Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-08
PRAISES CHURCKS
PART IN ASSISTING
NATIONS ADVANCE
Mgr. Whelan Makes Notable
Address to st. Patrick's
School Alumni.

Catholicity and the important part
that religion has played in the adj
vancement of the country, were the
keynotes of the addresses by the vari-
GUS speakers at the fifth annual ban
Quet of st. Patrick's Cathedral School
Alumni, at the Continental Hotel last
night. Men from every walk in life,
some of them prominent in local
municipal affairs. graced the occasion
by their presence and renewed friend
ships formed at school.
Joseph NJ. Byrne, who acted as toast
master, before Introducing the first
speaker called upon the diners to drink
a silent toast to the memory of Broth
er A. Victor, who organized the alumni
in 1906, and who died on December ID
last, and to President William III. TAFT.
The various speeches were interspersed
with vocal selections by several OF
the members.
The toasts were: 1.-The Advances We
Have Made the Right Rev. Mon
signor Isaac p. Whelan: 1.-The Duties
of the Catholic Young Man." the Rev.
William ]. Carlin. of Paterson; 1.-THE
Alunnis," John II. O'Connor; 1.-THE Ac-
tlvities of the Day former state Sena-
tor Michael T. Barrett. There were
also a number of informal talks by the
members.
M%onsignor Whelan, after a few brief
Introductory remarks, said the advance
ment that has been made in the
Catholic church during the past huri-
bred years was better cited by figures.
At tina time he said there were no
bishops in this country n only about
thirty priests. At the present day there
are Is archbishops, 70 bishops and 10000
priests in this country. The Catholic
population a century ago. he said, num-
bered about 10000, while today there are
in this country alone more than f4.000,-
600 Catholics, who make up about one
fifth OF the population. Then again, he
said, in those days there were about
thirty chapels and no churches; to-
day there are 10000 churches and
chapels, 600 hospitals, SO institutions Of
learning devoted exclusively to the
training of young men to the priest
hood: over 700 colleges and academies
and about $4,000 paroehial schools.
'"The growth of the country during
the last hundred years has been twenty
fold,' continued the speaker. but the
growth of the Catholic church has been
300-fold. All this growth carries with
it an enormous amount of responsibility
to the laymen. The church needs the
liberty of the country, but the country
also needs the teachings of the church.
The church knows nc politics; she
doesn't tell her children what they
shall eat or how they shall dress, and
neither does she dictate how they shall
vote. She does. however. teach thai
her children shall be honest in politics
and administer public affairs with the
same conscience that they would pri-
vate affairs.
Everything lies solely with the lay
men, for we priests preach to Catholics.
but you teach by your honesty Of pur-
pose the. effect of u preaching to
everybody with whom you come In con-
tact. You will live to honor or dishonor
the church to which you belong. II
you see anything that is going wrong.
no matter where 1t is, you should butt
against it and deal it a hard blow.
Bear in mind these things and the adj
Vancement of the Catholic Church dur
ing the next hundred years will be a
hundred fold greater than in the last
century"
The committee in charge was COM
posed of: William f. Delaney, chair
man; John L. Carroll, Joseph Mullin,
John F. Conroy, Joseph j. Murray,
James B. Deerin, NJ. r. Mclaughlin,
Michael A. Elliott, Edward T. McKeon.
Daniel f. Gaven. John H. O'Connor,
John J. Hastings, William p. O'Rourke.
Joseph e. Hansberry, Thomas J. Regain,
Edward Kenny. John F. Sinnott, jr.,
Thomas J. Lintott, Michael A, Sugrue.
A. A. Mulligan, Philip c.. Walsh, jr.