The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-03-28
Local Correspondence.
-. PatriclS's zay in ST. sEary's church
HOLLIDAYsBURG. March 19 1873

I 'ue IiloSJ universally cele DRAFTED DAYS of any
whose memory is held in venelation has
come and gone. | mean St Patrick day
lesterday, the glorious 18th. was day of
Joy and gladness to the children of the
Catholic talth-especially to those of Irish
. birth. This anniversary of the ilustrious
St Patrick is hailed with enthusiastic glad
ness by the sons and daughters of Erin
wherever they chance to be. The Irish
man in his dear native home while eele-
bratmg the festivities of the day with that
emblem of the blessed trinity, the sham
rock, in his hat and something to drown it
III his hand, and with his heart beating
proudly and responsively to joyous memo
lies of the occasion, draws fresh incentives
Co his mirth from the consciousness that
millions i'll other and distant climes are
the sharers of his eXuberant joys.
1t matters not where an Iishman's lot
may be-whether in the remotest parts of
the old or new wOrld-whether on the
stormy ocean, borne aloft on the tempest
tossed pillows. or buried in the wild forests
| of America-hiS thoughts wander back to
his own dear land on the recurrence of St.
Patrick 5 day, thus truly fulfilling the word
of Erin's bard, wherever | am, whatever
lands | see, my heart untraveled fundly
| turns to thee - ] too may have wandered
/ from-my subject, and must return to the
| object of my communication, which is
| briefly TO record how the good parishioners
of st. Mary's celebrated the festival
Fully impressed, no doubt, with the con-
viction that the most suitable way in which
I to honor the feast day of any of the Saints
! is by the oblatiOn of the holy sacrifice, we
| had high mass celebrated by the Rev J.
Martin, the good and amiable pastor of St
/ Mary's church, large multitude of devout
worshlppers being present. This was sim
1 ply our morning exercise, and could the
/ day have been more auspiciOusly and pro-
1 perly commenced? Even this of itself
would have been sufficient to mark the
| Catholic $ appreciation Of the great day
/ But our good people had something else in
/ store for them, for in the evening they were
! delighted beyond measure when. accord
/ ing to previous announcement, that truly
| Jealous, efficient and eloquent young priest,
Father Fitzgerald, the much beloved pas
| tor of MyersdaIe, entertained them for
about one hour with one of the most inter
esting and brilliant diScOurseS il has ever
/ been our good fortune to listen to, and
manya good and finished one have we heard
! in our time. ShOnld any doubts be indulged
! III on this point, we need only say to the
! dOubters, you know not the powers of the
orator nor the candor of the writer. The
Rev. Father dweH principally upon the vir-
/ tues of the Irish and the vices which they
/ do not possess, but which their enemies at
/ tribute to them. He brought forth in adj
mirahle style the prominent virtues of the
/ IllSn CHARACTER SliCn as tnGlI llnperISnaDlC
/ love for the faith of ST. Patrick, clingiug to
it despite the bloody persecution of the
most heartleSs and tyTanical government
/ the world ever looked upon. This part of
the subject was handled by the orator with
great force of reasoning and with match
less eloquerce. The lecturer took up the
+ false charges, SO often rcfuted, yet so trite
and credible among a certain claSs-IrislI
I Ignorance and lntemperance. OF the man
4 ltp i'm wi these liCS
were handled, | have only to say, that !
, could wish that some of those who make
such grOuudlesS accusations had been pres
ent, | assure them that if they had heard
this discourse they would over afterwards
observe the stl1ctest silence about Irish
ignorance, etc. ! do not attempt even an
4 outline of the speakers discourse, having
merely touched upon one or two of the
many good points with which it was re-
plete. Father Fitzgerald is a young priest,
net much over a year ordained, lie is a
native of Pittsburgh, and received his edu-
cation at st. Michacrs Seminary, Pitts
buTgh, which institution has salready.turncd
out many ripe and finished scholar as
good and Jealous missionary. st. Michael'S
has been blessed with Il splendid corps of
professors, and at present cannot be sur
passed in this respect by any institution of
the kind in the country What an advan-
tage to religion, what source of pride to
be no longer necessary for our young Le-
vites to 90 abroad to seek for the knowledge
requisite for the efficient discharge of
priestly functions. And, indeed, with the
exception of the Eternal City-which ex-
ception must always be made when the
training for the priesthood is in question
| doubt very much whether our aSpirants
to the priesthood could receive "A better
training than at st. Michaers. Formerly
our young used to have to cross the wide
ocean to seek for knowledge in some for
eign land, or 60 over to Canada to place
themselves under the good Sulpicians.
This is no longer necessary, and do verify
| believe that Sc Nichaers can afford 4, bet
ter opportunity than can be tounu III
the great seminary of Montreal At least
this is the conclusion at which l arrive,
5 Judging from the profound knowledge
which st. Michaefs priests possess, and the
brllliancy and ease with which they handle
a subject in the pulpit or lecture hall. |
} have thus dwelt upon the merits of st.
MichaeIs Seminary, because from its hum
BILE halls we expect will come forth for ages
the church, those priests who viii not
, only preach the gospel with grace, dignity
: and efficiency, but who will, when St. Pat
= -icks festival. or any other gala-day of the
kind comes around, be able to take the
stand and defend the cause eff truth and
Justice, as did the good, the learned and
, eloquent Father Fitzgerald in y0Ur O1c7l
dear old church of st. Mary's. Long may
: he live and prosperous be his career. NJ.
; JOHNsTOwN, March 25, 1878.
DEAR FREEMAN-The state of the wealth
er is precarious, yet its diagnosis indicaoes
convalescence. There has already been as
many SHOWS as Smiths, and they are SO nu-
:, merous that there is some danger of having
! a Smith for next President. \ Smith is
hoo ,,,4
1 for cousins. Speaking of the weather re-
minds us that we are to have five SHOWS
I yet Notwithstanding which dreadful an
4 ticipation, VIM. u. Patton has removed to
S No. 103 Clinton street, Johnstown, where
o his furniture rooms are packed with choice
Z r. 1,