is
Volume 5
REKINDLED THE FAITH IN THE
80UL OF CATHOLIC FRANCE.
The war, already known as the
Great War, and which will fully de
serve the title in history, were it only
for the terrific number of soldiers
and its slain, burst like a thunder
bolt over sleeping France, writes
Charles Baussan in "The Catholic
World" for September
The force of the blow, the presence
of a peril sudden, pressing, unavoid
able, permitting neither hesitation .nor
delay, facing an issue upon which
hung the life or death of a nation, pro
duced a reaction as instantaneous as
Its cause, a reaction that shook to
its depths the soul of the French.
All the forces of the race woke and
lived again, among them that Cath
olic Faith which for centuries upon
centuries had impregnated the soul
of the people, from which, in spite of
appearances, it had never been
e a i a e
If the great moral upheaval of such
a war has been the determining cause
of an incontestable evolution in the
religious spirit of France, how did the
change come about and what is its
significance? "Upon what sort of
material did the powerful blow of
misfortune strike, and what has it
made of it?
Religious Situation Before the War.
To be brief, the religious situation
in France before the war might be
summed up thus:
First, there were the devout Cath
olics, a real power, far stronger than
is thoxight a numerous and irre
proachable clergy, hundreds of relig
ious congregations, a laity not only
Catholic in name, but practical and
pious. This body prayed and worked.
Patiently, day by day, it sowed the
Beed awaited the sun.
Second, besides the devout Catholics
there was a considerable number of
lukewarm Cathol'^c. practi.^'-f t*eir
religion occasionally, occupied chiefly
with business and pleasure.
Third, over and above these the
great mass of indifferents who gave
no thought to religion, except at birth,
at marriage, at death.
Fourth^ a small hostile minority,
anti-clericals who waged war upon
Catholicism.
Religious hostility was the excep
tion, the great mass of indifferents
kept the traditions of the Faith in
their thoughts and feelings, in their
mental and moral habits: on certain
feasts—Easter, Christmas, All Saints,
the Assumption, etc., they went to
church on the whole they neglected
religion more or less completely, see
ing no need for it they were easily
influenced by prejudices against
priests and their influence, but most
of all were they given over to mater
ial preoccupations, the joys of life.
To this love of worldly pleasures may
he attributed also the lukewarmness
of the great majority of Catholics.
The Soldier-Priest.
To comprehend fully the scope and
the force of this living sermon, one
must realize that there are twenty
five thousand priests with the armies,
not only in the hospitals and ambu
lances, but at the front not only as
chaplains, hospital attendants, stretch
er-bearers, but as combatants, officers,
non-commissioned officers, privates in
all the troops. The priest has no
need to preach his presence speaks
louder than words. And who placed
him in this position who forced him
into military service? His enemies.
When they strapped the knapsack on
the priest's back, the anti-clericals
killed anti-clericalism.
Here is the priest doing military
service! Here along the railways he
may be seen on guard, wearing his
soutane, his gun over his shoulder.
The military, trains pass the guards
of the wagons, the soldiers going to
the front throw up their kepis and
shout, "Bravo, le cure!" Religious
poured into the barracks exiles came
from afar to defend the land that
drove them forth. They remembered
only that she was the land of their
birth. Jesuits, Assumptionists, Car
thusians and Dominicans, Benedic
tihes, Capuchins, monks of every
order and from every place, were
greeted with applause. Yesterday
anti-clericalism called them "foreign
ers to the nation," but anti-clerical
ism lied. These men are comrades,
brothers at arms, brothers come
home to their father's house, to live
and die with their own!
An Enemy's Confession.
This religious awakening in tit#
army is so general, so public, it
causes great anxiety to the organs of
anti-clericalism, as, for instance. La
Lanterne and L'Humanite. They
wish steps taken to prevent the relig
ious propaganda in the hospitals and
among the troops they demand "the
laicization of the front." Is this not
a positive acknowledgement of the
strength of the Catholic movement?
A militant Socialist of the eigh
teenth division recognizes this fact
in a letter published by L'Humahit£:
"I was able to make a number of
a tjf W.
