The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-18

the mu ders of the priests and mobiles and the
lawless confiscations of three hundred years
are written in the annals OF tradition and re-
peated by every Irish Preside; yet 1t was these
sanguipary and demoralizipg laws that IN
furled the sails of the emigraut ship tearing
the Irish people from their country and home
poured into this grand nation the stream OF
emigration that is hourly swelling the pop
ulation and demanding new churches and new
episcopal sees.
| 1 find by the latest statistical returns that
there arc five and half millions of Catholic,
In the United States; alongside of this we e nd
there came from Ireland during the last twenty
years 1881 ,740. Therefore moro than two
thirds of the Catholics of America are Irish
Abused for our faults-our enemies perhaps
| have none-ridiculed for our enthusiastic love
for our suffering country, they know not the
| lift the Irish element from the Church in
| America and you will find 1t q vast plain stud
| ded here and there with q few stalwarth oaks
of foreign growth which wonld tell the site of
a forest. Therefore it is the Irish nation under
! heaven that claims the most honorable men,
| tion in the celebration of to-day. 1t is her
| sons. in their exile and misfortune who clasp
hands to-day with the true and faithful chill
| dren of Catholic France who claim the honor
of the first affairs in this rising nation.
Scattering is principle of nature, the
! flower grows for a while; it refreshes the eye
with its beauty and the hreezes with it's per-
| fumes Then the rich bulb bends with golden
| seed the grateful breeze carries them to other
gardens they are scattered through the land
and another year finds a Thousand for the one
that charmed natures field. Thus the Irish race
bad grown to o flower of great moral worth !;
rich in the odors of the virtues most pleasing
TO heaven, purity and patient suffering; and u
benetcent Providence babe the storm TO watt
sthe seed to other lands aud behold in the
Irish race to-day the prolific increase of ia
vorite stem.
The scattering of household-an army or
natfou-is undoubtedly a weakness or a mis-
fortune, but there are unseen springs guiding
the actions of divine Providence; it is the part
apparent evils and there is before our view at
present one great and incompatible blessing
flowing from the dispersion of the Irish. IT'S
not their prosperity and national liberty
achieved and won in other lands; tits not their
wealth aud intelligence with which they en-
rich the Colonies and the great continent of
America. see for my countrymen q halo of
benediction far surprising any of the paltry
excellencies of time; away in the visions Of
the future l behold the grandest and most
lasting honor that heaven eau bestow on man,
a privilege that will remain through the end
less ages of eternity.
The vision before me is no other than the
Day of Judgment. I see all the nations of the
earth gathered into the valley of Jehosaphat;
turning in disgust from the countless millions
of our fellow creatures under the law of eter-
nal retribations, l turn towards the bright
galaxy of the elect, and there in the fancy
that nations can gather under their own ban
ners, see by far tie largest number of the
saved are under the flag that would represent
the Irish nation and Irish Influences.
This thought alone connterbalances the
agony of 300 years of persecution, of blighted
homes and rihed sanotuaries. of the outraged
feelings of trampled race driven in the emf |
grant ship across the broad Atlantic to be the
nnder heaven for the establishment
of Catholicity in other lands the faith of per-
secuted Ireland was carried before propitious |
winds to the prairies of this vast continent
to flourish in the sixty-one churches CONNIE
morated in this celebration-aud finally, to be |
waited by angelic hands to the everlasting |
gardens of celestial paradise.
My Lords, Rev. Fathers and Dearly Beloved, !
the assertion of this stupendous privilege
which we claim for the Irish race, is not the |
byperbole of an excited imagination flung out |
to gild wi til smiles the thoughts of the hand |
full of Irish who are now gathered in this Ba-
silica; we have come to the conclusion that |
more of the Irish race will be saved than any |
other from close observations and analogical |
deductions from her claims in time, in number
The Evangelist tells us that when the Son of
God had assembled into heaven, the disciples |
stood gazing with pardonable delay on the |
bright cloud that had shrouded him from their |
vision. An angel, appeared and said :" Men of |
Gallilee. why stand ye here looking into hea-
venr The angel, doubtless, knew why they
were looking into heaven, yet he addressed |
them in the language of reproof. Commenta-
tors say he reminded them thus that the world
was to be converted. That the vulture of
was Tapping its funeral wings over
sonls were sinking with the stamp of immor-
tality to dungeons of everlasting sorrow.
My Lords, Rev. Fathers, kneeling on these
affairs to-day, q feeling of sympathy must min
gle with our gratitude. We are Ike soldiers
" ho pause in the battle to contemplate the
fields we have won, an encouragement, no
doubt, to plunge deeper into the thick of the
light, but around us there are thousands in the
darkness of the shadow of death. Schools of |
error flourish under the shadow of the Cattle
drsl TO wers of the Sees commemorated in this
celebration. There are yet 10000 600 of all
,hades Of belief to be brought into the fold.
Will we not pray around these affairs that AL
mighty God may dispel the darkness that still
'hrouds so many noble souls in this vast CONT
lent. Like the Angel at the throne of the
Eternal Father, we will ask, "How long o
Lord, wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusa-
em !" And doubtless when this grand cele-
,ration will come around again, tens of mil
ions will be attracted from every side of the
great American Church, their bishops and dele
gates will pass over orr forgotten ashes aud
will kneel as we do to-day at these venerable
Iltars to thank the Eternal Father for the gifts
# Christianity.
THE CELEBRATION.
Thursday, October Ist, 1874.
aIfH yNx-no a.