The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-06-18
ABLE TALK BY
FIR. STR|TCH AT
SACRED HEART
Tells This Years Graduates Di-
vine Laws Are Highest

ence to divine law instills patriotism
and together they form the foundation
for the higher type of American citi-
zenship."
This was the message delivered by
Rev. FIR. Michael |. Stritch S. ]. of st.
Louis, Mo-, to the graduating class Of
the Sacred Heart high school at the
commencement exercises held last
evening in the Sacred Heart church.
The exercises were attended by from
500 to 900 friends and relatives of the
students and friends. of the school.
They proved the most impressive and
beautiful commencement exercises ever
held by the Sacred Heart schools.
Rev. FIR. Basil, o. +. NJ pastor Of
Sacred Heart church, introduced the
commencement speaker, Immediately
after the professional.
FIR. Stritch opened his remarks with
beautiful compliment to the thor
oughness OF the Sacred Heart schools.
IL was not ilattery, he said, but a well
deserved compliment, based on his OBJ
servations at the school and from COM
ing in personal contact with the stu
dents, questioning them and ascer-
tanning their views. The speaker gave
an earnest warning against nattery.
quoting from Dante to show that the
flatterer is pictured as fit for the In
ferno.
This il the age OF electricity" de-
clared the speaker, but they can do
nothing with the agency of electricity.
without copper. Wonderful scientists as
they are, / never knew of one of them
going underground and working from
morning till night. from day to day,
from year to year To secure that cop
per. | feel like taking off my hat to
the noble workmen of Calumet and vi
cinty who do this work and provide
the world with the metal so greatly
needed"
Tribute to Instructors.
The speaker paid a beautiful tribute
to the fathers and sisters OF the Cath
Ollie church for the splendid work they
are carrying out in the schools-truly
a Catholic work. MANY as the chan
nels are through which the American
people are blessed" he declared. there
is not Il singIe channel that can be
compared with that of those sisters,
who are devoting their lives to the de-
velopment and training of its future
citizens.
IL want to give full credit to the
people of the United States-l am not
lit. . 4, hnp
faith, not of the laboring man nor the
man of wealth. but of all of the people
Of the United States want to give
them the greatest credit for their ear
nest pursuit Of an ideal, They are
willing to spend vast sums in the edu-
cation of their children.
while we are Catholics and while
we hold our faith above every other
faith, | want to say as a Catholic, we
do not wish to hold alobf yrom our fell
lowmen. All men in the universe are
fellowmen. All men come from the
hand of God. We have to live here to-
gether We have to travel the voyage
of life together. II is our duty to help
one another. We must overcome evil
and practice good and so make sure
Of our promise of heaven. We must he
big enough to extend the uplifting,
helping hand to all and in so doing
we are doing the work of Catholic
apostles
Law of God Highest.
I'VE are not only ready to consider
all men as our fellowmen, but also as
fellow citizens OF the United States and
so we are doubly bound to them
He or she who is loyal to the
teachings of his church is also loyal 70
the highest type of citizenship. AS the
individual is governed by the law Of
the family, the family by the law OF
the municipality, the municipality by
the law of the county, the county by
the law of the state and the state by
the law of the nation. so that nations
are governed by the laws Of God. we
must obey those laws rs long as they
are good laws, and unless it is goou
lava law in accordance with the law
OF God-it is no law. Class laws are
against the laws Of God and therefore
are no laws.
Our education teaches us we must
be good citizens. Generally we thlhk
patriotism is the first duty OF any De-
ing. But the first duty OF every beihs
Is obedience to the eternal viii OF Co..
The eternal will of God, if we obey H.
will instil i'm us patriotism, ana we VIII
obey the laws of our country.
The speaker then referred To the
constitution of the United states anu
quoted from James Bryce's "The AM
erican Commonwealth" the statement
that the American government is more
like the government Of the Cathoic
church than any other. He pointed ou'
that the constitution guarantees reiisi-
Gus freedom. freedom from persecution
lit is the cornerstone of our govern
ment. Reference was made to the iae
the Catholic church has frequen'''
been assailed by such organs as '"o
Menace" and here the speaker 'an'o
to the defense of his church assel',"e
that America was discovered by oa'"-
olics, was explored from cape nor" W
the Arctic regions by such ue'o"'
Catholics as Fr. Marquette, FL 'o'.''
and others and has been deienu'" ~