'*«W 'v,
CATHOLIC RENAISSANCE IN FRANCE
PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE
PROSPECTS OF CATHOLICISM—
THE HORRORS OF WAR HAVE
prejudices had fallen off, leaving life
stripped. Men showed themselves for
what they really were, brave or
cowardly, noble or base, unselfish or
egotistical. And I could appreciate
the religious awakening so much
noticed today, and so much talked
about
"Whither we halted, whether we
rested, the night after a battle or
after a march, the mind was never
at rest. The vision of the wounded
was ever before our eyes, the groans
of the dying sounded in our ears, the
thought of self, of wife, of children
haunted us. Will my turn come next?
Ah, then is the moment of self-ex
amination, then a man, separated
from the world of things by this rup
ture of equilibrium called war, travels
back to his childhood. The influence
of early education asserts itself. And
so it is that normally, logically, I
may say, is brought about the return
to religious ideas.
"Men without ideals, Who have
abandoned all Christian practices, in
the midst of such a catastrophe feel
their littleness. No longer enslaved
and driven by economic forces, crav
ing an ideal to support them in these
terrible times, they turn to religion.
This neo-religious movement
looked serious to me at first. It has
been exploited, protected, promoted
by the chaplains and some of the
majors, and frankly I believe that
some of it will* persist when the war
is over."
This is an enemy's confession. He
speaks as an enemy, he seeks to ex
plain nevertheless, he recognizes and
confirms the reality and durability
of the Catholic renaissance.
The English, fighting side by side
with the French troops in France, are
struck with the religious feeling they
have witnessed, and feel its effects.
A Protestant officer in the British
army a short time ago was express
ing his admiration, and added: "My
orderly who is a Wesleyan, says he
is going to study that religion, for it
looks to him like the true one."
In fact there is quite a movement
towards Catholicism among the.
officers and men of the British
Expeditionary Force. The example of
the French army, -and the faith of
the people about them, have attracted
them. Like the Wesleyan orderly,
many of then are inquiring into the
Catholic religion and go to church.
Impetus Towards Prayer.
The soldiers have evidently learned
the lesson of the war now the
soldiers in France today number
thousands of men, in fact, with the
exception of invalids, all the men
between nineteen and forty-eight are
soldiers. But it does not end there.
The soldiers are not the only ones
who have learned the lesson. The
stentorian voice of events has re
sounded throughout the land and in
every soul. When the first cannon
was fired, and indeed before that, as
soon as there were rumors of the
cannon's thunder, there was an im
mense impetus towards prayer. The
churches were filled, the number of
confessions and Communions in
creased greatly everywhere. Many
persons—some of them personally
known to me—who had abandoned
the practice of religion, returned to
the Sacraments.
Not a single parish, even in the
tiniest village, but offers a Mass at
least once a week for France and the
army many parishes offer two
Masses, and everywhere, besides the
Masses, there are prayers, the beads,
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
every day, or at least several times a
week, sometimes even twice a day,
and always for the same intention.
These Masses and prayers are well
attended, and during all the long
months of the war the first fervor
has not abated. The thought of
fathers, husbands, sons, brothers ex
posed to such great and continuous
danger brings souls back to God, and
draws them closer to Him. The
truly religious tone of the letters
from the dear absent ones finds an
echo in every heart.
The intellectual circles Whence
emanated the evil of irrellgfoh, are
not what they were twenty years ago,
A marked change was noticeable even
before the war.- The younger artistic
and literary set of the twentieth cen
turv are rather more Catholic in
their tendencies and sentiments and
even in their practice. To mention
only those who have been killed by
the enemy, Piguy, Lotti, Laurentie,
Renan's grandson, and a good many
others, were all Catholics. When Del
pech, the son of the former grand
master of the Freemasons, was picked
up dead on the battlefield, a religious
medal was found on his person.
We cannot value matters of con
science as we would commercial
transactions exact statistics of a
religious revival, which we cannot
fully analyze, would, be impossible.
It is far too soon! We can, however,
give a few figures. From August to
December, 1913. there were sixty-nine
thousand eight hundred Communions
in the parish church of Notre Dame
at Versailles during the same period
in 1914 there were eighty-seven
thousand, a gain of eighteen thous&jnd
over the preceding year.
segs
v.
