Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-18
LETTER FROM FATHER O'REILLY
Why He Would Not ChrIsten a Child
Cleveland"

Detroit Evening News.
Several days ago the fact was published
that Rev. DIR. Chas. O'Relly, of St Patrick's
church, had refused to christen the infant
son of John Shanahan, on the ground that
| il was not the custom in the Catholic church
to christen infants by other names than
those of canonized saints. DIR. O'Relly has
now more fully explained his position in ths
following letter, replying to communities
ton signed "Catholicus," in the Free Press
To the Editor of the Detroit Free Press:
Ny attention has been called to commu-
nication in the columns ofyesterdays edition
OF the Free Press, captioned Consistency
subscriber of the Free Press, / have seer
earlier Issue.
The distinction between Christian anC
canonized names must be obvious TO any
one The canonized names were the name
of Christian men and women who rendered
them illustrious by the ssnctity Of their lives
There is no improperly in imposing Chris
tan name upon q child, save the circum
stances create one. / have not hesitatei Il
give Il child in baptism the name o.
briggs albeit not q Catholis name, i know
him TO be a reputable man, q faithful friend
Christian gentleman, deservedly held il
high esteem by the Christian community il
which he lives, by Catholic and Protestan
alike. Now, l am sorry to say, that no suci
honorable distinction attaches t.
the name of Cleveland in the city where he
lives or in the country at large, and if
treated your reporter with some mental re
serve on the subject of my refusal t,
christen the Shanahan child by this nam'
| don't think it ought 10 have beei
attributed to dishonesty" 60 mucf
as to the delicacy any Christian man, not t,
say priest, mus. feel, when confronted witt
a subject Of shameful associations. | do no
think that because have baptised children
by own surname-by the names of their rep
utable neighbors. 1 am obliged, therefore
! in order to maintain my consistency" to
baptise the child of Catholicus" for in
stance, John Brigham Young owler," or
Henry Ward Beecher,Mugwump," or still
Victoria Woodruff, w omanless," if its seq
protested against the menace of the former
two. If your correspondent" must anC
will have it, Mr.. Editor, it is not question
of politics. but Of high morals. Does Cath.
olicus' think the rising generation is not drift
| ing TO moral decay fast enough, but We must
needs send them forth from the very bap-
| tsmal fonts, under the auspices of his i'm.
pure political deities? Ii is not one of the
least of my objections TO the Democratic
party that have observed the demoralizing
| influence IT almost invariably ha:
exerted over men Of my religion
and race. II has conducted
them 10 the grog shop and gambling hell. Il
has manufactured from the children of Irisl
parents ''hoodlums" and strikers" TIL,
subject under agitation affords but another
case in point. For, whilst was not entirely
surprised that semi-savage from the Sixth
| should so soon after election, carry the "at-
mosphere" of the ward caucus even into
the House of God and endeavor TO make
| himself solid with "the BOYS" Of the
expense of his unconscious offspring, my
religious sensibilities experienced rud,
| shock al the presentation lin the
Free Press of an Irish Catholic wife anc
mother crying and feeling dreadful bad be
cause her child was not christened by tn,
uame of self-confessed debauchee. Permit
me to say in justice to Mrs. Shanahan, / don't
believe a word of this. L know Mrs. Shana.
han for decent, respectable, domestic
christian woman, whatever providence may
hsve meant by matching her with such 3
mate. "Catholacus, the "Shannahans,
and company aided by the peculiar method:
of the party, may succeed in coronating vice
bnt when they proceed TO confer domestic
conservation upon it, l beg leave to re-
mind them that the Catholic church
is not the place, nor will i be the officiating
minister. feel sorry to say these things,
feel keenly the humiliation Of having to con.
fess their truth, hut if exception be taken tc
| II | hoo llaye "a refnipd tho reader that Ia.