The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-28
CONFIRMED At ST, MARYS
ABOUT EIGHTY PERSONS, MANY OF
THEM ADULTS, RECEIVE THE
SACRAMENT.
ARCHBISHOP RIoRDAN PREACHED
ON THE THEME, CHE CHRIS
TAN SOLDIER"

st. Mary's Catholic Church on Califor-
MIA street was filed until hardly standing
room was left in the aisles yesterday fore
noon at the confirmation services. Alto
gether about eighty persons received the
sacrament OF confirmation, many OF them
being adults. Archbishop Riordan deliv-
cred the sermon.
Since the Paulist Fathers began their
mission here a great change has come over
the church. The old pro-cathedral build
ing dates from the SOS, but through the
new life infused by Father Wyman and
his co-laborers their spiritual work has
been productive of very encouraging re-
suits. Tor the past four weeks they have
been particularly ctive in ministering to
souls, and have given special instructions
twice a week. Hence the large number
confirmed yesterday.
The altar was beautifully decorated with
flowers yesterday and the music and sing
ing were especially fine. The ceremonies
were impressive, and the Archbishop's
treatment OF the epistle of the day was
very effective.
The morning epistle was from the sixth
chapter OF st. Paufs epistle to the Ehpe-
SLAMS from the tenth to the seventeenth
verses, "Be strengthened in the Lord j." etc.
Great stress was laid by Archbishop Rior-
dan on the words Put We on the whole
armor of God" and he drew a graphic
picture Paul, the sainted person, chained
to an armed soldier Of the imperial legion
in Roman dungeon. The audience could
almost see before them the apostle to the
Gentlles, seated in that gloomy dungeon
his left hand linked to that OF the low
browed Roman guard, while with his right
he was penning his letter to the faithful of
Ephesus. The theme of the Archbishop
Ghric+ SOl1 iar
he said:
with flesh aud blood but with the powers OF
darkness Therefore we must have on the
whole armor OF God. See the Roman soldier
who is guarding Paul! He is eucaSed in steel
from head TO foot-a formidable warrior of the
world! See the Christian soldier beside him
One hand is fettered 10 the guard; he knows he
is soon TO be offered up on the altar of MARTYR
dom, yet his face is aglow with the light of
glorious hope which the world does not and
cannot know, and his pen is swiftly communi-
eating a message from brave heart 10 his
brother soldiers of Christ at Ephesus
And hear his injunction as he tells them to
put on the whole spiritual armor OF God for their
Warfarel He counsels them to have their
loins girt with truth, to put on the breastplate
OF justice and the helmet of salvation TO be
shod with the preparation OF the gospel OF
peace to protect themselves with the shield
of faith. and to the sword of the Spirit II
is mighty warfare of the spiritual kind and
the soldier OF Christ must be fully prepared
and brave.
The difficulties always in the way of the
Christian were wildly described by the
Archbishop, and his also alluded to the
universal spread of corruption. The high
est moral standard the world seems 10
know was that OF mere honesty-nothing
more. Among pagan nations even this
standard is not generally recognized and
corruption is openly practced.
he followed his sermon with an address
to those who had just been confirmed and
admonished them to make use OF all the
Christian graces. christianity" he OBJ
served, lis a life, not a mere philoso-
phy," and he criticized protesting Catho-
lies who did not possess the essentials of
religion. Christianity, he said, should
penetrate deeply into the innermost life.