Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-05

address: still less am able to discuss the
ology; but / do know one thing. and that Is
that when the people OF a congregation Ieel
toward their pastor as you feel toward Dr
Stafford, and as is shown by your cordial
welcome to him tonight IT means that 1t Is
foundation upon which good Citizenship
can safely rests Personally, think that IL
the pulpit was not sometimes SO high above
the pew, or that IL the pew could come TO
the level of the pulpit, we would all be bet
ter citizens and better Christians.
1t SO happened that tonight before
came to this gathering I was reading An
drew Lang's Letters to Dead Authors. One
OF these letters is written to that Greek
poet Theoeritus, the lover of fields and
f1ocks, and one of the first men to sing
of the beauties of nature. In this letter
occurs a sentence which, 1t seems to me,
affords an appropriate text for this occa'
sion: 'Naught hast thou found In death
dearer than the fragrance of the pine tree.
Paraphrasing this sentence, let me say to
you, DR.. Stafford, that naught hast thou
found during thine absence dearer than
this beloved country of ours and this beau
tiful city which We are proud to call our
own, and, what will appeal more closely 10
This audience, nothing dearer than TINS par
ticular corner of 10th and streets, where
on stands the church in which you minister
to these your people.
No Soil More Sacred.
Much have you seen while you were
abroad. Palaces you have beheld wonder
flu, fEescoes you have admired. You nave
stood in the shadow of temples hoary WITT
age and with tradition and you have trod
historic thoroughfares everywhere but no.
where has your foot pressed upon SOIL
which is so sacred and SO dear to the cause
OF human liberty and freedom as this tah1
of ours.
Knowing you as I do, and knowing how
intensely your heart beats with patriotism.
l am sure that you have come back to Us
q better American, II such a thing be pos
sible. We can understand. therefore, that,
glad as these people are TO see you here
again, you are equally pleased to be witt
them; and / am sure that l voice the sin
cere desire of their hearts when l wish for
you many. many years of continued sue
cess in your noble work To their felicita-
lions upon your safe return / add my own
expression. l beg to assure you that such
is the esteem in which you are held IN this
community that, large as this gathering is
tonight, 1t would be impossible to assemble
all your friends within the confines of Car
roll Hail.
The quartet of ST Patricks Church Choir
rendered q welcome selection. Armand
Gumprecht director of the choir, presided
at the plano, and the selection was sus-
tanned by Mrs. Annie Grant-tugitt, So
prano; Miss Mamie Grant, contralto; Mel
vile Hensey, tenor, and Charles Goodchild,
bass
The remarks of Mgr Dennis OConnell.
rector of the Catholic University of Amer
lea, were filled with good humor and ex-
pressionS Of regard for the guest of the
evening.
When Rev Thomas E. McGuigan, the late
acting rector, arose to speak he was ac-
corded hearty handclapping. On behalf
of his fellow workers and himself he es-
sayed to express the debt of gratitude they
owe Dr. Stafford.
Dr.. Stafford's Address.
Dr. Stafford made the concluding address
and said in part:
II am profoundly touched by the demon
strauon this evening on the part of my
people of st. Patricks parish and by my
friends, Protestant and Roman Catholic,
throughout the city l thank the speakers
Tor their kindly expressions of feeling 10
ward me, and, above all, my people for
this tremendous demonstration.
Il have roamed through many countries.
always with the thought that some day l
would come home to my people, who would
gather around me and call me father and
pastor, and my little children of the
school and of the two asylums would catch
hold of my cassock and cling to me and
call me father, but never anticipated any
such demonstration as this. / have come
back to St Patricks with the ictermtna-
ton to give all my energy, love and devo-
tion to the church of which I am a pastor
and to the country of which l am a citizen
L rejoice in both titles, and | shall devote
my best energies to maintaining St Pat
ricks in its proud pre-eminence among the
churches OF the country. and do all that
can to exemplify in my own life and to
teach others the glorious principles OF
American citizenship.
Il have found no country in which the
religious conditions are so satisfactory as
In America; no place where the church is
so free; no place where the individual titi-
zen has such opportunity and no place of
which 1t is such glorious privilege to be
citizen. AS Commissioner West has re-
marked, 1 have returned a better Ameri-
can, If possible
DR.. Stafford also gave an interesting ac-
count of his private audience with Pope
Plus X.
After selection by the Marine Band the
entire assemblage arose and sang Holy
God" the favorite hymn of DR.. STAFFORD.
AT the conclusion of this hymn the orchestra
began the Star Spangled Banner" which
was also given congregational rendering
Round Of Handshaking.
Beginning with those assembled on the
platform, Dr. Stafford had a round of hand
shaking that was not concluded until nearly
1900 persons had been presented.
Those of the invited guests who were
present and occupied seats on the stage
were:
Mgr. Dennis o'Connell, rector of the Cath
Ole University; District Commissioner H.
l. West, DR.. E. T. Shanahan, Catholic
Justice of the supreme court of the Phil
ippines; S. w. Woodward, John Joy Ed
son, Rev. ]. D. Boland, Baltimore Md: M
E. Allies, Oscar ]. Ricketts,, acting public
printer; j. B. Wilbur. Rev. G. E. ODonnell
of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy Phil
adelphia; DR.. c. c. Swisher of George WASH
fngton University, Commissioner of Edu-
cation HaSIs, Rev. Paul Griffith. rector of
St. Augustihe's Church; Albert F. Woods,
Agricultural Department; John J. Howley,
Post Office Department; Rev. J. D. Mari,
pastor Church of the Immaculate Concep-
ton; Rev. Joseph McSorley, C. S. p, St.
Thomas College, Brookland; NJ l. Weller,
Rev. George Dougherty, Catholic Univer-
sity; Rev. Charles Bart, ST. Teresa's Church,
Anacostia; Rev. John Fenlan, S. S.. ST.
Austin's College, Brookland; Revs. George
Savage and ]. Burns, Holy Cross College,
Rev. DR.. Francis Sollier of the Marist Col
lege, Gen. ]. J. O'Connell, U. S. A; P. T.
Moran, DIR. J. C. O'ConneIl, e. T. Chamber
lin, Rev. Joseph Mcguire, rector of the
Church of the Holy Comforter, and DIR.
Daniel w. Shea of the school of technology,
Catholic University
The Reception Committee.
The following composed the reception