The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-07
GOD AND COUNTRY
Bishop Wigger Says Cath
o1ics Will Ever Be De-
tenders of Their
Country.
MEMORABLE DAY At ST. BRIDGETS.
Large Class Receives First Com
munion and Confirmation
New Chapel Blessed.
MEMORABLE DAY AT ST. BRIDGETS.

Yesterday was a memorable day IN the
history Of st. Bridgets parish. The pro
gramme of exercises. as exclusively an
nounced in THE JERSEY CRY News Satur-
day, was carried out in detail, the cere-
monies being grand and impressive. At the
eight o'clock mass fully $50 persons received
Holy Communion.
1t was nearly ten o'clock when Bishop
Wigger, accompanied by the Chancellor OF
the diocese, Rev. Thomas Wallace, arrived
at st. Bridget's rectory. They were met at
the door by Father Dornin and his assist
ants and the visiting priests. The streets in
the neighborhood were crowded at this
time. At half-past ten o'clock the blessing
of the basement chapel took place. Bishop
| Wigger was accompanied by the priests,
and attended by the chancel choir of boys.
After the blessing a solemn high mass was
| sung in the presence of the Bishop, with
Father S. A. Holleran as celebrant, Father
Ter Woert of st. Johns as deacon,
Father Gillen of st. Lucy's
as sub deacon, Father Wallace,
min and Clancy as chaplains to the Bishop.
BlsHOP wIGGERs SERMON.
Bishop Wigger preached the sermon His
remarks were brief but very scholarly and
| instructive, and were on the Gospel Of the
day. He impressed upon the congregation
the need and care OF ever living up to the
truthful teachings of the church, reminding
them cs the words of our Saviour when upon
this earth, and how He was m~aligned, perse-
cuted and betrayed by those whom He de-
sired to save, and for whom He shed His
blood and offered up His life on the Mount
at Calvary.
IF the Master of all things was thus NAL
treated and punished, !" continued the Bishop,
sit is then no wonder that His servants and
His followers even today are maIignsd, and
in many instances His church prosecuted by
the same spirit that is responsible for all the
evil and lawlessneSS with which the old
countries are afflicted, and which here, in
cur OWL country, tries to gain q focthold,
guided and fostered by minds as misehievous
and misguided as those that prosecuted the
| Master in His thirty-three years Of ~sojourn
on thise earth"
=" truth is mighty and will prevail 1t
will prevail for all time, even against those
who, blinded by passion and unreasonable
dislike, fulminate untruths and stir uD strife
and discord against the church that Christ
himself left us a heritage Of love to man
kind, even when he was put to death by
those whom he died to save.
''Inasmuch as sin is tho personiication Of
the devil, who is constantly appealing to our
| passions and the evil ~inclinations of the
flesh, SO much the more do we stand in the
need of the spiritual sustenance afforded by
the church to those who seek in her an
! asylum Of safety from the temptations of
the devil. and by constantly receiving the
~sacraments to fortify ourselves against the
sins of the flesh that w NAV always remain
true soldiers to the Master, and lawful and
earnest supporters of the State, ready at all
| times to offer our lives on the altar of God
9nd country.
DEFENDERS OF COUNTRY.
"For despite what misguided, hair-brained
| mischief makers may say, and in spite of
secret connivings and unholy and unnatural
alliances of some of our separated brethren,
the Catholic children of today viii be the
defenders of the country when we are gone
| they will take up the banner that the Dis
ciples of the Master bequeathed to them and
| carry it forward in their generation, prov
! ing themselves to be true SONS and daughters
of the Holy Church Of God, and, as their
sires were ever in thu past, defenders and
loyal sustainers of their country's rights and
| defenders of their natural heritage of liberty
| and their right to adore Almighty God for
| ever III their conscience and attending as de-
vou worshippers at the sacrifice of the
mass
The Bishop then congratulated the pastor
and his assistants on the beautiful appear
ance of the church, and praised the ever liv-
ing kindness and generosity of the parishion-
ers, who nave always aided their priests by
| their generosity and liberal offerings.
The church at half-past two r. NJ. was
| crowded to the doors, when the Bishop again
made an address to those about to be CON
firmed, inpressing upon them that they were
now about to become true soldiers of the
church. He urged them to live their lives in
such a manner that they would always re-
fleet credit upon the teachings of the church
! and thereby live as good and earnest law
/ abiding citizens. The sacrament of con-
| Grmation was then administered
During the day thousands visited the new
| chapel, and also admired the new windows
| in the main church.