The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-05-24

AND CATHOLIC MESSENGER,
dren making their Axst communion num-
bered one hundred and fifty, several nf
them having been been obaptased tie day
before. Besides these, there were some
three hundred othes children who reoeivsd
holy communion. The necessity for = new
church, and much larger one, in that
parish ia very evident. The children Only,
OF the congregation, completely filed all
the pews and Q large portion of the aisles of
the church last Thursday, being fairly
crammed in. The remaining space of the
aisles and upper galleries could contain but
small fraction of the anxious crowd of
parents and friends in attendance. It was
beautiful sight to look up and down the
middle aisle, the pews on both sides Of
which were principally occupied by the
children of the first communion, and see,
on either hand, that forest of wax candles
rising from mosaic of wells and wreaths.
The perfect uniformity of costume among
the children on these occasions is typical OF
that charity which sees only the image Of
God in its fellow man. There is no dis
tinction among them from social considers
tions. Size is the only title to precedence.
At four O'Clock in the afternoon vespers
were sung, followed by the renewal of hap
tismal vows, the oblation of the young COM
municants to their Holy Mother, and the
ceremony of depositing their candles at her
altar. Many of the first communicate were
also invested with the scapular, the livery
Of their great Queen. The Rev. Fathers in
charge of the parish were untiring in their
efforts to make the occasion as perfect
success as possible. Rev. Father Smith de
ivered as many as six sermons and adj
dresses during the day, having previously
conducted the three days preparatory re-
treat. Among incidents of especial interest
connected with the day was the reading of
the renewal of vows and of the act of con-
secration. The first was accomplished on
behalf of fellow communicates, by an intel
igent and interesting little boy, named j.
L. Miller. Miss Mary O'Mealia read the act
Of conservation in clear, ringing tones, full
of feeling and expression.
day was the appearance of the boys from
the st. Vincent's Home. They formed q
procession sixty strong, headed By those
who were to make their first communion,
eighteen in number, and preceded by two
little boys carrying flowers. They were
neatly clad, especially the boys for COM
munion. who were uniformed with white
pants, black jackets, white gloves, and straw
hats. AS their procession moved on, two
by two, they were accompanied each by his
mother or father, or some other relative,
who appeared to take the most intense in
terest in the proceeding. The popularity
Of this establishment may be judged from
the fact that gentlemen raised their hats as
the procession passed them.
1t is popularity of this institution that
an intimate and constant intercourse is kept
up between the inmates and their families
In fact, they are, by rule, at the expense of
their parents, though, in few instances,
this rule may be violated. The children are
half orphans, whose surviving parent is too
much occupied with laboring for a support
to be able to have that supervision over
them SO necessary for their physical, mental,
and moral wel-being. They place them in
this house, frequently paying as high as ten
dollars per month for their support, and
nearly always supply their clothing. One
instance was told us of a mother, who is
obliged to work out as domestic one halt
of her wages she gives toward the support
of her three boys at the home, and out of
the other half she clothes them as we'll as
herself She managed, however, to save
enough to buy two magnificent wax candles,
costing five dollars, for two of her boys who
were making their first communion. There
are but few, if any, of the boys who are no,