The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-05-10

aid Tho other directly, powerfully, constsntly.
and forever. On the outskirts Of tho city, BE-
tween the ground now occupied by the Central
dotted with sAanties and enlivened by goats
the areloaahop laid out new Pariah, and aP-
pointed .a Father Hecker pastor Of it who forth
neighbofhood for the site of the church and for
the home Of the new community. All gathers
round achnroh-parochial school, parsonage,
this tss
new, but in strict accordance with the System
Thus, a movement, designed to convert Mr.
Emerson and his friends, and the educated
minister to the spiritual wants of the poorest
and most ignorant people living in the North
this care for the very. poorest and forlonsst of
hnman kind, this caring for them first, jpst as
we help children first at the table because they
Are the hu1gIsst and least sweet
In the same prOject,-it Is thts that lnelts the
heart and gives pause to the mind. If it were
possible for me to be CathOlic-which think
It i: mott is this that would bring me to it.
II, in this city Of New York, there - any such
thing rs realized, working Christianity, it may
be seen in one of it's poor, dansely peop1e1
desolation, excepting alone in tho sacred en-
closure around the church, where brighter In
terror cheers the leisure hours; where pictures,
music and stately ceremonial exait the poor
can ever be found. And observe: these bless
ings are not doled out to them as charity;
these poor people have the privilege of paying
for them and sustaining them. The church Is
their own; the spacious and elegant school
1lonse is their own; the priest is supported and
the whole expense of every part of the parish
system is borne by them. And nothing else in
the parish works we'll or economically but the
church. The landlord gives them bad lodgings
for high rents; the city officials leave noun
tains of filth before their doors !; the water
yvil1 HOx int I,o he
store is on so small scale that its profits must
be exorbitant. All in their lot, all in their sur
roundings, il mean, nasty. inefficient, forbid
ding,-excePt their church.
Ten years have passed. Upon the ground
bought by Father Hecker we now see y large
and handsome church, adorned with pictures
Ole churches here. The fashionable quarter of
the city has been drawing nearer to it, so that
now the congregation is composed of those who
live in brown-stone houses, as well as of those
who assist i'll building them; and the service il
performed with an elegance and finish seldom
seen in the United States. Adjoining the church
is a spacious and commodious house for the
Fathers and students belonging to the new
community, who are called Paulists. The COM
munity now consists of six priests twelve stu
dents, and four servants,-all but one OF two of
whom are converts" !. e. Catholics who were
once Professionals. The special work Of this
community is, to bring the steam printing
press to bear upon the spread of the Catholic
religion IN the United States. The matter pub
w
new tracts, the articles of the monthly maga-
zine called The Catholic World, and the smaller
volumes designed for sunday-school libraries,
are chiefly, written OF. edited by the Paulist
Fathers Every Catholic church has connected
with it several voluntary societies such a. the
Altar Society, Of ladies' who take care of the
decoration and publication Of the altar; the
Conference Of st. Vincent de Paul. for the relief
Of the poor; the Society Of the Holy Rosary,
for simultaneous devotion; the Society of the
Holy Infancy, for the promotion of missions in
heathen lands; the Father Mathew Society, for
1nutnal protection against the poor mans worst
enemy; the Sunday-school Society, Of teachers;
ready-made, for the distribution Of the tracts
and volumes prepared by the Paulist Fathers
In their pleasant retreat near the Hudson River.
This community in one important particular,
differs from other Catholic Urders-it exacts no
special vows of it's members. Father Heclker
is al american, d patriotic American, an Ameri-
can who believes in American principles,-in
short, he is what we used to call a good Jeffer-
sonian Democrat Being that in politics, he
desires to be it also in religion for he is of
opinion that a proposition which is true at the
son says, " All men are equals" "True," says
this american priest, because they are all
brothers." Jefferson says, Man is capable of
self-government." True" adds Father Hecker,
" tor man il made in the image of his Creator"
This Paulist community, therefore, is conducted
on the American principles: the door opens
both ways" no man remains q moment longer
than he chooses; and every inmate is as free in
all his works and ways as son is in the we'll
ordered house of a wise father.
What powerful engine is this! Suppose
the six ablest and highest Americans were
living thus, freed from all worldly cares, in an
agreeable, secluded abode, yet near the centre
OF things, with twelve jealous, gifted young
men to help and cheer them, thousand organ,
izasions in the country to aid in distributing
the1r writing, and in every town a spacious
ediflce and an eager audience to hang upon
their lips. What could they not effect in q life
time of well-directed workf Father Hecker
Lives so remote from the worldly anxieties. that
he did not know the amount of his own salary
until told him. That is not in his depart
ment:: He has nothing to think of but his work.
convert lis by convincing our reason. There is
nothing which they deny with much empha-
sis and veaemence as the common assertion
| that the Roman Catholic Church demands of
man the submission abdication of his reason
Father Hacker in his snirited mud nlonuont