Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-11-03
TWO sermons
CLOSE MISSION
SUCCESSFUL WEEK OF SPECIAL
SERVICES TERMINATE in
SACRED HEART CHURCH
IMMENSE ATTENDANCE
Eloquence of Visiting Fathers and the
Splendid Catholicism Expressed y
Make Profound I'M
preston.

The mission held at the Sacred
Heart church during the last week
was brought to close last evening at
service attended by the largest
throng that perhaps has ever filled an
Ottumwa church. The large numbers
present on the evenings previous
were not to be compared 10 that or last
| night when standing room was at a
premium and many were placed in the
sanctuary to participate in the eXer-
cises. Children and adults were seat
ed along the altar railing and the
aisles were filed with persons stand
ing and sitting. The sermon of the
evening, The Great Social Evil of the
Day. was eloquently delivered by
Father Raymond Towle, o. p, whose
earnestness and sincerity in the eX
position of the effects both spiritual
and temporal or physical, of the sin
of intemperance brought to his hear
ers the horrors of drunkenness and
the habit of too frequent indulgence
in drink. The papal benediction con
ferred on all who made the mission
and remained in the state of grace
was given by this father with the
authority OF Pope Plus X, through
the master-general of the Order OF ST
Dominic in recent audience with the
sovereign pontiff who said: Where
ever the sons OF ST. Dominic g
throughout the world they may confe
my own blessing upon those who maxi
their missions" Sermons Of instruc
ton were given at each of the masse
in the morning. The sermon at th
high mass was preached by Fathe
John r. Fannon, 0. p. who took 70
his theme, "Purgatory,' saying in par
as follows:
Certainty of Death.
Had we never seen the Bible, no
heard of it's teachings and had W
passed from infancy and childhood t
old age without religious instruction
we should yet know that we must di
We behold universal evidence of tn
I on all sides wherever we may turl
and do not lack the knowledge of tn
certainty of death. We see the beaut
and grandeur of mans conStructiO
everywhere and in all things, we al
impressed by it's strength and think
q impregnable, but, my friends, a. thu
:. derbolt. an avalanche or tornado me-
Q reduce it to ruins in moment.
"The child looks up into the mot
4 er's face smiling and to all appea
Is ances in the pink of health. How SOC
lr may it not he reclaimed by the cart
v. for we know that dust we are and un
dust we shall return. We must reali
81 that owing to the sin of Adam we mu
IS suffer, and the punishment is deaf
n Although we know this is sure, y
,e how seldom we fully appreciate it u
. til the icy hand of death is laid upt
~ the parent, sister or brother. AS the
VI are different states in life, so also
~. there in the world to come. If we a
free from mortal sin and the temper
N punishment due to it, when we die, '
is. go direct to heaven" Then quot
To from the Bible certain passages in 81
as port Of the doctrine Of purgatory, t
" eloquent son of st. Dominic said: 6
he is holy and wholesome thought
ay pray for the. dead, that they may
Id loosed from their sins, and some "
be saved by fire. God and sin {
on two things that are diametrically
nd posed to each other. Ii we are fl
from the stain of sin our soul will