The New York herald., 1876-01-24
that home which He has prepared for all who love Him
sT. AGNES, cATHoLIo CHURCH.

ST. AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH.
SERMON BY BISHOP coRRIGAN, OF NEWARK.
The Forty Hours Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
were begun yesterday at st. Agnes Roman Catholic
church by the celebration of solemn high mass, with
Father Pratt ceebrant; Father McCauley OF ST.
Stephens as deacon; Father Anthony as sub-deacon
Fathers Mcdonald and Thebaud as masters OF cere-
monies Generale in C, was sung by the vol
uneer choir under the able direction OF Professor E.
Mario, and, considering all the singers amateurs
that fine production acceptably rendered. A fea
ture OF tho music on this occasion Gorzas 20
saiutars" sung a sole by Mrs Robinson, soprano.
After the chanting Of the gospel by the deacon the
Right Rev. II. j. Corrigan, Bishop OF New Jersey,
assembled the altar steps and saidln the fifty first chap
ter OF Ecclesascs found the words 81 will give
glory to thee, Lord King and will praise thee,
God my Saviour. Thou hast been help and pro-
tector TO me, and thou hast preserved my body from
destruction; from the oppression OF the iamo
which surrounded me and in the midst OF the fire l
was not burned Therefore | will give thee thanks
and praise thee and bless thee in the name OF the
Lord" In reading the acts of the martyrs continued
the preacher cannot fail to notice the evident and
supernatural protection of those who laid down their
lives in the service Of God There Is special beauty
and tenderness in the displayed Of the yo nglngs
OF his flock those namely, whose radiant wreaths
twined the rose of maryrdom with the spotess lily Of
yirginty. Among those saints there few whose
history appears TO US with so much sympathy as that
flower of the Roman nobility, your patron ST. Agnes,
courage and enduring love of Christ endear her
name Let us revert TO the time OF her existence,
which was the end OF the third and commencement Of
the fourth century, period of terrible perse-
cutions, when the Church OF Christ had long
ceased to be an object or contempt, and
had by its progress already inspired terror among the
pagans Even century earlier Tertulian had said,
'We but OF yesterday, and still have ovorrun your
empire palaces Senate courts OF justice Your towns
and cities are full Of Christians ana we own all you
have leaving only your temples and those abandoned
The bitter your prosecutions the more bitter
growth. The blood Of the martyrs Is the seed Of the
Church" Yet Notwithstanding the marvellous propa-
CATION Of the Christian Church and the folly Of
persecution the Emperor refused learn the lesson
that weapon formed against the Church Of Christ
could prosper and in the terrible storm which followed
St Agnes suffered. Then followed graphic descrp-
tion OF her suerngs and miraculous protection. The
beauty OF ST. Agnes death the preacher to say,
enhanced by the fact shat 1t but illustration
OF the principle Of Christ's sacrifice and the
glory Of vrgnity. Here the reverend gentleman
cinctly described the condition Of woman in the pagan
world the elevation Of her dignity by the Gospel
the creation Of the virgin. The virgin and virgin
mother, he continued, raised up the PROSTATE and
dropping daughters OF Eve and sounded the note OF
their freedom. St Paul says, ''phere is no longer
Jew GENTLE bond nor free, male or female you
all In Jesus Christ heirs according TO the promso
the barriers of nationality are broken down" The
total subecon of woman was done away with and as
she from the mlre that other dignity almost un
known-nay alas regarded but too often a burden
and Teproach-shone forth in all its splendor before
her enraptured gaze. Whenever the Gospel
preached this flower fChrst appeared-north, south,
and west-everywhere, under all circumstances
and in every state of lite. II ask for this
new thing on earth, this miracle unknown to pagan
ages, ST Chrysostom answers Tho crucifed life is at
once its root and its fruit" NO corporal tecundity
produces this race or virgins They offspring of
flesh and blood Ask you the mother Of theseT 1t is
the Church None other bears the sacred virgin but
that one espoused to the single husband-Christ