Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-10-21


The MISSION OF THE PAULIsTs TO
ALExANDR1A.-The Paulists. who have
acce pied an invitation to hold y mis-
sion at St. Mary's church in this ci v
next week are members OF an order
founded by the late Isaac r. Hecke'
the son of a New York baker, who first
brought out the various uses of cereal
grains that now make "Hecker" Il
prominent name on the cards displayed
in many of the Alexandria groceries.
Isaac Htcker, too, was a baker. Jam S
Parton, who wrote a sketch of him in
the Atlantic Monthly, says He used to
be up at four in the morning, and AS
kneading the dough did not eugross all
his mind, he nailed his algebra to the
wall before his trough that he might
have chance to study, but whatever he
studied the questions ever present with
him, were, What is man? Whence
came he Why is he here Whittier
is he going? What does it become him
to do? He with lrew from business, as
the Heckers were growing rich. He
went to Brook Farm, where Nathaniel
Hawthorne, Geo. Ripley Chas A.
Dana, now the editor Of the New York
SIM, Geo. w. Curtis, late of Harper'S
Magazine, and other young philoso-
pliers, who had formed q community
to increase the happiness of life by the
lessenng of its difficulties. Each did
some labor, as we'll as study. in
seeking the Higher Life. 1t fell to
Heckers share to be baker, and
he made excellent bread. After
wards. when he joined the Catho
olic Order of the Redeemer. he baked
fir5t-class bread for his brethren. No
fortune but duty was his motto-''not
what we do, but how we do it. He
did not suit that religious order and he
was dropped by the Redemptorists and
left stranded in Rome. There he was
authorized by those who reversed the
decision Of the religious superiors that
did not understand him, to establish a
new religious order of American men
like-minded with himself, and return
ing to New York he founded the Con
gregation of st. Paul the Apostle ia
miliarly known as the Paulists. 1t has
grown to be one of the most active or
CARNATIONS in the American Catholic
Church and has its house of studies on
the hill near the Catholic University at
Washington. This community says
the atlantic Monthly, ''in one important
particular differs from other Catholic
orders-it exacts no special VOWS of its
members. Father Hecker is an Amer
lean. patriotic American, an American
who believes in American principles
in short, he is what we used to call a
good Jeflersonian democrat. Being
that in politics, he desires to be it also
in religion for he is of opinion that a
proposition which is true at the polls
cannot be false before the altar. JEFF
ferson says, All men are equal.
True, says this American priest,
because they are all brothers.
Jefferson says, Man is capable Of self
government. True. adds Father Heck
er, for man is made in the image of his
Creator. This Paulist Community,
tharc.ure.is conducted onAmericanprin-
ciples the door opens both ways;
no man remains moment longer than
he choose and every inmate is as free
in all his works and ways as son is in
the well-ordered house ola wise faith
er" Ii is from this community, now
grown to be u large one, will come the
fathers who will next week give a
mission to our Catholic fellow-citi-
zens. 1t is understood that the mission
will open next Sunday Mr.. Albert
Skinner, the grandson of the late VIM.
Harper, formerly well-known drug
gist of this city, is member of the
Paulists.