The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-17
CATHOLIC CLERGY
 HOLD CONFERENCE
AT SEMI-ANNUAL GATHERING OF PRIESTS OF NORTH ALA BAMA DEANERY - PAPERS READ AND DISCUSSED

Yesterday afternoon the clergy of the
 North Alabama deanery met in semi
 annual conference at St. Paufs rectory in
 this city, the Very Rev. Henry b' O'Grady, dean of the district presiding
 The proceedings opened with prayer
 after which Father Stahl of Anniston
 read Latin essay, entitled. 'Eoncerning
 the Sacraments in General" He treated
 of the minister and his qualifications
 showing clearly what is required so that
 the great means of grace given by Cnrist to the guardianship of his church may De given to the people, both licitly and vai'd- | ly. He also touched on the attention that | is required in the administration of the sacraments. and finished what was was regarded as an admirable essay by dissertation on the faith and sancuty that should Characterize those whom Christ has so honored as to make dis pensers of the mysteries of God
 Moral theology was treated ably by
 Father Murphy His theme was Ihe
 First Commandment of Gdd." He showed by clear-cut definition and logical ar engagement the various ways in which sins contrary to this first precept of the deca- fogne are committed. He touched on blasphemy, on tempting the l.ord' on sacrilege, on simony, on superstition and its various forms, on idolatry, on magic and on false worship. His paper, neces- sarily lengthy, was most interesting and evoked much favorable comment the very reverend dean being especially pleased.
 Father McQuillen, who has made spe- cial study of canon law for many years, was called on to read paper on the Roman Curia. He explained the laws and constitutions of the various sacred tri- bunals, laying especial stress on the irn- portant tribunals of the penitentiary, the Rota, and the Signatura Apostolica.
 The paper on "sacred Scripture was contributed by Father Kitrick, who read a brochure on the gospel according 10 St. Luke. He gave a synopsis of the gospel, and then spoke of the author, and showed. from internal and external evi-' dence, the time and place of the compost ton of the work. He also discussed
 briefly the resources from which the evangelist got his material for the history
 of our Lord. The conclusion of his paper treated of the mutual relation of the third
 gospel to the other synoptic gospels, the gospels according to Matthew and Mark.
 After the reading of the papers an in- formal discussion took place on various
 matters concerning the deanery, and in teresting talks were made by Fathers
 Sweeny, Bratton, Canepa and Filan. After prayer by the very reverend dean the con- ference adjourned to meet six months from date.
 The following priests assisted at the
 exercises: The Very Rev. o'Grady, dean of north Alabama St. Catherine's church.
 Pratt City; the Rev. Robert P. McQui- l len. St. Anthonys church, ~Ensley; the
 Rev. John O'Kelly, Our Lady of Sorrows
 church. Birmingham; the Rev. John, B.
 Canepa, San Marcos church, East Thomas; the Rev. John A. Bratton, St Clements church, Woodlawn; the Rev.
 James F. Coyle, St. Pauls church, Bir-
 mingham; the Rev. Paul Klisch, St. An thony's church, Ensley; the-Rev. oswald Stahl. church of the Sacred Heart An nfston: the Rev William A. Murphy Our Lady Immaculate church, Birmingham; the Rev. Celestine Mittmeir, o. s. B., SS. Cyril and Methodius church, Brookside; the Rev Malachi F. Kitrick, St. Aloysius church, Bessemer; the Rev. James T. Coen, St. Paul's church, Birmingham; the Rev. Andrew l.. Sweeny. St. John the Eyangelists church, Tuscaloosa.