The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1908-03-20
Rev. Father Cusack's Goodbye
to His Paris Correlation.


~ his Paris congregation at the Cathc-
C church Sunday morning in the fol-
lowing tender and earnest words:
No word in the language, perhaps,
drops more easily and more frequent
~ from the lips than goodbye part
ing is so common in lite, and yet there
are occasions when its utterance
wr.nss the heart with sorrow. Such,
brethren, is the present. when called
by my superior to another field OF
LABOR, another corner in the Lord
vineyard.
L am compelled to say farewell TO
a flock, tnat time and intimate acquain-
lance have made dear 20 me. But a
priest Is like the soldier IN the gospel !;
when his bishop says go he goeth; do
this, he doeth it.
None the less. taking leave of old
friends is ever painful, especially when
we consider the character 6f the tie
that builds the pastor to the flock. 1t is
breaking-up OF associations that
have become part Of ones very life.
I'VE are all climbing plants. We
need the support Of friends. A priest
should De like Melchisedec, it is said,
without father. without mother, with
out generalogy, having neither begin
ming OF days nor end of life, sbut
likened unto the Son of God, continueth
priest forever But after all he is
human; certainly not, stronger in sup
pre- ng emOtiC n..n0 less tender than
was lie VINO wept on hearing that His
! friend Lazarus was dead, and who
made a most pathetic farewell dis
course TO His disciples ere withdraw
/ ing His visible presence from their
midst.
The words | say 10 you today are
/ the last l may address you in the ca
/ pacity OF pastor, and though addressed
/ to all are meant fer each. l shall
limit myself t. a thought, suggested
( by and indeed wrapped up in the sim
( PIE expression Goodbye
''It is q contraction OF God Be With
You, and from my heart DO l say the
words, by way of farewell, first of all
to the iambs Of the flock, the children
and young folk CT the parish.
MAY Goa ever be with you, children,
and forget not the lesson which. in its
name, invested with His authority,
taught you. The truth and practices
they conveyed. though utterly imper-
fectly by me, yet came originally
straight from the heart and lips of
God, and were meant for your guidance
and protection in life.
my warnings we're not the empty |
cry Of wolf, when there was 20 wolf, |
but serious, well-meant counsel, against
the present and pressing dangers that
beset the young on the threshold of
life. Love, honor, respect and obey |
first and foremost your Father Who is |
in heaven. the great Almighty Goa, !
and next your own dear fathers and !
mothers OH earth. His representa- !
tives and won natural guardians and |
advisers.
Honor. too, and respect our Holy |
Mother church, her laws, her clergy, |
her teachings, for she makes known
the mind of Christ, is entrusted with
his sacramento presence and keeps
up His Office ard work of enlighten;ng
the world by truth and saving it by
grace.
''In the Sacrament of baptism you
became her spiritual children, and fol
lowers of Him, who is the way, the
truth and the life Hold fast to the
grace Of God; allow not the baptism a
robe of innocense that is to admit you
to the wedding feast, the marriage of
the Lamb to be dragged in the mire of
sin. 1t IS easy to love grace, but hard
in the extreme to recover it.
Heed not false friends, a frivolous
and wicked world that would drag you
down to its own level, lure you into
paths OF pleasure and sin. Remember
their fruits of death--death bitter and
irremediable to all VINO are lost in this
life and endless death in the next.
Wash your soul regularly IN the
precious blood Of Christ, in the sacra-
ment Of Penance, and keep alive the
divine life within you by frequent re-
course to what is called the bread of
life, in Holy communion.
Youth is the spring time of life.
What you now SOW. that you will reap.
/ The habits you form, the seed you sow
in your souls. by our ways and conduct
now, will determine the harvest you
will reap later on in lie, and later on
still in eternity.
Gods garnery is not filled with
wild .oats. Fly, therefore, the occa-
ison Of sin-bad books and papers, and,
above all, dangerous and wicked COM
panions who do the DEVILS work in the
world more effectually than Satan him
self. Let the friends you make be of
your own faith, and approved by your
parents; and In the choice OF state OF
life consult the interests of your soul,
as well as those Of the body.
I'm choosing him or her who is TO
walk down the way of life as lnseper-
abla.companIon, let your choice be con-
fined to Catholic circles. Ever remen-
/ Der that we must obey and love God
more than man; that we have a soul to
save, and what will it profit Us to
gain the whole world il we lose our
own immortal soul
Farewell, Catholic parents; may
/ God bless you and be ever with you in
life and in death, and reward you both
( here and hereafter for ali you have
done in support Of the house Of God
and its ministers in its parish.
Il would Eain say farewell and OK
press my gratitude to each singly, but
[ trust that under the circumstances
you will take the will for the deed.
can but exhort you to be faithful to
your duties in the most delicate rela-
films of life as husbands and wives.