Newark post., 1913-09-17

we are not considering saints
will give to God and His poor
pretty generously, and believes that
God will indulge their humanity by
allowing them to get a little pleas
ure out Of their charity. 1t is a
concession to human weakness
which most priests wisely concede.
Father Dougherty's semi-amual
Big Euchre" and lawn fete, are
for God first, and "the people"
second. Another kind of ''peo.
pie" in another kind of parish
might combine Charity and pleas
ure in other ways. We have not
time here to describe them. A pas
tor must first of all understand his
sheep. Father Dougherty's par
ties are strictly designed and car
ried out for the support Of reli-
gion, which no town, however pol
iced can afford to dispense with,
and the relief Of God poor.
Prizes are given and won for
those two objects exclusively, pro-
viding at the same time, social
amusement for mortal Christians.
All is devised and supervised by
the pastor himself, and there can
be no question as to the purpose of
every dollar paid out. There may
be "chances in the game, but if
so the "chance" is all on the side
Of God and his poor, and thus un-
derstood. Indeed, the more chances
a Christian of this sort takes, the
happier he is, provided all Occa-
sion of amusement in it is not clos
ed against him.
A priest comprehends the psy-
chology of these things, and genial
ly INDUCES it. His personal at
tendance is a check upon moral
disorder. Probably the character
Of these amusements is purely
matter Of taste and preference. The
joys of the card table to me would
be an intolerable bore to another.
TO play, or to abstain, is not in it.
self meritorious. 1t is certain that
we may not sit in the hyper-crit-
ical seats of the Pharisees to judge
either.
Yet we have, in our day, heard
SO much rash judgement on this
particular subject, that we have
wondered why no valiant parish
ioner Of st. John s has come for
ward. Waiting vainly, we our
selves, of the allen cheap labor"
undertake the job.
Perched high and dry on "Qual-
ity Hill, )" we heard Of strange do
ings at the religious East End Of
Newark 1t was even said that
money was taken in there from
Grace track men" and liquor sell
ers! And we were among the
Pharisees who mourned over it.
Until one of those Good Shep-
herds who holds his commission
from God to go out seeking the lost
and strayed sheep Of his fold made
his reasons clear to us.
He said, "Why shouldn't the
Church take such money! 1t be-
longs to God s work and his poor
even more than any other kind of |
money. The devil gets his share
out Of the race track men and the
liquor sellers themselves, whose !
wives and children are often de-
yout, and a very special charge of |
the Church.
Sooner or later, if these men,
persist in their business, the wo-
men and children seek the shelter
Of the Church; of her orphanages
and homes of the aged. The men
turn to our hospitals to die, if they
are penitent, and even if they are
not. No other Church has so much
room for the sinner as we have. "
We confess we had not thought
Of race track men, liquor sellers,
Big Euchres" and bazaars in this
light. For the first time we realiz-
ed the truth Of Mr.. Dooly's say
ing, Father Kelly hates me bust
ness, but he loves me. "
Does not his Master the same?
But there are card parties and
avn fetes of another kind than :
Father Dougherty's. From these
many pastors abstain, 'to avoid
scandal. :" Neither religion nor the
Door has any part in them. They
ire monopolies Of pleasure design
I'd for and by selfish motives Not
soul or body outside of the CEN
er of attraction is benefited by
hem, though they cringe and wall
N the sacred fringes by them,
nd even establish cheap limitations
# them, themselves.