The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-11-27
NEWLY APPOINTED RECTOR
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
OF Pennington Speaks in st. Louis.

yesterday morning Farmington's
new Catholic pastor, Rev. j. L. Nor
gan. delivered the Thanksgiving SER
mon at the Church of the Visitation,
st, Louis. Rev. 2. W. Talon, Consul
tor to Archbishop Glennon, is pas
tor Of this church. Although Thanks
Civjng-day is not observed aS Holy
DAY Of obligation by Catholics, spe-
cial service commemorative Of the
day was held in the forenoon yester-
day at the Visitation. Several not of
the Catholic faith attended the service
with the Pensioners. A special choir
Of the mass. Father Morgan's SER
mon was AN analysis of our personal,
national and religious motives for n
rendering OF thanks. He said in part:
"A few weeks ago there appeared
in the newspapers of this country n
proclamation issued by the President
Of the United States. 1t was to the
effect that this, the last Thursday of
November, be observed by the Amer
'ican people as a national day of
thanksgiving In issuing this proc
lamation, President Wilson has fol-
lowed time -honored custom which
had its origin in the thanksgiving
feasts inaugurated by the Pilgrim
Fathers after their landing from the
Mayflower on Plymouth Rock more
than two hundred and fifty years ago.
Thanksgiving-day is oldc: than our
Federal Constitution. H. antidates
the birthday Of our national indepcnd-
rccc. 1t is the day on which We ac-
krowledCc our dependence upon One
who rules from above and before
when earthly rulers bow. There is
ne day like Thanksgiving day in the
Calendar. Ii commentaries no spc-
cial event in our national or religious
life. 1t belongs to no particular
church. No sect claims it rs its own
yet Catholic, Protestant and jew ac-
knowledge and reverence it. 1t is n
holiday because it is n holy-day and
apart from its religious significance
il mas no meaning. Today the world
beholds nation on its knees. Its
prayer is a psalm of gratitude, its
song an anthem Of thanksgiving.
No one living beneath the Stars and
Stripes today can truthfully say that
there is little or no reason for him to
Join his ellOw-countrymen in a pray
cr OF thanks giving; for there is no
life so empty of pleasure or so full
Of pain that is not crowded with bless
ing. Even the poorest mortal is
rich. And what constitutes riches
is il money, lands, or possessions? Is
it health, influence or power?
A man might have all these and yet
be poor. The wealth and real power
is nobility of soul. 1t is tn. poses
sion of that which cannot be taken
away and which does not depend for
its increase or decrease upon the con
dition Of the money market or the
Fluctuations of public opinion. 1t is
gradual growth of the spirit which
feeds upon the Word of God.
Behind the mighty works Of man
lie the magnanimous gifts OF the Gre
ator which serve as basic principle
fo- all our endeavor, and without
which mans labor would be in vain.
If man, for instance, has achieved
greatness in agricultural pursuits
it is because of the fertility of the soil
together with all those accessories
which tend to make it productive. If
he has proven genius along indus
trial lines and by his sagacity and
toll brought the ends of the world to-
gether ii is because he has made in
telligent use of the materials which
for thousands of years were waiting
for the skilled hand and master mind.
And II by his writings and his preach
ments he has wrought wonders for
the world socially it is simply due to
the fact that he has pieced together
noble thoughts and high aspirations
in such form as to flame the souls of
his fellow-men and make them real
ize and bring into practical, every
day life what the Savior meant to
convey when he said to Martha,
MARY hath chosen better part and
it shall not be taken away from her" /"
Mans work is simply the supcrstruc-
ture; God has laid broad and deep the
foundations upon which all our toll,
all our success is built.
But, while we are thankful to God
for the wonderful and useful gifts of
nature. we are likewise grateful to
the genius of man which makes them
serve in such diversified manner
our numerous wants and needs. The