The New York herald., 1866-07-23
THE PORTLA' Nd CALAMITY.

He0IEE0uY-Sef.
mon at st. Jose ,ph's Church by Bishop
Bacon.
Collections were ye sterday taken up in accordance
with the request OF Archbishop McCloskey in all the
Catholic churches II this city, the proceeds Of which
to 60 to the reiefe the sufferers by tho late disastrous
confagation in ,rtland As is well known the Catholic
population Of thu city have been losers by the
fire. and many Of them have been reduced to state Of
penury in COY lsequence Besides this their cathedral
and another hurc the Convent of the Sisters Of Mercy
many Of tho Catholic schools the Bishops residence
among he buildings destroyed The collections in
all the ch' riches very large The total
tributed Ill be given to the Right Rev D. W. Bacon
bued aong the sufferers according to his discretion.
BISHOP RAcoN APPEAL FOR AID.
The ermon at the half past ten O'Clock high mass at st.
Josepi's. church, in Sixth avenue, yesterday, was
pres led by Bishep Bacon and was an eloquent appeal
for a. behalf Of his distressed flock. Twenythree
The rst gospel having been read the right reverend
speaker ascended the altar and proceeded deliver his
the gospel Of the day wherein the Evangelist mar
rates how our Saviour wep over the evils that were TO
befa the city Of Jerusalem in Of its hav
ing displeased Almighty God the Bishop said that the
language Of the gospel was the most appropriate that he
could use on this occasion our saviour was moved ca
people 'knew not the time OF their visitation" The
evils that about to befa them had been brought
down upon them by their own acts, and our
Saviour wep their obstnacy and perverseness in
putting themselves under the Divine vengeance We,
have fallen city Of this nation-evs that he hoped
the result Of Gods wrath, the destruc
Almighty in the order Of His providence parental
chassementsas reminders OF the duties owe to the
ana as anS ~ M On
good pleasure. Affections were the common lot OF NOR
tails and God sends them upon his creatures In the same
spirit as that which anmates father who corrocts
beloved child. They come to US under a variety of
forms In the loss Of Children in another Of
beloved spouse; sometimes in the deprivation all
earthly possessions and at other times the loss Of good
name and reputation by means Of the malice and
enmity OF our fellow men All these Affections how
ever, II accepted in proper spirit, will tend
to our welfare in the world to come II we con-
they partake of the nature of blessings and inure to
credit in the final accounting between man and the
great Creator He was happy to have to say that his
the deepest aiction by the late disastrous calamity,
bore up under the dispensation with heroic forti
was truly Christian They now stretched forth their
hands to their fellow Catholics here and elsewhere to
that their appeal would be heard for among tho Ca
tholics of this great metropolitan city no call for charity
ago he had standing at that same altar solicited their
assistance for the poor orphans Well did he recollect
how noby they had responded TO that ca Now ne was
Of his sorowful and sorrowing flock In far distant
city, and he knew that their response would be
| as generous as IL the former occasion.
About eleven years ago the Holy See 1T to confer
upon him the dignity Of the epscopacy and assigned
him 10 newly erected diocese In the northern portion
| Of Now England. The soil he there expected to
plant with the seed Of Catholic truth not congenal
The preudces OF the people aeanst the Catholic Church
were very strong the Catholics few in number
(not more than five thousand poor in the worldly sense
opposition expressed against any Catholic bishop taking
hs residence among them that of his clereyme
writing to him from Portland after his conservation
said "I very much fear that you will enter your eps
copal city only through the blood OF many Of spr
tual children" This feeling Of maevolencc and pre-
judice had, however thank 0od passed away, and
better kinder had taken its place He set him
self to work. arriving to visit his diocese, collected
his scattered flock well as he able and Instituted
measures for providing them with means TO observe the
practices OF their religion. Churches were built con-
established for the children Long and patiently had his
people abored 10 effect this result and manuly did they
operate with him in achieving H. Bu now their day
Of trial had come Churches convent schools all had
bcen destroyed in one night The poor people under
his charge had indeed suffered severely The demon Of
Fire had swept everything away from them In many
their little savings had been lost, and they
were rendered houselcss and pennilcss. From
among all his flock he knew not who had not suffer-
ed by the confagrstion greater less extent Fif
teen thousand people were now living in tents the
OF their happy homes exposed to the burning
heats Of this torrd season ana subjected to a The ncon
vencnces that loss Of home occasioned. II was under
these that he had ventured 10 appear be-
fore the congregation OF St. Joscphs and ask their aid
and assistance for his suffering flock He knew he should
not ask 1t In vain. The new cathedral Tor his diocese
had bcon nearly completed when this coniagraton
cured and his people looking forward with hope
and pleasure tho time when they would be priv-
been dispeed. Fire had consumed the cdace,
| and all their and his labos for eleven
years had been brought TO naught He himself bad lost
the labor OF tn rty Whatever he possessed in the
way Of other literature had been destroyed,
and the the with most OF his priests; but
still they did despair Trusting In God they would
the field, replace what had been taken away,
build up what had been destroyed and again provide the
people with what necessary to carry out the OBJ
servances of the church. The noble response of the
generous Catholics OF New York day would give them
fresh courage and rcanimate their efforts IN this drec
ton. In conclusion he hoped that the exercise of
charity the part OF this noble archdiocese would
Almighty God TO shower down his graccs and favors
nal happiness In the life TO come-a blessing which he
wished them all
A very large collection was then taken up, the coll
lcctors plates beng hcaped with greenbac and the
high proceeded with to It's conclusion, the
Right Reverend Bishop pronouncing the Episcopal bene
dicton after the administration Of the communion.
Contribution for tho Portland Sufferers.
AUGUSTA, Me, July II, 1865.