The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-25
ST. JOHNS DAY OBSERVED
Knights of Malta Listen to a Sermon
by Rev. DR.. Pierce in the Penn
Avenue Baptist Church.

1t was st. Johns Day yesterday and
| the knights of Malta of the city re-
| cognized the day of their patron saint
by attending services at the Penn
| Avenue Baptist church, and listened
| to an eloquent discourse upon "The
| Christian Soldier" by Rev. r. T. Y.
| Pierce, d. D., the knights themselves
| being the subject on which the SER
| mon was based.
The church was handsomely decor
ated, the platform being covered with
| palms and greens, and on high, in
| front of the organ was the emblem of
| the Knights af Malta, a splendid Malt
ese cross. 1t was studded with colored
electric lights, and made an imposing
| picture. Underneath were two long
| plumes, crossed, another emblem. The
standard of Athracite commandery,
No. 211, was also in evidence.
Fully one hundred and twenty-five
knights were present, the majority of
| whom were members of Anthracite
commandery, which was the only one
to attend in body. o. S. Ridgway, a
past commander in the order, mar
shaled the body at Malta hall, in the
| Guernsey building, on Washington
| avenue, whence the knights marched
to the church, Sir Knight Comman-
der Frank b. Reese heading Anthracite
! commandery. The other Malta
branches represented were Washing
ton commandery, No. 292; Electric City
commandery, No. 2S5; General Grant
comnandery, No. 230, and st. Ste
phens commandery, No. 236. The
members were attired in their full uni
forms and presented a splendid ap-
pearance as they marched into the
| sacred edifice.
The knights of Malta have grown to
be a great local institution. The or
der is of beneficial nature, and pos
sesscs many advantages for the men,
bers. 1t is an association of long
standing and firm basis, being one of
the oldest institutions of it's kind in
the world, the order being founded
back in the middle ages.
They served during the Crusades,
doing splendid work and throughout
the centuries following those great
periods of the religious wars, proved
themselves a power in Europe.
DR.. Pierce. last night, after welcom-
ing the knights to the church, made
his address, taking as his theme the
text, Watch ye stand fast in the
faith, quit you like men, be strong."-
Corinthians /: 13.
In the course of his talk he de-
scribed the connection between Chris
tinanity and the entire principles OF
the knights of Malta. He read aloud
a few of the principles of the order
and remarked upon the similarity be-
tween them and the general tenets OF
the Bible, upon which, in fact, the or
der is founded DR.. Pierce spoke OF
the powers of organization and said:
This is an age of organizations, oi
benefit associations, but of them all
to my mind, there never was higher
degree of morality brought about by
any association than by the Knights OF
Malta. They are sworn to defend civi
and religious liberty and surely moth
ing reaches higher patriotism. thar
this.
I'VE need organizations of this ma
ture, and men of that kind, men whC
secure good government, purify poll
tics and stand side by side with those
men who are now engaged in trying
to bring about municipal reform"
DIR. Pierce here started to talk abou
the question of voting and expressed
his opinion regarding the fact tina
many balloting booths are located il
saloons. Rather" said he, would
open the doors of this church and hav'
people vote, In this building than SCI
them forced to go into saloon, anc
there cast their ballot"