Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-11-12
THE CATHOLIC CON
F|RMAT|0N SERVICE
Conducted by Archbishop Keane at
the Catholic Church Monday
Afternoon.

Archbishop Keane of Dubuque was
in the city yesterday and at SER
vice held in the Catholic church at
o'clock in the afternoon confirmed
forty candidates, the majority of
whom We're boys and girls between
the ages of twelve and fourteen.
The affairs We're beautifully decor
ated with carnations and chrysan-
themums and the girls, who were
all dressed in white for the service,
wore wreaths and wells.
BefoSe administering the sacra-
ment of confirmation the archbishop
questioned the candidates upon the
creed of the church, making sure
that answers committed to memory
from the catechism We're understood
as we'll as memoriZed, and trying to
impress upon the candidates and
others present the necessity or
knowing and understanding ones
creed in order to show to Others its
helpfulness as a guide in the jour-
ney of life. He admOnished the
young to study further into the doc
trines of their church, to read we'll
the scriptures, particularly the four
gospels, that they might have In
their minds and hearts better pict-
ure Of the character of the Christ
and thereby come to love Him. 9th
err reading of the stories of the
struggles of the early church faith
ers, particularly the fascinating
tales Of the life of the Christians in
the catacombs at Rome during per-
iods of severe persecution were rec
commended.
In few words to the parents the
speaker urged upon them the neces-
sity of making home happy place
particularly for the boy; emphasize
ing forcefully the truth of the great
influence of the home upon the inn
questionable child life and its power
to insure to that life success or fall
ure He said in part, do not dis
criminate against the boy. There
isn't one lad on earth that will not
go down to ruin under the influence
of a bad name Call him a rascal
enough times and he will not disap-
point you but will surely be one.
Don't be afraid to praise him. Praise
is more apt to stir the manly quail
tiles in him than continual fault
finding.
The need of more educated priests
to fill posts now in want OF such
leaders was touched upon and the
encouragement of the preparation OF
virtuous studious boys for the priest
hood earnestly pied for. The arch
bishop pointed out with very clear
| vision the necessity for a highly ed
ucated priesthood if the church
| wished to continue it's influence up
on the mind and heart of the world
| today. AS means toward this end
he commended to the generosity Of
| his people the giving to the colleges
of the church and pointed out that
| hospitals, orphanages and other
charitable institutions, though need
! full and productive of much good
were only capable of remedying past
wrongs and do not have the positive
| power for producing permanent re-
suits and pushing forward the adj
| vance of civilization that the coli
leges have.
| In closing he commended the class
before him to the care of God, urg-
ing them to look to Him for aid In
every trying condition of life, ex-
planned carefully the scriptural au-
| thority for the sacrament of confir-
nation and gave further instructions
1 to those who were now by virtue OF
| this sacrament to become soldiers in
the church. Then assisted by Faith
ers Barry, Nolan, Kelly and Dardly,
the sacrament was administered as
the candidates knelt at the altar and
| the service closed impressively with
the benediction Of the holy sacra-
| mani