who are in a po
sition to direct immigrants or
whose advice may be sought by
those desirous of locating in West
ern Canada.
Furthermore, Father Casgrain
has been appointed by the eccles
iastical authorities to meet all
ocean vessels at Quebec and fur
nish whatever information may be
needed by incoming colonists.
Each will receive from him a dis
tinguishing button and slip which
will introduce them to the accred
ited representatives of the Cath
olic Immigration Association at
Winnipeg. Those appointed to look
after immigrants in Winnipeg are
Father Kowalski, pastor t)f the
parish of the Holy Ghost, and Mr.
T. Stedman, who will be assisted
by Mr. T. Gelley who for years
has been connected with the Do
minion Immigration Department
in Winnipeg. After leaving Winni
peg for their destinations in West
ern Canada the settlers will be
given whatever assistance they de
sire by prominent members of the
Knights of Columbus located in
the western cities and towns.
Among them may be mentioned
Mr. J. J. Smith of Regina, and Mr.
E. F. Ryan of Calgary.
Arrangements have also been
made for the reception of unac
companied young girls and women.
A home will be provided at which
temporary accommodation may be
secured. This will be placed under
the management of a responsible
Catholic matron.
This Catholic Immigration As
sociation will, no doubt, prove a
great boon to intending Catholic
settlers whom it will direct to cen-
ters where opportunities for the
practice of their religion will be
afforded them. In this way what
ever leakage may have occurred
during the past will be practically
stopped, and those who have or
ganized and who now direct the
Association will reap a sufficient
reward for their exertions in the
consciousness that they are doing
a good work for the future of the
Church in Western Canada.
ROGATION DAYS.
Last Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday were Rogation days,
that is, days of prayer, and for
merly also of fasting, instituted
by the Church to appease God's
anger and to ask protection in
calamities and to obtain a good
and bountiful harvest. The insti
tution of Rogation days carries us
back to the latter part of the fifth
century when St. Mamertus,
Bishop of Vienne in France, ob
tained from God, through prayer
and penance, the cessation of the
calamities which afflicted his
people.
The following account of the
first observance of Rogation days
is given by the Abbe Gaume in his
Catechism of Perseverance: For
more than half a century, not a
year nor even a season passed
without Dauphine and Savoy be
ing afflicted with some new evils.
So many misfortunes, sometimes
succeeding one another, sometimes
coming together, had reduced
these provinces to a state of ex
treme desolation. Earthquakes
were almost a daily occurrence,
and the strongest buildings could
not resist such severe shocks.
Never had fires been so numerous.
Wild beasts came out of the
woods in broad daylight and made
their way into the streets and
squares, as if to defy man and the
elements. The public alarm was
continually increasing, when, on
Easter night, in the year 469,
while all the people were assem
bled in the great church with
their Bishop St. Mamertus, for the
celebration of the solemnities, the
city hall, a magnificent building
that stood on a hill, took fire.
Every one began to fear for his
own house, when they saw how
furiously the flames spread. All
the faithful left the church to pro
vide for their safety. The divine
service was abandoned, and the
holy Bishop remained alone before
the altar. Happily for the city of
Vienne, St. Mamertus did not be
lieve that the laws of nature are
unchangeable. In the liveliness of
his faith and charity, he offered
up prayers and tears to appease
the wrath of God he besought
Him to put an end at least to so
many evils, which hindered the
people from serving Him with due
affection and piety. Day was
scarcely beginning to dawn when
the great conflagration suddenly
ceased. The joy produced by this
wonderful occurrence brought
back all the people to the church,
in order to continue the office.
Having concluded the august
mysteries and returned thanks to
God for so evident a favor, the
holy Bishop told his flock that
prayer and penance were the true,
remedies for the evils with which
the city and province were
afflicted, and that, during the
general fright, he had vowed roga
tions for this purpose."
The Fifth Council of Orleans
held in the year 511, ordered the
observance of Rogation days, and
Leo in the ninth century ap
proved of this custom. Though
they have now lost much of their
former penitential character the
Rogation days are still set apart
for special prayer to envoke God's
blessing in order that nature may
be propitious and that the earth
may bring forth its frait in abun
dance.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.
