The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-13
IRIDIUM AT ST. PETERS
FATHER sLEvIN PREACHER TO
 LARGE CROWDS.
Eloquent at Morning Service and . Brilliant Lecture at Night. order of the Exer.
 cises Today.

Saturday night to conduct Iridium for members of the Young Ladies So- dality of St. Peters Catholic Church, preached at the 10:30 o'clock high mass in St. Peters Church yesterday and lectured last night on Woman"
 Father Slevin was greeted by an unusually large and attentive audience. His mission of some months ago as well as other public appearances of Father Slevin in Montgomery disclosed graceful speaker and an eminent minister possessed of a wide experience of men and things. Those who heard him then were keenly alive to the fact that an intellectual treat as well as practical direction awaited them again, and they were not disappointed in their expectations.
 Father Slevin's discourse at the mass was brief owing to the length of the announcements. which com prised details concerning future services and the Iridium. One announcement was to the effect that there would be a solemn mass and special sermon un- der the auspices of the Ancient Order of Hibernians at a. m. Friday. March IT, the feast of St. Patrick. the patron of the order.
 In the course of his remarks Father Slevin apprised the congregation that the Iridium would be formally opened at the night service.
 Taking his text from the Gospel of the day. which dealt with the incident of the fast of the Redeemer, he drew attention to the attitude of Satan to- wards the Christ learnedly discussing the question of the devils cognizance of the Savior's Divinity.
 After an explanation of the various meanings of the word tempt in the text, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" he showed that, theologically speaking. the tempting of Jesus could only occur from some external agency, and then made clear the connection be- tween his introductory remarks and the general observance of the Lenten season emphasizing the special signif- icance of the number forty. Continu- ing Father Slevin said in part: Ana now the church would play upon our fears and hopes, the two great sources of human action, first our fears. then our hopes. With the former we are today concerned. Our fears are excited by consideration of death, and the fact of death Is forcibly brought into our thoughts when on Ash Wednesday the holy ashes are placed upon our foreheads. The ashes are the product of the palms of the preceding palm Sunday, reminding the recipient of the
 
 palm was significant of victory.
 "The Roman conqueror as he went his way beneath the triumphal arch, trailing along his vanquished cortege of half -strangled victims was preceded by centurion who reminded the proud victor of his ephemereal grandeur by repeatedly crying out Remember man that thou art mortal A similar cere- mony takes place at the solemn conse- h.l seated in the chair of Peter. The tiara is hardly placed upon his head when little cotton placed in a wicker bas- ket in front of the throne is ignited and vanishes in smoke with the bitter yer dict sic transit gloria mundf-Thus passes the glory of the world!
 And so are we reminded of our mor- tality when on the very first day of Lent. the priest in distributing the ashes proclaims the ever present truth. Remember man thou art but dust and unto dust thou shalt return
 From the Czar of Russia and Queen Christine down to the humblest peas ant of the land the sombre ashes of se- were remembrance are sprinkled on ev- cry brow, proclaiming to all that we come from nothingness to life; that we proceed from life to death. from death to eternity.
 Therefore ask yourselves what doth 1t profit a man if he can gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul"
 At the night service the church was crowded beyond Its capacity. Shortly before the general exercises the office of the Blessed Virgin was recited by the children of Mary, for whose accom- modation the front pews in the centre aisle had been reserved. Rosary was recited at the conclusion of the office. During the week Father Stevens lec- lures will be apropos of woman's dignf- ty and duties. Last nights lecture may be characterized by no other term than magnificent. The tribute to the trans cendent power of woman was worthy of the minister's ability. His theme was particularized, being confined to the woman of the Past in contradistinc- tion to the woman of the Present"
 With his happy facility for illustra- tion, Father Slevin brought his histori- cal research to bear upon the subject, and this combined with his clear philos- ophy and theology secured him rapt at- | tention.
 Tn this age of progress, of woman's rights and privileges, 1t but too often happens that men, and women as well, think and speak slightingly of the wo- man of the past" said Father Slevin. There certainly Is a vast difference between the exalted position which wo- man now holds and that in which Chris tianity found her 2,000 years ago. "To use the expression of Gladstone, 'Woman's position in society has been divinely elaborated by the preaching and tenets of the Gospel To have, however, any correct idea of the com paartive status of the modern woman, and her sister in the past, the latter must be judged by the light of the period in which her sorry lot was cast and not in the more showy light of modern culture and privilege.
 Before the Lily of Israel was raised up as the beau ideal of womanhood, the little esteemed daughter of Eve was only for dSudgery and slavery, as she Is today, almost everywhere, outside the pale of Christianity. Great and good women there have always been in council, in war, and even on the battlefield Deborah, the ruler of her nation. Judith and Esther, the deliverers of their people; Zenobia, the brave; Joan of Arch, the martyr for church and country; Isabella of Castile, the indirect discoverer of this great and prosperous continent-all these and more uphold the fair name of womanhood.
 History teens with the names of noble women. who in every condition and period of life, illustrated human ity with their deeds. And how, in the l IferhN r.f fWfVA Ahs 1IA