BIBLE READING_ II SCHOOL
MANKATO HIGH SCHOOL WILL
FORFEIT STATE AID IF IT
ALLOWS BIBLE READING.
The board of education of Mankato,
Minn., has received notice from the
State High School Board that because
of the continued reading of the Bible
in the Mankato high school at morn
ing exercises, contrary to the state
constitution, the special state aid,
amounting to $4,000 for the coming
year, has been cut off.
The notice took the school authori
ties of Mankato by surprise, as it was
believed, the State Board did not in
tend to act until the matter could be
passed upon by the Attorney General
again.
The State High School Board bases
its position on the state constitution
as construed by two Attorneys
General of Minnesota.
It is rumored that the Mankato
school board will probably mandamus
the State High School Board or the
state treasurer to pay the grant or
show cause why it should not be paid.
IE* LEIHJK SEMIS1BT
WILL OPEN ON SEPTEMBER 15—.
PUBLIC WILL INSPECT IT NEXT
8UNDAY.
Sunday, September 12, has been set
apart for the public to make a visit
of inspection to the new Kenrick
Seminary, in Glennon Park, St. Louis,
Mo., which has been built at a cost
of $700,000, and will be occupied by
the students on September 15.
Strict monastic rules are to he ob
served, and after the opening of the
seminary only the chapel may be
visited by outsiders. The grounds
also will be private.
The furnishing of the Seminary is
now nearly finished. Equipping the
new institution from top to bottom, in
cluding the kitchen and dining room
furniture, as well as the classrooms
and students' rooms, will cost about
S,()00^$PjfhIch $37,000 has beem sub
scribed
A new order of nuns, constituting
a small community, arrived last week
to prepare the Seminary for occupa
tion. Their residence is provided for
in a separate wing of the Seminary.
The Junior Seminary, which is now
to be carried on in the old Bishop
Robertson Hall, on Washington ave
nue, will have a boarding department
as well as a day school, this being a
new feature. It is to be distinct from
the Seminary proper, and will be un
der the direction of Rev. J. L. O'Re
gan, C. M., until now a member of the
Seminary staff,
FIFTY G01P TE'IRS
TWO BFSHOPS AND SIXTY PRIESTS
PRESENT AT JUBILEE CELEBRA
TION IN CONVENT OF MERCY,
CRESSON, PA.
On Wednesday, August 25, at the
Convent of Mercy, Cresson, Pa., Moth
er Mary Gertrude Cosgrave celebrated
her golden jubilee of religious profes
sion.
The Right Rev. Bishop Garvey of
Altoona, celebrated Solemn Pontifical
Mass at 9 o'clock and the Right Rev.
J. F. Regis Canevin, Bishop Of Pitts
burgh, preached the sermon. Besides
those officiating about sixty clergymen
were present in the sanctuary.
The reception of guests was held in
the large reception room of the acad
emy and was followed by the commu
nity congratulations, offered in the
alumnae hall, the Sisters only being
present, when an address was read by
the Mother Assistant, Mother M. Loy
ola Irvin. The "Jubilee Chorus," com
posed by Sister Camille M. d'Invilliers,
was sung and the gifts of the commu
nity presented.
I0TED WSSllllIf DIES
FATHER LAUTH, O. 8. B., WAS
WELL EQUIPPED FOR MISSION
ARY LABOR IN THE SOUTH.
The funeral of Rev. Jacob Lauth,
O. S. B., occurred on August 31, from
St. Bernard's Monastery, St. Bernard,
Ala., Very Rev. Severin Laufenberg,
O. S. B., prior, officiating.
Father Jacob was born in $ous,
Luxembourg, in 1845. Coming to
America in 1863, his studies were
made at Notre Dame, Ind. He was
ordained November 11, 1870, for the
Fort Wayne diocese, where .he re
mained five years. Eighteen years of
missionary labor in Texas followed,
after which he joined the Benedic
tine community. The missions of
Alabama and Eastern Tennessee
were the next scenes of his labor, his
command of English, German, French,
Spanish, Bohemian and several
Slav dialects splendidly equipped him
for his work. His last years were
spent at St. Bernard, where he was
professor of Moral Theology and
Church History. He is survived by
three brothers, two of whom are
priests, and two sisters, both nuns of
ST. PAUL, MINN., SEPTEMBER 11, 1915.
