The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-05-12
Che missionary;
A Record of the Progress
of Christian Unity.
Edited by the Paulist Fathers.
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Correspondence Intermountain Catholic.
New York, May GA recent remark
able conversion is reported from tn
South. Mrs. Ellison. daughter of Gen
eral Jackson, a famous confederat,
general, and owner of the Belle Mead
farm, was recently received into th'
Church at Nashville. Tenn. Mrs Eli
son comes from the most aristocra til
Southern circles and has been looking
towards the Church during some
months, hoping to find relief for hel
religious perpleXities Finally, wher
the step was taken, a sweet feeling OF
peace and security 50 filed her SOU
that she could not help manifesting
her joy to her relatives. The stern
old general, seeing how joyful she was
remarked rather quizzically: Daugh-
ter" said he, you must have had a
great load of sins to confess, for you
seem so happy after getting rid OF
them"
The mission in Philadelphia by Faith
er Xavier. Passionist at Our Mother
of Sorrows, was remarkable for the
great interest taken in it by all classes.
Non-Catholics came from all parts OF
the city. it only shows how ripe is the
field in Philadelphia Thirty converts
were left in the class at the close. sun
day night the questions were getting
hot. Some of the bigOtS were excited
over the exodus to Rome and gave a
blast through the box; the old charges
Catholics burning the Bible, lgnor-
ance of Irish and corruption of Catho-
lie countries. France-were brought up.
A married lady, who had been at
tending the lectures, called on the mis-
Il Of a n y
of one or two points told him she de-
sired to became a Catholic. But, she
said, my husband is a poor Catholic.
and gives me no encouragement The
next day she called she had her son,
a young man is years of age, not bap-
tized, in line also with her. and both
We're received Monday night. An
other Protestant Joined the class, and
her husband also was a careless Cath
Ollie When it was discovered that two
of his children had been baptized by
q minister the missionary said to him,
II viii wager that you have not been
10 confession since before your mar
Tiage." You have won the bet, eX-
claimed the Protestant wife. He went
to confession and had the two children
baptized Thus it is-they never come
alone: the influence Of one convert at
tracts others. The movement has be-
gun. May it continue in Philadelphia.
The secretary of the Catholic Mis-
sionary Union has found the remis-
sons of the annual subscriptions so
numerous within the past month that
most of the letters he receives are
necessarily answered by a typewriter
circular containing sincere, though
somewhat impeTSOnal, expressions OF
gratitude and encouragement. This
time-SaVing eXpedient, long deferred,
is a gauge Of the growing enthusiasm
in the work of concentrating, and,
therefore. evidences one of the choicest
fruits Of the non-CathOlic mission
movement. The healthy, big-hearted
charity that longs to extend the SOW
ereignty of truth. to hasten the uniVer- /
sal reign Of peace, is a force that
makes strong, manly Catholics proud
of their religion and glad to acclaim |
its fragmentary parts strewn among
the shipWrecked souls who have lost |
the faith The lack of charity is often |
due to an imperfect understanding Of |
the ChurchS impregnable position, and |
an unsupported fear that perhaps 1t |
may be risking too much to surrender |
even your love to her bitter assailant. |
But when you realize that he is railing |
against mere assumptions of his own, /
and that his very arguments are aimed |
at establishing what the Church has |
always taught, how quickly pity and |
good viii take the place of rancor and !
hurt pride. The importing Of this |
spirit into a Catholic parish is like a
new Easter dawn, bringing joy and a
glorious eXuluatiOn that will inevitably
express itself in grateful, generous
outpouring Of sympathy toward the
blind cropping wanderers who long so
earnestly for the light. 1t is a new
revelation to learn that many a bigot's
hatred of the Church is really but an
upright, cOnScientiOusness, displaying
its opinion Of a bad institution. Agree
with him in his opinion of such an in
Stitution, but show him that he has
misunderstood the Catholic Church,
and 10, from an irritating vilifier he is
changed to d warm-hearted friend,
grateful to US and anxious to make
amends for the past.
The non-Catholic mission opened on
Sunday, May 6, in the Church of St.
Raphael, New York City, recalled
many pleasant associations. 1t was in
this church that the Passionists inaug-
urated their efforts along these lines.
launching their apostolate with the
very encouraging result Of thirty con-
Verts. The present mission is conduct
ed by Fathers Benedict and Richard,
and promises to be a very inspiriting
success. The Passionists are display
ing an edifying earnestnesS in and an
appreciation Of the non-Catholic mis-
sion movement. and week by week we
hear more encouraging reports of what
they are accomplishing. At lecture
course" recently given in one of the
churches, Father Xavier
Sutton won many heart by manifest
ing his direct personal interest in the
strangers who attended, and his tact