Semi-weekly herald., 1908-09-14
IRISH FILL CHURCHES
IN THE EMERALD ISLE

of the Chicago Record-Herald.
Religion is live thing
in Ireland, and the Roman Catholic
churches are always filled to over
flowing at every service with as many
men as women, which is unusual In
other countries. In Ireland the sit
uation seems to be different. and the
congregations are invariably composed
about equally of the two sexes. The
Church of Ireland is comparatively
weak In numbers and has more houses
of worship than 1t needs, having In
herited many of them from the con-
fiscation edicts of the English kings,
Naturally they are not SO well nlied'
but the Roman Catholics are com
pelled to have three or four services
every Sunday In order to accommodate
the worshipers, and the priest Is In
variably the most Influential man in
the parish. He enters directly into the
life of his parishioners, the parish
boundaries are sharply divided and his
jurisdiction is so well defined that he
knows all the sheep and all the goats
that belong to his flock, over whom
he exercises a parental as well as a
spiritual care. They come to him in
all their troubles and in their Joys.
He advises them about social, politi-
cal, commercial, domestic and person
al as well as spiritual affairs, and Is
the court OF highest resort In all
disputes and family matters. No 9TH
er authority reaches so far or Is rooted
SO deep in the community. and this
peculiar relation grows closer with
years. cit is not customary in Ireland
for priests to change parishes. They
usually begin work as curates or as
sistants to the parish priest when they
first come out of Maynooth or some
other theological seminary and re-
main there all the rest of their lives,
being promoted upon the death of their
superior. Therefore they grow up
with the people and the attachment
as Well US tue uiuoI oIolahuihS 40 hAo
tual. .n .-r..
l have formed very high opinion
of the Irish priesthood from the ex-
amples ! have been able to meet and
to know They have impressed me as
an unusually high class of men intel
lectually as well as spiritually and
every one must admire their devotion,
their sincerity and their self-sacrifice.
Some of them naturally become dicta-
torial, for 1t is often necessary for
them to assume an air Of authority
to preserve discipline in their parish
es, but l think that is more or less
the rule in other countries and In all
denominations. You can't talk back
to a judge or a school teacher or
parson. And that is undoubtedly the
ground for the charge so frequently
made that Ireland is priest ridden"
But the average of intelligence, culture
and efficiency among the Irish
priesthood is probably higher than 1t
is in any other country, and their
influence is correspondingly greater
There is a great deal of criticism
about the activity of the Irish priests
in politics and that l find to be largely
a Misrepresentation. Many of the
priests do take an active part in po-
litical affairs, but 1t is entirely mat
ter of Individual taste and inclination,
and the proportion is probably no
larger than It is among ministers of
all denominations In the United States.
Those who are well posted on this sub |
ject assure me that about one-third |
of the total number Of Catholic priests |
habitually interest themselves In po- |
litical affairs, local as well as nation
al; a still larger number take an active
Interest In educational matters, and
about one-half Of them let politics
alone. This is probably fair
estimate and will apply to the clergy
ii the Church of Ireland and with the
denominations with
equal accuracy, although they are
much less numerous than the Roman
clergy.
1t is always interesting to attend
mass at Roman Catholic church on
sunday in Ireland, particularly In the
mailer towns and country parishes,
vhere everybody except those who
re too infirm to come out is pres.
mt In his best clothes and. no matter I
ow poor they may be. no one passes 7
he man who stands with box at the '
ntrance without dropping In some {
hing. most Of them only penny or a e
a'penny. but none without an offer.
ag. The appearance Of the people, I
nd particularly the women, is in g
lrikins contrast to that on week days, Ii
nd am told that thia Aan~uA. ,>x l,