The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-02-02
GAVE HIS REASONS.
"Why Am I Catholic?" Answered
by Rev. Father Sherman
Before a Large Assemblage of
People at Lincoln, Neb.

eral Sherman, during the first week
in Lincoln. Neb., were attended by
crowds that exceeded all anticipation,
Father Sherman rested on Friday and
Saturday., and resumed his labors on
Sunday night. The Cathedral was in
plain terms damned full" Standing
room only, hardly describes the crowd
ed asscmblage, and from every door
numbers had to be denied admission
they could not possibly squeeze through
the throng that We're grateful to find
standing room inside the doors. Gov
crnor Mickey occupied a chair within
the sanctuary alongside Bishop Bona
cum-a fitting representation of
Church and state paying homage to
the God of. both. The great American,
Commoner, w. ]. Bryan and Mrs.
Bryan, We're given seats near the pull
pit The subject taken by Father
Sherman was the question, why an,
i a Catholic?. He answered the ques-
tion that he was q Catholic because he
found in the Catholic Church four dis
tinguishing marks that do not exist
without their pale-unity, holiness,
university and apostolicity. He then
proceeded to explain each of these
characteristics. He referred to the
Goth and 21st verses of John, Chap.
XVIII:
20. and not for them only do /
pray. but for them also who through
their word. shall believe in Me.
81. That they all may be one as
thou, Father. in Me, and I iii Thee;
that they. also may be one i'll Us, that
the world may believe that Thou hast
sent. Me-" ..., &c..
This oneness could only be found in
the Catholic Church. In the seets there
was no unity, there was no central
authority, which was a necessary basis
Of unity-nothing to rally around. Each
believed what suited his inclinations,
and as logical consequence belief
dwindled down, to- the point where 1t
became unbelief. yAlluding to the pres
ence Of Governor Mickey. he remarked
that the governor, IMPLYING the SOW
ereignty OF tle state of Nebraska, was
the pivot on which conferred the unity
that made the people Of Nebraska a
compact body, and sovereign state.
Every citizen of the state was united
to his fellow7citizen by the. bond OF
loyalty to. the governor of the state.
Father Sherman then cleverly illus
trated for resemblance of our form OF
government, 70 the. Catholic Church.
The governors Of fifty sovereign. states
were bound by the common bond Of
loyalty to the president Of the United
States; yet all we're individually SIM
pie citizens of the. one great common
wealth. bound by it's laws and by the
constitution. So, in the Catholic
Church, the bishops. sovereign in their
own sees, are bound by d common
bond of loyalty to their brother bishop,
the Pope of Rome, while each is In
dividually subject to the laws Of the
Church.; the same for the highest, the
same fer the lowliest, from Pope to
peasant In no other church could this
oneness be. ,found-oneness in faith,
oneness in. form Of worship, oneness in
authority. ...... -. g..
Father. Sherman, then explained the
meaning of holiness, as ascribed to the
Church. :. 1t did not mean that because
a, man was a protesting Catholic he
WAS OH that account any holier than
the nom Catholic; it was often the re-
verse, to the greater shame Of the
Catholic. Holiness meant the graces
of God conveyed to the soul Of man
through the seven sacraments. In the
Catholic Church alone could tho sin
her (and we arc all sinners) find ade-
uuatc means to combat the trials and
temptations OF life, Our Savior Him
self has said: Except you cat the
flesh of tho Son of Man and drink His
blood. you shall not have life in you
(John, vi, 54)
In the Catholic. Church alone this
flesh, of the Son Of Man is given to
the faithful to strengthen them and
enable them to overcome the devil. In
the Catholic Church alone is there a
tribunal Of penance where the sinner
who sincerely repents can be assured
that his sins: are forgiven. These chan
nels of. grace to man constitute the
holiness of the Catholic Church, but
the same holiness is visible in the body
of the faithful. In no other church
can We find those who follow the coun-
sells Of perfection and leave all. home
and friends, rank and fortune, and
their own personal liberty, to devote
their lives to the spiritual and tenn
poral welfare OF the old and the young,