The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-26
TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
FATHER M'KlNIRY's ADDRESS


Last Sunday morning a large number of the
| members of the Total Abstinence Soc., ties of
| this city received Holy Communion at the =
| O'Clock Mass in ct. Theress's Church. The
esteemed pastor, Rev. P. NJ. L. Masssrdier,
offcisted, and addressed the congregation
briefly.
In the evening" at O'Clock, the Church was
we'll filled with members of the organz alton
and their friends who had assembled to hear
the announced discourse of Rev. d. McKiniry,
81, on Total Abstinence. In the sanctuary
were Rev. Fathers 7. j. Kenny and j. G..
Footte of st. John's, Rev. Thoe. Hesn of st.
Miohsel's, and Rev. Fathers P. n. L. Massar-
der and Thos. Golden, Of st. Theresa's
FATHER M'KrNIRYs LECTURE.
The Rev. Father began by remarkug that
the very many able AMI eloquent lectures de-
livered in this city and throughout the coun-
try, on the evils of ntemperanoe, should rem
der it useless if not hurtful to speak more
fully on o subject we'll and so generally n
derstood. But, he added, as intem peranoe still
exists and continues to increase every man
who has the interest of the public at heart
should endesvor to expose more aud more the
countless disorders that folio " from this losth-
some vice. He then continued to speak of the
evil of iutemperance, ofwhich the following is
q kind of summary. Although shis criino e
spread world wide, ana may Justly be consider
ed as the cause of much poverty, suffering and
humiliation from the days of Noe down to our
own times, yet many, refusing to learn from
the sad experience OF others. become daily 80
blinded aud besotted by Intoxicating drinks
as to brnt1liZe their reason, impoverish taeir
homes, dishonor their names and expose their
children to shame and disgrace These men
freely rob themselves of the light Of reason,
the noblest gift of nature, and redGoe them
selves, at least for the time, TO state of degrR
dation much more to be deplored than that of
the poor raving m maniso in his cell. 1t is. how
ever in its conseq uenoes that iutemperance is
especially to be dreaded. as it almost neces-
sarily leads to sensuslity aad is very init mate
ly come nected with scandal. In fact, the lifs of
dalzss every one that crosses his psth-the
rich, the poor, the young the old. the friend Of
religion and the enemy of the Church. This
TEN ptstion is moreover SO insinu ating that we
are all, without exception, exposed to fall vic
Tins to it's spares.
In this country of forced activity we
labor almost too mncb with hsuds
or toll ceaselessly with our brain, and con-
seq uently are often weary and fatigoed and
easily imsgine we stand in need of stimd lauts |
in order to recruit our strength aud cheer up |
our spirits. We should, therefore, be always |
on our guard, because ooce the habit gro We
upon US 1t is next to impossible to overcome it, |
for the simple reason that the occasions Art |
always within reach and the motives that |
prompted us il the beginning to acts Of intem
peranoe live within ourselves and continually |
cry out for indulgence. 1t IS not alone the
poor who have to dread this temptation. we
cannot ignore the fact that wealthy, generous
and Intellectual men addicted to intem peraoce |
fall very low indeed in the scale Of really |
respectable society. Besides, their sons, a
matter of course, will learn at an early age to
initiate the example of their fathers, and |
having once contracted. even in q small way,
this degrading habit they will most sssuredly
b drawn little by little TO associate with dis
81 ed nud Hbertlne com panious. The Father
then gave a lively desert ption of the drunk
ards home, and added that every vIgtuods and .
generous man in the community shodld be
ready to make some sacrifice in order u root
out this evil from every walk of society.
lie stated that an organz ID body Of Total
Abstainers was the beet aud almost the only
means of bringing about this happy result;
because without organ zttion nothing great or
lasting can be accomplished. This truth he
exemplifed by society itself, by the army, by
religions congregations of women that awaken
ed in the hearts of modest and retiring ladies,
ke the Sisters of Charity, spirit of fortitude
that enabled them to move fearlessy in times
of war amidst the Widest scenes and to enter
With delight into crowded and fetid hospitals
He alluded especially to the ages of faith and
10 the great works performed by them in
organizing city corporations, guilds and con-
merchant and operative. These oonfratsrni-
lies, with their spirit of prayer, religion and
Orotherfy love were the models on which
Catholic Total Abstinence Societies we're built
lp. The great object of these societies is to
Idvance the interests of religion and morality,
b ct is to say, of CAtholicity and temperance
IN object of which every man should be proud
Who is not sot or a reprobate. AS their mis-
ion s holy, they must expect to meet opposi
ion from the world and the ruler of the world.
They may be, and perhaps have been, told
hat as their body is composed entirely of {
eformed drunkards, they can expect neither {
nor support. Now an assertion such 4
,s this is a wsnton and most uDjustifsble !
The soul of these societies in Now :
orleans aud else ewhere consists, and must CON ;
list 10 order to succeed, of men virtuous from
hsir youth, aud ready to make ssoriioes, and
.rest ones, too, for religion and humanity
e. - 5.----3 asV 4.aASd up Win SVSEy y