The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-05-31
A PRIESTS FIRST MASS.
Celebrated In St. vincenrs Church
BY Father Moran.

0VlSOJ NSCN III De VluSSutS N0uEVQ
By Father Moran.
Among the priests ordained last
Saturday at st. Paul seminary by
Archbishop Ireland was Rev. David f.
Moran. He celebrated his first Holy
Mass at st. Vincent's church on Sun
day in the presence of large congre-
cation. Many pious persons came
from various parts of St. Paul to wit
ness the grand ceremony and to receive
the young priests blessing. Father
COsgr0ve had made elaborate prepare
lions for this event. The affairs We're
beautifully decorated with palms and
flowers, and the sanctuary was bril-
liantly Illuminated. Everything looked
respondent and the scene was quite
impressive. At 1890 the young priest
entered the sanctuary to say his first
Mass. He was attended by Rev.
Frank McDermott as deacon: by Rev.
w. A. Fleming as subdeacon, and by
Rev. L. Cosgrove. pastor OF the church,
as assistant. Rev. Frank English Of
I ficiated as master of ceremonies.
The choir sang Gounod's Messe Sole
nellie in grand style. The male quar-
tet consisted of Mr.. Il. Lienan, first
tenor; Mr.. G. Bloeser, second tenor;
Mr.. William Manner, first basso; Mr..
P. Carson second bnsso. The solos
were sung by the Misses Mary Foley,
Nellie Murphy, katherine Costello and
Nessrs. J. j. Haas, c. Bloeser and NJ.
Giesen.
After the first gospel Rev. P. Il.
O'Brien. ID. d.. professor of Latin ut
ST. Thomas college, assembled the pull
pit and preached a fine discourse OH
GA Priests First Mass taking for
his text: Let Il man so think Of us
as the ministers of Christ, and the
stewards of the mysteries of God q.
Cor. A. He spoke as follows and was
beginning to end:
st. Paul, in these words. requests
the Corinthians to consider not his
personality. not whether he is better
than Cephas or Apollo, but to view
him, as well as them. as equal minis
tiers of a common religion. This should
be the Christian as it is the Catholic
attitude. We leave to the Spcts the
picking and choosing between minis
tiers; to Biblical tel-drinke"s the dis,
eliminating between Paul and CephnS
manner, or pedigree TIE Clth lie
priest has never been the shuttle-cocll
of COrinthian congregations. His APP
pointment and his ministry do not
hang upon the likes and dislillcs of his
flock AS the Father hath sent Ne,
so l send you"
All the faithful are. it is true, in Il
certain sense priests. Pray We, brctll-
ren," the priest says in the Mass. that
your and my sacrifice b. acceptable"
Every baptized Catholic is a priest i'm
the sense that. when in the state of
grace, he immolates by faith, on the
altar of Charity. spiritual victims to
God. aye yourselves" says st. Peter,
care built up as living stones, Il spirit
is the interior priesthood; but there is
also an external priesthood priest
hood not of David but of Aaron. This
is the priesthood by excellence, the
body of men singled out by grace and
ordained by authority sealed with Il
special sacr:lment-''thr portion of the
Lords inheritance and IF His clmlicc' "
1t is the function of this priesthood
under the New Law to offer sacrifice
and administer sacraments. to teach
and preach the word of God.
The Offering of sacrifice is the high
est duty of the priest. Where there is
no sacrifice there is no priesthood You
- may have, of course IL false sacrifice
and a false priestllOod-yu have in
the world the sacrifice to idols as we'll
as the Sacrifice of the Mass--but in
christian temples where 10 sacrifice
is offered up. YOU may have Il scholar
and a gentleman, nut You lave no
priest. The priesthood is something
high, something singular. somcthn.
\ holy.
No wonder then that Holy Church
4 should use SO much care, SO much
graduation, so much solemnity in the
& making of priest. She cakes her
candidate apart and trains him in a
seminary. She rorbhls him the Orli-
nary pleasures of the young co,lrginn
s She trains him in study, prayer, mptli
tation, discipline. She advances him
81 by cautious stages. She makes Inn
Il a cleric only when he gets the ton
S s8t sure. The young mans hnir is cut in
a circle or crown to remind him of the
" Grown of ThOrns of Jesus Christ, whose
minister he is to be. Mystcs SIC fur.
u Their in this circle the perfection to be
aimed at by the Levitc as the circle is
the most perfect of all figures Then
\ the student is advanced through the
offices of porter. reader, exorcist and
I acolyte. So jealous is Holy Church.
4 about the ministry that it is solely tho
actual want of tonsured clerics whicl
Y admits the laity to attend the priest il
@ his celebration of the Mass.
DoEr