The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-01-13

building and debt paying, now passing
into an era of better established condi-
tons. Our Lords house and home,
His beloved Church, is ready for His
guests: let us go out and invite them
to His heavenly banquet OF truth and
love, and let us go out even into the
byways and hedges.
1t is a vast undertaking to convert
America. But we are equal to it. We
have the TRUE faith and we can prove
it. We have the Holy Spirit to guide
us. We have splendid clergy, led by
noble bishops and enrolled in many
glorious religious orders. The Church
OF Christ was made to do great things,
and chiefly to save the nations OF the
world. And now we have begun to or
ganlze Our home missions. The Cath
Ole Missionary Union, whose president
is the Archbishop OF New York, is a
corporation of prelates and priests
whose purpose is to raise funds and
support priests and distribute literature
tor the conversion OF non-C Catholics
Our main efforts are directed towards
those parts OF the country where Cath
olics are fewest and Protestants have
everything their own way-the South.
Though but a few years in existence,
our corporation now supports priests in
Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama
Mississippi and Texas, Jealous and Sic
cesslul missionaries, whose sole occupa-
ton is making converts. Besides this,
very large amount OF missionary liter
ature books, pamphlets, leaflets, are
either given away or sold for nominal
price, and these are distributed almost
everywhere in America.
Besides this part OF the work, several
bishops have in recent years organized
diocesan bands OF missionaries. These
are composed OF diocesan priests and
although they give Catholic missions,
yet their first duty is to non-Catholics
whom they convert in considerable
numbers, mainly by giving non-Catf-
Ole missions. These missionaries are
now permanently established and at
work in the dioceses OF New York
Hartford, Cleveland, and several do
cescs in the West, and are beginning
in the diocese OF Providence. This
form of apostolic enterprise will no
doubt extend to all or nearly all the
dioceses OF the country, and it will, in
my opinion, be the most efficacious
means OF converting America. 1t will
enlist in this work that part OF the Cath
'oic clergy which is the wost universal.
the most numerous, and the most init
mately acquainted with non-Catholics,
namely the diocesan clergy.
The laity, too, have par: to play and
4 great one. For if the bishops and
priests are the main arteries of truth and
love flowing from the Heart of Jesus,
the laily are the smaller ones and they
are the innumerablc veins bringing the
whole world back again to that fountain
OF lie for renewal.
Meantime all the religious orders are
doing good work in making converts.
Besides the Paulists, whose primary vo-
cation is non-Catholc missions, the
Passionists lave entered heartily into
tho American Apostolate, having lately
given to it Two OF their ablest priests,
whose labors are wholly gratuitous, and
have resulted in many conversions.
That God wills that this great work
Should he begun at once is also evident.
What but the Divine Spirit OF Truth
moves cur separated brethren to give lis
a hearing? What else mpels so many
iervcnt Catholics to pray for CONVEX
sions? What but Gods love has in
spircd our zcal,1as missionaries to the
coorcl people ard the Indians? What
else instils missionary zeal into the
hearts OF bishops, priests and leading
spirits among the laity, and what else
hut Gods Spirit has brought in s.,
many converts? What has stirred the
soul OF Leo MIL, the shepherd OF al!
Christendom, to lit his voice to the
whole world in SO many earnest appeals
ior the return OF the straying sheep o!
Christ? This lecture is faint echo OF
that voice, at once so majestic. loving,
tender. cntreatinp,