Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-09
FATHER h'KENNA'S TAIN.


Ollie Men Last Evening.
The Rev p. A. McKenna, o. p. prob.
ably the ablest speaker in the Domini-
can order in this country, delivered
sermon at the Immaculate Conception
church last night in the interest Of the
Holy Name society. The attendance
was large and as a result Of the dis
course several hundred new members
We're received. Father McKenna was
20 years of age yesterday, but those
who listened to him noticed no visible
signs of advancing years in his speech
and certainly no lack of force or logic
could be detected in his reasoning pow
ers. The sermon was preceded by the
rosary and benediction.
Father McKenna devoted some time
% review of the divine commission
Of the Catholic church to preach the
gospel and of the persecution inflicted
upon its founder and those whom he
caose to spread the light. He also re-
TERED to the great confusion existing
among seekers after truth in other or
carnations and demonstrated in no un-
certain terms, as he has often done be-
lore from re same pulpit, why the
church and its founder have been made
objects Of attack in all ages.
Why was Christ prosecuted by his
chosen people all during his life?'' he
asked. did he not 20 about doing
good? Did he not give sight to their
blind, health to their sick, cleanliness
TO their lepers, and bring their dead
pack to life? Because he rebuked their
Wlckedness, their impurity and their
hypocrisy. Because he preached self
denial and modification, purity and
charity and temperance. And the per-
EeHuf1On that n
clples has followed his church through
all the ages, and will do so until time
is ended and eternity begins
why has the church been pers0-
cuted and oppressed and put upon? Be-
cause she says to the lecherous man
You must be pure. to the thief you
must repay and steal no more, to the
dishonest you must be honest. ana to
the drunkard you must deny yourself.
1t Is because of these things that she
Is prosecuted, for these things that the
demons of hell have arrayed them
selves with her enemies on earth, to
do all they can against her and to stir
up the storms of prosecutions that have
always beset her path. The persecu-
ton is as bitter to-day as it was in Ine
days of the Caesars, for the heritage OF
the church of Jesus Christ is in bis
words to his apostles. las they have
prosecuted me, so will they prosecute
YOU
Even as he said, He who is, not
with me is against me and he VINO
gathereth not with me scattereth,' so
we believe there is no stationary place
in the march to salvation. We must
be with Christ or against him. It is
sad to say, my sons, but some of the
bitterest enemies of his are in the
church he founded.
Il divide the enemies of Christ into
three classes, the drunkard, the impure
man and the blasphemer. And first
pace the drunkard, the man who
stands before the world opposed to the
teaching of the Son of God; VINO says,
l profess the doctrines Of Christ
know must lead life of self denial,
but refuse. I shall not conquer my
passions He thinks more of his glass
of rum than he does of his wife and
his family, soul and body. God and
eternity for rum is his god, and he
wants no other. LOW much harm has
been done the church in America w
the drunkard? How many young girls
who might have grown up to the credit
Of the church have been driven forth
by q drunken father and mother into
the streets to destruction And let me
tell you, my sons, that the man who
says he cannot stop drinking is not
telling the truth, because anyone wnA3
wishes to do SO and axis Gods help can
do So
"And oh, the evil that as been done
to the cause of Christ and his churc-4
by the impure man, who corrupts not
only his own soul and body, but poll
lutes the souls OF others by his foul
and obscene tongue. Are you men by
your example and your words laboring
to uplift and strengthen the unfor-
tunate to save his soul? If man were
sinking, would you push him down into
the depths? And If you did, could you
hold your hands to heaven and cry
that they were free Of his blood? And
yet there are men who say they never
wronged good woman, who will take
advantage of the all too willing help
given by another to do so after the
downward path is entered.
"But of all sins that of blasphemy
attacks God most directly. All other
sins are against men, but the bias
phemer raises his voice against the
Most High God on his very throne.
For all other sins man promises him.
self some pleasure or some gain, the
murderer to get rid Of an enemy, the
thief to get money to bring him ease,
and the impure man to satisfy his
bestiaI desires. But the blasphemer,
what has he to gain? What pleasure
Is their in welding the sacred name Of
Jesus like lash over his horse or link
ing it with the name of the foulest of
women? 1t is no pleasure and no gain,
only the most damnable of crimes. Re
member that for every time the name
OF Jesus Christ Is spoken in idleness
on account must he oivnn tO tha Htydp-
ment seat of God and to that God who
has been insulted and defled."
The lecture is sure to arouse re-
newed interest in the Holy Name soci-
cites in Waterbury and will do much
good in other ways. If 1t prompts one
erring man to stop and think Of what
he is doing upon himself and bis fam