PML HEW II IIITI
MGR. CHERUBIHI APPOINTED
WILL BE CONSECRATED
TITULAR ARCHBISHOP. V
In the ecclesiastical circles of Rome
the nomination of the Right Rev. Mgr.
Cherubini, Under-Secretary of the
Sacred Congreagtion of Religious, as
Apostolic Delegate to the Republic of
Haiti, has been received with feel
ings of satisfaction. Within two
weeks the newly-chosen Apostolic Del
egate will be consecrated a Titular
Archbishop. His appointment is par
ticularly popular in the lay ranks,
where, as Ecclesiastical Assistant to
the famous club known by thg name
of the "Circolo di S. Pietro," Mgr.
Cherubini won goldten opinions.
DR. MacRORY OF MAYNOOTH
NOMINATED BISHOP OF DOWN
AND CONNORS-PROFESSOR
OF SCRIPTURE SINCE 1889—
VICE RECTOR SINCE 1012.
Official information has been re
ceived from Rome of the appointment
of the Very Rev. Dr. MacRory, Vice
President of St. Patrick's College,
Maynooth, to the vacant See of Down
and Connor in succession to Bishop
Tohill who died about a year ago.
The Bisliop-elect who is in his
fifty-fourth year, has had a distin
guished career as a scholar and
writer of ecclesiastical works.
Born in the year 1861, he was edu
cated at Armagh and Maynooth
College. In the year 1887 he was ap
pointed Professor of Moral Theology
and Sacred Scripture at Olton College,
Birmingham, which" position he re
linquished two year? later on becom
ing Professor of Sacred Scripture,
Hermeneutics, and Oriental Languages
at Maynooth. He was appointed Vice
President of the institution in 1912.
His publications include "The
Gos&el of St. Jobn'4 and "The First
and Second Epistle.4 to the Corin
thians." He was also senior editor
of "The Irish Theological Quarterly,"
which publication he helped to found,
and was a frequent contributor to the
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," "The
Catholic University Bulletin" of
America, and other well-known jour
nals.
mm
FITIEII
Father Lorente was born in Spain
forty-seven years ago, and was a mem
ber of a distinguished family that has
given several of its members to the
service of the Church. He was a mem
ber of the Faculty of the University of
St. Thomas at Manila, when the late
Archbishop Chapelle, then Apostolic
Delegate to the Philippines, appointed
him his private secretary and Auditor
of the Delegation. Returning with the
Archbishop to New Orleans, Father
Lorente became superior of the newly
established community of Dominicans
there. Later he was appointed Vice
Provincial of the Spanish Dominicans
Father Lorente purchased from the
Benedictine Fathers the old site of
their college and seminary at Poncha
toula, La., where he established an ec
clesiastical seminary. The place is
now named Rosaryville. In 1903
Father Lorente was appointed rector
of St. Anthony's Church, New Orleans
where he remained until 1910 when
he was appointed secretary-general of
his province and professor of civil law
at the University of Manila.
FITH FILL RETURNS
WILL CHARGE OF THE
TAKE
PAULIST CHORISTERS OF CHI
CAGO.
V
Rev. William* J. Finn, C." "3. P? for
years director of the famous Paulist
choir in Chicago, but who gave up
that work some time ago on his trans
ference to New York, has been return
ed to Chicago by the Superior of the
Paulists. Father Finn will re-orgaji
1 V
1
1
•»+»•*.'• w /, -fc ^larii-i.rtr^'
1
TAL $200,000.
DEAD
VICE-PROVINCIAL OF 8PANISH
DOMINICANS HAD DISTINGUISH
ED CAREER.
The Very Rev. Thomas Lorente, O.
P., Vice-Provincial of the Dominicans
in Spanish America, Visitator of his
order in Central America, Cuba and
Mexico, and rector of the Church of
St. Anthony of Padua, New Orleans,
died suddenly in that city on Tuesday,
August 24. On the following morning
Solemn Mass of Requiem was sung in
the old church of St. Anthony, in pres
ence of a large throng of clergy and
laity, by the Rev. Gerardo Ramiro,
O. P. The remains, accompanied by
many priests, were taken to Rosary
ville, La., that afternoon. The next
morning Requiem Mass was offered in
the seminary chapel by the rector,
Father Ruano, O. P, after which the
body was laid to rest in the Dominican
cemetery.
