Evening star., 1904-03-17
Irelapd's Sons and Daughters
Celebrate st. Patrick's Day.
SERMON BY DIR. SHAHAN
MEMBERS OF ANCIENT ORDER OF
HIBERNIANS ATTEND.
The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Order
Also presented-Impress-
i've Ceremonies.

With pontifeal high mass. accompanied
by the grand harmony of some OF the
worlds greatest composers, the feast day
of the patron saint OF Ireland was observed
to day at ST. Patrick's Catholic Church
where a thousand of the members of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians were the
guests of the members of the church. Sell
dom has such a crowd gathered within
the doors of a religious edifice in the Dis
trict as that which assembled at st. Pat
rick's today to pay tribute to Erins great
apostle and to the patron saint or the
church The seats were all filled before
the first strains of Rubinstein's grand
march. "Feramore." foretold the entrance
cf the clergy who of1iciated during the
services In the aisle and behind the las,
row of seats the people were packed 81
tightly that it was with dlinoulty .ney ~ a.
tricated themselves at the CONCLUSION OF tne
service There was no crush or dlscom1ort l.
beyond that normally attendant on such
occasions. -. oaor of
The members of the Ancient Order OF
Eihernians assembled at the Carroll insu-
tute on 10th street between New ioih
avenue and K street, and marcneo 10 @ .ne
church in a body. Mr.. +. j. Halusah, oi'o
of the officers of the District branch OF the
order was marshal of the procession. Inc
members of the Ladies' Auxiiiary OF the
order reached the church snort cme M pe
fore the men, and were shown sea,s IN u .,ie
center section, which was reserved Ior tiis
members of the order and the lad1es, anu
as soon as the double line reacneo the
doors they were marched straight lh'o Wv. e
church and to their seats. All the sea's 1 q
that remained vacant after the guests hsiu
hasn seated were then thrown open to per-
sons who had been standing.
Flags Of Two Countries.
Tho u,bernians carried the United States
Aa0 prhich placed III
stands In the center aisle directly In IRON.
of the chancel, the hrst on the iis"' ""N
the other on the left n,
THE mass was celebrated by Rev faui
Griffith of ST. Augustine's Shurch, Who .he
assisted by Rev. George Dougherty " .ns
Catholic University, deacon; Kew James
Sterling of St. Matthew'S Church, SUD
deacon. and Rev. William A. Carroll OF ST
Patricks Church. master OF cereiIio.ies' ,s
Other dignitaries of the church preseh. ~
side the chancel rail during the ceremonies
were Monsignor O'Connell, rector OF the
Catholic University; Very Rev. DR.. Pace OF
the Catholic University; Rev. DR.. Shahan
of the Catholic University; Rev. Dr. u; ).
Stafford pastor of st. Patricks. ana HeV.
Thomas McGuigan of st. Patricks.
Pontifical high mass Is regarded as one OF
the most beautiful ceremonies or the
church, and it's celebration today was OF
the most impressive character. The music
was of extraordinary merit. A full orches-
ira assisted the choir and organist. Merce-
dantes mass In was sung complete Inc
choir and orchestra was under the d1rec-
ton of Mr. Armand Gumprecht. and Dr.
Anton Gloetzner was organist. Mrs. Annie
Grant Fugitt sang the soprano solos ana
Miss Mamie Grant was the alto soioist.
Messrs. Melville D. Hensey and Mr..
Charles Goodchild were tenor and bass
soloists, respectively.
At the conclusion Of the mass. just be-
fore the sermon, Father Stafford, pastor
Of the church. addressed the congregation
briefly from the chancel rail He thanked
the members for SO good an attendance and
welcomed on behalf Of the church the men,
bers of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He
said he hoped the blessing of God and st.
Patrick would rest upon all present. wheth-
er members OF the church or visitors. The
sermon was preached by Rev. DR.. Shahan.
DIR. Shahan spoke clearly and distinctly.
His sentences were we'll turned and his
language direct. From the very beginning
the preacher went deeply into his subject
and went right to the foundation of the
things he desired to explain.
He said in part:
st. Patrick an Apostle Of Faith.
when we look into the life of St. Pat
rick we see that the first of his enemies
and the most dangerous was himself. 1t is
the glory of the Christian religion that it
reveals to man the true secret of his un-
happiness. the disorders that lie within him
self-the wild fires of desire and pride that
consume his being and leave him habtually
wasted wreck. This unhappy youth, en-
shaved by Irish pirates, came to the knowl-
edge of this great saving truth while tend
Ing the swine of his master amid the glens
or on the hillsides of Antrim. He had been
born Christian, of good and respectable
parents. but he tells us himself that he had
not really known what to seek, or what to
aim at or what to avoid. Doubtless he was
like most youths of fifteen or sixteen
somewhat thoughtless and wayward. But
the trfbulation Of his captivity did for him
what tribulation often does for the soul of
good will-it awoke him from his spiritual
lethargy. In those sixteen long years he
went down daily deeper into his own heart
The heart of the youth PatIick was a
tender ard poetic heart-all the conflicts
and difficulties, the deceptions and treach-
cries OF life. were before him. In these
lonely years OF his spiritual rebirth he was
dealing only with the fountain of truth, the
sun of justice. And so there grew up in
the heart of this youth a faith in the God
of the Old and New Testament such as
rarely has been equaled. never surpassed
A Spiritual Leader
"1f ever there was spiritual leader
among men ST. Patrick was one. He re-
constructed the Irish family on the basis
or Christian faith. He taught them a new
principle unknown before him. viz, that the
father of the little family on earth repre-
sented the Divine Father in Heaven. was
His image and echo and shared His au-
thority He was to be content with one
wife, and that marriage was to be indis-
soluble; that wife and family he must re-
spect support and cherish. after the fash
ION OF his race and fatherland In turn the
wife learned that she was the equal of the
man; that all the laws of the church an
Piled to both without distinction. that her
responsibility was not of another kind nor
less than that of the man. Women were
not to go TO war. as tribute to their gen
lehess and modesty. Immoral ancient Gus
h toms were abolished. Above all. from every
household. especially the mobiles. a multi
.ude or virgins entered his monasteries and
became at once the models and the teach.
srs OF the rarest and the sweetest virtue.
The hercest warriors in Europe were as
tonished to see their daughters take on
with JOY what seemed the intolerable woke
OF the service OF Christ in chastity, poy-
erty and obedience Wv
AFTER ST. Patrick, II was the nunneries
OF ireland that won the people To the
lh1Stlau fall h-thnN. -