The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-10-28
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF cATHo-
LIClTY.
Interesting Lecture by Thomas n.
Cummings Last Evening.

-
Kavanagh hall was well filed last eve
ming by an appreciative and intelligent au-
dience to listen to the lecture by Mr.. Thom-
rs II. Cummings of Boston on Zone Humid.
red Years of Catholicity in New England"
The lecture was for the benefit of the St.
Patrick's Conference of st. Vincent de Paul.
AT eight o'clock the lecturer came upon the
platform accompanied by Rev. John w.
Murphy. V.G, Rev. T. P. Linehan, rector
Of the Cathedral and Mr.. W. H. Looney.
Mr.. Looney in introducing the lecturer
said:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In comparatively brief period Of time a
wonderful change has been silently wrought
In the religious and social character l0f New
England. The Puritan stock emancipated
from the bondage of traditions, intellectual
and spiritude, has been rejuvenated by the
infusion of a fresher blood and strengthened
by the accession of an element of untold
force and virility. But while the religious
spects been radically changed the character
Of her political institutions remains the same,
for the Celtic and French blood in New Eng
land is as intensely and broadly American
as that of the Puritan, as firmly welded to
to the traditions and principles of cOnstitu-
tional liberty and as jealous to prompt the
true greatness and glory of the Republic.
To trace the history Of that element Of
New England life, to speak of its influence
upon its character and destiny, to analyze
mite possibilities, is not my province but if
the scholarly gentleman whom l now have
the pleasure of introducing to you, Mr..
Thomas ii. Cummings Of Boston.
Mr.. Cummings began his lecture by calling
attention to thelCentennial Celebration of the
Inauguration OF Washington last April. In
1888 the Nation and Catholicism were born.
Archbishop Carroll, brother of one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence
was appointed the first Bishop of the United
ant of the Puritan. was appointed first Cath
Ollie pastor of New England. Mr..
Cummings then gave an account OF the
early explorations and discoveries In New
the Pilgrims, and detailed at length their
sufferings. Their special work, he said, was
to plant the seed for the material develop
ment which was to follow. 1t was the in
trepid Jesuit missionary who laid the foun-
dation of the Catholic church in America.
Fitzpatrick was then detailed, and the char
acter of their labor described and extolled.
Under the bishopric of Bishop Fitzpatrick
the Know Nothing fanaticism swept the
country, Catholic church was burned in
Bath, Me-. the homes of Catholics in Man
chester. H., were destroyed, and Father
Bapts was tarred and feathered at Ellsworth
In 1855 the diocese of Portland was formed
and Bishop Bacon was appointed its first
bishop. In 1889 there was in New
To-Day there are in New England one arch
bishop, six suffragan bishops, nine hundred
priests and Catholic population of over
million and a quarter.
Mr. Cummings here dwelt upon the stern
virtues of the Pnritans. They believed in
m fu nf Nhric or fhn t..
SEPARATION of the Scriptures and Baptism. In
the meeting houses Of their descendants each
OF these articles of faith is denied. Only in
the Catholic churches are these religious be-
time.
Mr.. Cummings claimed further that Cath.
olicism taught that liberality of feeling and
federation of opini0n which the Purtans
wanted-that all that was really good and
noble Of the Puritans could be found only in
the Catholic church.
He quoted largely from Daniel Webster
that what the Puritan most needed was an
enlarged and comprehensive spirit
Of Christian !, philanthropy, and
taught by the Catholic church, the most pow
the preservation of words, the sanctity Of
the marriage vow, and the most efficient ally
OF the State for the maintenance of law and
order. The lecturer alluded In eloquent
terms to the part Roman Catholics had
taken in the different wars in which the
country had been engaged in cementing the
fabric of the nation with their blood. He
spoke of the heroic and self sacrificing spirit
exhibited by those who in Catholic orders
Grated their lives to help the poor, the dis
tressed and the sick. In conclusion he
urged the Catholics to be true to the princi-
pies OF the constitution and the traditions Of
the Republic to oppose political corruption
practiced under the guise of party fealty,
and to do all in their power to promote the
true welfare of the Nation.