The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-13
The shining Of the choir. Was very fine.

Farmers mass i'm B fat was rendered in fine
style, and reflected great credit upon the
members. When all did 50. well 1t would
not be justice TO single out those performing
themore important points forespecial praise
The choir is steadily improving, and its ma
terial, SO we'll known to our people, is OF
such a character as toigives promise OF one oil
the best ii not the best choir in the city.
/ A very beautiful feature of the day was
the procession before the Blessed Sacrament
| OF the children of the congregation. bearing
| lights in their hands and strewng flowers as
they walk ahead Of the ostcntorium. The
girls looked sweet and innocent clad in their
Snow-whitc garments, and the boys looked
| their hest. ... IN .ss...,..,.s-
The sermon was short but very lucid eX.
planation of the belief Of Catholics In the
doctrine Of the Holy Eucharist, delivered by
| Rev. Father Handley.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
| As soon as mass was flushed the Conven-
ton rea,sembled, with William kigcur in
the chair, and James ID. Brady and 5. C..
| Philips secretaries.
Minutes OF the morning session read and
| adopted T.
President Kigour vacated the chair. aud
called the Ficc-President, Mr. Glennan, OF
Norfolk. 10 IT.. - t;ff.-a .,4ss;# Z! s....~ (.
CATHOLIC PROGRESS IN VIRGINIA. ,s:.s.
Hon. \. N. Kelley offered the following
| preamble and resolutions = ~; o. II. .-~'-'
Whereas there is at present no record of
the history of the Catholic Church in Vir-
ginia. and the materials for such history con.
| sist almost exclusively in tho memories of
a generation which is passing away; and
| whereas it Is of the highest Importance that
these should be gathered and preserved,
| Res0lUed. That the Catholic Benevolent
Union of Virginia earnestly recommends to
/ its subordinate societies the appointment Of
one or more persons in their respective COM
| munities authorized and requested to pre-
pare a memoir of the establishment and his
| tory of the Catholic church or churches in
| his ueighborhood, the same to be reported
| to the next meeting of the State Union.
! fesolueG, That copy of this resolution
| be communicated officially by the secleshry
of the Union to each society connected with
| it. 10 80
| Resolrcd, That our delegates TO the Ma
| tional Union be instructed to present to that
body the propriety of a similar undertaking
| throughout the country, in order that the
valuable and perishing materials for the &C.
neral history of the Catholic Church in the
United States may be gathered AMI pre-
served.
In advocating the adoption Of the fore
going. Mir. Kelley said: Mr.. Presdeut,-
Since | have been connected with the State
Union of Virginia have constantly cher
ished the hope that our organization, while
mainly deyoting itself to the benevolent pur-
poses for which it was established. might
also. and without prejudice to this para
mount aim, charge itself with some impor-
tant service TO the cause of Catholcity, and
| earn thereby the gratitude even of those of
our fifth who do not feel called on to extend
/ to us their personal assistance and cOGpela-
| ton. .... -....E.-
| In every city and village Of our State,
where the gilded cross proClaims the pres
cnce OF the one Christian sacrifice, there is Il
story to tell of fortitude and faith. of infinite
lahor and much obloquy, Of manly 'disap-
pontments and much persecution, but of
tiual aud assured triumph; the aggregate of
which constitutes the unwritten but most
instructive story of Catholic progress in
| Virginia. The noble labererS by whom
these tolls were borne aud this victory
achieved arc rapidly passing away. Many
of them have already gone to their reward,
aud the rest stand with sifrered heads aud
i
which Is TO them the cherished rest from
many labors-the vestilule to their eternal
recompensc. In their fading memories, and
there alone, lie the traditions which. when
gathered and dgestcd will constitute the
history of the Church in our beloved Com
monwealth. ,...
10 collect and preserve in enduring form
these memories is tue pious task to which l
would summon our brethren throughout
the State. Let there be chosen In every
community where Catholic benevolent So
ciety exists, by whatever name called and
from whatever nationality descended, some
brother with the Christian ealapd industry
ueedful for this task who will labor like
tue bero of SCOTS immortal story, to deepen
and fix the vanishing memorials of Catholic
history, that " hen in the future the marvel
lous story of American Catholicism Is to be
written the annaist may find the matter for
virginia's chapter finished to bis hand by the
wise forecast Of our Benevolent Union. g.
| Nor would | bc content with success here
alone. desirable as esteem it. / entertain
the hope that the seed we sow to-day my
not only develop into great ana Denenceht
growth in our own boz ders, but Ike the
marvellous tree of the East it may spread its
branches in rank luXuriance on every side
each branch taking root aneW-untli the
whole land shall be covered with canopy
of happy ofishoots from this parent stem.
Hence | have provided for the plesenta-
tiun of our plan to the National Union ID
thecvntident expectation that that great BODY
will indoIse the scheme and constitute the
Irish Catholic Benevolent Union u Grauti
historical society, charged with tn. collection
and preservation Of every material that can
serve to illustrate the growth OF the anne
Iican church. ~.
But, while anticipating this happy en-
Iarpemept of nv scheme, confess. sir, am
Jealous of winning for Virginia the honor
Of inaugurating the plan. Let Virginia, the
first state Union which affiliated with the
federal BODY, be also the first to move III the
great enterprise of writing the history OF
Catholicity in the United States. Let us, t3c
feeblest IN numbers, be the foremost to move
| in this useful undertaking, winning to oui
l endeayor the applause Of our brethren ano
the blessing of God.
The resolutions were unanimously adoptea
| AMENDMENTS TO TIE CONSTITUTION.
By Mr.. John Lannon: TO amend the con
stitution so as to allow one delegate TO eact
one hundred members, or fractional part
and one delegate at large.
i Bv Mr.. r. E. English: To have commit
tee of three from the Convention to audit
the accounts of the secretary and treasurer
and report the same.
BY Mr. james A. Higgins: That the repre-
seutation Of each organization shall be ont
delegate for each one hundred members ol
fractional part thereof, but that each society
aIlalI be entitled to q vote for each fifty lnem