There is something pathetic in
the stories told by the survivors
of the last moments of the Titanic
when the giant ship was trembling
on the crest of the wave before
taking her final plunge into the
depths of the ocean. They convey
a lesson that concerns more people
than will ever stand face to face
with death by the foundering of a
ship—a lesson that is applicable to
each and every one of us. The at
titude towards the hereafter of
these people who stood face to face
with death is an object lesson to
all of us, for one day we, like them,
will be called 'upon to face the
same dread inevitable. How did
the doomed passengers on the Ti
tanic aet in that supreme moment
when they realized that all things
earthly were about to pass away
as far as they were concerned,
and that ere long they would be
summoned into the presence of
their Maker? What did they do
then What were their thoughts
In that dread hoar men and
women, irrespective of religious
belief, mingled their prayers with
those of the heroic priests who
invoked God's mercy upon the
souls who were about to find a
watery grave. All without excep
tion prayed. There were men there,
says the London Tablet, and many
of them, who had lost the habit of
prayer and whose lives were,
therefore, a practical denial of the
Almighty. Nevertheless, as they
stood on the threshhold of eternity
the universal prayer of Christen
dom, the Our Father, welled up
from their hearts in fervent appeal
to the Most High. Colonel Gracie,
one of the survivors, says: "We
prayed through all the weary
night and there never was a mo
ment when our prayers did not
rise above the waves. Men who
seemed long ago to have forgotton
how to address their Creator re
called the prayers of their child
hood and murmured them over
and over again. Together we
said the Our Father again and
again."
Similar testimony is given by
Mr. Bride, assistant wireless oper
ator on the ill-fated .ship. "As
We
floated around on our capsized
boat," he says, "and I kept strain
ing my eyes for a ship's lights,
somebody said, 'Don't the rest of
you think we ought to pray The
man who made the suggestion ask
ed what religion the others were.
Each man called out his religion.
One was a Catholic, one a Metho
dist, one a Presbyterian, and it was
decided the most appropriate pray
er for all was the Lord's Prayer.
So it was said aloud by all."
And so, no doubt, do the major
ity of men, if not all, act in that
supreme moment when Death is
about to still with his cold hand
the pulsations of the human heart.
No matter whether the summons
comes on sea or on land, among
strangers or friends, in the silent
watches of the night or amid
the hurry and bustle of noon
day, it is a consolation to know
that the human soul turns instinc
tively to God and invokes His aid
under the sweet name of "Our
Father.'' It would seem as if this
prayer, given to the world by God
Himself, leaps instinctively to
Christian lips in moments of great
danger. At such times, no doubt,
it is instinct with a meaning which
does not always accompany its
repetition. It is well for us to ad
vert to this and while the danger
of death seems far away in the
shadowy future let us put into the
petitions of this universal prayer
of Christendom the same fervor
and faith that we would like to ex
press when for the last time it
issues from our pallid lips
THE REGINA COELI
Legend of its Origin—It Is Substituted
for the Angelus During the Time
of Easter.
The "Angelus," which the faithful
are asked to recite three times a day
at the sound of the bell in honor of
the Mother of God, gives place during
Easter time to another salutation
more appropriate to the season, and
known as the "Regina Coeli." The
"Angelus" shows us Mary in her hu
mility listening to the words of the
Archangel and submitting her will to
the will of her Creator in the great
mystery of the Incarnation the "Re
gina Coeli" bids the Virgin-Mother
rejoice with her Divine Son in His
triumph over sin and death.
History has nothing to say about
the authorship of this beautiful an
them. According to a legend it has a
heavenly origin like the Hail Mary, for
its first three lines were sung by the
angels "on a certain Easter morning
in Rome while St. Gregory the Great
was walking barefoot in a great re
ligious procession." The saint, rapt
in ecstacy, is said to have added
the fourth line: "Ora pro nobis Deum,
Alleluia." (Pray to God for us, Alle
luia.) Whatever truth there is in this
legend, it is certain that the "Regina
Coeli" was found in the Franciscan
Breviary in the twelfth century and
soon "became popular everywhere, and
was afterwards substituted for the
'Angelus.'" Whereas the "Angelus"
is said kneeling, except on Saturday
evening and Sunday, the "Regina
Coeli" is recited standing every day
throughout the season of Easter.
The Latin composition of this anti
phon forms a charming rhythm which
is not found in the English version.
In fact, all the hymns of the Church
are beautifully written and some are
even masterpieces of literature. Ac
cording to Battiffol, who wrote a "His
tory of the Roman Breviary," "we owe
a debt of gratitude to those who gave
us the antiphons of the Blessed Vir
gin."
HONORING A MISSIONARY.
