The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-01
ST. PATRIcK'S MISSION ENDED.
Its Last Service Conducted Last
Night by Rev. Father Splinter, o. II.

Its Last Service, Conducted Last
Night by Rev. Father Splinter, @. p.
The second and last week of the
mission at ST. Patrick's Roman Cath
Ollie Church. conducted by Rev. Faith
ers C. A. Splinter. o. P, and ]. B.
O'Connor, o. p. closed last night.
Father O'Connor preached on Per
severance" to the large attendance
that has marked every service of the
mission. The purport of the sermon
was impressed on those who made the
mission, the necessity of perservering
in the good resolution made during the
mission. IF the mission is to be a
success said Father O'Connor, you
must perservere in the good resolutions
you have made, not only for week, or
for months, or for years, but for all
time, to the end of life.''
And what is perseverance? he
asked. 1T is a virtue which has for
It's object something pleasing to God,
and 1t is also something difficult of at
tainment. Something without which 1t
is impossible to live a pure, holy, vir-
tuous life pleasing to God, something
impossible of attainment without diff
Guilty, and something in order to at
tain which we must ask for means
He said there are two classes Of
things, which might be designated as
positive and negative, which must and
must not be done in order to perseVere
in good resolutions made. One of the
positive things was prayer. They must
lift their hearts to God in humble sup
plication for strength to withstand
temptation, and look to heaven for
grace to triumph over sin. Prayer as
cPn6S
descends.'"
Prayer ascends." continued Father
O'Connor, ito God on high, and grace
descends into our souls. In every hu-
man soul there is a demon lying in
wait to destroy us: that demon can
be dispelled by confession and com
munion, but, mark you. that demon is
wise in worldly ways, wise in the
knowledge of centuries and when the
fervor of the mission dies, the demon,
ave demons. more Internal and terri
bic than before: re-enter the soul and
make destruction greater than before.
Persevere, hold your good resolu-
tons, pray, pray to God to give you
strength to shut ont forever this in
carnate demon, pray to God to give
you strength to persevere. God himself
said pray always and he himself set
the example. Ask God to keep you
safe through the night and again in
the morning ask protection for the
day, not only for temporal ills, but for
dangers to the soul
Some men scorn to pray; they leave
that for the women and children But
see those men when sickness over
comes them. watch them when death
over-shadows: then they pray then
they beg Gods grace and mercy, then
they oeseech the one whose favor they
have spurned and whose aid they have
derided, for mercy and forgiveness.
And their prayer is a covering cow
ardly prayer. For once that manly man
lifts his cringing, quailing voice to
God, and it is not heard if God decides
the evil of his way deserves eternal
punishment"
He told them the means of saliva
tion were perseverance, good resolu-
tons and penance. II firmly believe"
he said, there Is a fountain of pen
ance for the washing of sinners: ro-
pentance is that fountain. The God
OF mercy the God of love. the God of
patience waits for you to repent your
sins In that fountain of penance. Tempt
not the wrath of God. God is long
SUFFERING and has long patience, but
God will not be Knocked. Resolve this
nlght henceforth to approach the sac
rament OF penance and of euchrist at
least every three months, Then YOU
will show the world that you intend
to persevere; that you will follow the
good resolutions you have made dur
ing the mission" ,I l2
After paying his respects to the men
VINO professed to be Catholics. but who
never went to church, and to BIAS
phemers and. especially blasphemers
VINO grew up under the teaching of
the church, whom he classed as worse
than the unbeliever who knew no
teaching, he put final emphasis on the
Ill effects of going back into bad com
pany after .purging themselves of sin.
AS long sas grace is in your soul"
ne said, you will conquer sim: as soon
as you go back into bad company Won
VIII Danish grace from your soul and
fall again into SIM" Father OConnor
said here that he knew they had ali
made good resolutions and meant 10
keep them, and was going to put them
to test. He made all present stand
and repeat after him pledge to never
swear, curse, or phaspheme and also
to abstain from filthy and obscene
Jokes and double meaning words. In
conclusion he exhorted them to perse
we're so that their lives would be for
ever happy in the sight of God.