The Irish standard., 1901-12-28
A MISSION TO N0N-CATH0LICS.

| A mission for nom Catholics opens
tomorrow at the immaculate Concep-
ton church in this city. 1t will be
conducted for three weeks by two
members of the Paulish Order-Fath-
ers Doherty and Conway-who have
given similar missions with gratifying
results in Chicago, Milwaukee, Dubu-
que and other western cities. Protes-
tants of every denomination are ex-
tended a cordial invitation to hear the
Catholic doctrine explained by the
trained missionaries. Any questions
submitted to them in a becoming man.
ner concerning the Catholic faith, by
honest seekers after truth, will be
nheerfully answered without any Of
fense to the inquirers. This is an
opportunity which may not occur
again in their lifetime, and hence it
vague ideas on what the Catholic
church believes and teaches regarding
salvation should avail themselves of
it. Many of them may feel timid
about entering a Catholic temple of
worship: but they will be attended to
with courtesy and will hear nothing
calculated to wound their feelings.
The discourses to be given will be free
from controversy.
The American people of the present
day have, to large extent, divested
themselves of inherited prejudices
against the Catholic church, and some
Of them are willing to acknowledge
that in many ways it is doing great
deal of good in the world. Born out
side it's pale, they have never been
able to understand it's doctrine. They
have learned all they know of it from
the writings and discourses of non
Catholics who had learned what they
claimed to know of it from other non
Catholics; but they have never read
or heard what Catholics themselves
really believe and practice.
The majority of American non
Catholics are tolerant and fairminded,
and always like to hear both sides of
every question. They have already
heard enough against the old church:
now let them hear something for If.
Let them prepare the most difficult
questions to be asked of the Paulist
priests concerning Catholicity. and
they will receive the information they
desire from an authoritative Catholic
source.
Many Americans have entered thc
Catholic fold through the instruments
ality of the Paulist missionaries. The
religious order to which Fathers
Doherty and Conway belong was
rounded by men who had abandoned
ffotestantism. They knew the diff
cultles they encountered before en-
bracing the Catholic faith. and with
hearts full Of love for honest, God
tearing Protestants, they determined
TO go out among them and help to lead
them into the church of their fore
fathers, which is "the pillar and the
ground of TRUTH
Among the founders of the order
were Fathers Heckcr and Deshon,
both of whom were Protestants who
saw the error of their ways. The lat
ter was cadet at West Point with
the late President Grant and was in
the military service Of the United
States when he became Catholic.
Subsequently he became priest and
died only a few years ago.
1t was at about the same time that
Orcstes A. Brownson, who was "the
deepest thinker in America" according
to Lord Brougham, got lost in the laby-
rinths Of Protestant sectarianism and
succeeded in cropping his way into the
Catholic church which he adorned
with his profound erudition for the re-
mainder of his life. Then it was that
Father Walworth, brother of the late
Chancellor Walworth of New York,
found his way to Rome: and many
other famous men followed him in
later years. Among those of Puritan
ancestry who We're noted in literature
and became Catholics We're George
Parsons Lathrop, editor Of the Attain
tic Monthly, and his wife, Miss Rose
Hawthorne, daughter Of the American
novelist.