The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-08

divine truth reach into most remote
and hitherto most hidden regions.
They keep pace with the most daring
| explorers. Neither the deathly glare
of the African sun nor the prisons
and gihbets of Thibet alright them.
In no age does the Catholic Church
fail to beget heroes of sanctity and of
| zeal; in no age does she cease to full
fill the commands delivered to her by
her. founder. to teach all nations. and
| to show forth in her catholicity that
universal love for souls, which was
the inspiration of Bethlehem and of
Calvary. Shall we refuse to wrest
from our pleasures and our vanities
| the temporal means needed to sustain
the missionaries of the Church amid
their heroic labors? How easily we
throw away in play. in drink, in the
service of fashion. sums of money. a
1.-THE of which would comfort an i'm
poverished priest in China. or in the
Congo. and enable him to win to
Christ souls, who during eternity
would praise us as their saviOrs! How
little we value our opportunities to do
good for others and for ourselves.
| What small use we make of those OPP
portunities! Too often the words of
the Lord fall upon deaf ears:
Make unto you friends of the mann
mon of iniquity. that when you shall
fail. they may receive you unto ever
lasting dwellings,"
l need make but brief mention
of the special obligation resting upon
Catholics of America to assist in the
conversion of the Indian and Negro
populations of their own country.
There is here to he repaid a debt Of
justice as well as of charity. The
American people took from the Indian
his hunting ground and put upon the
Negro the merciless chain of servitude
Let us make restitution for past in
JUICES by helping to bring to the souls
of Indian and Negro the joys and
graces of the supernatural life. Much
in the future welfare of the Church in
America depends upon the care given
to the conversion of our Negro breth-
rem. Numbering to-day eight millions.
soon they will he SO many that great
must he the influence welded by them
in the social and political affairs of
the country. Nor are they unwilling
to harien to the voice of the Catholic
Church. They instinctively recognize
i'll her the firm friend of true liberty
and of human brotherhood. Their nat
urll interests bring them to the
threshold of her sanctuary. If the
Catholics in America, read alright the
signs of the times and have the power
to discern things surely coming. they
will bend all their energies to the con-
version of the Negro.
This letter will he read in all the
churches of the Diocese on the first
| Ill IAtlIl tlSo VII Vic Stt-
ond Sunday of Lent, when tho collec-
ton, as prescribed. is to he taken up.
The Society of Propagation of the
Faith prints every two months Il pub
LEGATION called, "AnnalS of the l'ropn-
CATION of the Fnith"-;l most interest
ing periodical, telling of the mission
airy work of the Church in the whole
world. We recommend to pastors to
place copies of this publication in their
parish and Sunday school libraries,
and give to it general circulation
among the people Copies can he had.
free of charge, upon application to
Monsignor Oster, st. Pauls Seminary,
st. Paul.
We pray God to bless the Clergy and
the Laity of the Diocese.
JOHN IRELAND,
Archbishop of st. Paul.
st. Paul, January Gath, 1902.