Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-20
FEAST DAY OF ST. VINCENT
SPECIAL SERVICES HELD IN
CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
Example Of Saint Urged by DR.. Rus
sell, Pastor Of st. Patrick's, as
One to Follow.

The feast of st. Vincent de Paul was
celebrated in the Catholic churches OF
Washington yesterday.
DR.. Russell delivered special sermon
upon the life and works of st. Vincent in
st. Patrick's Church yesterday morning
Few there are" said DR.. Russell. who
feel themselves called to the practice OF
heroic activities. The duties Of the fire.
side. the demands of business or the
claims of the professional life exercise
more potent claim upon the time and at
tention of most men.
Their lives are so interviewer with otn-
ers that they cannot tear away from oio
associations without wounding charity oy
disrupting the fabric of others lives and
hopes.
Example to Be Followed.
Let them not. therefore, regard the life
Of St. Vincent as wholly allen to their
own. They say they are not called upon
to distribute their goods to the poor The
claims of their own flesh and blood pre-
clude the idea of devoting themselves. like
st. Vincent, to the succor and care o.
fOundlings and the destitute.
They may even find that their time Is
so preoccupied as to prevent them from
participating in the gracious benevoiences
of the st. Vincent de Paul Society, whose
members in every one of our parishes
devote their time without any costly
recompense, and unostentatiously to Wis
iting, counseling and assisting the needy
But they who on this account imagine
that there can be no close relation be-
tween their vocations and this great apos-
tie of charity show that they little under
stand the true meaning and value Of
life like St. Vfncent's. The spirit which
animated him can be their own.
"The same. spirit of benevolence for
Gods sake Which actuated him can be
cultivated and developed by all. He was
most pleasing to his Master. both by rea-
son of the great works which he per-
formed and by reason Of his continued
privations and unselfish deyotedness to
the poor
Motives Count.
'It is not the work but the motive an
imatng the work which gives it value
in the sight of God There is no one
who cannot practice charity. Be he ever
so poor. be he ever so weak. be he ever
so in need Of assistance. there is no one
who cannot love his neishbor.
There are two phases of charity to
which l would especially direct your at
tention. To forgive our enemies and to
refrain from unkind judgments are OBJ
legations incumbent upon every Christian.
1t may not be ma tural to do so. but 1t
is unquestionably Christian. He who OBJ
stinately refuses to practice charity, to
this extent, at least, forfeits his birth
right IN the kingdom Of Christ. What
more frequent than the judgments Of the
motives of others. and yet we all know
from bitter experience how unjust such
shortsighted ssarchings generally are.
There is so much that is good in the
the best of us. that 1t is not we'll for any
of us to think ill Of the rest Of us
At Carroll Hall.
Judge William H. DeLacy of the Juve-
nile Court presided over a general meet
ing of the st. Vincent de Paul Society
held last night in Carroll Hail.
Rev. DR.. Russell, pastor of st. Patrick s
Church, delivered the address of the oc-
casion, in which he spoke of the good
work done by the society since it was
founded in 1861.
1t was stated that $1,000 has been spent
the poor Of the District of Columbia dur
Good Samaritan Home, which was
founded by William F. Towney, a MEM
Der of the society. showed that 1892
persons were fed during the year and
5,71S lodgings given.
The list of the society officers in at
tendance included DR.. Russell spiritual
adviser: President DeLacy, Vice Presi-
dent Thomas K. Gallaher Ind Secretary
James d. Mannikin