The San Francisco call., 1896-02-17
General Gathering of the League
OF the Cross at St. Mary's
Cathedral.
SERMON BY THE ARCHBISHOP
Evils OF lntemperance Graphically De
plcted and the Work of the
League Extolled.

mere were hundreds of proud parents
ahu irlenGs OF the young mem hers of tho
League OF the Cross unable 10 qaip en-
trance TO st. Mary's Cathedral vesterdo1,
afternoon. The occasion was the frc+
geherai renewal OF the pledge by the mem
oers OF the league. This organization has
q total membership of about 1000 in the
CI'y' ana the entire body of the church
was reserved yesterday for the members
ne galleries suticed to hold only a small
quota OF the vast number who desireo ad
mittance az
1he seats in the central portion of the
church were reserved for the cadets who
MADE a line showing as, 400 strong. with
natty uniforms and clanking swords thew
marched down the aisles to their nlaces
Colonel William c. Maloney had charge of
the uniform division, which was divided
into eight companies
rather O'Ryan, spiritual director of the
league, led In the prayer for the church
and civil authorities, and the nrayer of
consecraGon. After hymn by the con-
gregatlon Archbishop Riordan assembled
the pulpit. He said in part:
NY Gear members of the League of the
Otossi MY hrst words this afternoon are
words OF thanks to your spiritual director
herolc laoors which have brought about
Ihls magnificent meeting this afternoon.
IL is great consolation to me to feel that
we nave oeen able TO gather together so
many thousands OF our young men to save
them from the temptations of this great
city. So much of our work to do GOOD
seems TO go for nothing that it is encour-
aging TO see such great accomplishments
on the part of your officials.
now what is the object of your organi-
EatlonF 1t IS to take You when you are
young and train you in the habits of tenn
perance and sobrletv, so that when YOU
are grown you will be so in the habit of
sustaining from those things which are
eVll that there will be but little danger of
your being led astray.
II you read the four Gospels you viii
see that our dear Savior was particularly
fond OF children. On one occasion, when
the apostles would have driven them away,
he said: Suffer little children to come unto
me, Tor of such as these is the Kingdom of
heaven You who have come by bap-
tsm into the family of Christ. how much
oeafer are you to him than those who lived
under the old religious dispensation. You
are the favored ones Of the church and he
takes you IN your tender childhood, work
ing upon you in the hope that its effect
VIII remain when you have attained man.
hood.
The influences which will be brought to
bear upon yon, unfortunately. are not all
Tor good. Boys are brought day after day
into contact with victims. of intem perance
The saloon stands always with an open
door and the boys, unless they are careful,
viii become victims OF the baneful habit
Ii We are only careful when we are young
TO contract good habits. there will be no
room Tor evil ones. Drunkenness does not
come all at once. 1t comes sometimes
very slowly hut when it does come it isl
very hard 10 get rid of. Drunkards find at
hp vi hac
them chain as strong as iron. Unless
we are careful the light of virtue little by
little goes out from the soul and darkness
is within.
You do not realize as well as we do the
importance OF this work. You are not
brought in contact day by day with in
Temperance as We are, but II you remain
true TO your pledge you will thank God
that you have been sober and temperate
men and boys.
Il have never known man yet when he
came to die regret that he had taken
pledge and kept it. How many men when
they reach that solemn point where they
look back over their past lie bitterly re-
pent the years wasted in drunkenness. 1t
Is great sin against Gods law. 1t de-
prlves US OF our reason. 1t leads to other
suns too numerous to mention. In tenn
perate homes there is peace and Joy.
Many people ask why all this parade
in order to make people temperate9 We
answer, let US do our work IN our own
way. If we have saved to temperance
dozen boys who otherwise would have
filed drunkards' graves we have done
noble work and our efforts have been rich
" rewarded.
IF we are good ct all we owe it to Gods
grace. So, my boys, each day when you
say your prayers, ask God for grace to
keep your pledge. Ask it every day, for
you need grace every day."
At the conclusion of the sermon the
Archbishop pronounced the pledge of the
League of the Cross, and the mem bers,
holding up their right hands, repeated it
after him. The service closed with
solemn benediction.
Fathers orke and Mulligan acted as
chaplains to the Archbishop, and Fathers
McGinty, O'Mahoney, P. Scanlan and
Clark, C. S. P, also occupied seats on the
altar. The choir, which consisted of
Rev. Jerome 3. Hannigan.