The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-30
Tho Propagation Of the Faith.

Tho Propagation of the Faith.
INTERESTING LETTER TO THE ASSOCIATION FROM
MGR. MARTIN, OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MIS-
sroNs OF AMERICA.
The Catholic Repieto copies the following from
the "Annals" for the current quarter:
On the 18th of January, 1873, the third Pro-
vincial Council of New Orleans was solerunly
opened. The imposing ceremony took place
under the Presidency Of the Most Rev. DR..
re OF Nex and was
the province, namely, the Right Rev. DR.. Du-
buis, Bishop of Galveston; the Right Rev. DR..
Fitzgerald, Bishop of Little Rock the Right
Rev. Dr.. Quinlan, Bishop Of Mobile; the ight
Rev. Dr.. Elder, Bishop. of Natchez, and the
Right Rev. DR.. Martin, Bishop of Natchitoches.
Previous to separating the Rev. Fathers ad-
the Central Councils of the Association for the
Propagation of the Faith:
NEW ORLEANS, 21st January, 1873.
Gentlemen-Assembled in Provincial Council
in New Orleans, the Archbishop and Bishops
Galveston and Natchitoches, having, in their
DEGREES. specially recommended to the clergy
and the faithful committed to their charge the
tion of the Faith, deemed it their duty to cd
dress, you, gentlemen, to whose prudent direo-
ton Divine Providence has committed tho As
sociation, and to express their admiration for
to yourselves personally.
Yes, truly, there can be no doubt Of tho
divine origin of an institution unique in the
history Of ages, and sfording, as it does, an
| object of admiration to the faithful and q
| source of consolation in these latter days, to
| our Holy Church, afflicted with innumerable
More than half century ago, when Europe
was reposing in peace, after thirty years OF
sanguinary struggles, and the Church was
leading back to God the nations separated
/ from lin hu n 1nncv nf
crime, Satan began to weave in secret the nets
| that in course of time should spread over every
civilized country, and set about preparing the
universal and terrible revolt of the nineteenth
| century against the Lord and against Hit
| Christ, the end of which was to dethccne God
| Himself, to Substitute falsehood aud blasphemy
the worship of the three great passions Who's.
foui empire was crushed on Calvary. 1t was
just at this epoch pregnant with social revo
lutiens the overthrow of thrones, nnheard OF
caIamites, aud impending disasters, that,
under the hand of God, there sprung up in the
lowliest circumstances a work calculated K
attain degree of influence unheaFd of since
Apostolic times, and destined, under the tftit
| of the Association for the Propagation of the
Faieh, to ,cast in all simplicity and Chart!
victorious defiance against the deep-aio
sctre3sts OF Satan.
Mhe cap help being surprised, we are
| seeing The rapid and extraordinary way ir
| which this veFk of faith has spread the king
dom Of God ,thro gbout she entire world
| Whe can help contemplating witch admira
ton the wonderful orgaaization 10y means OF
| which this iastitntion has, in the course OF
half - eentupy, opened up innumec&eie routes
for thousand Of apostolic labOrers, who have
illuminated with the great lights ct the city
of GOD the oountries dweeling in dasG ness, and
the people wrapped in the shades of nightf
| Who can hear without ACCOMPLISHMENTS of the
eyer-incpeaaing number Of episcopal sees, con
solidating the Kingdom Of Jesus Christ in re
gions where Satan lately .Esigned tri0nphaut
and thaeindetinitely extending the S"Sndarie'
lnf CHI a iuip orSiUn
| Who can think wthOas emotion of the
countless affairs erected by this great society IL
every ciine, affairs on which we see fulfilled
to the letter the promise that, from the risinR
to the setting of the sun, shoGid be ofeSed the
pure oblati0u of the immediate Lamb. ammo
lated from the beginning of tie world
Who can ee2se to wonder at the untold NUM-
Der of colleges, communities, holy asylumS OF
all sorts scattered with profusien by the Asso
citation, even in the least known Countries
whence arise t0R0rds heaven more praise and
| prayers, aud love, than all the curSes and
maledictions that iDpiety could cast in the
face of Godf
Whos in fine, can help noting with admira
ton how in an aye SO Ielk ed in other respects
the map of the world has become the chart Of
the peaceful aud benehcent conquests of Holy
Church, conquestS achieved by the blood SoS
clothed and sustaiued by the truly Catholic
work of the Propagation Of the Faith
| And if, farming our attention to the American
Union, to WHICH we belong we cons consider GL the
with it's seven ecclesiastical provinces, sixty.
two bishops, 5000 priests, i5S converts Of men
400 communities of women, 1900 churches 81
colleges, its hospitals, asylums for the yOnDE
aud the eyed, its innumeEable c shIi nn9
schools, while, half century ago, this vast
Republic had only a few bishops governing
. hundred priests, and, at the most, dozen
| religious establishments we are moved to
adore the hand of God which has accomplished
all these things, and arc constrained by graft
| tude to turn our eyes towards the great work
which He has been pleased to make the Prin-
cipsl instrument of His mercfes. The thou
| ne. have not it is true done everything. nor
could it be expected they should. And yes,
without the Association, where ahOuld we be :
How many dioceses it would have been i'm
apostolate wOnld have remained unfruttful ;