The Irish standard., 1898-12-24
A FINE CHARITY SERMON
Delivered by Rev. j. NJ. Cleary, at st
Charles Church.

Charles church last Sunday evening. A
large audience was in attendance. The
following is very brief synopsis of his
lengthy and interesting discourse:
Christ, our model, went about doing
good. 1t has been characteristic of His
followers in all times and in every land
to initiate His example. Hence we find
that no matter how humble the social
condition of Catholics may be, they find
means to succor human misfortune
There is no misery to which humanity is
heir that is not alleviated by Catholic
charity. The Catholic church does this
Godlike work of caring for the sick, de-
pendent or sin-laden, as an ordinary
part of its constant duty to suffering
humanity. In fact, the benevolences of
the Catholic church are SO common, so
familiar to all observers, that they excite
no comment. They are not regarded as
something extraordinary or unusual, but
as matter Of course. The permanency
of Catholic charitable work is assured by
committing it to duly organized societies
or religious communities of men and
women, who give their entire lives to
the service of the poor and the needy,
mindful of the consoling words, mas
much as We have done it unto one of
these, We have done it unto me- 1t is
easy to give food to the hungry, drink
to the thirsty and shelter to the home
less. 1t is not such an easy matter to
give oneself. all his time, his talents, his
energies, to the poor and the suffering,
on to lay His head. The unfortunate
often need human sympathy and the
touch of loving hand more than they
need food or shelter. Catholic benevo-
lent institutions give them both
The Catholic population of this city is
not large. and our Catholic people are
not rich in this worlds goods, yet not
withstanding many disadvantages, we
are able to claim the generous attention
of our fellow citizens for what has been
done and is being done at this time, in
our new and growing city, under the
gentle auspices of Catholic charity, for
the relief of human misfortune. All the
Catholic institutions of the city most
cheerfully acknowledge, with profound
gratitude, the kindly aid that has been
given them at all times by our fellow
citizens who are not members of the
Catholic church. The generosity of the
philosophical citizens of Minneapolis is
proverbial, is not limited by national or
sectarian lines.
There are, under Catholic auspices in
this city, four distinctively charitable
institutions. The Oldest is the Boys
Orphans Home, at Forty-sixth street
and Chicago avenue, and the youngest is
the Home for the Aged, conducted by the
Little Sisters of the Poor, on the East
Side, at 215 Broadway. The Sisters of
the Good Shepherd care for unfortunate
girls in their home on Bloomington ave-
nue., near Twenty-seventh street, and the
Sisters of st. Joseph conduct the best
hospital in the city on Sixth street, near
Twenty-sixth avenue south.
Of all these institutions, perhaps the
old peoples home, managed by the Little
Sisters of the Poor, is the best known, as
this noble charity appeals pathetically to
every human heart. The helplessness,
the loneliness, the dependence of feeble
old age, touch every human heart The
most Indifferent cannot but admire the
hot;
tie Little Sisters to dedicate their lives
to the service of dependent old age.
The charitable Catholic society known
as the Little Sisters of the Poor was Or
ganized in Brittany, France, in our CEN
fury, in the year 1910. Its sole object is
the care Of the helpless and dependent
aged poor, without regard to creed, color,
sex or condition. Helplessness and old
age are the necessary passports to the
shelter of this sublime Catholic charity.
The Little Sisters came to the United
States for the first time in 1868. They
began their first home for the aged in
the city of Brooklyn. Now they have 3S
homes and care for $500 old people in
this country. They began in Minneap-
oils in the month of December, 1888, with
one old person in their charge, and not
one cent in their purse. or any capital
but their sublime confidence in divine
Providence. At the present time they
give comfortable home, the best home
they ever knew, to SO old people. They
occupy a comfortable building that has
been erected from the generous dona-
tions of all classes of our people, at
cost Of $4,000. The three lots on which
the building stands were the generous
gift of Samuel Hill. All nationalities
and all creeds no creeds, and almost
every color Of the human skin are rep
rented at the quiet home of the Little
Sisters. The home is open for the in
spection and friendly visit of all re-
spectacle people, who will receive kind
welcome from the kind Sisters. Twelve
Of these devoted women are in charge.
They perform all the labor themselves,
and are, in very truth, the servants of
the old people.
st. Mary's hospital, which is founda-
ton from the parent institution at st.
Paul, st. Joseph's hospital. was estab-