The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06
THE FIRST COMMUNION
Many Children Confirmed at the
Catholic Churches.
BISHOP R%ONDEuSSERMON
His Morning Subject Wa The Holy
Ghost" Which Represents sanc.i-
~ication-It Gives Peace
TO Men.

munion in the Catholic churches Of this
c..y yesterday than in IN previous
year since the church was started here.
There were 172 children confirmed at
st. Patrick's church. OF whom IS were
st. Lawrence church.
There was solemn high mass at st.
Patrick's church at 1890 o'clock yes
terday morning. Father Smells was cell
ebrant and the sermon was preached
by Bishop Brondel, who also preached
last evening. His subject yesterday
morning was 1.-The Holy Ghost"
While there is n God, 1t consists
OF three persons, of whom the Father
represents creation. the Son repre
sents redemption and the Holy Ghost
represents modification. The bishop
referred to the ghost stories told chill
dren, but the Holy Ghost is really a
holy spirit. 1t appeared in the form
of a white dove when John baptized
Christ, and at Pentecost IL appeared
in the form Of fiery tongues. 1t was a
fire. Fire is a light. and as light EN-
ables man to see. so the spirit of God
drives away the darkness in the minds
of men. Tit Holy Spirit is not only q
light, but also a fire. 1t Is warming.
1t warns the hearts Of men in the love
of fellow men. When the Holy Ghost
descended at Pentecost, the scriptures
say that the fiery tongues sat IN the
heads of the apostles. sitting in q posi-
ton of rest. 1t did not come to dis
turb or to bring trouble, but to pacify.
1t gives peace to men by the light of
truth and Christian charity. Sodom and
Gomorrah were consumed by fire. but
this spirit Of God came down not to
destroy, but to give light and in1ame
the hearts of men with divine love.
Fire is not always a light, for we
know that in hell there Is eternal fire
and at the same time eternal dark
ness. But the fire given to the apostles
was a fire which gave light and the
knowledge OF truth, which is the light,
and to communicate divine charity.
which Is the heat, to all the nations
of the world.
There are different kinds of spirits.
continued the bishop, good and bad.
The good ones are angels. the bad ones
are devils. God made the angels. He
did not make the devils. just as he
made good men, but not bad men. 1t
Is by the abuse of liberty that angels
become devils n good men become
bad men. Besides, the good and bad
spirits there are the souls of men. HUI
man spirits are united to human bod
les n called men. When the souls of
men leave the body they become either
the glorious souls of heavenly saints,
the suffering souls i'm purgatory, or the
damned soul in hell. The church
teaches that we have to honor the
saints and the angels, and to ask their
help and assistance as being the friends
of God. We are taught to pray for the
souls In purgatory that they may be
relieved of their sufferings and see a
beatiic vision, and W. are taught to
nave no dealings with the evil spirits
or the damned souls of hell. In time
ma eft Snnna evil Sniritc xyara na1la1 ,-;,
ards and witches. In these days they
are called Sp~iritualists and Christian
Scientists. Among the Indians they are
called medicine men. All these are
contrary to the divine precept that We
shall not ave strange gods before me.
The Holy Ghost is that spirit which
Christ promised He would send into
the world to testify OF Him. 1t is tina
spirit which abides with the church to
the end of time. By this spirit the chill
dren are baptized, born OF water and
of the Holy Ghost, and become the
children Of God. 1t is that spirit which
makes the Christian stronger and con-
firms him In the faith. 1t is by that spir-
1t that sins are forgiven. 1t is that spirit
which Is given to the couple when they
wed that they may live in love for
their whole life until Heath doth them
part. 1t is that spirit which estab-
fishes the unity OF faith among all the
children Of h world-the boy raised
In Butte; the Catholic New Zealander;
the Catholic Chinaman; the Catholic
F1athead Indian; the dark Catholic
from the Dark Continent and the son
of st. Patrick. wherever the answer to
the question in catechism is Yes" all
answer yes in union; and where the
answer is NO" all answer What
makes this unity of faith? The abiding
of the spirit of God in the minds and
hearts of the people.
The head Of the Catholic church on
earth is Rome There is the king of
Christ's kingdom or earth, the king
dom Of which has no limit. This king
dom Is not divided by language, or by
mountains. or seas or rivers. This
spirit rules the whole Christian world
without power of armies, without tax
ing people. without the noisy elections
of public officials, ruling all the time
by nothing but the owe of truth and
love. 1t Is the spirit OF o which has
made it possible for a government to
last 1900 years. 1t Is the Holy Ghost,
the spirit OF God. which leads a mar
to reform his life, whether he be Jew
or Gentle, bad Catholic or Protestant.
At s o'clock this morning there will
be solemn services at st. Patrick's
church for Father Dolls. the FIRST pastor
Of the church.