Belgium is celebrating the tercen
tenary of her distinguished Jesuit
missionary Father Ferdinand Ver
heisi, whose name even after 300
years, is honored in China. The
celebration will include a memorial to
him at his native place, Pittbeim
.s* t*'irt. •*. tip
DOMAIN OF TEMPEfiANCE.
WHI8KY DRINKER TO HI8 SON.
Drinking Man Can Save His Own Chil­
dren From Dangers Better Titan
Any Other Person.
How should a whisky drinker talk
to his son? If he talked as he feels, he
would hold up the flat, brown bottle
and say:
"My boy, you know that I am a
poor man and have nothing to leave
to you or your mother.
"The difference between myself and
successful men who have passed me
is this:
"I have gone through life with this
bottle in my hand or in my pocket.
They have not."
A man comes into the world pre
pared to do his share of the world's
work well or ill, as his brain and his
physical strength may decide. Of all
his qualities the most important prac
tically is balance.
The whisky in that bottle destroys
balance, both mental and physical.
It substitutes dreaming and foolish
self-confidence for real effort.
It presents all of life's problems an«
duties in a false light. It makes
those things seem unimportant which
are most important.
It dulls the conscience, which alone
can make men do their duty, in spite
of temptation, and struggle on to suc
cess in spite of exhaustion.
Keep away from this bottle, and
keep away from those who praise it.
He who hands it to his fellow man is
a criminal, and he who hands it to a
young man is a worse criminal and a
villain.
It is a well establishment fact that
in the usual order of events drunken
ness would be handed down from fa
ther to son, and hundreds of thousands
of families would be ultimately wiped
out by whisky.
It is not true, fortunately, that the
son of a drunkard actually inherits
drunkenness fully developed. But a
drunkard gives to his son weakened
nerves and a diminished will power,
which tends to make him a drunkard
more easily than his father was made
a drunkard before him.
The great safeguard of a drunkard's
children undoubtedly lies in the warn
ing which they see every day in their
home and in the earnest advice which
the man who drinks will give to all
young people if he have any con
science left.
If the man who drinks would save
his own children from the same dan
ger he can do so better than any other.
He need not lose their respect by tell
ing them of his own mistakes, if these
mistakes have been hidden from them.
Let him simply tell them without per
sonal reference what he knows about
whisky, its effects on a man's happi
ness, success, self-respect and physical
comfort
Whisky gives a great many things
to men—negative gifts most of them.
Of these gifts here are a few.
Lack of friends, lack of will, lack
of self-respect, lack of nervous force—
lack of everything save the hideous
craving that can end only with uncon
sciousness, and that begins again with
increased suffering when conscious
ness is restored.
With the fear of whisky, there
should be impressed upon children
sympathy and sorrow for the unfortu
nate drunkard.
One of the ablest men, and one of
the most earnest in America, said to
his friend very recently:
"I never drink, as you know. But
when I see a man lying drunk in the
gutter, I know that he has probably
made that very day a harder effort at
self-control, a nobler struggle to con
trol himself, than I ever made in my
life. He has yielded and fallen at last,
but only because all of his strength is
insufficient to overcome the disease
that possesses him."
Teach your children Chat drunken
ness is a horrible disease, as bad as
leprosy. Teach them that it can be
avoided that the disease is contract
ed in youth through carelesness, and
that it Is spread by those who en
courage drinking in others. Tell them
that the avoiding of whisky is not
merely a question of morals or obe
dience to parents, but a question in
volving mental and physical salvation,
success in life, happiness and the re
spect of others.
ALCOHOLIZED NATION8.
Scandinavia is gradually beginning
to recover the political prestige which
the forefathers of the modern Swedes
claimed for nearly 300 years, culmi
nating during the Thirty Years' war,
when the victories of Gustavus Adol
phus decided the fate of northern
Europe. A century after the battle of
Lutzen, Sweden was still a match for
any comer, but from that time the
star of her glory began to decline, antf
it is a remarkable fact that the era
of the most complete eclipse coin
cides with the period when the maxi
mum of intemperance was represented
by the monstrous total of 52,000 dis
tilleries to a population of less 4,000,
000. The Gothenberg system is at
best a compromise, but its union with
numerous active temperance societies
has, after all, begun to regenerate ft
nation which, like the Indian of Hud
son Bay territory, was for a time ex
posed to the peril of actually perish
ing in a deluge of alcohoL
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