St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-05-31
SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE.
Father Leonard Addressed G. A. r..
Veterans at St. A1oysius church.

| ST. Aloysius church was filed to
overlooking Sunday evening, when
the members of Chamberlin Post
| No. 1, G. A. R., Chamberlin Woman's
Relief CORPS, Sons OF Veterans and
other kindred organizations, as well
as many townspeople, gathered to
| listen to the memorial sermon de-
| livered by Rev. FIR. II. J. Leonard.
The service opened with the Rosary
conducted by Rev. Fir. Lachance of
Notre Dame church, and during this
service a two part ladies' chorus
rendered the intermezzo from Caval-
| leria Rusticana. Following this
| pose of the pictures and statues in
the church and read short poem.
and then gave the following address,
which was listened to attentiyely by
the large congregation present.
Father Leonard's Sermon.
1.-The Nation and the Kingdom
that will not serve Thee shall per-
ish'' These words are found in the
Goth chapter and the 18th verse of
the book of Isias.
Veterans of the Grand Army,
Ladies and Gentlemen:-It is a
pleasure and a privilege for me as
an American citizen, an exile of
Erin, and, above all, as Catholic
priest, to see you assembled here
this evening in this beautiful temple
dedicated to the honor and glory
of Almighty God; and to have the
honor OF addressing the gallant sons
and defenders of this mighty nation
which has furnished a home and
! a place of refuge to the oppressed
and prosecuted of all nations. There
is no man who knows the history of
this great country but would feel
pleased and gratified at such an
honor; but for an Exile of Erin ana
a Catholic priest, for one who mas
seen and suffered from the tyranny
and injustice of a goddess and heart
less oppressor; for one who knows
the Christ-like charity and open
| hearted generosity held out by the
citizens of this great land to his fore
fathers in the days Of famine and
persecution; for one who knows the
spirit of fairness and religious to1era-
ton set forth by our immortal Con-
stitution and the most illustrious
men of this great nation; it is not
merely an honor but a pleasure and
privilege that you have conferred
on me by coming here this evening.
In the Ives of a people and a ma
ton, as we'll as in the lives of indivi-
duals, great and solemn moments
cOme-momentS when we stand in
the presence of an all-pervading, all
portentOus fact, out of which have
grown achievements and circum-
stances that have left an indelible
mark, not only on the individual
life, but upon the character and des-
tiny of a nation ITSELF Such a
moment, such period, came, and
has already passed into the history of
this great nation. From every part
of this vast republic prelates, politi-
clans and people join heart and hand
IN the impressive celebrations which
recall to the minds of all the memory
of the most important and in many
respects the saddest event in the his
tory of this mighty nation. 1t is
we'll for us also, my brethren, on this
memorable occasion to stand for a
little while before that great mile
stone reared upon the foundation
laid in that propitious hour a mile
stone whereon are recorded the deeds
which offer to the thoughtful mind
| food for meditation-the past with
all its struggles, it's failures and it's
victories; the present with its joys
and Thanksgiving; the future with
all its hopes and fears, it's boundless
possibilities and its divine ideals.
shall not undertake to relate to
you the many acts of heroism, self
sacrifice and patriotism of those
noble soldiers, whose lofty aims tore
them from their homes, and loved
ones to lead them to the battlefield
in defence of their country. The
blood which has been shed SO freely,
the limbs which have been lost and
the comrades who are buried on the
many batt1efields are more eloquent
than words; they are living testi-
monial of patriotism to our genera
ton and to generations TO come that
the men who responded to their
country's call, at that critical NOM
ent, represented the highest type of
citizenship.
When we contemplate the great
possibilities and opportunities of this
beautiful land of ours, the mind at
once travels back to the time when
our nation was in it's infancy and to-
the men whose lives were consecroc-
ed to its sacred cause, when our
hearts go out in joyful adaptation
of the memory of our 76untry,
heroes, and when we liz up our
voices in song of prdse for the
gallant men who foJsSht ana fell;