The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-11-29
DROP NATIONALITY.

The Proceedings of the Second Ma
tlonal Convention of the American
Federation of Catholic Societies" re-
Gently published, makes interesting and
valuable reading. The following is the
report of the Very A. 3. Oechtering S
remarks. Rural Dean Oechering is an
rremovable rector of Fort Wayne dio-
ceSe and a member of the diocesan
council and the school board. The very
reverend dean said:
From the start of the Federation of
Catholic Societies in the United States
/ have taken a deep interest in the
same, for the simple reason that we
are first of all American citizens. Two
years after l left my native country,
Westphalia, / tried TO become a citizen
Of the United States-at that time of
Ohio, because l lived in Cincinnati. 1
was a seminarian of Mt. st. Mary's
seminary of the west. In 1861 / was
ordained and became pastor of cele-
brated town, Delphi, Ind. 1t was just
at the opening of the great rebellion
of the civil war. 1 took out my first
papers then in Indiana, and afterwards
] became a full-hedged citizen of the
United States, so that / might cast
my vote for the president of the United
states. l gave up my claim to the
German empire-it was not an en-
pire at that time, it was only the king
dom of Prussia, but never was a Prus-
sian at heart. My father-God bless
his grave and give eternal rest to his
soul-taught his four boys this lesson:
In Prussia we have but three words,
Pay your taxes, be a soldier and keep
your mouth shut" And when l left
that kingdom and had become a citi-
zen of the United States, / said: Il
am now a full American and l want TO
do everything that the American con-
stitution guarantees me as a citizen of
the United States and next to that, or
first Of all, l am a Roman Catholic,
and ] shall profess my faith until 1
die
My lot was cast among the Irish,
among the French. among the Ger
mans. and now 1 have a congregation,
and have been its pastor for the last
thirty-five years, that consists of all
natlonalities; it is cosmopolitan in ev-
cry sense, for l have Germans, l have !
Flemish, l have Hollanders, 1 have |
Canadian-French, have Russian !
Catholics. have Poles, have Italians, |
and we are all good, straightforward |
American citizens and Catholics.
As such l stood last May as a dele
gate from our local society before the |
Staats-Verien Of Indiana. at Laporte, |
and told those twenty-five or thirty
German societies that gathered in con-
vention there: Drop your nationality. !
Be Catholic and stand up for your
rights. Join the federation of all |
bodies When I said Drop your ma
1 added, In your local or
ganization you may carry on your
proceedings in whatever language you
please
And you, reverend fathers, go
home and preach to your people 1
am not coming here to give you a lee
ture; I need it myself: but l wish that
every American priest-I talk German;
that is my fathers fault; 1 can't help
that-would go home and teach mis-
people that they are first Catholics,
and, second, drop that question of ma
rionality; leave that where it is and say
to the world: Il am an American
citizen, and that is ALL and l stand UP
and demand my rights under the con-
as long as it pleases Almighty
Tod.' I say that to every German
delegate or every Polish delegate or
very French delegate that may be
1ere today American citizens, and
catholics above ALL If you work on
hat line, I am with you. If you work
against that line, then 1 will go home
ma say, Il have nothing more to say"
These are my sentiments and my feel
ngs; for these I stand, and for these I
viii work.