The Irish standard., 1888-10-20
protestataons Of it's falsehocd, is used to
explain why Catholic religions sD sell

dom give up the religious life when
they have once entered upon it,
! But, though the true reason which
| we have already given is thus unconvin-
cling, il not unintelligible, to Protest
ants, there is another reason which
they can easily understand and ought
to readily accept It is the fact that
the ecclesiastical officers of the Church
who are charged with the d1Cy and
possesses the pswer TO receive persons
into the religious orders, far frcEn seiz-
ing upon the first manifestations made
of a desire to enter upon a religious life
:ss evidence Of a true vocation for that
life, exercise the utmost cauticn and
CAFE before they decide thai the evil
dence is sufficient. Itis true that when
having become fully assured Of the can
didate's vocation. they greatly rejoice
and gladly admit such a candidate into
the order chosen by the candidate.
But. contrary to general non-Gatholic
belief, before arriving at this decision
there is q Iong and most eareful exanll-
nation made IF tho candidates charac
ter, witt, view to ascertaining his Or
her fitness or unfitness for & religious
life. and of the motives which prompt
the desire to enter upcn shat life.
Then, too, after the admission of such
person as a candidate. that is, as Il
mere applicant, there is "a rigid and
searching testing OF the tirmness and
stability of the candidates intentions
and purposes.
Thus the steps toward entering into
the religious and charitable orders Of
che Church, instead Of being easy, us
non Catholics commonly suppose, are
purposely rnade 1ifficas and Ct long
continuance; the intention being to as
certain with utmost certainty the spe-
cial fitness Of the persons for the life
they deslre, the fact that they really
have an actual special vocation 10 that
life and that they are firmly and hqedly
resolved to persevere IL II.
Catholics know and understand this
very well There is not 8 parish in this
diocese, and the same is true Of most
either dioces6s, We hazard nothing in
saving, that it Goes nnt contain one or
! more PERSONS VINO have desired TO enter
upon a religious life, but who were NOT
allowed even to become candidates,
or who, soon after having become can
didates, were told that they we're unfit
ted for the life and had no real voca-
tion to it, Aud this, leo, without any
reflection upon the moral or religious
character and habits Of such persons
They might be most estimahIe persons
in every sense; gifted, auiabls: WITH
Gus, consistent and devouJ members CT
the Church, but still they wero not lit
ted for the life uf religious. Their
vocation was not to that life, bus 10
serving God in secular pursuits, in
which they could be highly useful apd
exemplary Christians.
Many are the Catholic parents--they
may be found in every parish--w|1o
have looked forward to a. sor, or dangh
ter entering religious order. and who
has been sadly disappointed by being
told, "Your son or daughter has 40
real vocation for the life OF religious;
he or she should remain in secular life. +"
Many too, are the instances in which
.'postulants' (which is team TO desig
nate candidates) or ''novices'' (Which is
the term used to designate those who
have been received into the second
stage of candidacy OF trial Of yoeations)
are told, after a t1me, without any re-
fiction on their moral or Christian
characters: "You have mistaken your
vocation; you are not fitted for the life
of a religious; your vocation is to serve
God in the world in secular pursuits. u
Here, then, is reason which all nom
Catholics can easily understand, and
which they have abundant opportuni-
ties of knowing, why Catholic religious
very seldom leave the Orders into which
they have been received. They remain
in those Orders, not from fear or com,
pulsion, but of their own free choice
and yolition. Before their admission
they had full opportunity Of becoming
acquainted with all that the life which
they propose to lead involves under its
hardest. severest and most repulsive
forms. Their ftness for that life and
and their ixedness OF purpose to con-
tinue in it, were thoroughly tried and
tested before they were permitted to
enter upon it, and hence the longer
they continue it. the more firmly re-
solved they are TO perseyere in it,
Oourting in New Hampshire
A widoWer near Meredith, who was
very anxious for new wife, bad been
directed to an elderly maiden in ad-
joining town. Arriving at her door
the following conversation took place:
He-Is this Miss Hannah Prescott :?
SheIt is, sir.
/ He fl-er, you've-er been-er
recommended to me--er. Would you
sl;lnS ~ cl,orno tun,,ra o;fno tjnn- -nrge