The Irish standard., 1900-01-13
Says Leading Men and Women
Attend His Missions,
SECTARIAN PREJUDICE IS VANISHING
Efforts Being Made to Convert
the Protestant South.

The Rev. Walter Elliott, C. S. p, OF
New York, addressed the Catholic I'm
ion oil Boston OH The Conversion OF
America, or Mission Work Among
Non Catholics" in the Union Hall, OIL
the evening OF Friday, December oS.
Previous to his lecture. an informal
reception was rendered Father Elliott
i'll the parlors OF the Catholic Union
building by the members OF the Cath
Ole Truth Conference OF the Union
The distinguished Paulst was then
escorted to the platform by MIR. Peter
y. Dowd president. With them, also,
were the Revs. Henry A. Sullivan, rec
tor OF the Cathedral and spiritual
director OF the Catholic Union; Joseph
V. Tracy, OF ST. Johns Ecclesiastical
Seminary, Boston; ID. c. Riordan, ST.
Joseph's Church, Roxbury; MIR. Ed
mund Riordan, president Catholic I'm
ion OF Cambridge, and other priests and
prominent laymen.
A number OF priests were also in the
audience and some non-Catholics.
MIR. Dowd introduced Father Elliott
with graceful reference to the services
which all the Paulists, and especially
Father Elliott, are rendering to the
missionary work OF the Church. in max
ing il better known among our sepa-
rated brethren.
In a brief Introductory word, Father
Elliott expressed his pleasure at finding
himself before this representative Bos-
ton Catholic audience. Father Hecker,
the founder OF the Congregation OF St.
Paul. to which it was his privilege to
belong, was received into the Church in
Boston. The first convert whom he
(Fathcr ElliotD had the privilege OF re-
cc'ving, was sturdy Yankee from Lex
ington, who, when asked what had first
turned his thoughts to the Catholic
Faith, answered that it was the Boston
Pilot, which he was wont to borrow
from Catholic ncighbor. ......
Father Elliott, then addressing him
self to his subject, "Thc Conversion of
America" spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
The Church is necessarily mission
AIRY body and non-Catl1oiics are our
brethren. We should give them their
spiritual heritage in the Church: we
should make them Catholics.
The normal condition OF the Catholic
Church is missionary. A purely de-
icnsivc attitude can only be a temporary
state for an organization to which its
Founder said: Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every crca-
ture." The tactics OF defence arc differ
cnt from those OF advance. 1t is one
spirit that holds the fort, and another
that sallics out TO surround and cap
turc the enemy. Instead OF digging
trenches to cover ourselves from dan
ger, let It's force the enemy to do it for
his own safety. Hiding in ditch is
proper for error and falsehood, and has
never been the policy OF truth except
when its opponents we're recovering
from disaster.
1T has long been a rcproach to the
Church OF America that she has had no
home missionaries for her separated
cildrcn--a rcproac1, not quite just, nor
yet wholly unjust Various excuses have
been offered. Why not attend exclu-
sivcly TO Our own people, it is said, since
we have not surplus of-clergy for their
ordinary wants? But it may be an
swcrcd, Who are our own people? II
the non-Catholic people are not "our
own" then whose own are they? Are
they the Devils own, finally and for
ever? But if they are Gods own. then
must they be looked after by Gods
Church? If they are the Devils own,
then they are his by lying and fraud
and we must win them back to God by
truth and virtue. Yet again; can we
look properly after even "our own peo-
plc," meaning Catholics, and totally ig-
more "the others |" Was ever fortress
successfully defended without at least an
occasional sally by the garrison? If
only to keep up the courage OF the faith
full. we must make some systematic pro-
vision for the conversion OF non-Cath-
olics.
If you owe money, your conscience
upbraids you till your debt is paid. And
if YOU owe what is above all money or
price, the true faith of Christ, will your