'*r I
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i#7
if
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FUMFI GORDON APPOINTED
WILL HAVE CHARGE OF CATHO
LIC INDIANS AT HA8KELL IN
STITUTE, LAWRENCE, KAN*
The Rev. Philip B. Gordon, a full
blooded Chippewa Indian, has been
sent by Cardinal Gibbons to take
charge of the religious welfare of the
200 Catholic Indians attending the
Haskell Institute at Lawrence, Kan.
Father Eckert, pastor of the parish at
Lawrence, has heretofore been chap
lain at the Institute along with his
other duties.
Father Gordon will also work in dif
ferent directions among the Indians
within a hundred miles and less of
Lawrence. These duties will take him
among the Pottawatomies, S&c and
Foxse, Kickapoos and to Chlllocco,
Oklahoma, and two or three Oklahoma
points.
Father Gordon is writing a work
that will be entitled when published,
The Indian's Side of American His
tory." He is one of two Indian
Catholic priests in the United States.
The other is Father Albert Negahn
quet, O. S. B., a member of the Bene
dictine Fathers at Sacred Heart Ab
bey, Oklahoma.
Father Gordon is a graduate of the
College of St. Thomas, and of the St.
Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and
was ordained for his native diocese
of Superior, Wis.
GENEPDSJFFLETLS
MR. fcOUTT AND 80N, Off JACK
SONVILLE, ILL., ENDOWED COL
LEGE GIFTS TO CHURCH TO
Recent issues of the Jacksonville
Courier, of Jacksonville, 111., contain
an account of the deaths of William
R. Routt and his son, Harvey J. Routt,
converts to the Church, who built and
endowed the Routt Catholic Endowed
College (for vocational training) of
Jacksonville and gave generously of
their great wealth to other Catholic
institutions.
Mr. Routt, Sr., was extremely lib
eral to the Church of Our Saviour in
Jacksonville and to its allied interests.
Chief among his gifts was the sum of
$15,000, and the ground on which tlir
building stands, for the foundation o£
Routt College. This institution, which
is named in his honor, he endowed
with an additional gift of $50,000 on
the day of its dedication and later
provided an endowment fund. Other
philanthropies have been the build
ing and equipping of a large addition
to Our Saviour's hospital and a mag
nificent pipe organ to the Church of
Our Saviour. Several subsequent gifts
in greater or less amounts to these
various institutions has brought the
total well up toward $200,000.
CITHKLC OL'KE III
DUKE OF NORFOLK 19 A BENE
FACTOR OF THE HOLY SEE—
ENGLAND'8 PREMIER NOBLE
MAN. _•
The Duke tif Norfolk ft- lying
seriously ill in a nursing Home in
Leeds where he underwent a severe
operation recently. Even if all goes
well, he cannot be moved for several
weeks. His constitution is very
robust but he is not a young man.
Should he not recover his loss would
be an immense one not only to the
Catholic Church in England, but even
to the Holy See itself, for from his
enormous revenues he gives yearly a
sum in excess of the total offering of
Great Britain for Peter's Pence alone.
It is said that since be came into the
Dukedom he had returned to the
Church in one way and another more
than the equivalent of the value of
the property which one of his ances
tors received from the plundered
monasteries.
BEQUESTS TIL REUEIBN
MQJ1. McCANN OF TORONTO
WILLED $10,000 TO
CHARITY.
rThft principal bequest* In the last
.will aad testament of the late Mon
signor McCann, Vioar General of the
Diocese of Toronto, Ontario, Can., are
the folldwing:
Two thousand dollars fof the educa
tion of priests and part of his library
to St. Augustine's Seminary. In the
past two years Mgr. McCann gave six
thousand dollars to the seminary for
endowment and a scholarship $2,000
to St. Michael's Hospital $1,000 to
Archbishop McNeil $1,000 to Catholic
Church Extension Society $1,000 to
•House of Providence $500 to St
Michael's College $500 to Loretto
Academy $500 to St. Joseph's Acad
emy $500 to St Helen's Church $450
to St. Mary's Altar Society $200 to St
Joseph's Convent on Bathurst street
$200 to Good Shepherd Convent $200
to Precious Blood Convent $150 to
St. Marys Conference of St. Vincent
de Paul Society. 1
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HIS HOLINESS PLEASED WITH
E I N E V I E W A N E
CARDINAL GIBBONS BY PRESN
DENT WIL80N.
