The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-02-25
Mission of the Prisons.

Mission of the Prisons.
~ was "a in prison and you came to me-" st. Matt
| How few of those who have heard these
sacred words enunciated from the pulpit, or
read them in the Holy Bible thousands of
times, ever dwell sufficiently long earnestly
| upon them to appreciate their full force, and
! resolve, by the faithful performance of their
duties in this respect as in others, to merit the
| eternal reward promised. True, all cannot
personally visit the prisons and, in fact, the
injunction is not intended to convey any such
command, but all, women we'll men, can
spiritually and by other means than personal
our Divine Lord.
Catholic ladies and Catholic gentlemen! To
you, particularly, is this appeal addressed.
Read, and in few simple words we will show
you the path to the fulflment of this import
ant duty. Through the charity of the Rev.
Superior of the Jesuits in this city, the services
of most jealous member of the Society Of
Jesus have been secured as chaplain of tho
prisons. In the performance of the duties de-
volving upon him such, he has been most
forcibly struck by the state of mental starva-
ton in which he the prisoners pass the
weeks and months of their confinement. His
heart is torn with anguish when he beholds
men and women who have, perhaps (for many
of them are not convicted, and many of them
are, doubtless, innocent) transgressed the lave,
doomed to confinement, with no work to per-
form, no friends TO visit them, and no good
books to read from which they might with
the grace of God draw the inspiration neces-
sary TO cause them to bear their sufferngs
with patience and resignation and to resolve
on a thorough reformation of their lives.
Under the auspices of certain members of a
charitable society of laymen, whose rules de-
precate the too public mention of its NAME
this good Jesuit missioner has resolved to
make some effort to raise funds to buy n suit
able library for the use Of the prisoners. The
Hon. Il. Wharton Collens has most kindly of
fered his services to lecture for the benefit of
this good work. The lecture takes place to-
morrow evening at = o'clock in St. Alphonsus
Hall, ST. Andrew street near the corner of
Magazine.
Your duty, Christian reader, and we speak
alike to the poor and the ric is to aid this work
by purchasing tickets You can't personally
visit the prison; very well, you can enable those
who do visit it to make their visits more well
come and useful yon ean help to provide the
prisoners with what ia more necessary, as it is
more important, than food for the body food
for the mind. You would not refuse a poor,
starving beggar, who had not tasted food for
many days, morsel from your bountifully
provided table: how, then, can you refuse
mental food to fellow beings, many of whom
perhaps, are no more guilty in the sight of God
than yourself, and, if more guilty, then more
than ever deserving your pity
AS we remarked last week, we dwell only
upon the charity and duty of assisting this
work, and not upon the profit and pleasure to
be derived from attending the Hon. Judges
lecture, for we feel that it would be a work of
superora CATION for us to commend him to a
people who, for years before the STAR was
ushered into existence, We're wont to look up
to him as of their most learned, upright
and Jealous leaders. Let each one, then, in
contributing towards the success of this lee
ture place one book in the library as a lasting
testimonial of his willingness to fulfill the
Divine precept, To visit those who are in
prison.