The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-01-13
conscience be less sensitive?

friendly or they may hate us; they are
nevertheless bone of our bone They
are our brethren and therefore co-heirs
with us-lost heirs OF the one Kingdom
OF God on earth When we go out to
seek them and win them, we go out to
our brethren; and when we offer them
the Catholic faith it is only Offering
them what is their heritage, theirs by a
title as clear as our own.
Zone Lord, one faith, one BAPTISM
one God and Father OF ALL" af1irns
Gods purpose with all men, and de-
scrlbes universal condition as vet far
from being realized. All men are made
in the Divine Image, all are saved only
by Jesus Christ, and His salvation is
to be obtained only in the one, true,
Catholic. Roman Church. "4All power
is given to Me in Heaven and on earth;
going, therefore, teach all nations,
teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded YOU;
and behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the
world" How universal are these
words: "All power, all truth, all men,
all ages Where is there room here
tor racial or personal narrowness?
Here III America the favorable condi-
tons for making converts are multi
Piled. The whole nation is inclined to
religion. the nonCatholic people, al
though held to particular modes OF err
roneous belief, are yet mainly concerned
about real religious truths. Prejudice
against the Church grows weaker and
weaker The love OF liberty and the
passion for knowledge open mems
hearts to reason and revelation. When
these are proposed intelllgently and in
kindly spirit converts ale made. The
true religion could hardly desire bet
ter field ior its apostolate than our great
Republic. There are literally tens OF
thousands oil villages and towns scat
tered over this entire country and in
English speaking Canada, which will
furnish Our missionaries with audiences
of religious-minded, earnest non Cath
olics. At one OF our missions the vii
lagc music-teacfer said that if the meet
ings were kept UP for another week
there would be hundred convcrts-a
dream. to be sure, and founded on the
emotional results Of revival meetings.
But il is actual truth that regular and
universal provision OF lectures, with re-
newals at intervals, change OF topics and
OF missionary literature, would in course
OF years convert the majority OF the
honest people OF the United States to
the true religion.
Even at missions where the attend
ance OF non-Catlolics was compare
lively SMALL it generally embraced the
leading men and women OF the COM
munity The more thoughtful, the
more religious, the more disputatious,
the sceptics, the lawyers and doctors,
the politicians, the school teachers, the
journalists-these classes never failed to
be well represented. The whole Amer
lean nation is anxious about religion.
We have often known Protestant men
and women OF responsibility to come to
the hall an hour before the time OF be-
ginning so as to secure good seats, and
that in such bigotcd regions as north
ern Ohio, the old Western Reserve.
That is section in which antagonism
to the Church survives in pristine vchc-
mence. But so does religious earnest
ness, even among those who are tending
towards rationalsm. For missionary
opening the main thing to be desired is
fondness for religious discussion. be-
cause that is seldom ASSOCIATED from
sincerity OF character; and am per-
suaded that Catlloliclty will win its way
into the disputatous minds OF the New
England race, ii we can manage to pre-
sent it in accordance with their natural
mental tendencies
The country people OF America have
many noble traits, are religious patri-
otto, frank and intelligent. They are
the trucst Americans. Win them and
all is won. They will listen to us iur-
tlermore. An audience OF farmers can
be had without serious difficulty almost
anywhere. And it is much to be regret
ted that among the rural population the
Catholic religion is so weak Except a
comparatively small number oil Catholic
parishes, the entire American farming
population is Protestant, led and mis-
led, taught and deluded by the Protest
ant ministry, or just left to themselves
Ii it be asked why systematic or gen
eral missionary work was not long since
set OH foot in this country, answer
that it was set on foot and kept CON
stanty going Tor that part OF Our popu-
latrun most spiritually neccssitous. the
Indian tribes and the Negroes. Better
priests or sisters are not to be found
than those who now serve the poor
remnants OF the original native popula-
tion Of the United States, and such has
always been the case since the discovery
OF America. The blacks have a thor
ough1y organized missionary establish
ment, priests, seninaries, students, sis
tiers, all doing good work in many
r1acoc IL, tho Sout1, and raoidlv extend