The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-26
A CONVERT TELLS OF
JOURNEY TO ROM"
An Episcopalian Minister of
High Standing Has Left
the Order of Holy Cross to
Study for Catholic Priest
hood---known in Anglican
Circles as Father Sargent,
His Departure Considered
a Very Great Detection.

Mr.. Henry r. Sargent, formerly a |
member of the Episcopal Order of the
Holy Cross, has been adopted as an
diocese of Boston, and is now studying
for the priesthood in ST. Johns Semi
nary, Brighton, Boston.
Mr.. Sargent, whose conversion to the
true faith is regarded by his former
| co-religionsts as a great and serious
loss, was received into the Catholic
on November last.
In an address delivered at the annual
meeting of the Catholic Converts
League of New York on January 81,
Mr. Sargent gave brief description Of
his Journey to Rome," spoke of the
goodwill he had experienced from
sketched the Anglican body as he
knows it in England and America-"a
refined and cultured democracy" AS
reported by 1.-THE Catholic News" Mr..
Sargent said:
II began as a Unitarian, and re-
manned in that Church up to my twen-
college. During a summer vacation l
went into An Episcopal church. 1 felt
lonely, and thought 1 could find rest
for my soul. After my ordination to
the Anglican ministry there was within
me constant feeling that I may not
be right but defended my creed with
sense that 1 was in the right. But
yet I had the thought that God was
calling me. to something else. Finally,
after many years, felt that was do
| ing just as I had been doing in the
eginning-celebrating my Holy Com
munion with doubt.
"As I came to the end of my service
one day the thought suddenly seized
me, and I said as put away my vest
ments: This must be the last time
So, leaving aside my vestments, never
to use them again, asked myself the
question boldly: Now, are you ready
to enter the Catholic Church? Last
September 1 went to England to spare
my friends pain-although I would
remark that such a course is not the
duty of every convert-and there met
very dear old friend, upon whose
advice acted and entered st. Gregorys
Benedictine Abbey at Downsde, Bath.
The liberal spirit of the Benedictines
the sincerity and kindness of these
dear monks cannot be spoken of too
highly. They took me, stranger as
was from a strange land, never hav-
ing seen one of them before, and
treated me excellently. The gentleman
whom 1 sat opposite to at table could
not very we'll call me father so he
made me 'reverendissme.'
"Well, I studied my penny cate
chism for a week at the abbey, and
was received into the Catholic Church.
And now I am seeing things from the
inside. The light and atmosphere
comes with Gods grace-I felt that
when I Joined the Church--and grace
and light only come with perseverance,
1T is impossible, indeed, to under
stand the Church from the outside:
the only way to comprehend it is hy
being one of it's fold. And the best
way for nom Catholic to be among
the fold is to jump into it. OF course,
there are questions for every non-
Catholic to consider first, such as apos-
tolic succession, Has the Holy See a
claim on my absolute obedience"
"In dealing with converts infinite
patience and charity must be used, and
we must think of the enormous difficult
ties they have to overcome. Remem-
Der, they must have time to decide the
question which I myself spent twenty
three years trying to settle. Sometimes
the temptation comes to grow i'm :
patient and to resist Gods grace, but
we should think that If God is content
to wait, we, too, should be content tn
I wait. God answers our prayers, and
you will help your friends to the Cath
olic Church by prayers when you will
not help them by controversy. You
must be good children and pray to God
Almighty. 1 seem to be preaching :,
sermon now, but cannot help it; I'm
so used to it. We should always think