Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-11
BISHOP APPEALS
RPETER'S PENCE
Catholics of Newark Diocese
Asked to Give Generously to
Fund This Year.

In all the Catholic churches of the
J diocese Of Newark tomorrow an
| nouncement will be made from the
! pulpits that the annual Peters pence
| collection will be taken up at the
| masses on Sunday, October 10. Right
| Rev. John ]. O'Connor. bishop of the
| diocese, has asked the rectors to
make the appeal an especial one. In
order that the collection this year
| shall meet with a liberal response.
| Bishop O'Connor has planned to
make a trip to Rome and present In
person the money derived from the
| collections in the local diocese to
Pope Plus X.
| In his appeal Bishop O'Connor says
that the collection is intended to be
an act of charity and generosity to
assist the holy father in the world
wide work Of teaching and ruling the
universal church of God, Only once
a year are the faithful called upon TO
contribute for this purpose, and the
offerings should be such as to prove
beyond all doubt loyalty and devotion
to the holy see, Bishop O'Connor
states. Continuing, the prelate says
in part:
Our response to this appeal is a
token of our union with the centre of
unity and the supreme authority
which Christ established in His
church to preserve her one and I'M
divided and free from error in teach
ing the doctrines of faith and
morality divinely revealed to man
kind. We are members Of the Church
of Christ because. protesting the faith
of Christ. we live in union with
Christ's vicar on earth. AS the branch
is united with the vine and draws the
ife-giving sap from its union with
the vine. and as In the human body
the head directs the members united
with 1t and provides for their well
fare-so our union with the vicar of
Christ on earth safeguards us from
errors in faith and assures our
eternal welfare If we give heed to His
voice and live In accord with the
teachings and precepts Of Gods holy
church as taught by this infallible
guide. In contributing to the Peters
pence collection all the faithful give
a practical proof of their union with
the visible head of the church.
There is a special reason why this
collection should be larger and more
generous this year than formerly.
1T has been the custom from time
immemorial for the bishops of the
church to go in person to the centre
of unity and declare their fealty and
that of the faithful of the diocese
of which they are the rulers, to the
sovereign pontiff. By this act they
bind themselves and their people
more closely in the bonds of loving
loyalty to Christ and to the holy
father who represents Christ. 1t Is
an act of faith which the bishop per-
60 IinnnGn--fnith in tho hi
vine constitution of the church under
one visible head on earth, and at the
same time an act of obedience and
submission to him who is the sue
cessor of st. Peter, to whom Christ
gave the supreme authority in His
church when He commissioned him
10 feed the lambs and the sheep of
His flock.
The year 1914 has been designated
by the holy see for the visit of the
bishops of the United States ad
limina apostolorum TO the shrines of
the apostles Peter and Paul. Through
the intercession of these great apos-
ties the bishops hope TO receive in
creased strength to preserve unfair
nished and mistaken within their re-
spective dioceses the precious deposit
of divine and Catholic faith, and to
fulfil faithfully their duty of loyalty
and obedience to the universal teach
er and ruler Of the church. the vicar
of Jesus Christ.
ON the occasion of this visit to
Rome it may be my pleasant duty to
make a personal presentation to the
holy father Of the amount contributed
this year to the Peters pence collec-
ton by the clergy and laity of this
diocese. l need not tell you, then,
how deeply and gratefully a special
and extraordinary effort on your part
10 render the collection a more gem
erous expression of our love for the
holy father than in any previous
year will be appreciated"
Bishop O'Connor will not make the
trip to Rome until after Christmas.