The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-22

ne catholic World, and is very active
IN developing the efficiency of the Cath
olic church and in organizing various
,,-ovements for the social betterment
- The people. In such service he may
Ie called the leading representative of
his Church in this city. The Paulist
Fathers were originally converts from
Professionalism, and have introduced or
developed fresh methods of religious
work. among them the missions de-
s.rhed.-Editor Independent, New
York;
A mission in the Roman Catholic
church is differentiated by its essen
tial characteristics from a revival or
from "protracted meetings. or from
any other method employed in non
catholic churches whereby dormant
spiritual energies are aroused.
The revival is an appeal TO the people
"to have faith" Ito believe in Christ.
''to come TO Jesus" but with the Cath
lie people the grounds Of their faith are
So secure that they offer a stable foun-
dation and they are rarely, if ever. dis
1urbed In giving a Catholic mission
appeals are made for right living. The
PEOPLE are eXhorted to keep the COM
mandments.
The pertinency of these remarks just
low is in the fact that there are going
ou since the beginning of the year. in
The upper west side in two of the
catholic churches, missions which are
commanding the attendance of 5000
people each night, and two-thirds OF
this number each morning at ) o'clock.
These missions are being given under
the auspices of the Paulist fathers,
and inasmuch as they are awakening
fTf oil oil
Of people, il viii not be out of place To
say something of the methods followed
In a mission and the results attained.
Missions are held at periodical inter-
,sls in every Catholic parish. In the
larger city parishes, where the people
have more to contend with spiritually,
and where there is a constant coming
and going of the parishioners. the usual
interval is three years. In country par
ishes, where the people are more or less
permanent. every five years is consid-
cred a good interval. Missionaries are
generally the members of religious or
ders They are invited by the pastor
10 give a mission" The date is an
nounced for some weeks beforehand.
and the people are urged by the local
clergy TO prepare for the mission. II
is plainly given out that the mission
is intended for every one and that no
one can exempt himself from its obi
cations. and that no worldly affairs
should be permitted TO interfere with
ones attendance at the services. When
the missionaries come to the parish
they find the people well prepared,
eager to listen. ready to learn, pre-
pared 10 do. 1t is generally understood
among the Catholic people that so
great a season of grace as a mission
is should not be neglected, and not to
have come to the mission is d stigma
that very few care to carry. 1t is not
difficult under the influence of a senti-
ment like this TO command the pres
ence of the entire Catholic population
OF . parish
So eager are the people to make a
mission, and. as consequence. such
crowds are in attendance, that in a
large parish it is often necessary to di-
vide the people in order that all may
attend and be comfortably seated dur
ing the exercises. 1t is usual to take
the women the first week and the men
the second week. and sometimes it IS
necessary to divide the women and the
men into the married and single peo-
ple In the mission now going on in the
church Of the Paulist fathers the first
week was devoted to the married
women the second to the unmarried
women, the third to the married men,
and the fourth to the unmarried men;
and then there is always found large
number of non-CatholicS in whom
certain interest has been awakened by
the throngs attending the services, and
who are, therefore. DESTROYS of know
ing more of the Catholic doctrine and
practice For this latter class a sep
arate week Of instructions is given,
explaining the teachings of the Church.
A the missions for non-Catholics, in
order to give point to their inquiries,
IEey are invited to write out their
queries concerning doctrinal matters
and place them in question box that
il located in a convenient place and
each evening these questions are an
sweTed from the pulpit.
good mission invariably results in
stirring up the careless to a more
active practice Of their religious life
and in calling back TO practical Chris
tan living many who had fallen away
from their duty.
The first note of the mission is the
note Of penance-that is. a sorrow for
sin, with desire to do something not
able i'm order to make evident the sin
certify of the purpose.
Tt was the great sermon of John the
Baptist by which he prepared the way
for the coming of Christ. Under the
innuence of this sentiment of penance
the people are aroused to make sacri-
frees. They shorten their hours of
sleep, they arise at half-past in the
morning, and are present at the first
service. which begins exactly at
clock I remember hearing Dr. Hast
ings. the venerable president of Union
Theological Seminary, some years ago,
NJ am address to the students, tell of
the admiration he felt for the Catholic
people. whom he heard hurrying along
4" the mission i'm a neighbOring church
At ha'i-paSt four in the morning, the
'iuhening Of the crisp snow under
'ihir feet and CHEEKY Salutations as
''"N ran along. 1t is not onty the plain
ig'NIe Who are used to early rising
VINO come 30 the five o'clock service,
nul l2e -to-do-women who have
luxurious homes and men who are
DUSTY engaged I'm professional life all
gay long. They. too feel that as long
10 health permits there is no privi-
.,Se OF station or wealth that eXempts
mem from the obligations of early ris-
rs during the entire week of the mis-
sion.
The mission is usually a week long.
ne course of sermons is as follows:
sunday night the soul is the topic, its
value and the necessity of making
strenuous efforts to save it. The key
mole OF this sermon is What doth it,
lfoht man if he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul?" The ser
mons are always carefully prepared.
hey are couched not in oratorical
phrases, but they are made in power
TOT direct appeal suited to the capa-
G y of the nearer. The missionary by
ms work IN the confessional acquires
an intimate knowledge of the human
neart He meets men face to face and
learns their thoughts and the inner Sc
.Iets of their souls. This knowledge