Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-06
TRACES INDIAN TRIBES
TO AN IRISH ORIGIN
Rev. 7. J. Gasson of Boston College
Lectures Before Holy Name
Society.

Rev. Thomas ]. Gasson, s. j.. former
president of Boston College and for a
number of years a missionary among
the Indians of the eastern United
States. delivered an address last night
before the Holy Name Society of Holy
Trinity parish, in which he told of his
experiences with the various Indian
tribes he has visited. and declared that
many North American Indians were
originally of Irish extraction.
The AlgonquinS, Father Gasson said,
came from the Quinn family of Tip
perary. The Merrimacks and Mique-
macks, he said. came from the Mack
family, not of Philadelphia, but of
Donegal He detailed in a humorous
way how the Indians had acquired their
names. according to his viewpoint, stat
ing that the claim of their Irish ex-
traction has often been made, al
though it has not been fully proved
by history.
The meeting. which was held at the
Holy Trinity Parish Hall, in George
town, was to assist the Holy Name So
cfety of Washington in an effort that
is being made to increase the member
ship OF the local society to 10000, and
to make plans for great street dem
, onstrat1on in Washington October 1915
| Every Catholic parish in Washington
is expected to ally itself with the
W aShlngton branch of the diocesan
union, and those now affiliated with
the Holy Name Society are expected to
form booming committee" to induce all
| eligible men in the diocese Of which
Washington is part to join the Holy
Name Society.
Pastoral Letter Requested.
| The Washington branch has sent
petition to Cardinal Gibbons REQUEST
ing him to Issue u pastoral letter urg-
ing every Catholic parish to form a
Holy Name Society, following the same
course Cardinal O'Conneu has pursued
in Boston.
John Hadley Doyle. president of the
washington Holy Name Society. made
detailed statement at last nights
meeting outlining the plans of the so
ciety. He announced the recent en-
rollment of the Third Sunday Brigade
composed OF 200 men Of St. Aloysius
acquisition of membership HoIv rrin
1ty parish had furnished the largest
number of members to the HOLY Name
society, and as the result Of last
nlgnts sr meeting it is expected that
TO keep to the front in numbers Fa
thef Corbett. pastor of the church
spoke OF the qualification the work of
'he 11ois name society of Holy Trinity
parish has given the parishioners.
Inc Holy Trinity branch will attend
| communion Sunday at a special mass
AT O'CLOCK, with Rev. James w. Col
ilns OF Coronado Beach. Cal, as cele-
brant. Father Collins il naive Of
deorgetown, and was at one time vice
president OF Georgetown University.
Religious Fervor Among Indians.
During the course of Father Gasson's
address last night on his experiences
as missionary among the Indians. he
said that he had found great religious
fervor among them. He told of the
mode of living and the characteristics
of the Passamaquoddy tribe, a branch
OF the Algonquin nation. at their reser-
walton near PASSPORT, Me
Father Gasson said that in the war of
1876 the Passamaquoddys fought on the
British, and that during all time since
they have retained their faith in the
Catholic church In the archiepiscopal
records at Baltimore, he said, there is
a letter to the first Bishop of Balti-
more from the great chief of the Pas
samaquoddys, still in the files, in which
| he asks that a priest be sent to the
tribe to look after their spiritual wants.
Father Gasson also told of his work
among the Dakotas and Sioux. He de-
scribed the biblical research work of
many of the Indians and the quick
manner in which they put to rout skep-
ties who try to shake their religious
belief.