Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-12-10
CATHOLIC MISSION
CLOSED sunday
Dedication to the Blessed Virgin
Saturday Two Strong Ad-
dresses Sunday.

les of the Catholic mission of thu
past week, was the dedication ser
vice to the virgin Mary held on las
Saturday evening. The address o
| the evening was preceded and fol.
i lowed by a procession of the chill
i dren of the church who marched
down the aisle to seats near the al.
tar railing. In his sermon upon the
mother of God, Father McKeown eX-
| planned with care the reason for the
! reverence which is accorded to the
| virgin by the Catholic church. The
mother of God is recognized by the
church as an intercessor of almost
limitless power because of her posi-
tion as the mother of the Son of
God. Because of this relation to
the deity she has great influence
with the Son now, as well as when
He walked in bodily form upon this
| earth and was subject to his parents
| and loved and honored them. In
honoring the mother, so loved by
the Son as was the mother of Christ
we also honor the Son. The virgin
is not worshipped by the church.
but she is reverencedf greatly be-
cause of her intercessory power and
because the church believed her to
have been without sin, otherwise
Savior in whom there was no sin
could not have been born from her
flesh. For If she had been sinful,
he would have been born in sin and
this would not have been fitting for
God. The principal prayer ad-
dressed by the church to the virgin
is repetition of the salutation of
the angel Gabriel to Mary and the
salNtation of Elizabeth, the mother
of John the Baptist. In closing the
father also gave some instances
where prayer to the virgin for in
tercession with God has proven ef-r
ficacious
The Sunday morning service was
devoted to study of the devout life
and the exhortation to live each day
as though it were our last upon
earth was followed by plan for an
ideal day. 1t should be begun with
prayer either audible or silent, ask
ing for protection during the day
and the power to do all things, even
the smallest, for God. The feeling
of love and charity should govern
each act of the waking hours. Att
evening the voice should again be
lifted to God, after a careful review
of the events of the day. in a petit
tion for forgiveness for any sin and
for strength for new resolution to
live still more devoutly. The practi-|
cal suggestion that we live life as
it is given to us just one day at a
time was further developed.
Upon Sunday evening, the closing
service of the mission, the sermon
was of the nature of a farewell ad- |
dress. The general theme was THE
Means of Perseverance" among
which were named prayer, faithful
ness in the little things of life, the
avoidance of places and occasions of |
SHINING, which past experience has
proven to be dangerous, and devo-
tion to the blessed virgin. This was
followed by a renewal of the Bap-
tismal vows and reconsecration to
the service of God and the church.
The entire mission has been a sue
cessful one from the point Of view
of attendance, the inspiration to
better service and the leading of a
more devout life. The faith of the
people has been strengthened and
even at the early morning hours
many have been present to do hon.
age to God and listen to words of
instruction. During the past week a
large number have also received the
holy sacraments Of the church and
been duly benefited thereby. Father
has preached with great
force in uncompromising terms up
on the teachings of the church and
with the convincing power of real
sincerity of belief in its doctrines.
He has said nothing in an antagon-
lstic or unsympathetic attitude to-
ward other churches though stead
fastly maintaining the belief that
the Catholic is the only true church
He leaves the latter part of the
week for Fonda to conduct similar
mission in that parish.
Mrs. ]. S. Bateman. who has been
luite seriously Ill with stomach