The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-12
FR. MILLER
 CELEBRATES
 FIRST MASS
Rev. Fr. Dahme Breaches EIo- quent Sermon to Large
 Congregation Young Priest is Son of Mrs. Mary Miller and Was Ordained at Holy Trinity, Innsbruck, Aus tria

A large congregation wass present at St. Joseph's German R. c. Church on Madison avenue, yesterday, when Rev. Father WillibaId Henry Miller of this city celebrated his first solemn l high mass. t
 Father Miller is the son of Mrs. Mary Miller and Henry J., deceased, of 1O5O Stratford Ave, and was born l in Canton, O.. When quite young he entered the St. Nicholas University at Innsbruck, Austrian Tyrol, and was ordained at Holy Trinity Church. Innsbruck, Austpia, July 26, 1910.
 At his first mass Father Miller was Rev. Father Hubert Dahme; deacon, Rev. Father James Illusion of St. Charles church, this city; sub-deacon: Rev. Father D. A. Donner, c. Sp- Of west Norwalk; and master of cere-. monies, Stephen Groho1 of St. Ber- nard's Seminary, Koch ester, N- Y- During the mass the choir, under } the direction of the organist, Fritz K G. Weber, sang the Kyrie, Gloria, Crato, and Benedicto-
 At the. offertory Mrs. John Barry sang ttSalve Regina" and at the con clusion of the mass the congregation sang @'Great God, We Love Thee, papal blessing by special permission of i the Pope, honor that is seldom given in this country
 The sermon of the day was deliv- cred by Rev. Father DaAme, who is noted as one of the best orators of the pulpit in the German language. The sermon was an interesting one and was in parts follOWs: l tI have chosen you and I have ap- pointed you to go out and bring fruit and that your fruit may be everla!st- Evangelist, verse 16.
 '.It is a day(of rejoicing which the man of this parish has for the first | time entered this church to appear for the first time as a, priest on this altar, but not only does the whole his family, especially his good mQth- CT. who has given her son to ~the fchurch to serve God. Although his | father has entered a better world, he also is looking down from Heaven at l his son-priest. -
 s.eThe newly ordained priest has ob- 1 tained what he always had hoped and wished for in his youthful days and 1 many years of hard study has at last l Drought him to the desired end. for which Almighty God has chosen him. We priests here present also re- | joice with you and congratulate you l and we thank God fdr having given | us a new priest in your person
 would I speak to you today on the great power of the priest which has not been given the Kings and Emperons, nor to the angels and saints. Shall I remind you of the great and holy duties which he has | taken upon himself on the day of his rich reward which has been. promised to the good and faithful priests after their death, for whole eternity? 'tsWe know all this but let me re- mind you of the blessings and bene- it which God wishes to give through his priests to suffering humanity, / our Lord in His farewell speech to His apostles and the priests:
 =. have chosen you and appointed fruit and that your fruit may remain
 '.The priests have been appointed great power for the benefit of hu- n1anity. God appointed him to teach the truth, to preserve virtue and to protect order and right. He has to teach the true faith; this faith Which like a mild light, like a. star sent by God is to brighter the darkness of this early life and lead and direct us on our pilgrimage to heaven.
 "It is through the priest that the newly born child receives the first spark of this heavenly light of the true faith in baptism. Again it is the priest who strengthens and nourishes this light when the child ening to his sermons and admonitions in confession. And it is again the priest who brings the consoling ant encouraging words to the sick and dying. It is him also, the priest, who answers to the questions of the doubtful, troublesome human heart: Where do I come from, where am going, what am here on earth for?' He says:\ Not for this world art thou created but>,for heaven. There is your true and real home. Console yourself, human heart, and bear with fortitude the hardships of this life'
 sSt. Paul calls the priest "homa Del, which means man of God and man of faith. On faith is based all his powers and dignity. His whole life and actions are animated by faith; his person, and example preach faith. What would this beautiful feast of the newly ordained priest be. without faith? At the conservation, when he says those sublime words: This is my body and this is my blood without faith there would be only bread and wine.
 "But the priest not only has to teach the truth, but he has to pre- serve virtue among the young as well as the old And what a, power the priest is to keep nations in submis- sion to divine authority, to preserve order and justice and he is the most powerful weapon in civilized coun- tries against forces who hate author ity and encourage and teach anarch- ism.
 t'The parish wishes you, newly or dained priest, long and successful priestly career and that after many years of hard labor in the vineyard of our Lord you may receive your eternal reward in heaven.''
 (Continued on Page Two1