Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-10
m'GlvNEY MEMORIAL DAY.
Eloquent orations by Fathers slocum, McGiyney. Mayor Kildufr and Others.


 McGiyney, Mayor Kilduff and Others.
 The second annual pilgrimage of the Knights of Columbus to the grave or the founder of the order, Rev M. J. Mo GiYney, took place yesterday and while the number of visiting Knights was not as large as the local councils had been led to expect and which they had arranged to receive, still the attend ance was satisfactory and the program was carried out in a very creditable manner. Indeed, it might be said that the management could not have been improved upon so that the different committees who had charge of the af- fair must have paid particular atten- ton to the duties assigned to them. The weather was all that could have been desired and in consequence large crowds turned out to see the parade and lined the streets from the depot to the church and from there to the ceme- tery. The streets were in excellent condition and while there was no need of their service, the members of the police force were active and could be seen at almost every point along the IOutc OOluc Ol tue NlSllOIS MCIc quick to notice these things and thought that Waterbury had remark ably clean streets and very efficient police department. The out of town people reached here at 10 o'clock in the morning and were met at the station by Mayor Kilduff and the other mem bers of the reception committee and es- corted to the armory where they were introduced to the Waterbury Knights. After short stay at the armory. Grand Marshal c. Ma1oney and aids formed the visitors and members of the local councils into line and all proceeded to the church of the Immaculate Concep- tion where a solemn mass was celebrat- ed at II o'clock with these officers: Celebrant. Rev F. A. McGivney, Mid dletown, national chaplain of the Knights and brother to the founder of the order; deacon, Rev John J. McGiy- ney. Meriden, also a brother to the founder of the Knights; sub-deacon, Rev Father Flannery, one of the fath- CTS from the mission house at Milford; master of ceremonies, Rev Father OiBrien of this city. Rev Father Law Tor occupied seat inside the sanctu- L II A44AScCc had been said the church was comfort ably filed, quite a few non Catholics being present who had gone there, evi- dently. for the purpose of hearing the sermon which was announced to be preached by the Rev Father Slocum. The McGfvney family and many rela- lives occupied pews near the altar rail- ing. At the opening of the service a representative of Washington council, Long Island. placed beautiful floral cross on the steps leading to the sanctu- ary and in full view of the congrega- ton The sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev W. J. SlocumFHe spoke for nearly an hour and held the attention of all from the opening to the close of his brilliant, instructive and interesting discourse.
 '.I am glad to meet you," said the speaker. and on behalf of the parish toners of the Immaculate Conception parish I bid you welcome and trust your visit to our city will be for the benefit of the order and the church you belong to and the edification of the community. We feltsmudhl pleased by last years visit of the members of the order from Brooklyn, New York and I'm sure we will have reason to feel honored over this one too'' Father Slocum then talked upon the duty of Catholics and made it plain to all with. in the hearing of his voice that no man can be good Catholic and at the same time an unworthy member of the Knights of Columbus or bad citizen of the United States. He touched up on the question of Catholic federation but did not commit himself to any pol icy upon 1t though he felt free to state that organization was necessary fol Catholics owing to the systematic thrusts directed at them by secret or ganizations outside the church. Ht maintained that if Catholics would take up their own cause in proper way they would find lots of honest, fail minded non-C Catholics toassist them. H, wanted every Knight to study his re ligion and be able to explain it's doc Urine when it is assailed by people wh, may be honest though sublimely ignor ant of what the church teaches. In al his years he had met but one non-C Cath ollie, Unitarian, who fully understood the teachings of the church In many instances, he said the misrep resentations we hear are due to ignor ance rather than to malice. He though the best way to refute these charges i by every man being competent t, teach the truth. By this he did no mean that all should become clerics but that every man should have sufi cient knowledge of his religion to en able him to say what he does believ, and why he believes. 'It would be i'm possible" he said, flor Catholic socie ties to come together for any purpos that would curtail the rights of the in dividual or the public. The church it self Is the strongest bulwark agains such teachings and that is the reasol why Catholics and forbidden to affiliat themselves with societies with a viey to curtailing the rights of others. Fl said that the opposition to the rights O Catholics was said to come from an in telligent source, and without denyin
 or affirming the truth of this reminde
 his hearers that the men who beheade
 Charles II of England. guillofined Lou is 16th of France and strung up men O.
 lamp posts in New York city, were ir telligent. Speaking of the Catholi Indian missions and the systematic ai faekS made uDon fhosa who had choro