The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-02-11
NUMBER L.
ALMOST PERSUADED TO BE 4 C1THoLTc.


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tPayne'S Sun day Press. Jersey City, Jan. a.,
We had always heard that the Roman Ca
tholics were nine or ten degrees lower do Wn
the scales than were heathens: They were
priest ridden and priest-ariven. The priest,
10 our imagination, was great monk like
monster, fat with food snatched from
the starving aut jects-the poor Irish. We
supposed he sat IN an awful big chair, with
an awful conntenauce and and an awful big
thrce-tined fork in his right hand. Our
Imagination caught from early instructions
at the 90 free public schools, pictured the
poor priest ridden subjects-the horrid Irish
falling before this monster monk or some
thing in his big chair, and after biting the
dust kissing his feet. This we supposed to
be the religious worship of the Catholics.
1t was only few years ago that we had
recovered sufficiently from our free common
Church. 1t was st. Peters, in this city. We
had often seen great crowd of common
| folks, moat1y 1rishmen, going in as we
passed of Sunday morning, and one day
having the blues pretty badly and not car
ing much whether we lived any longer or
not, and feeling as if we would about as soon
be eaten by monk all at once as to die by
inches on the cold charity of an unfriendly
world. So with teeth clatteriDg and heart
chucked way up in our throat, we Joined
the throng and went right in to that horrid
place-a Catholic Church. We saw the
service and heard the sermon. The fret
was Greek to us, the latter clear, practical,
and full of common sense. Tho 4" Priest"
in place of setting in royal chair "a pic
tuTCd stood up and talked Just like Chris
tian. He urged his hearers to follow the
example of Jesus Christ. To be meek, to
be BIBd, to sympathfze with the poor, to
encourage the weak and to be a patientfoI-
lower of Lord Jesus Christ in all things 1t
vas here in st. Peters that we began TO ask
ouTself If the Yankee school master, to
whom our education had been entrusted,
had not been lying to as about tho Catho-
lies and their religion. We had an idea Of
the character of Christ and it seemed to us
that He would as soon be found talking to
that large and attentive audience of COM
moners as Co the most fashionable Profess
tant audience in the land. We know moth
ing about the Catholic creed. We don't
know whether they believe In a burning
lake of birthstone or an endless bed of glory.
We do not know but they believe in both
and don't care If they believe ia neither.
We only know that compared With the
Sther oh urches, the church Catholic is the
nearest to our ideal of the true folio wing of
Christ.
Every Sunday for the past we years from
i've to twenty paupers from the poor house
pass our door on their way to Father He
lessey's Catholic Church. AS regularly as
.bo ringing Of the Sabbath boil comes the
blind, tue halt, the lame, the broken down
I'D men and women, who in their distress,
ave sought refuge in the alma house of the
country. Tney are Catholics What other
.huTch in this city would allow them room
inside their gilded portals tor worship ex-
op:tho Oh arch Catholic Yst Christ talked
0 8ucb as hese.
Aud there are the Sisters Of Charity, Gcd
less thrD, they are Catholic. VINO Ia there
mong us Who excel the Sisters in their i'm
.atiOn Otthe life of the Saviour See how
uetly they go about always bent on eF-
ands Of mercy, They comfort tho liv-
lg. In every act and word none can
euy but these noble women are Christians,
nd yet 80 great ia oug Protestant supersti-
ion and bigotry that We despise these an
clio women because they are Catholic.
AS we grow in ths knowledge of tho life
( Christ by the aid of the Bible, by thought,
y ali the information at our command, as
70 witness the Pomp and show of PrOtes-
ant worship, its hypOeracy, lite double face
nd thribe-tougue, as we witness the earn
st, humble worship of the Catholic, their
bristisn effort and Christ like deed, We
re almost persuaded to be Catholic.