The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-16
Father Coleman's Sermon on
Marriage.

= NPOH lhC SUI CCl
OF "Matrimony.' His remarks
were of the orthodox sort. but
owing to the sensational reports
OF previous remarks upon the
same topic large crowd gathered
to hear the Reverend Father. He
stated at the former time that
there was lamentable scarcity
OF marriages in his parish. and
that he would establish a "NIatri.
monial Bureau" and make a
change or know the reason why.
This was the joke, but it was so
distorted that all the papers had
long accounts of it and it was the
subject of conversation and com
ment IN every locality.
The following are some of his
remarks Sunday night:
My dear friends, a iocular re-
mark which | made here last Sun.
day evening apropos Of my sub
Ject on matrimony, has caused
quite a sensation. l regret it, in.
aSmuch as sensations are I'm.
healthy things and altogether
foreign to Gods Church and his
priests. Perhaps. though. this
sensation may prove an exception
to the rule, since it may call at
tention to a deplorable state of
affairs which exists not only in
Frederick, but in other parts of
the country, also. | mean the
decrease in the number who con.
tract Christian marriage. If the
publicity will in any way tend
to lessen what | look upon as a
growing evil | shall not deplore
the notoriety given to my re.
marks.
For long time | have been
much exercised to see so many
young people Of both sexes Twin Q
lives so little conducive to the
glory of God, good of society
and for their own temporal and
spiritual welfare. | feel that if
they knew and understood their
duties and responsibility to God
and their country there would be
more marriages and happy ones.
God forbid, that |, priest of
God, should advocate hasty or
sensational marriages, or that |
should urge people to enter upon
that holy state without due
knowledge and preparation The
more we know about a good thing
the more we shall appreciate it.
| need not say that among my
plans on this subject that of es
tablishing matrimonial bureau
is not included. Such an insti
tuition is | think, in any form
undesirable, and, conducted by a
clergyman, altogether improper
and unworthy his social calling.
1.-The chief plan | have in view
is clear and thorough eXplana-
tion of the doctrines of the Cath
Ollie Church upon the sacrament
OF marriage, its nature, its dig
nifty, its sacredness, its absolute
iudiSsolubility, its likeness to the
union between Christ and His
Church, the obstacles to domestic
happiness. the blessings and CON
ISOLATION of married life, the in
tentions, dispositions, duties and
obligations of the contracting
parties.
The Catholic Church has al
ways and by every means in her
power, both civil and religious,
upheld the sanctity Of marriage.
History tells us Of the battles
she has fought and OF the losses
she has suffered sooner than VIC
late the strict command, what
God hath joined together let no
man put asunder.' Loyal chill
dren of the church, practical
christians, will love and venerate
this great sacrament, but let me
warn the disloyal ones. There is
among you young people, owing
to culpable ignorance, too much
levity, too little reverence for
these sacraments.
They receive it thoughtlessly,
with the wrong intention and un-
worthy motives, or they abstain
from it through an exaggerated
idea of its trials and bad exam
pie shown by some married peO-
pie. Ignorance of the dignity
and sanctity of this sacrament
is the cause of the many great
evils of our days. Therefore we
have unhappy unions and family
scandals, children neglected, sep
arations and divorces, polygamy
and free love. How much better
would society be today if mar
riages, as the Catholic Church
teaches it, were faith fully served.
If the family is the basis of soci-
ETY., it is evident that the sacra-
ment which forms the family is
the base of the social editice."
Sold Their Wheat in Balti.
more.