The Irish standard., 1915-05-01
THRONG HEARS REV. FIR.
MUllAlY.

Closing Lecture on "Why am \
Catholic" Fills Duluth Theater
to Capacity.
Perhaps the largest crowd which
ever assembled in the Lyceum theater
heard Rev. FIR. Mullaly deliver his
widely known lecture on why Am a
Catholic" All standing room was &C.
cupied, and when Father Mullaly
started to speak the doors had to be
closed because of the congestion and
scores were turned away.
Preceding the lecture. Mrs. E. p.
Kreimer and A. E. Ouellette and Louis
Junker sang the trio, "Jesu, Del Vivi,"
by Verdi, accompanied by E. P. Krei-
mer.
Il am a Catholic because l believe
in human reason and its validity" said
Father Mullaly. Il believe there is an
essential difference between human
reason and animal instinct, not a diff
ference merely In degree, but differ
ence in kind, by which l can reason
about and draw conclusions concerning
myself and the world about me; by
which l can control my own instincts
within reason and even crush them
if so desire.
Il am a Catholic because believe
that beyond the universe and still in
it, transcending it, imminent in it
and yet apart from it, is an immense,
Unreasonable, transcendant ubiquit-
Gus, omnipotent, omniscient, all-go0d,
adjust, all-merciful, ALLOWING being
whom we call God. believe in God
because l cannot understand anything
that is except God exists. Reputable
modern science and philosophy tell me
that once upon time in the space
which our universe occupies, there was
absolutely nothing; an aching void.
God His Only Answer.
II am confronted with the fact that
out of this absolute nothingness a
universe has sprung up, so gigantic
that my mind cannot even conceive its
magnitude. Explain it. l cannot un-
less there is before and independent
of it an all-powerful being who called
it into existence. God is the answer
to my question.
Some scientists have elaborated
the theory of evolution of species. 1t
is only theory and in the nature of
the case is improbable.
Even though the body of man be
the result of evolution from lower
form, how explain mans spiritual ma
ture? The vast majority of mankind
have always believed in spiritual
nature, and how explain it unless God
is its author?
Then explain the existence in the
world of such things as right and
wrong, of conscience, of moral law,
Of justice and the demand for repara-
ton of violated Justice? You cannot
explain it without God. My reason
dictates that the soul has an intelli-
gence or reasoning power and free
will. There is in my soul longing,
a desire to live on after the time when
know l shall cease to exist here.
Life Goes On Forever.
Life has no significance except the
soul be immortal. l can think of the
time when l shall die, when my coun-
try may pass into the history of ma
tons, when even the world on which
l live shall change its form; when
even the universe shall have been re.
called into the nothingness out OF
which it was made, but shall live on
and on and on, forever and forever
and forever and forever. The most
awful fact in all the world is that 1
as an intelligent being, can never
never cease to exist.
81 am a Catholic because l believe
in certain kind of religion. Men
have elaborated beautiful, natural re
ligions, but the historical fact Is that
none of them ever have been salts
flying even to their formulators them
selves. The historical evidence proves
that that institution which He estab
lished and to which belong, the Ro
man Catholic church, is the same iden
tical institution which He left on eartt
as His representative. He commits
stoned His representatives to teach al
nations. He guaranteed to teach al
nations. He guaranteed His churcl
infallibility in religious and mora
teaching.
THE historical fact Is that the Cath
, Ollie church is the one which has cor
} verified the world to Christianity, God
religion. She is the only church whic
teaches unity of belief and moral prat
tice, and even claims to teach tina
unity infallibly and with authority"
Recitals were given during the pas
! week by Miss Marie Wendland, Mis-
Agnese Ruelle and Miss Geneviev