The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-01
SERVICES
 DRAW BIG CROWDS Solemn High Mass at St. PauPS
 Yesterday DECORATIONS PICTURESQUE Rev. Father o'Hern Preached Elo- quent Sermon-BriIiant Music by choir--Rev. Father Heay
 Lectured at Night.
DECORATIONS PICTURESQUE

The sanctuary of St. Pauls, with it's scuiptured altar garnished with ferns and flowers, and abaze with candles, never presented a more beautiful picture than it did yesterday, and the color effect was heightened at solemn mass when priests fin vestments of cloth of gold, acolytes fin soutanes of pure white, and torch-bearers in red cassocks and white cottas were disposed according to the Roman rubric. It was Easter and the ceremonial and the music were in keeping with the joyous festival.
 In spite of indictment weather, all the services were attended by large crowds, and at the early masses hundreds of the faithful received holy communion. The Rev. J. l.. O'Hern said mass at 6:30 o'clock, and delivered a short homily. The Rev. Thomas l.. Healy was the celebrant at 7:9O, and in a ten-minutes talk reminded his hearers that more con- verts were made by the example of Cath olics who led good lives than by all the missionary sermons ever preached. At this mass the Knights of Columbus went to communion in a body.
 At 9:30 o'clock the Rev. Father Prem dergast celebrated mass and the Rev. Father Coyle read the epistle and the gospel in English and delivered a brief discourse.
 The church was crowded at the solemn mass at 10:30 o'clock, and many persons were turned away unable to find even standing room. The celebrant was the Rev. Father Bratton. The Rev. Father Healy acted as deacon, the Rev. Father Prendergast as sub-deacon and the Rev. Father Coyle as master of ceremonies. The Rev. Father O'Hern occupied the pulpit and preached an eloquent sermon on the Redeemers resurrection and the triumph of Christianity.
 The choir was in the best of form and supported by a select orchestra under the direction of PNl Memoli rendered La jael's mass No. and Lambilotte's Al leluiah' anthem Mrs. Severin, the solo soprano, was never in finer voice. and seldom, perhaps, has such brilliant music been heard in Birmingham.
 Father Healy's Lecture.
 
 on the occasion of the last lecture in the Paulist mission course. Father OHern an- swered questions propounded through the medium of the query box, and Father Healy in notable address entitled, "Why l Am a Catholic" held the close atten- ton of his audience. He thanked the non Catholics for their liberal attendance 1.Ia |. and every one of them
 In the introduction of his lecture after summarizing the various means by which converts have been led to know and ac- cept the Catholic church, Father Healy gave to his own personal and individual argument In support of his church's claim the argument was two-fold in which he based his faith on Q) the divinity of Christ, and @ the testimony of his- tory.
 1T believe" said the speaker "that Christ is God. I have a true and keen sense of His divinity. His word, there- fore, is the word of God. Where else shall l go, what else shall I do, but be- lieve? He may speak of a mystery most
 
 and hard to me, but I know and believe that He is Christ the Son of God; and to whom else shall I go; for He has the words of eternal life And so I accept the mystery, the law, the sayings, with out discriminating, without minimizing
 "Only because of my faith in Christ am l able to believe in the mystery of the Trinity, the incarnation, the redemp- tion; by that faith l believe in the sac- rament of penance, the forgiveness of sins; only because of that faith can I believe that under the lowly appearance of bread and wine is the Lord God pres ent in very truth. Can you believe other wise and accept that faith in it's full ness?
 'Ths is not all; because of that faith | am hOund to apcept tbasa 1ottar aoo