Recent dispatches from the Eternal
City are to the effect that Pope Bene
dict was gratified to learn of the
cordiality that marked the inter
view between President Wilson and
Cardinal Gibbons on Thursday of last
week when His Eminence delivered to
the President in Washington a mes
sage from the Pope dealing with
peace.
His Holiness said that he hoped
everybody, both in Europe and the
United States, would be convinced
that his constant prayer is for the
ending of the war, and that his work
In this direction is entirely disinterest
ed, being inspired only by the teach
ings of Christ and his love for human
ity.
He added that he would be ready
to give the whole support of the Cath
olic Church to the person, institution
ITALIAN COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF,
OFFICERS AND PRIVATES AS
SIST AT MASS SAID BY A
PRIE8T-SOLDIER.
"Priest-Soldiers" is the heading in
fi&e liberal Corriere della Sera of a
vivid article written a few days ago
from X..., which one guesses will be
somewhere near the front, says
"Rome." It describes once more the
"Soldier's Mass," the church crammed
with troops, a special place bring kept
for officers on one side. "One comes
in quietly and mingles with the
crowd it is the Commander-in-Chief,
Cadorna, all rise to make room for
him he whispers to them not to move
and finds a place in a corner at the
end of a bench of officers." A Relig
ious Chaplain celebrates, Father
Semeria after the Gospel another
4
THE POPE AND PEACE
MASS AT THE FRONT
MTEIESTIHC MIL COLLEGE FOB GIRLS
RUINS OF OLD FRANCISCAN FRI
ARY NEAR LONDON, FOUNDED
IN 1499 AND 8UPPRES8ED IN
1&34, DISCOVERED.
A discovery which has just
made at Richmond recalls some of
the Catholic memories of the London
suburbs. The Red Cross Hospital on
Richmond Green is being enlarged
by breaking a doorway into the ad
joining house, Abingdon Lodge. On
clearing the panelling from the wall
on the Abingdon Lodge side, it was
found that the plaster behind it was
decorated with fresco painting of pre
Reformation date. It is believed the
painting indicates that the wall is
part of the buildings of the Fran
ciscan Friary, which once stood on this
site. The house was founded in 1499
by King Henry VII, who held his court
at Richmond throughout his reign, and
indeed gave it the name which it
still bears, changing its old name of
Sheen into that of Richmond in mem
ory of his title before he became king.
The Friary was suppressed in 1534 by
his son, Henry VIII, but Catholic Rich
mond remembers its brief existence,
chiefly on account of one of the last
of its friars, who was put to death at
Tyburn, but whose name has not yet
been placed upon the honored list of
the beatified martyrs. The case is
complicated by the fact that the
charge of treason made against him
was connected with the alleged
prophecies of "the holy maid of Kent."
But there can be little doubt that he
sacrificed his life in consequence of
his opposition to the first steps taken
by Henry to change the religion of
England. In an age when far too
many men were chiefly anxious to take
the safest and easiest course the Fran
ciscans showed an unswerving loyalty
to the Holy See, and Henry honored
them with the .special marks of his
hatred. The Friary at Richmond was
one of the first of their houses to be
suppressed. It was believed that the
buildings were completely demolished
soon after, but the discovery at Abing
don Lodge seems to indicate that part
of the old Friary was embodied in
the newer buildings which now occupy
its site.
ITILLLL TLFLLTL
FATHER BALDUCCI HA8 CHARGE
OF ITS ERECTION AT WALLA
WALLA, WASH.
The new Italian church ai Tftftth
and Alder streets, Walla Walla, Wash.,
is nearing completion, under the direc
tion of Rev. R. Balducci, who is pas
tor of the Italian colony and chaplain
of St. Mary's Hospital. When com
pleted the building will be free frdm
debt. Later on a parish hall will be
built near the church which will be
used for the Sunday school and gen
era,! church meetiasp.
