The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-10
4 NEGRO PRIESTS WORK
Father TObiu Explains the Attitude Of
His Church.
THE EDUCATIONAL system IN TEXAS
Has Favored Negro Race and Opened
Up Many Splendid Opportunities
to Him.

Yesterday morning at 10 o'clock Father
Dorsey, the coored priest. was the center
Of attraction at st. Nicholas church, on
Chenevert street
Solemn high mass was sung By Father
Dorsey, with Father Tobin deacon and the
Rev. Mr.. Cusick Of La Porte seminary as
subdeacon Considerable attention has been
drawn toward st. Nicholas chuych owing
TO the reports spread abroad Of the pres
ence there Of a colored Catholic priest. He
ectured every night at S o'clock last week,
and win do so tonight and Tuesday and
Wednesday nights.
In his sermon he took very high stand
ana EXPORTED his people to aspire to all
that was good. Referring TO his person
atty and work, Father robin said 10
Post representative yesterday: He had
a long training and was well disciplined uh.
der the rlgor OF the Catholic seminary, ana
The reason IL the church considered holy or,
ders a sacred Institution aud she Was bound
IN 1ulnilinE her divine mission To pc care
rul to preserve the sanctity OF the priesty
aftce Hence after fourteen years OF
student life he was considered equipped
10 receive orders. lie has great work
before him and with the power aud grace
OF his church behind him he will be able 10
accomplish much good. Nearly everywpe
he. rs priest. mas been we'll treated. Men
considering the many shortcomings OF MS
race on the one hand and the severe rtgor
Of Catholic discipline TO which he was sub
jected have expressed their admiration for
MS brave endeavors.
INFLUENCE on THE RACE.
"Tho publicity given to the presence OF
Father Dorsey is bound 10 work good eff
fccts on the colored elements Of the couu-
Try, because he being well educated VIII
naturally enough draw the attention OF
those colorcd men and women who have
taken advantage Of the schools aud colleges
opened so generously by the South. And
ON the other hand bis pricstly office and
the chsstcned life hc is bound TO live there
in viii be a rebuke 10 the lower and vicious
clement among the colorrd people,
During his stay here no the city he mas
had repeated calls from coiored doctors,
lawyers and school teachers. IN fact, the
euiE Of his audience has been made mp of
those whu have pronted by the educational
institutions onered Is the south 10 tine
In dealing with the race much Of the
burden is taken Oh the catholic church
communitr The greatest toe she has in
the propagation 81 her doctrines Is ignc-
r0nce Sc inst IN trying 10 bring IN 10 her
fold the colored race she has 10 a great
extent friend IN the State which Affords
the colored people here In the South such
me opportunities Of acquiring knowledge.
Nhat the State does in educating the cot
ored man Is good hut Of course the CHURCH
waud ike 10 sec the state do even more,
For IN secular education Of today more at
tentaa should be given to tho incubation
of The .tnoral- law. The education which
the c0lored youths are receiving from the
state gives them an impetus To study aud
I'm many cases puts p sufficiently keen edge
on the intellect Of the colored man and
woman. and then they are enabled to at
tentlvely listen and follow the line ot
argument presented by the church In de
tense Of her doctrines while with the
unlearned the appeal ~ the church 20 rea-
son IS almost IT little account No ono
what d hard task is snt before the Catholic
church when confronted by an ignorant
The greatest boon Catholic priest car re-.
ceiye Is ~ be able to have present before
him an audience Of cultured people.
EFFECT on CITIZENSHIP.
In working among the colored people
the Catholic church IS seeking primarily
the salvation Of souls but in doing this
she Is making the members If the colored
race good men and pure women In social
life and law-ahiding citizens for the State.
For when she sets before them the truths
~ her teachings she says emphatically
that the ordinary actions Il every day life
are what VIII nuke possible the reward
promised in the gospel, md while she en-
cOuraEes the culored man TO do everything
10 elevate himself 20 high state in life
She also IN her wisdom encourages MIN to
be as the little ones Christ referred 10
when tehng his apostles that even toe
Bfelter among thcm must ne the servant
when a Catholic priest goes 90 evan
gelize a race he goes prepared 10 maintain
his dignity as priest and also to con
tinualiy hold up before the race the high
moral order ~ his sacred Office
That the Catholic church has seen Mt
70 raise the colored man to the priesthood
must not be altogether attributed to her
unbounded charity, for when she took
Father Dorsey under her training the
church regarded not the shortcomings Of
his race, hut adhered rigidly TO the stand
ard regulation set before an young men
about to enter the priesthood on the
other hand that there are not more colored
priests Is not due Ia any antipathy Of the
Catholic church toward the race. but sim.
have not presented themselves 70 her. She
has given every chance TO the coored hoy
10 study for sacred ORDERS She Is very
anxious TO give priests for the different
races, because she thinks that the native
can work more effectively among his own"