The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-15
FATHER COYLE ON HOLY NAME FEAST Preached at St. PauPs Yes
 terday Morning GROWTH OF CHURCH Says That Loyal Catholics Should Be Ready to Defend Our Savior and
 Our God With Word and
 With Work
GROWTH OF CHURCH

Ready to Defend Our Savior and
 Our God With Word and
 With Work
 In the Catholic calendar yesterday was the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. At the 10.30 mass at St. Paul's church yes terday the Rev. Father Coen was cele- brant and the Rev. Father Coyle preached the sermon. The preacher said:
 "The church that Jesus Christ, the Eter- nal Son of God. established of old in Ju dea is church that will exist till the end of time. He. the Christ. is with it, Be- hold, am with you all days, even to the end of the, world The Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth. enllghtens and guides it in every age. We Catholics, therefore, members of the Christ established church, fear nothing from all the assaults of the evil one We know that the church founded on rock Is built on firm founda- tions, that in vain rush on the gates of hell the legions of Satan, for God with us. none can successfully assail
 But that fact does not warrant us, members ofsthe church, children of God. co-heirs of Christ, to sit down with fold ed hands and to permit the foes of Christ and the church of Christ to act with impunity, to outrage and assail our Sa- vior. or his fair bride. the church We, as loyal and true Catholics. should be ready to defend our Savior and our God with word and with work. Think you that the early Christians knew not that organism was doomed, that Christ would be victorious, that the gods of ancient Rome would yield to the living, true God; and yet. did not they, even to the she'd ding of blood, to the loss of liberty and life. withstand pagan prosecutions, and, gloriously in torture and in torment, con- fess Christ's Holy Name.
 o, tempora mutantur. ct nos in ills mutamur,' cried the Latin poet. o, the times are changed and we have changed with them Where is now the bravery of the ancient day, where the stanch, brave faith and love that dared all for con- viction? Alas. the brave days of old are passed forever, and we live in degenerate times, ignoble sons of noble sires.
 true Lay HieH 1Neeueu
 Some short time ago Plus X, now gloriously reigning, whom heaven defend. and some of his advisers were discussing world conditions and the needs of the age. and the question was asked. what is really the most pressing need of the time. And one said. Religious schools, where the principles of justice and right eoi1 An of priests to bring the gospel to the nations that as yet have never heard of Christi Piux X said, slowly and gravely. All these are indeed needed, but back of all this. and before all this can be, we need true Catholic laymen.'
 "Yes, that is the real need of the day, the real need of our time, Catholic lay men; Catholic. that is, in the true sense of the word, not men who call them selves Catholic, and by their action or rather by their inactlon, do nothing worthy of that glorious title We want men who, comprehending full well all that the word Catholic implies, do in the world and in the church the work of Catholic men.
 There is a great conflict in the form ing. No prophet am I, nor the son of a prophet, but reading the signs of the times and observant of the opinions of the leaders of the holy church, can pre- dict that within 100 years we will have the greatest conflict that the world has known; not necessarily a bloody conflict, though some blood doubtless will be shed. but nevertheless, fierce, deadly, an epoch making conflict. That conflict will be between Materialsm and the Super natural between the spirit of worldliness and the church of the living God, be- tween neo-pagansm and Catholicity.
 'In the early ages of our era, the church was fiercely assailed by pagan ism; but pontiff. bishop. priest, men and women of every age and condition, laid down their lives for Christ and victory was with the church.
 Later on assaults from her own re- creant children arose, and schism, heresy and internal disorder, arising from her human element made effort to destroy the church. Learned theologians and true reformers came forward and today the church is stronger, more powerful,
 
 the bodies that in rebellion set up inde- pendent creeds and refused to submit to the government of that body to which Christ said: He that heareth you heareth Me, are now disintegrating and evolving into humanitarian and natural ism; they are becoming altruistic socie- ties,, societies that, more and more elin- mating definite creed and fixed form of belief and worship, are becoming human itarian cults. And what result? This, that despite loud protestations of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, We have retrograded so that now there is very little respect for God or His laws and sanctions; there is a woe flu, lack of restraint, an utter disregard divorces on any and all or no pretexts, empty cradles. the murder of unborn in nocents. race suicide, the mad social swirl, the grasping after pleasure, pleas- ure of the senses be it understood; .n one word, neo-paganism.
 "Ah, yes, and we Catholics, VIC of Christs own church, are not untainted. and especially in communities where we are in a minority, and where all around ,ls, conditions such as described. obtain. We. too, n such cases. lose some of the love of the supernatural, we become lukewarm, we fail to appreciate the glor- ious gift of faith that baptism in the church gave us; we appreciate not, as OUT fathers did in earlier days of strife