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HISTORIC
I
1
SOOIFCRY.
Number 37
or country that undertook the noble
mission of ending the war.
He expressed pleasure over the fact
that the diplomatic negotiations be
tween the United States and Germany
had resulted in a promise from Ger
many to modify her submarine war
fare.
The Pontiff said that President
Wilson, having shown hoth groups of
belligerents the fairness, firmness
and good will of the American govern
ment, could now address them with
authority and probably induce them
to take the preliminary steps which
would lead gradually to negotiations
for peace.
The Vatican is besieged with
requests from all parts of the world
for information regarding the possible
action by Pope Benedict in concert
with the United States in favor of
peace. The reply of the Vatican to
these messages is that nothing of a
positive nature exists, and that the
visit of Cardinal Gibbons, to Presi
dent Wilson must not be regarded as
the first step in a new papal initiative.
Religious with a name equally well
known, Father Gemelli, speaks for a
few minutes. On the war? No, on
the Christ Who throughout Palestine
gave the blind sight, the deaf hearing,
the dumb speech. It is in the time
of trial and danger that we all, he
said, from the humblest to the high
est, the most ignorant to the most
learned, think of religion. It is then
we care for it. He told a little story.
One day not long ago there was a
biggish fight going on and the Com
mander-in-Chief had to get to the
front—and quick. But next day was
Sunday. "No Mass tomorrow morn
ing, I'm afraid, Father," General Cad
orna? said "if we can't, we can't."
"Can't we?" said General Porro who
was standing by. And Cadorna, after
a minute's thought, said "Why not?"
—and turning to the Staff, "Mass to
morrow morning at half past four for
all who ljke to come." All came.
RELIGIOUS OF SACRED HEART
EMPOWERED TO CONFER DE
.GREES BY STATE OF OHIO IN
NEW COLLEGE AT CLIFTON.
The first Catholic College, with the
privilege of conferring degrees, to be
established in the State of Ohio will
be opened at the Sacred Heart Aca
demy, Clifton, with the beginning of
the coming season on Tuesday, Sep
tember 14. After thorough inspection
by the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction of the course, equipment,
faculty and buildings, all being found
to meet the State requirements, the
religious of the Sacred Heart were
empowered by the State of Ohio to
confer degrees upon Btudents who
had satisfactorily completed their col
lege course.
The Sisters of the Academy, which
will henceforth be known as the Col
lege and Asademy of the Sacred
Heart, have received many congratu
lations from the alumnae and from
the local clergy upon the honor con
ferred upon their institution.
SISIEB'S G|P JUBILEE
ORPHANS' FRIEND CELEBRATES
BOTH ANNIVERSARY OF RELIG
IOUS PROFESSION OFFICER8
OF THE MASS WERE HER
"BOYS."
The fiftieth anniversary of the re
ligious profession of Sister Mary Fred
erica, superioress of St. Vincent's Or
phan Asylum, Tacony, Pa., was made
the occasion of a notable celebration,
the principal feature of which was a
Solemn High Mass offered up in St.
Vincent's Church Sunday, August 22.
With one exception the officiatir|K
priests had been orphans in the as*
lum. They had journeyed from Tefc
neSsee, California and Indiana to tl*£
golden jubilee celebration of the ven
erable religious who in their boyhood
had taken the place of a mother tar
them.
The Rev. George Michel, rector of
St. Vincent's Church and chaplain
the asylum, delivered the sermon
For this occasion the St. Vinceiit
Ladies' Aid had the church paintejk
decorated and furnished with threio
Hew altars and electric lights. Othst1
donations were made by kind friends*
and benefactors of the asylum. Thes®
gifts included Stations, sixteen nej#
windows, a sanctuary lamp and aa
altar gong.
The jubilarian was born in Karll*
ruhe, Baden, September 18,1844. Whi&
a child she came with her parents id
this country, and at the age of sixteen
she left the world to enter the convent.
She received the habit of the Ordsr
of the School Sisters of Notre Daiho
in Milwaukee, August 22, 1864. In the
following ypar, on August 28, she mad$
her religious profession.
iiii•una i n
J.J.