The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-29
An Immense Congregation
 Present at High Mass
FATHER COYLE BREACHES
Theme Was "storm Tossed church.p Preacher Tells of Early Persecu- tions and Troublous Periods Fol
 lowing-cam After Storm.

SV9OSAuay WeIt ullusudily large. 1He nfSI mass at 6:sO o'clock was attended by a goodly number, and at 7:S0 o'clock the congregation was large. Sunday school at S;SO was well attended, and at the 9SO mass. known as the Sunday school mass, the church was well filled.
 The largest congregation of the day was at high mass at 1O,30. when the seat ing capacity of the spacious edifice was tested. It was estimated that the aggre- gate attendance at the four masses was between 25OO and 5000.
 The Rev. Father Coyle. pastor of St. Paul's was celebrant at first and second mass and the Rev. Father Kitriok was celebrant at 9:SO and 10:80 o'clock. Father Coyle was the preacher at high mass. After reading the gospel from the eighth chapter of St. Matthew. Father Coyle chose this for his text: "Then rising up, He commanded the winds and the sea. and there came great calm" The theme of the discourse was 'The Storm Tossed Church" The preacher said in part
 iyPiSdi or tno OnufCn.
 The incident in the life of the Savior that the gospel just read records Is typl- cal of the existence of the church from His day till now Nay more, as history repeats itself''--as there Is nothing new under the sun" we may fairly assume that the church's existence in days to come will be similar to its existence in the days that are past, and so the incl dent is typical of the existence of the church Catholic for all time, from the days of her founder to the latest days of stress and storm, when Gabriers trum- pet shall summon to judgment the count less sons of men. How perfect the par allel! Peters bark, storm tossed. yet safe, for the Master is aboard, who when the vessel is seemingly in desper- ate straits, commands the winds and the sea; so, too. the church of Christ found ed on the fisherman, Peter, buffeted and beaten by the malice and hate of sim full world seems at times on the eve of destruction. But no; when the storm is seemingly about to annfhilate the church, some mysterious agency inter venes and the destruction that a moment ago seemed imminent recedes-disappear -and the church comes from the ordeal strong and fresh, with perpetual youth. Wherefore? Ahl the Master spoke, the winds obeyed and lol a calm.
 Let us today take brief glance at q few incidents in the church's history, and we will see how perfect the parallel
 When the Savior was received behind the clauds of Olivet, the apostles, in the upper chamber, awaited the coming of the Holy Ghost On the tenth day the Holy Spirit came. Full of ardor and zeal, the apostles went forth to fulfill Christ's behest, to convert the nations "beginnng in Judea and Samaria and going to the ut termost ends of the earth" They preach ed Christ and Him Crucihed," their high est ambition being to initiate that Master. even in His sufferings and death. They knew-none better. for had not the Savior so foretold-that ''the servant was no bet ter than the master" that the world would despise and persecute Him. One by one they won the masters crown; the world was up in arms against the new creed preached by twelve poor fish ernen Aye, and long after their day, for three hundred weary years. all the wealth and power of Paganism, and the world was universally Pagan then, was arrayed against the followers of the crucifed Christ The storm ragged, but the bark was safe. The Savior was there and in His own good time He commanded the winds and the waves, and lo calm.
 Three Centuries Pass.
 After three hundred years, Constantine, having won a victory through the invo- cation of the Christians God, granted freedom of worship, became himself Christian; and now in the calm, the church no longer condemned to the se- crecy of private dwelling houses or the catacomb retreats, built magnificent tenn ples wherein to celebrate fittingly the great sacrfie foretold by Malachy-the mass the clean oblation, offered from the rise to the set of sun.''
 But not for long this calm. Internal foes arose, men nominally Christian and nominaly Catholic, preached strange creeds Heresy arose when persecution from Paganism was no longer an object of dread Arianism, Nestoriahism, Mani ChciSm the unity of the church seemed threaten ed But Christ was there, and Peters successor summoned the bishops of the church. These subtle evils became an occasion of good for more systemlzed exnresson of belief was formulated, the heresies were condemned, the true doc. trines were expressed in clearer words and from this ordeal, too, the church emerged, triumphant and victorious
 True the church Is divine, but we must never forget that though it is indefecti- ble and infallble it has it's human side too. Disorders and corruptions by de- erees crept in and some churchmen, even some in high places, forgot the spirit of Christ and became 'of the earth, earthy.' and so God permitting, another storm arose, the storm of the so-called Reformation. The abuses of the times were assailed. as they should have been; hut not content with this the so-called reformers pressed on the attack and made q mighty endeavor to destroy the church of Christ The very fundamentals of Christianity were assaied but the church emerqed from the ordeal fairer, purer than ever. A reformation was needed. hut though not the reformation brought ahout by the monk false to his vows, but the reformation brought on by the Coun- ell of Trent The bishops met and ih so,emn session so defined and declared the Catholic position and so organized the 44..4 fA-