The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-11-28
BETHEL CHURCH
DEDICATED
New Catholic Edifice Is Well
Built and. Commodi-
Gus Structure
BISHOP RICE WAS
AT THE SERVICE
Rev. w. P. Crosby of Hard
wick Preached Sermon
Yesterday

Bethel, Nov. 2S.-Perfect weather ia
vored the dedicatory services at the new
| Catholic church yesterday. AT ii O'Clock
RI Rev. j. j. Rice, bishop of Buring
ton, confirmed about 40 persons, many
| of whom came from the distant parts
of the territory included in the pastor
ate of Rev NJ. S. O'Donnell. Bishop
Rice addressed the class briefly afte,
the ceremony, urging them to faithful
| service in the church. High mass was
then celebrated by Rev. Fir. Bernier, who
has been designated as assistant to Fir
9'Donnell The choir sang well and
many on.Catholics present were much
impressed with the service.
Rev. w. p. Crosby of Hardwick
preached an earnest sermon from the
words, "This is the day that the Lord
has made. Let us rejoice and be glad
in it," Psalm 1924.
He said that this was day of re-
joicing for many of the faithful, both
on earth and in heaven. The church
has been and is the most faithful cham
pion of knowledge and truth; but the
church realizes that ignorance is not
the only. nor the chief, cause of evil in
VI.
many fail from lack of knowledge, how
many more are there who with wide
open eyes are traitors to the God that
made them? Weakness of the will and
deliberate malice must take their share
of the blame for the existence of sin,
Deep students OF human nature find
that the difficulty lies not so much in
the intellect as in the will.
Here the Catholic church sets herself
squarely in the breach and offers as
sistance where it is most needed. She
points ont to man his condition and
responsibility just as they are. She
teaches her children that they are free
agents, and that God holds them respon-
sible for their sins. Nor does her assist
ance end here. She Keeps before them
the thought of life after death; that,
while there is a reward waiting in heav-
en-, it will be bestowed only upon those
who have fought the good fight and en-
dured unto the end. And this is not all.
She points out the sure and easy means
of obtaining help from God through
prayer and the sacramcnts. She re-
minds men of the promise of Christ:
ASK and you shall receive; seek and
You snail Hnui KNOCK ana IL snau De
opened unto YOU" She places at their
disposal ths sacraments, those seven
channels of grace by which special as
sistanee is given them at all the impor
tant eras of their lives-baptism, con-
penance, the eucharist, matri-
mony, holy orders and extreme JUNCTION.
Since then, the Catholic church is
the friend of knowledge and truth, since
she is the true light that is to enlighten
every man that entereth the world,
since she not only points out the way
but gives us the incentive to travel
upon it, since she aids us all during life,
but in an especial manner when W. need
it most; and since this humble edifice
that we open to-day makes for us at
least the work of the church in general
easier, surer and more lasting, why
should we not rejoice and be glad-we,
to whom it means so much
Let us thank God fervently for his good
ness to us. Let MS remember that more
will be expected of us now; that we
must be regular in attendance at mass;
that we should oftener receive the sac