Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-11
HoroRrrG rHErR DEAD.

Decoration of Graves of Former Conn
 radles At St. Bernard Cemetery Kes-
 terday By the ST. AIOYsIus Society.
 In spite of the slight showers yesterday afternoon the members of St. Aloysius soci- ety assembled at their headquarters on Gen. ter street, between Orange and Church, to observe their Memorial day and scatter flow CTS upon the graves of their deceased com- rades. Nearly all of the members were present, and each wore the society's hand some badge and carried choice bouquets of flowers. At 2:30 procession was formed, and, headed by the American band, marched up Orange to Chapel, to Church, through Congress avenue to St. Johns R. 0. church, where they attended the afternoon vespers. When the services were over, it was still showering, but the rain drops seemed as an gels tears to keep the flowers fresh until they were laid upon the graves of the dead. The procession then proceeded to Howard avenue and through Congress avenue to St. Bernard cemetery. Here the society formed large square about the grave of their first president, John F. Hayden, who died Sop tember 2, 1874, at the age of twenty-four years, and the Rev. Bernard Bray of St. John's R. c. church delivered the oratien of the day. His address was marked by deep ] devotion and solemn sincerity. After com- mending the faithfulnesss of the members in remembering their departed comrades he continued:
 Death of any kind throughout the wide ex- l panse of nature is sad. Man, in contemplat- ! ing the dying of nature, strives to vent his sorrow in great outbursts of poetry, art and scientific invention. The cry of the human heart ascends from the floor of the grave, I from the depths of sorrow and of despair. ! No one in the pale of distress can overcome the idea of death, but to the Catholic it is the l greeting of radiant form of distant hope. | He knows the dark hours are few before the | bursting of full splendor upon the human l soul. My dear friends, we are come to dedi- \ cate our flowers to the dead. Everything IT | the world is surpassed by the affection ot ! man for the remains of his departed friends ! It is the union of soul, the bond of eternity Not for the outward elegance of the flowers, not for their brightness of color or richness of perfume, not for the worldly value oi things, but for the graceful, refined and tender feelings of heart, these are priceless gifts which are valued to-day. There Ii ! a noble work before you in the guidance an6 shadow of the Catholic church, among whose pillars you are moving. The immortality o the sonlvanishes the shadows of the grave The light of reason and light of revelation lift us above death Death cannot toucf the living spark of the soul that exalts ui oyer the world. It lifts us to that blessed
 heaven where sorrow is unknown. Gall tt
 mind the noble and generous traits il
 those who lie beneath our feet
 You knew them, you lived with them, cal you forget this nobility in nature lost in tn
 senseless ground! Let them not be lost; imi
 tate them. o, let this society be tree b, the rivers of waters, breasting the storms O
 fate, growing still though hid from the SUI
 by clouds of despair, and may it live forever
 We have nothing to fear. Our standard i
 above the universe and will lift us int
 heaven. Be what your titles signify; forge
 not the faithful, be true to your trusts ant
 sacred duty, and here, in parting, behold,
 bless you.
 | After the oration flowers were loaded upol
 the deceased presidents grave, and the mem
 bers divided into sixteen companies to bea flowers to comrades graves. Those who's graves were strewn with bouquets were Johl
 F. Hayden, Dennis F. Brennan, Davi,
 O'Keefe, John MacKassy, Morris J. Condon
 John J. Herman, James Knapmann, Thoma
 P. Reynolds, Frank Nelson, John Mahoney
 Patrick W. Cain, Lawrence O'Connell, Jame
 F. Esgan, John McBrian. Michael J. Roman
 Edward Carey. The floral bouquets wer
 all specially made for the occasion at tn
 order of the society by Dickerman. Afte
 the services at the cemetery the member
 marched to St. Johns R. c. school, wher
 they were dismissed.