St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-25

cial prayerful preparation before be-
ginning to build up the Christian
church. Meditation and retirement
have been always practiced by pious
people, for these things foster pure
and peaceful temper-a leading mark OF
men who have to direct the Spiritualities
of their fellows. 1gnatius Loyula. the
Spanish military aristocrat who founded
the Society of Jesus. brought the eccle-.
Biastical retreat to high degree of
development Loyola was not learned
in books, but his life as a soldier
gave him ample opportunity to study
the various phases of humanity. He
was a man of the world. he knew the
human heart well. and he had power
and penetration enough TO find sermons
in stones and good In everything. Thus
equipped, he wrote. at Manresa in Spain.
FAMOUS book. called Spiritual .Exer-
cises." 1t abounds In maXims of Spir-
itual wisdom and is penetrated with the
aroma Of the higher life. The exercises
as arranged in the book would require
retreat of four weeks if carried out
fully, whereas the diocesan clergy can
not leave their parishes for any such
length of time. The usual clerical
retreat lasts from Monday evening until
Saturday morning. During that time
the director gives the eXercitants medi-
tations on the end of man. on the PEN
alties of sin, on Christ's life aud death,
on the resurrection, on prayer. Oh union
with God and similar subjects.
The spiritual retreat for the clergy is
aregularly established form of devotion
In the Catholic church. Pope Paul Ill.
approved the Spiritual Exercises" of
ST. Ignatius. Benedict XIV. did not
think himself too learned to insist upon
the necessity of an ecclesiastical retreat,
and Plus *. writes that it conduces in
a special manner to the preservation of
the dignity and sanctity of the ecclesi-
astical order.
Here Mt Home.
The third plenary council of Balti-
more quotes the words of Plus TX. re-
garding the ecclesiastical retreat, and
DEGREES that the bishops of this country
see that their clergy make retreat
every year, or at least every two years.
In the archdiocese of st. Paul the
priests make a retreat every year. They
like it. Well-trained men can endure
silence without being lonely. And, if
there be all occasional hint of solitude
IN their thoughts. it is not without its
charms. They long for spiritual re-
cuperation, they seek for wisdom In the
spectral visions of the past, and they
gain spiritual strength from the golden
giories of contemplated immortality.
Not so many years ago the clergy of the
diocese of st. Paul were so few
that they made their retreat in
The bishops house; later on
they assembled for this form of
spirituality IN the brown brick school
house near the cathedral. At present
The seminary of st. Thomas Aquinas Is
Icarcely large enough to accommodate
ME great and growing number of clergy
Of the diocese of st. Paul. There are in
his diocese 155 diocesan clergy and 80
members of religious orders. The lat
Ter are not expected to attend the &C.
llesiastical retreat. SO strictly is the
rule of attending these spiritual exer-
!ises insisted upon that all were pres
mt with the exception of two or three
whose absence was necessary.
The Leader.
The conductor of the retreat was the
Very Rev. E. B. Dyer, d. D., professor
IF philosophy in the seminary of ST.
Sulpice, Baltimore, Md. His lectures
we're grave and deep. with enough care
essness about them to conceal art. 1t
5 surprising how much philosophy
ian be found in such a com
nonplace subject as prayer. Doubt
less some of those who listened to
The sanity exponent of the wisdom of
prayer had read as much of its philos-
Dphy and of its theology as himself, yet
have no hesitation IN saying that his
lectures made them realize better than
ever before that prayer moves the
hand that moves the universe" and
that
"More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams Of"
Father Dyer belongs to the famous
Society OF st. SuIpice, society founded
In Paris by NJ. 0lier in 1912. The chief
work of the Sulpicians, as the mem
bers of this community are called, is to
devote themselves to the care of theo-
logical seminaries. The most notable
smnary of the society is that of st.