The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-03
A CONGRESS OF CATHOLICS.
THE EUCHARIST LEAGUE IN sEs-
SION AT WASHINGTON.

The Congress the First OF It's Kind
Ever Held in This COuntry-A Dis
tinguished Company of PreIates I'm
Attendance-MOnsig SntOIli En
Attendance Rs the Representative
OF the POpe-A Letter From the
POntfG TO Cardinal Gibbons.
Washington. Oct. 2-The first eucharistic
congress OF the Catholic church held in
America began this morning with the cele-
bration Of solemn pontificial high mass at
st. Patricks church. 1t was a most i'm
pressive occasion and drew an audience
that crowded the handsome edifice to the
doors. The services were not merely at
tractive in that they marked the opening
of the congress, but because they brought
together nearly every member Of the
Episcopacy of the church, and also dedi-
Gated the new St. Patricks, which after
thorough renovation was opened to-day
and presented the most beautiful church
interior i'm Washington.
The pontficial representative and cele-
brant of the mass was Monsignor Satolli,
the apostolic delegate, who was assisted
by the Very Rev. F. Murray, president Of
Mount St Marys seminary at Cincinnati.
The deacons to the throne were the
Very Rev. d. NJ. McKenny, V. G., OF
Jacksonville Fla, and Very Rev. S. Fox,
V. c.. OF Greenbay, Wis. The deacon OF
the mass was Rev. d. J. Mcmahon, rector
of st. Thomas church at New York city,
with Rev. Prof. Astelli of st. Paul's sem
mary a st. Paul. Mimi. as sub-deacon.
The masters of ceremonies were Rev. J.
+. McGee of st. Patricks church, Wash
ington, and Rev. G. Dougherty of st. Au-
gustine's church at Washington.
The mass was concluded with an elo-
quent sermon by Bishop Kean. His sub
ject was Friendship and he likened
the members of the Eucharistic League
to the apostles whom Christ called his
friends.
The FIRST session Of the congress began
this afternoon In the assembly room of the
Mcmahon hall, the new building Of the
Catholic university dedicated yesterday.
About 200 members of the Eucharistic
League were present. Bishop Macs, the
director of the league. presided and pre-
sented Cardinal Gibbons who led in
prayer and afterward made a short ad-
dress, in which he referred to a conversa-
ton he had with Pope Leo about the con-
gress. Referring to the pope. he said:
His face seemed to beam with joy and
gladness when l requested him to give us
a letter for this auspicious occasion"
The cardinal repeated the substance OF
the remarks made by the pontin, who
commended the Eucharistic League In the
strongest language and spoke of the bene-
fits to be derived from its worship and re-
ception into the being, and in this con-
nection referred to the Savior as the
source of every blessing, the fountain Of
every grace. and said that people should
never despair while they had Christ to
pray to.
Christ" said the cardinal. II can after
speaking Of the spiritual benefits conferred
by worship of the Eucharist our pray
ers are more than our preachings. God
is with us when praying and when God is
with us, who can be against us2,
The. letter to which the cardinal re-
ferred was then read in Latin and In
English. Its text follows:
Pope Leo XIII-To our beloved son,
James Cardinal Gibbons, cardinal-priest
of the holy Roman church of the title OF
Saint Marys beyond the Tiber, archbishop
Of Baltimore:
Our Beloved sonl Health and the apos-
tolic benediction. As we are of the Opin-
ion that all manner of Catholic congresses
should be promoted always by our ap-
proval, we are, likewise, resolved to be-
stow our special favor upon those which
have for their end the glorhcation Of the
divine Eucharist And, indeed, with no
slight pleasure. we have witnessed the
faithful in many of the countries OF Eu-
rope assembling for this purpose, under
the guidance of their bishops; our conso-
lation was supreme when, two years ago,
we saw them gathering from far in Je-
rusalem, and we have felt our Joy greatly
increased by those most abundant fruits
of piety which have everywhere accrued
to the immense advantages of religion.
Hence, we have learned with exceeding
great pleasure that a Eucharistic con-
gress, with delegates from all the United
States of America, is to be held in Wash
ington, during the month of October.
Wherefore, beloved son, we commend your
determination, and we earnestly pray God
70 LEAD your endedNOfS 10 Lne success
for which you long. What we wish you
most of all, however, is that your con-
gress and your united prayers may effect
the result which, as you know, we have
most at heart, that is, that all who differ
with US may be brought back to the unity
of faith and charity.
Meanwhile, as a pledge Of our fatherly
affection and a harbinger of divine gifts,
receive the apostolic benedction which
we most lovingly grant to yourselves and
to all who shall take part in the Eucharis-
tic congress. Leo XIII.
After Bishop Keane welcomed the men,
bers of the league the formal programme
for the afternoon was carried out. II
consisted in the reading OF three doctrinai
papers, the first by Rev. e. r. Dyer or
St. Mary's seminary at Baltimore, who
dealt with "The place Of the Holy Eu-
charist in the divine plan Of salvation
and maintained that the Eucharist was
the one source Of true worship and revivi-
flying grace. Rev. ID. Mcmahon of St.
Thomas Church, New York city, told OF
"The holy Eucharist and the personal life
of the priest" and Rev. d. f. Feehan OF
st. Bernard's church at Fitchburg, Mass,
of THE holy Eucharist and the ministry
Of the priest
Tonight there was an hours alteration
Of the holy Eucharist at st. Patricks
church.