The Irish standard., 1913-11-08
SUCCESSFUL OPENING Of THE PROCATHEDRAl
New Church Edifice Filled last SUNDAY Even
ing--Enthusiastic Greeting and Applause
for Archbishop Ireland
Tribute Paid to Minneapolis Upon Erection
of Beautiful Church
"Why Church and Church Going People,
Subject of Archbishops Address

"Why Churches and chureh-Go-
ing People," was the subject Of a
lecture by Archbishop John Ire
land which last Sunday marked
the civic dedication Of the new
Pro.cathedraI.
will praise Thee, o Lord, with
my whole heart; for Thou hast
heard tho words Of my mouth. !
will sing praise to Thee in the sight
Of the angels; I will worship to-
wards Thy holy temple, and ! will
give glory to Thy name for Thy
mercy and for Thy truth; for thou
hast masnified Thy holy name
above aIl.-PsaIm 1874 ! and 2.
take as my own the words Of the
royal psalmist in giving answer to the
question, Why churches and church,
going people?
Why churches and church-going
people? Because men must worship
God, their creator and sovereign mas
ter; because places Of reunion there
must be, where men will come to-
gether to learn Of their obligations to
GDd.7 and in betting y manner acquit
themselves Of those obligations-recog-
nizing by solemn prostration Of mind.
heart and body His eternal majesty,
inhaling into their being the perfume
of His being, identifying with His will
and purposes their wills and purposes,
to the end that even when Withdrawn
from the more immediate contempla-
ton of His glory and power they may
be, in thought, word and act, the
images Of His holiness, and in conse-
quence of their likeness unto Him, tho
children Of His love, the privileged
sharers Of His blessedness in time and
in eternity.
The worship of God is the first, the
supreme duty. God set aside, the
paramount command in the ethics OF
Justice and moral goodness is dis
obeyed. God set aside, what ever else
he is, whatever else he does, man is
fatally deficient In the primary ele-
ment Of righteous life; by nought else
Can he make amends. God set aside
the foundation is gone from the whole
structure Of human morality; what
survives is ruin and chaos.
The speaker Is not the enemy of his
age who. while in gladsome thought
and word he acknowledges its glories
and It's achievements, dares remind II
Of it's misfortunes and mistakes, to the
end that of those misfortunes and mis-
takes correction be made and perile
hidden within them be put beyond
reach.
The question is asked: Is the world
of men today growing better or worse;
Better, certainly, we will say, as we
view it's conquests Of earth and air. its
gains in material wealth and power
The problem, however, assumes a diff
ferent aspect when we query: What
Of it's spiritual and ethical life3 And
since it is indubitably true that the
value Of human life lies chiefly In
those higher elements, that those only
are the enduring fount Of greatness
and felicity, the answer to the ques.
ton, is the world Of men today grow
ing better or worse, must IN ultimate
analysis be that which we give to thi.
other question: ''What today. in pra:-
tice and in tendency, Is the spiritual
and moral condition Of ourselves and
Of the multitude Of fellowmen who
with us compose the life Of humanity
and determine its onward course?"
quote from an article appearing 8
year ago in the Atlantic Monthly:
'should Smith go to Church?'
Smith and attended the sanne
Sunday school when We were boys,
and rsmainsd for church after.
wards 40 q matter Of course. Smith
now spends his Sunday mornings
goIfing, or pottsrins about in the
garden, or in his club or Office, and
after the midday meal hs takes q