Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-10-04
Has Been Wonderful Power For
Good Since Twelfth
Century.
Founded by the Dominicans and
Always Under Their
Charge.
ITS, OBLIGATIONS and BENFTTS

AT the name OF Jesus every knee
shah bend" What a wonderful ami
edifying sight we witness at certain
times in our Catholic churches! Hun
dreds OF men, the flower of our Cath
Ollie manhood, kneel at the altar
railing and reverently receive their
God. Old men and young are there,
the poor and the "well,to-do," the
workman the business man, the pr)-
tessional man--but staunch Catholics
all; sanctifying their own souls and
giving a glorious example of faith
and zeal to all the world. And they
ere what they are because they are
members of the Society of the Holy
Name of Jesus. The greatest organl-
cation intended especially for Cath
olic laymen is the Holly Name Society.
1t has been wonderful power for
good ever since it's establishment
centuries ago; and at no time kn,l
its beneficial results been moro Ia
evidence than at the present da,, IN
no place is 1t productive of more
good than in our own country.
The Holy Name Society Cor to
give It its full title, the Contra
ternity of the Most Holy Name of
God and Jesus), was established by
the Dominicans, the Order of Preach
ers, and has always been under their
especial charge. IT owes it's origin,
indirectly at least, to a decree of the
Council of Lyons in 1874, which pro-
vided for the instruction of the faith
full regarding devotion and reverence
toward the name of Jesus. Shortly
after the issuing of the councils de-
cree Pope Gregory X directed
Blessed John Vercelli Master Cen
eral of the ,Dominicans, tha. the or
der, in their discourses thereafter,
should lay great stress upon this.
particular devotion. The Dominicans
applied themselves TO the work with
great readiness and zeal They es-
tablished a confraternity for Catholic
men. with the object of giving honor
to the adorable name of our Saviour,
of preventing blasphemy and other
evil speech, making reparation nor
insults offered to the name of Jesus,
ard of sanctifying it's members by
pi 1us exercises and by bringing them
To the sacraments at stated times.
The Society had a gradual growth
in the fourteenth and fifteenth CEN
turies in most of the countries of
europe. IL may interest our local
Holy Name men to know that the
hrst public procession in honor OF
the Holy Name occurred at Lisbon
IA 1893, no less than $50 years ago,
as a testimony of gratitude to God
h~,. ha ton ,xff ha RIo
had previously ravaged that city. But
II was in the sixteenth century, when
the rapid spread of the Protestant
neresies had caused a woeful prevail
ence of irreligion, sacrilege and
Olasphemy, that the Holy Name So
ciety became most useful and had its
largest increase In 1864 Pope Plus
w. approved the confraternity and
granted indulgences to Vt; and after
q time Il became commonly known
as the Society of the Holy Name OF
Jesus. Under this title it has been
further enriched with indulgences by
many Pontiffs. Diocesan unions OF
Holy Name Societies have been
formed in many parts of the coun-
try, and the Holy Name Society of
rls lNOulh DtIlihHu lnlb Chlgg III
existence for nearly forty years, has
put a spirit OF zeal into the mem
bers of which il is composed. This
Is manifested monthly when its hun
treds show their faith and fervor by
receiving holy communion.
The members of the Holy Name
Society bind themselves to labor in
and collectively for the
glory OF the Holy Name of God; to
pronounce Il always with reverence;
to abstain from all sinful speech, and
10 strive by word and example that
others shall also refrain from sins OF
the tongue The spiritual advan-
tages are many: masses are offered
for living and dead members
plenary indulgences are granted on
and on certain festivals during the
year-partial indulgences for almost
every act of worship or charity per-
formed by the members.
Hardly any Catholic society or
movement is deserving OF greater
praise. The Holy Name Society re
Quires OF it's members merely the
practice of the ordinary Christian
virtues. II does not demand anv
thing extraordinary in the way OF
prayer or penance. II is society for
Catholic men living In the world,
aud its aim is to teach and help them
SO to live that their everyday duties
10 God and their neighbor viii be
performed-ehat their lives will be
lives OF manly Christian virtue. lives
Of good example. redounding TO the
Iyraatar plorv of Cod