Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-27
PEACE SERVICE
AT THE CATHEDRAL
Monsignor WheIan breaches
Thanksgiving Sermon and
Prays for Wars End.

while We rejoice0at our own peace
and prosperity, We lament the strife
of our brothers across the sea and We
pray God to inspire a greater mutual
love and forbearance among them
that the times may become peaceable
and the ravages of war may cease.
This sentiment was expressed by
Monsignor Isaac ?. Whelan, rector
of st. Patrick Cathedral, yesterday
morning at the $50 high mass offered
by Rev. John E. Herman and the full
cathedral choir under the direction of
William F. Hattersley.
Monsignor Whelan's annual Thanks
giving sermon in part follows:
1.-The practice which is now grown
up to be of national observance of
appointing one day in the year for
general thanksgiving to God, the Gre
ator and giver of all good, is conso-
nant with the principles of our faith
as we'll as with the promptings of the
, heart of q Christian people and hence
we are gathered to recognize in a
public way and in a o.emn manner
our dependence on God, to execute
our gratitude to Him and TO increase
our confidence in His all-wiss and
fatherly providence.
THE duty of religious thankfulness
has always been urged by the Church,
who wishes US to cultivate the spirit
of gratitude that springs from faith
and feeling that God is all good and
merciful and that life is q blessing
even to the most wretched if they
look to Him and keep His command
| ments.
"In common with all other Ameri-
can citizens we have here a home
where we are freemen, where we en-
| joy the liberty of serving God ac-
cording to our conscience. We re-
joice in the great growth Of all our
national institutions and are proud
/ that we have had such large part in
making and preserving them as they
are. We are a part Of the country,
| and what is for its good is for ours.
This new world was discovered by
a Catholic, the freedom Of conscience
that so universally obtains now was
| first proclaimed by Catholics and we
will be the last to renounce the Chris
tan charter of freedom of conscience.
Catholics gave their money, their SER
vices, their blood side by side with
their fellow citizens of other creeds
for our independence and Catholics
have added force and ornaments to
all walks of life in our country's his
tory.
I'VE are part of the country's life
and we have prospered with it. Our
churches, schools, hospitals, orphan
asylums and institutions for the
amelioration of all the wants of suf-
fering humanity have kept pace with
Hf,s, - hTFr
a few thousand when Charles Carroll
signed his name and gave his wealth
for the independence of the co-onies
and now we are sixteen millions. We
have a million and a half children in
our parochial schools, we support
them without any help from the State,
we have twice as many Sisters teach
ing in said schools as there were
citizens of our republic at the time of
the Dec ,aration of Independence. And
all of this increase is an increase of
| support for the principles of this most
| free and stable government of the
world.
What the Church Does,
THE church holds the fitness Of
Gods supernatural bounties and the
republic His richest earthly gifts to
His children The republic gives lib
erty to the Church and the Church
strengthens the spirit of obedience
and devotion to the republic. In all
this we have our proud share in the
diocese of Newark. over 800 priests
in 225 churches minister to 425, 900
faithful, over 1000 sisters teach $4,000
children these same truths Of love of
God and loyalty to country. over
$4,000 men annually parade in honor
of the sacred name of Jesus Christ
and In their private lives are infiu-
enced for highest morality. But, my
brethren, it is not in numbers, but in
virtue that we should glory and hence
while we are grateful to God for His
mercies to our country and to our
selves we should strive to prove our
selves worthy for the continuance OF
His blessings to us. Let us, there
fore, remember that morality is the
basis of both religion and liberty and
If the church and the country are to
| prosper the cause of virtue and pub ic
| morality must find US its most ardent
| defenders.
"And hence we are here at holy
mass to offer 1t to show our gratitude
! to God whose mercy endureth forever.
| Holy mass says st. Irenxeus in the
! third century, was instituted that we
/ might not appear thankless before
/ God
Indeed the sacred rite is perme-
| ated with a tone and SAVIOR Of thanks
| giving confident even to holiness that
/ we are rendering here to the 'Giver
/ of every good and perfect gift
| thank offering adequate to discharge
the claims Of gratitude His gifts i'm
| pose on US. This feeling finds fullest
expression in the triumphant hymn
or song of thanksgiving called the
Preface which closes the offertory
| and introduces the action of the mass
proper, the canon.
"The three evangelists who give as
the history of the Last Supper state
expressly that our Lord gave thanks
on taking the matter of sacrifice into
His own hands. 1t is the sacrifice of
the vision Of the prophet Malachy.
For from the rising even to the
going down of the sun my name is
great among the Gentiles and in every
place there is sacrifice and there is
offered in my name a clean oblation.
80 let us go to the altar of God
and unite with our high priest and
brother, Jesus Christ, ready to offer
in His name and ours a supreme
thank offering pleasing to God and
ample to thank Him for His mercies
to us and to assure a continuance of