The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-05
an ELOQUENT SERMON.
Rev. Father Finnen Delivers a Sermon
on the Miracles Of God.

ESeV, Eatler tlnnen OellVefS Sortnon
on the Miracles Of God.
At tine late mass in st. Johns church
yesterday Very Rev. Father FInnen
delivered n sermon which was pro-
claimed by everybody fortunate
enough to hear it, "Oue Of his grandest
efforts The reverend father took for
his text, Johu vij-15 At that time
Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which
is that of Feberias ana n great multi
tude followed Him because they saw
the miracles which He did on them
that were diseased. Jesus therefore
went mp into the mountain, and
there lie sat with His deciples.
Now that the Jasch. the festival day of
the Jews, was near at hand. when
Jesus therefore had lifted up His eyes
and, seeing that very great multitude
cometh to Him, He said to Philip:
"Wheuce shall we buy bread tnat
these may eat?' And this he said to try
him, for He Himself knew what He
would do Philip answered Him:
"Two hundred pennvworth Of bread is
not sufficient for them, that everyone
may take q little" One of His discipls,
Andrew. the brother of Simon Peter,
saith to Him: "Ihere is boy hear that
hath five barley loaves and two fishes.
nut what are these among 50 manyY'
Then Jesus said: Make the men sit
down" Now, there was much grass in
the place The men therefore sat down
numbers sbout j. 600 And Jesus took
the loaves and, when He had given
thanks, He distributed to them that
were sat down.
In a like manner also of the fishes sS
much "a they would. And when they
were filled He said to His deciples
"Gather up the fragments that remain
lest they be lost They gathered no,
therefore and filled twelve baskets
with the fragments Of the five barley
lOaves which remained over and above
to them that had eaten. Now, those
men, when they had seen what mira
Gle Jesus had done. said: This is of 4
truth the prophet that is to come into
the world Jesus, therefore. when He
knew that they would come to take
Him by force and make Him king, 1.d
again into the mountain Himself alone.
The speaker dwelJ sJ length on the
miracles which Col in his goodness
daily bestOws on mankind, but which
is seemingly not observed by the ordi-
nary person, To illustrate his remarks
he cited the farmer. who in spring
time takes a few kernels of corn and
by tde mere planting OF the same in Il
few months sees q stalk Of corn with
ears containing hundreds of kernels
more than what he planted. The
speaker then showed the mechanical
and divine work as performed by the
farmer and the omnlpotent God. In
the course Of his remarks he took occa.
sion to allude to the growth of the
Catholic church, as it appears in the
census of 1880 of the United States
during the last fifty years Under the
census taken nearly four years ago it
shows that there are 10, 22l cOngrega-
tions, saying nothing of chapels, rep
rCs=ut.ng nearly :. 900 900 Of communi-
cants, s. 1855 churcHss representing a
total valuation of Sis 3Sl jl6 or an
average valuation Of nearly $l3, 800
for each church to say nothing of ;he
value of the plrochial residences and
schools owned and cared for by the
Catholics Of this country, all OF which
are not enumerated in the census re-
farred to. Tie reverend speaker stated
that while the census gives in round
numbers 100000 Of commnnicpnts,
there is really nearly 1000 900, for
there are many Catholics, while not
enumerated or classified, which have
been overlooked as the church, recog
nizss every baptism performed
In the diocese of Scranton alone, he
said, seven languages are spoken in the
c0uiessional5, viz: English, German
Greek, Italian, Lithuanian, Hungarian
and Polish, and the Catholic churci
has taken root in every one of the sil
original New England states excep