Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-11-17
Confirmation Services at St. Paui'S
Church.

MOST Rev. Archbishop MeSSmer
visited Mineral Point for the first
time the present week, the occasion
being the administration of the Holy
Sacrament of Confirmation. The pre-
liminary or the preparatory services
were held on Tuesday morning Nov.
18th, together with the jubilee. There
were three masses said, at Z, 8 aud 8
o'clock, at which over $50 received
the Holy Communion. AT the last
mass, which was celebrated by Rev.
Father Hishen, the children to be
confirmed received the Holy Euchar-
ist in a body. During the service the
Celebrant made n very appropriate
and feeling address to the children,
no doubt thinking of the day. when
as boy, he himself under similar
in the same church
and at the same altar railing, re-
ceived his Holy Communion and
Confirmation.
In the afternoon at two o'clock
services were conduct
ed, complete and full preparation
having been made, church and altar
being beautifully decorated. A class
of seventy-six were confirmed, in
Guiding eight converts to the catho-
lie faith, five men and three women.
The Archbishop, accompanied by
the pastor and five assisting clergy
men, was escorted from the rectory
to the church. They were preceded
by the children, the girls with white
dresses, wreaths and wells, the boys
neatly clothed, formed into process
sional order under the direction of
Mr.. Irvey Lynch and the Misses
Mary Healy, Mary Connaughton and
Annie Crowley. His Grace made
very favorable comments upon their
and the order observed.
AS the procession marched up the
aisle, the choir under the manage
ment of Miss Katie Gorgen sang APP
propriate hymns "Ecce Sacerdos
Magnus," and "Veni Creator" with
other selections during the services.
Having entered the sanctuary, after
a few moments of silent prayer, the
addressed the children
and congregation on the chief gifts
of the Holy Ghost conferred in the
Of Confirmation. Though
he spoke full hour, none were wear
led; he was not tiresome, his Ian
guage was plain, but well chosen, his
manner friendly, his delivery pleas
ing. The sermon was full of solid,
wholesome, practical advice, also
clearly defining the effects of the
as the church teaches
and it's influence upon the worthy
The main assertion which
he strongly emphasized and eluci-
dated by familiar examples, was that
the greater part of the evil, sin, care
lessness and Indifference of Catho-
lies was the result of religious ignor-
ance, or rather the want of proper
and full understanding and apprec-
iation of the teachings of the eli arch
and the mysteries of the Sacraments,
founded on the divine love of Jesus
Christ. At the conclusion of the in
he assumed the Mitre and
Crosier and proceeded with Confir-
nation. Upon it's completion he gave
Benediction of the Blessed Sacra-
ment, which closed the services. The
choir sang TeDeum Landamus. The
children filed out, two by two in or
der, and the Archbishop, accompan-
led by the priests, was escorted to the
rectory. The church could not con-
tain the large congregation.
Besides the Pastor, Father OK efe,
the assisting clergymen were Revs.
J. Croke of Gratiot, ID. Hishen, Chi
cago, j. Smith, Brodhead, II. Demp-
sey, Monroe, and M. Naughton of
Kendalltown.