The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-02
REV. DIR. MOORE'S FIRST SERMON IS
 THE PRIESTHOOD
New Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish Is Orator Of Marked
 Ability

| preached his first sermon to the peo- 1 Sunday. Dr. Moore proved to be an l orator of marked ability. His ser l mon was on the dignity and sacred 1 character of the priesthood, and call i ing the attention of the parish to the l toll the priest performs for the well fare of his flock. he bespoke the CO., ! operation of all in the parish He said:
 1 My Dear Brethren:-
 This letter of authority esta.blishe es 1 between me and this parish of the Sa- 1 cred Heart a new pastoral relation. Penetrated as am with due sense l of the sacred importance of this new m iss1On with it's manifold duties and 1 responsibilities, I humbly ask your l united prayers to God for that heaven i ly wisdom and strength with out which there can be no appreciab1e measure 1 of. success. My experience of twenty 1 five years in the dual capacity as 8 shepherd of souls and as administrator of parish affairs, has taught me how necessary, after Gods help, is that mutual confidence, toleratfon and sym Fpathy of both pastor and people. To have abiding confidence in ane another; to bear with anothers foib1es; and to sympathize with one another in our efforts to master the problems of life and of relig1on-th csc
 
 and loyal coop peration that is so fun daInenta1 to our mutual success. It is my fondest hope that my tried in tegrfty of character may merit the best support that is yours to give me: while it will be my continual and fer vent prayer that our united efforts may maintain the high standard of ef- ficiency and prestige which this par ish has merdtoriously won through the able leadership of my distinguished predecessors. To prove myself their worthy successor; and to contribute my share as citizen of this large and progressive city, to any public move nlent that makes for it's civic better
 nent-this is an ideal sufficiently high and compreh ensive to demand my most serious study and moss un- selfish energy.
 Sacred Character.
 It is the sacred, spiritual character, however, of our pastoral relation that is of prime importance. Its human qualities, howsoever gpod and adm.r- able in themselves, whether they be nobility or culture, wealth or science. they are only subsidiary, or at best it's useful ornaments Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest and Shepherd of souISs in his divine wisdom hath chosen as his first priests, men who were pooor and illiterate and without prestige or wealth or power. As the T foolish things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the wise;- and the weak things of the world hath God chosen that he may con found the strong. Every priest from the highest to the 1owitest partakes of the priesthood of Jesus Christ There may be a multitude of priests in time, yet, by the grace of ordination they constitute but one priesthood, of which Jesus Christ Is the tap-root from which springs the sap of divine life and strength They are His am bassa dors and intermediates who speak and act in His name and by His authority. The Holy Ghost says: 'sThe priest is another Christ. Christ lives and acts in his priests. In the ministry of the sacraments, it matters not who may be the officiating min tster, it is Christ himself who baptizes and .absoIves from sin and offers the Holy Sacrifice. Man gives away in the august dignity of the priest hood; and his personality is converted into that of the Man-God who gives him power to speak and act in His name. Such is the mysterious greatness and dig nifty of the Catholic priest While his priesthood in it's origin is of heaT- en, it's functions are exercised on earth. Its supreme purpose is to perpetuate that intercourse between heaven and earth which Jesus Christ began when, as man, He took upon Himself the sublime functions of re- conciling the sinner with his God.
 Divine Teacher.
 In the divine charter given to the apostles He commissioned them as the authorized teachers of His divine word to go forth and teach all na- tions Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Going therefore teach ye all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things that I have commented you and behold I am with you all days till the consummation of the world Wherefore when the priest teaches from the chair of truth, it is Jesus Christ who speaks through his mouth: God exorting through him. as St. Paul says. The Catholic priest can say: The doctrine which I preach to you is not mine; have not thought out in the silence of my study erudite theo- ries and ingenious systems to be dis cussed or rejected. do not speak in my own name. United with the head of the diocese and through him with the chair of St. Peter, he stands forth as the echo of that divine voice which was heard more than nineteen cen turies ago throughout Judea and whose words he was sent to repeat in every age, carrying the glad tid- ings from city to city and from house CO house LO Une uCIefmOSC pounds or the earth. Whosoever listens to this voice listens to Jesus Christ and who soeVer rejects it, rejects Jesus Christ
 He that heareth you hea,reth me and he that despiseth you despiseth, me-
 Powerful Influence.
 Jesus Christ lives and acts in the priest As the teacher of truth and the custodian of morals his influence on individuals and nations has been powerful. This is the reason why all the works of charity and education and reform, in the past, have effected the regeneration of society. It is true history, that in the centuries long gone by he has tanned the wild say