The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-03

Mullen, of Chicago. Taking his text from
the parable of the 'Pharisee and Publican
the Rev. gentleman. who is an accomplish!
ed ~elocutionist as well rs an eloaueni
preacher, delivered q telling sermon on thu
virtue of true humility" He, with great
force proceeded, to demonstrate that that
virtue, after the model Of Lord, wal
| the leading characteristic Of the Church
that it works quietly and almost unob.
servedly, but nevertheless successfully,
among Gods poor; that at all times, a.
well as now, the Church was prosecuted, be.
cause having a duty to perform she did
not shrink from rebuking vice, even in the
palaces of Kings.
At 800 p. NJ, the church was literally
packed to witness the Bishop administer
ing toe Sacrament of Confirmation. There
were some 300 persons, mainly children,
prepared for the sacrament by the indie
fatigable Pastor. They were prettily at
| tired. the girls wearing white dresses. blue
sashes, and on their heads coronets OF flow
ers.
Previous to the administration the Bish-
op preached to the children explaining the
! Sacrament of Confirmation, dwelling on
the priceless gifts of the Holy Ghost,
which they were about to receive analysing
each gift, and begging of them to continue
also true children of Jesus Christ.
This was the first opportunity we had OF
a good view Of such an important person
age as the Bishop of 80 EXTENSIVE a diocese
as Chicago. In person he is above the
middle height, and rather inclined to flesh
,pooc /. h;o fnrabaol Sc a,nonfh mt VERY
high, but broad, and his auburn hair curls
closely to the head his face betokens be-
nevolence his voice is rather weak, but
musical, and he speaks fuently.
AT 1880 P. NJ. the church was again filled
to hear the lecture of Father Riorjan.
The subject had not been announced, and
we were pleased to find that the Rev. gen
tleman's discourse was on such an inter
esting topic, viz ''The Relation of the
Catholic Church to Modern Progress
The lecture was very able, very learned,
very tiorid, very argumentative, and-very
lengthy.
The lecturer suffered from hoarseness,
and read in a rather monotonous tone, but
we confess that we never heard that sub
ject 80 ably handled. He started by re-
counting all the charges that are hourly
made against the Church, and the denuncia
tons that are hurled at it on account of
its supposed hostility to Modern Pro-
gress.' He went over the whole field, an
swered all the objections; showed that the
Church had not, and by the nature Of
things, could not oppose material progress.
The world was given to man for his use,
observation and examination, and SO far
from the Church wishing to fetter material
progress she was the patroness OF the arts
and sciences, the friend of the struggling
artist and scientist, and her churches and
palaces to this day attest how earnestly
she too worked in the cause OF material
progress. But she taught a higher pro-
gress-moral progress. Material progress
has no fixed point to attain, it is in the
imperfect state that persons try to push on
and on. Moral progress has but one OBJ
ject, one starting point, and one goal, the
starting point is ourselves. We tend to
God. The Church ofGod found society in
a frightful condition. There were two
rich and poor, labor wasdegraded,
1t was only tit for slaves. The Church dig
nitied labor, the curse pronounced upon
man after the fall was turned by the
Church into a blessing for the oppressed
slaves of the world. The master was
that the servant had rights, and in
herself she treated both alike. The same
saving waters were poured upon the head
like of king and beggar. the same chrism
made the sign, at the hands OF the Bishop,
Of mans redemption on the forehead of
peer and peasant. In matters political he
defed any to say that the Church coal
esced with rich against poor. 1t was not
she that taught that kings had divine
right to be tyrants. Behind the throne,
she taught, was the the hand Of God, and
her greatest men wrote that a ruler was
the servant of his people. Pros
Catholic republics fourished at the
door OF the states of tie Church. We
have not space to follow the Rev. gentle
men through the remainder of his magnif-
cent lecture, we shall merely say that his
peroration, ~recountirg what the Church
did for the elevation of woman, for
the honor Of the family, for the indissolu-
bility of the marriage tie, establishing so
upon a secure basis, e%ndeavorlng to
the family strive after the perfection
Of the Holy One, was powerfully convin-
cling. The termination of the lecture end
a day Of great interest to the people of
Rock Island.
The Catholics have now the handsomest
church, interiorly in the city. Father Roles
to be congratulated. and we feel sure his
parishioners regard with pride the success
If the efforts of this untiring, indefatiga-
BILE Christian Pastor.