The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-25
CATHOLIC CLERGY
HOLD CONFERENCE
Dean 0'Grady PreSideS Oyer the
Semi-Annual Meeting
INTERESTING PAPERS READ
Many Priests of Northern Alabama In
Attendance at Conference Held At
ST. PauI's Rectory In This
City Yesterday.


The semi-annual conference of the
Catholic clergy of the North Alabama
deanery assembled yesterday at st.
| Paufs rectory. on Third avenue. The
Very Rev. Henry e. o'Grady, dean of
the district, pre-. 'ded. There were
present the Rev. Father Ignatius, o. S.
B., Cullman; the Rev. Father celestine,
O. S. B., Brookside; the Rev. Father
Thomas, o. S. b., Florence; the Rev.
Father Canepa. East Lake orphanage:
the Rev. Father Downs Blocton; the
Rev. Father Klich, Ensley; the Rev.
! Father John OKelly, Our Lady of Sor-
rows church. Birmingham; the Rev.
Father Denis, Our Lady of the Immac-
ulate church, Birmin CHAM; the Rev.
Father Stahl, Admission the Rev Father
Coyle, pastor of st. PauPs Birming-
ham; the Rev. Father Bratton, st.
PauPs, Birmingham; the Rev. Father
Kitrick, st. Augustine's church., North
Birmingham, and the Rev. Father Pier
ceall st. Paurs church, Birmingham.
| The conference was opened with
prayer by the Very Rev. Dean OGrady
| at 3 p. m. sharp. The Rev. Father
| Thomas then read what was regarded
as a very excellent paper on the first
| five of the minor prophets, Osee
| (Hosea), Joel, Amos, Abdias (Obadiah),
and Jonas. He presented in a schol-
arly manner the various theories re-
| garding the age, argument and style of
| the prophesies and his paper was
| listened to with deserving interest
| throughout; and all the more so as
owing to the progress of higher crit
icism at the present time it is a mat
| ter of Importance to keep abreast with
| the times in regard to this matter in
order to be able to clearly distinguish
between the truly undoubted facts and
the vague themes of so-called schol-
ars of the day.
Father Klich of Ensley next took up
the subject of dogmatic theology, and
clearly expended the teaching of the
church on miracles. He brought forth
the opinions of the great doctors of
| the church of all ages on the subject,
and dwelt upon the clear and unmis-
taxable teaching of the Angel of the
| Schools" ST. Thomas Aquinas. His
|
| and the beautiful flow of language and
his mastery setting forth of argu
ments and disposition of objections held
| the closest attention of the assembled
fathers His clear-cut and minute dis
| tinction between the merely wonder
full and extraordinary, and also his
| strong defence of the possibility of
miracles were especially striking. Faith
err Klich was congratulated on this
brochure by all present.
| The Very Rev. Dean then called upon
the Rev M. e. Kitrick, who gave a
very able explanation of church CEN
sures. He proved clearly to the salts
faction of all present that the church
| has the power and authority direct
from Christ and the apostles to impose
censures upon those who are contuma
cious and rebellious. He is said to have
merited especial credit for his clear
| definitions and distinctions and 5escrfp-
lions of the various species of censures
that the church may use, and this is
true of his discussion of the topics of
suspensions and interdict in particular.
The fathers praised his paper very
| highly.
| Canon law was next discussed. Faith
err Bratton, pastor of the missions of
| st. Paufs, Birmingham, read a paper
| on this subject that was in the opinion
of all the clergy present a master
| piece. Father Bratton dwelt particu-
larly on the subject of arch bishops and
| bishops their succession from the
the offices and duties of these prelates
especially as doctors, legislators and
pontiffs. Rev. Father Bratton's state
ment of the mode of electing bishops
at different periods of the churchtfrom
Peter the Fisherman to Plus X called
forth high praise. The Very Rev. Dean
expressed his compliments in the warm
est terms.
Various matters of local and general
| interest were then discussed at length
by the clergy in conference. Father
| Downs of Blocton dwelt on financial
questions and gave all present the
benefit of his ripe experience along this
line, especially in trying and hard
| times.
! The conference closed as it began
with prayer 1t will be held again six
months hence