The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-13
REV. WALTER ELLIOTT, C. S. P.
ON "THE CONVERSION OF
AMERICA"

The Rev. Walter Elliott c. S. P, of
New York addressed the Catholic Union
of Boston on The Conversion of Amer
lea, or Mission Work Among the Non
Catholics" in the Union hall on the
evening of Friday. Dec. IS.
Previous to his lecture an informal
reception was rendered Father Elliott
in the parlors of the Catholic Union
building by the members of the Cath
Ollie Truth Conference of the Union.
The distinguished Paulist was then
escorted to the platform by Mr.. Peter
a. Dowd, president. With them also
were the Revs. Henry A. Sullivan, rec
tor of the cathedral and spiritual di-
rector of the Catholic Union; Joseph v.
Tracy of st. Johns Ecclesiastical sem
mary, Boston; D. c. Riordan, st. Jo-
seph's church, Roxbury; Mr.. Edmund
Riordan, president Catholic Union of
Cambridge, and other priests and prom
inent layment.
A number Of priests were also in the
audience and some non-Catholics.
Mr.. Dowd introduced Father Elliott
with a graceful reference to the SER
vices which all the Paulists, and es-
pecially Father Elliott, are rendering
TO the missionary work of the church,
in making it better known among our
separated brethren.
In a brief Introductory word, Father
Elliott expressed his pleasure at find
ing himself before this representative
Boston Catholic audience. Father
Hecker the founder of the congrega-
ton Of St. Paul, Sto which it was his
privilege to belong, was received into
the church in Boston. The first con-
vert whom he Gather ElliotD had the
privilege of receiving was a sturdy
Yankee from Lexington, who, when
asked what had first turned his
thoughts to the Catholic faith, an
sweTed that it was the Boston Pilot
which he was wont to borrow from a
Catholic neighbor
Father Elliott, then addressing him
self to his subject, 1.-The Conversion of
spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
THE church is necessarily a mis-
sionary body and non Catholics are
our brethren. We should give them
their spiritual heritage in the church;
we should make them Catholics
The normal condition of the Catho
lie church is missionary. A purely de-
fensive attitude can only be a, tempo
rary state for an organization to which
its founder said: Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every
creature The tactics Of defense are
different from those of advance. 1t is
one spirit that holds the fort, and an
other that sallieS out to surround and
capture the enemy. Instead of digging
trenches to cover ourselves from dan
ger. let US force the enemy to do it
for his own safety. Hiding in a ditch
is proper for error and falSehood, and
has never been the policy of truth ex-
cept when its opponents were recover !
ing from disaster
1t has long been a reproach to the
church of America that she has had no
home missionaries for her separated |
reproach not quite just, nor
yet wholly unjust. Various excuses
nave been offered. Why not attend ex-
elusively to our own people, it is said, |
since we have not surplus of clergy |
or their ordinary wants? But it may |
De answered, who are our own people? |
f the non-Catholic people are not our |
)Wn,' those whose own are they? Are /
hey the DEVILS own, finally and for |
,ver? But if they are Gods own, then
must they be looked after by Gods |
;hurch? If they are the Devils own. I
hen they are his by living and fraud. !
md we must win them back to God by |
ruth and virtue. Yet again. can we |
ook properly after even our own
people, meaning Catholics, and totally |
gnOre the otherSE Was ever q fort
ess successfully defended without at /
east an occasional sally by the garri-
on? If only to keep up the courage
# the faithful, we must make some
SYSTEMATIC provision for the conversion
# non-Catholics.
If you owe money, your conscience
lpbraids you till your debt is paid.
md if you owe what is above all money
n price, the true faith of Christ, will
our conscience be less sensitive?
Let US but realize that all non-Cath-
,lics are our brethren. They may be
friendly of they may hate us; they are
nevertheless bone of our bone They
re our brethren and therefore co-heirs
With us-lost heirs of the one kingdom
f God on earth. When we go out to
eek them and win them, we go out
o our brethren; and when we offer
hem the Catholic faith it is only offer