The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-04-11
Men at Late Mass.
Iphiladelphia Catholic Standard, ]


attend on Sunday at late Macs. As q
duty, we regard it as almost imperative,
as one of discipline most essential. As q
matter of example, it is beyond any ordi
nary estimate of it's importance. We say
in plain terms that the Catholic man, who,
without most argent cause, habitually at
tends early and not late Mass ON Sundays,
does not perform his whole duty to God,
the Church, his family, OF his neighbor.
We go farther and say, that he is not only
derei'ct in duty. but Is the author of posi-
tive scandal. The CHURCH does not excuse
this habit without good cause. The early
Masses are intended for commandments, and
those whose household cares prevent their
late attendance. Bnt for men, gentlemen,
to attend the short, early, low Mass with
out sermon, and then perhaps to idle the
Sunday morning in reading the gossips of
the Sunday papers, is positive violation
of the laws of the Church, and scandal
that does injury far beyond their concep-
ton
Do we exaggerated Let us see. We
Catholics live in a missionary country. We
are largely in the minority. The Church
and her practices are on trial all the while,
aud constant criticism of her outward
seeming fills the public press.
| Here in Philadelphia, we are peculiarly
| situated. Our youth are constantly hearing
in the world that in America, ours is
| "foreign faith" that it is "un-American,"
it is the ''religion of women and children
only" and many more like utteran-
ces against the Church. Have the
Catholic fathers and gentlemen of our
city reflected how far they have given
color and seeming justification to these
slanders9 Have they observed the fall
ing off of young men from the practices
of truly Catholic life 2 If they have, let
them take to themselves the assurance,
that it proceeds largely from the habit of
which we speak. Let any one go to our
early Masses, and the aisles and pews are
found chnked with host of men, who
spend the rest of the day in absence from
the Church then go to the last Mass, and
here aud there We find sprinkling only Of
men among q multitude of women. Where
are these menf these heads of families,
who should be sitting at their pew doors !;
these sons and brothers, who should pack
the church at late Mass, and fill the streets
on going and returning, to the edifcation
of the public They are absent, that is
enough. They are not "seen of men" to
give testimony in public of the faith that
is within them. They go at early dawn or
exhibition of their faith at broad daylight.
| We said they give scandal. They do {:
they scandalize their children and their
wife, their Protestant neighbors and their
Catholic friends; they wrong the Chnrch
in her reputation, and ecandalize her PEG.
|
day.
Indeed, we know of churches in our
city in which the men of the family have
nerer been seen late at Mass. What is the
RESULT Not merely the scandal of which
we have spoken /; but if the unfair surm Uses
as to the cause of absence were only
known to the gentlemen in question, they
| would never in all their lives fail to "put in
an appearance" We do not argue from the
absence of the men as some do, that they
transgressed prudence and temperance the
| night before, that domestic uncopgenlailty
and infelicity keeps away the head of the
house. We put it down TO sloth, to indIf
ference, to ignorance of duty-in fact, to
convenience. We say further it is Gus
tom peculiar to Philadelphia Catholics.
1t was only the other day that we were
asked by a Protestant gentleman why
there was but one old woman alone at
communion at late Mass, he remarking
that IN his church the communicates were
nun beFed by hundreds. OF course, to
every Catholic the reply suggests itself. We
said, eco to the early Masses, and you will
see thousands" He eaid, "Oh, indeed"
Another illustration. Philadelphians are
proverbial abroad for their propensity to
wear the habilIments of mourning longer
than Any other people-particularly tie
ladies. Our houses are craped and draped
in black for months and years after the
loss of dear departed member of the
family. We here find no fault with this
strangers do. Only few weeks ago,
gentleman from another city, visiting one
of our churches at late Mass, remarked
afterwards at dinner, that he chad never
seen so many widows in one church be-
FORE" and feared that the city was un-
healthy for men. He was relieved of all
anxiety on being told by his host that it
was Philadelphia custom for the men to
go 20 early Mass alone. OF course his
conclusion as to the mortality among the
Catholic males was erroneous, but his
other conclusion was not wrong, "that it
was to him a novelty that the head of the
family should be absent frsm his most i'm
portant post of duty"
We say nothing now of the results of
this vice-for it is q vice-to social inter
course and friendly companionship among
the families of q congregation, which inter
course forms 30 great bond in Protestant
churches nor shall we enter upon the dis
cHssion of the serious theme as to how far
this withdrawal and isolation of Catholic
men promotes that great eVil-mixed
marriages. OF itself, in our city, that