The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-02-03
WAS HEARD BY MANY.
Audience of Fifteen Hundred Listens
to First of Pau1ist Fathers
Lectures

| j
The first of six lectures to be given al
the Auditorium by the Paulist fathers
who have been conducting a mission in
Helena, was heard last night by 1,5O(
| persons The big audience which filled
| the main floor and gallery numbered
members of all denominations OF
churches represented in Helena, and OF
persons of no, acknowledged faith. The
lecture delivered by Rev. Father Mac
Cory on The Divinity of Christ was
| directed principally to non-Catholics
who We're specially invited to attend
and to ask such questions as might in.
terest them. The Catholic Truth soci.
ETY., under whose auspices the lectures
are being given, had arranged special
music, which proved to be one of the
enjoyable features of the meeting. The
Auditorium had been prettily decorat-
ed for the occasion.
After hymn with solo by Miss
| Sweeny, Rev. Father Hopper and Rev
Father MacCorry were introduced by
Colonel w. F. Sanders, who took the
opportunity to assure the priests of the
earnest attention of the audience. No
matter what their religious opinions
might be, Colonel Sanders said. the
people of Helena were broad enough
and liberal enough to hear all sides of
a question.
Rev. Father MacCorry was greeted
with applause as he stepped to the front
of the platform. Before entering upon
his lecture, he spoke in terms of grace
full approval of the remarks made by
Colonel Sanders. referring to the happy
results that must accure to members of
all churches from a mutual under
standing of their respective religious
beliefs.
IF we are to disagree" he said. fTet
US join hands of friendship across that
unfortunate chasm and unite our eff
forts for the betterment of mankind"
Rev. Father MacCorry seemed in
spfred by his subject and his audience
an audience that listened with al
most breathleSS attention as he told
the story of Christ It was a story of
power of entreaty-a prayer for the
people to accept the divine one of
whom he told. Through it all the ar
guments was never lost sight of. Every
thing that faultless diction, apt illus
trations and rhetoric could do was
pressed into the work of portraying the
most perfect life that can ever be held
up for the admiration and imitation of
men. The arguments against the divin-
ity of Christ as preferred Renan.
Strauss, Hobbs and others were abIy
called by the speaker, was a clever
piece of logic, demonstrating that
Christ was either God or an imposter
and a wretch, since ne claimed divine
honOrs and required for himself divine
homage and respect
Rev. Father MacCorry's big audience
was silent until he closed, and then the
applause was tremendous. He had
touched his hearers, no matter how
much many of them differed from him
on points of faith.
The lecture was followed by a solo by
Mrs. Adolph LaSalle, who sang THE
Palms" by Gounod Rev Father Hop
per proceeded to open the question box,
which was placed at the Auditorium en-
trance and to which everyone had been
invited to contribute. So soon as Rev.
Father Hopper had answered one CUES
ton, he would proceed to another, but
he was unable to dispose of all that
had been asked, although, in several
instances, he was briefer in his replies
than he cared to be. Both questions
and answers were interesting. do
Catholics worship images and statues,
and if so, why?" one person asked.
why do Catholics prefer the blessed
Virgin, Mary, to her divine son, the
Savior?" was another inquiry. The
venerable query, "Why don't priests
marry?" was among the number asked.
Has not the Catholic Church been
guilty of many prosecutions of protest
ants and Jews?" was another Of the
questions answered.
Rev. Father Hopper said that he was
glad that the question: had been asked.
There had been many prosecutions of
both protestants and Jews, he said,
none of which were sanctioned or au-
thoriZed by the Church
ST deny" said Rev. Father Hopper,
"that the Catholic Church has been
guilty Of any prosecutions. One must
discriminate between the Church and
individuals. AS individuals Catholics
have done things which are to be con-