The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-26
CATHoL1cIIY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Catholic Churches Going Up and Bigotry Going
Down.
A MOST INTERESTING LETTER.
Correspondent Baltimore Mirror

Home Missions, permit me to send You
some Catholic news from North Carolina
Public Catholic services were held for the
first time in two thousand years in the
County of Guildford, at the town of Green's
boro', N. c., situate in a high aud undula-
ting country, thirty miles south Of Danvile,
| Virginia. This section of country was orr
ginally settled by Presbyterians, especially
| Greensboro, which now embraces popu
lation of about three thousand persons, of
various denominations, the above sect,
however, predominating in numbers. The
Catholic families in the village are few
late settlers =; among the most distinguished
| are Messra. Stephen A. and Robert Doug
Las, sons of the late Hon. Stephen A. Dong
| las.
| The Rev. Father Hands, pastor of Char
| lotte, on his missionary visits to Green's
| boro', united with the Catholics for the
| erection Of church in the town. An eli
gble lot having been procured, and the
been laid. Rt. Rev. Bishop Gibbons. d. D.,
visited Greensboro on Sunday, 18th of
June, for the purpose of laying the corner :,
stone. At eleven O'clock, morning service
was held in the public hall. Rev. Father
Hands said the Mass, whilst Rev. Father
taking for his text the words of our Saw
Jour F: ''What shall it profit man to gain
tho whole world and suffer the loss of his
SOUL" At the end of the Mass, the Rt.
Rev. Bishop successfully explained the
Mass and it's ceremonies to the wondering,
yet respectful audience, At six o'clock in
the evening, the ceremony of the laying of
the cornerstone commenced in tie pre-
sence Of about six hundred persons. After
wards, the Bishop assembled the platform
and held the attention of his audience en-
chained for forty minutes on the worship
of God and the Christian Church, closing
his admirable discourse with lengthy
remarks on the history of the Bible, it's
use, and lts reverence in the Catholic
Church. The whole village people, to
their amazement, learned, for the first
time, Catholics were allowed aud COM
mended to read the Bible, to study it's
pages whilst these people had never ina
gined that the Bible, especially the New
Testament, is essentially Catholic book,
Catholic property, Catholic authority, and
none other.
The impression produced by the Bishops
sermon was profound one, and q happy
instance of the susceptibility of the Amert
can mind to the light of truth.
On the second Sunday in August Rt. Rev.
Bishop Gibbons will bless a new church,
! erected in another distant ~ like district,
by Catholic converts. But few years
| ago 10 Catholic lived in this neighborhood
now there are about forty converts. whilst
the church attendance of persons from
twenty miles around numbers, at times,
three and four hundred. The first con-
reading an able sermon of the Most Rev.
Archbishop McCloskey on the Catholic
Church, and printed in the New York
Herald. Thepeople of this district were
as Ignorant of Catholic truth and its prac
tices as if they had lived on desert is
land. Fgom church attendance and the
reading OF Catholic books of instruction,
| hopes are entertained of the conversion of
this rich district of country, inhabited by a
religions and thrifty people. The refuta-
ton of the lies they had heard has caused
a reaction for good. One may judge of
| the interest manifested when more than
| twenty five dozen Catechisms, etc, have
already been distributed, and are eagerly
sought after. The conversion of tue South
| TO Cathohcity Ia a mystery to most persons.
Some abandon the idea Others are await
ing the tide of immigration to solve the
nimcntty. 1t Is true, Catholicity must be
brought into the South, but by the clergy,
after the manner of St. Patrick of Old WHO,
iiEe skilfEI general, took possession of
Ireland in the name of Christianity, by
rounding missionary houses of preachers
and teachers, like so many strong garri-
sons, throughout the land. Such plan,
II carried out in the Southern States,
"ouio prove most successful in the con-
version OF the open minded and noble
hearted Southern people. AS yet, from
the shores Of the Chesapeake to the waters
OF the Gulf of Mexico, in the Atlantic
states, not one Monastery of Religious,
not one home of Missionary priests is to be
round. The missionary labors of hun
oreds and hundreds of miles fall to the lot
OF OF few scattered secular priests. Up to
TINS time no other plan could be we'll car
REQ out, on account of insurmountable
olmcultles but thank God, Catholicity is
now strong enough in the United States
Tor we'll concerted action,-for the estab-
llshment of those inconsistencies of old, of
ia'th and science. The South is eminently
missionary country its people refined
and religious; country where health is
guaranteed and living abundant where a
Few thousand dollars will purchase fine
plantation. Many imagine the South com
posed of sickly marshes and fiat sandy
countries On the contrary, generally
NIFTY miles from the coast beautiful and
roillng countFy runs along and up to noun
tain heightsl whose winters are mild:
whose farming seasons are of eight months
DURATION, aud whose%crops are most lucra-
TIVE. Such a countTy lie to be found es-
peclaIiy IN North Carolina A monastery
"I missionary priests with it's uD-irrinr