The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-01
ITO be continued,
SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM CARDINAL MAN
MING.

AT recent meeting of conference of
the st. Vincent de Paul Society the ordin-
airy business of the meeting being conclu-
ded, his Eminence Cardinal Manning en-
tered the room and addressed the brothers.
He expressed ispieasure at seeing 30 many
present, more he thought than he had ever
seen in former conference. This society
had been forcihly brought home to him
because he Lad lately been reading the life
of Ozanam. Speaking of the origin OF the
society, he said that the intidels of the day
.jeered the Christians, asking them of what
good were their lives; show us Ivy your
works, said they, what good you do. On
this OZanam cot to work and collected
round him about ak of his friends, and
from tt"ir tfprts sprung his large society,
which Iists almost in every place where o
Catholic church Is to he found us cnun
selled hs hearers to follow this example
and demonstrate by their works of charity
that their lives were worthy OF their pro-
frssion. The society was essentially a lay
one, and although each conference had
chaplain, NeU it was not i'll the spirit of the
society for the clergy to take euy active
part 10 its working. He thought, however.
each conference should co operate with
their parish priest, and from him be in n
measure guided in their actions. He
counselled them when Visiting the sick aud
poor to make themselves better acquainted
with their history and habits, 80 tGaJ they
might the better enter into their nature and
requirements, but above all urge upon
| them the faithful performance of their re-
| lig'ous duties. He spoke with pain of the
Indifference of many Catholics towards
their duties, and pointed cut how essen
| TALLY tue eradication of this indifference
| was the work of society. He learned with
satisfaction the good being done by the
patronage of the sncIety, and regarded that
~
one, seeing how easy 1T was tor youth insuCt
"A country as this under nnu Catholic iDhu
eucs to lose their faith. There WAS another
great work for the brothers to perform, anC
that WAS the incubation of temperance
Every brother OF St. Vincent dc Paul shbuli
DO careful and Jealous to impress th
principal upon the poor, foe it would allie
Viate their distress, frequently brought ol
by the great curse OF the lAnd-di ink
They were aware that he had tspDust q th,
cause Of total abstinence, aud some pcopi
had given him the credit ct havIug gun,
mad On the question. He knew he was no
! talking To men of the same way of thiuk
ing and practice az himself in this respect
they were men mos; ut them who took win
! | in moderation, and thus made IA good at
righteous use of the birssIDgs of g I'd hu
they cOud not tail To see the, great evil,
which drink broUght'upnn the community
= They knew further that he had advocated
: spoken IN lis favor at meetings IN variau
halls, and, II thOugh the measure might no
TIE able to affect the vice of drunkenness +,
fully as he might desire, be believed tina
. his principles were go, Il. He believed tha
nothing short uf tHr Pcrm.eslve Bill legis
lation would stem tho tide Of drunkenness
. 1t WAS the too free use of drink which filled
, our workhOuses and prisons aud the bur
4 deu of this falls on the ratepayers. There
fore he thought shat the raJepayers should
,, have it in their power to check the sale
: of that which ruined whole communities
t Until the popular vote had the regulation
r OF the drink Traffic nothing effective. he be
leved, would be done to check drunken
; ness. Visiting the houses of the poo they
Jaw sorrow and wTetchedneRs. What WA,
it that caused all this Drink. What wat
it that made men aud women Indifferent I,
their religious duties, and made COMPARE
lively deserted churches Drink. Therefore
he asked them to assist him in the ad vocac,
of temperance, and support him at tue
meeting to be held in Exeter Hall on tn,
Monday following St. Patrick's Day. H,
saw SO wildly the evils of intemperauce
aud he felt so strongly in the cause that Il,
had gone into the matter at this length