The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-07
SILVER JUBILEE OF HUNGARIAN CHURCH OBSERVED; PASTOR GIVES
 INTERESTING HISTORY OF BODY

''It stands to reason then that our allegiance to our church only helps our inmost allegiance to the civil au-
 thority and makes us better and more loyal. citizens.
 "A great deal has been written and
 many systems proposed as to how to train the migrants and make their character strong, and thereby to help them to become good citizens. Some of those seated in an easy chair far away from ills and hardships and the real knowledge of the other half of human life, propose a system of phy-
 siea1 culture. They theorize that phys icad development creates health of body which keeps healthful inte1li- gence and this, they claim. produces strong character.
 Little do they realize the vast diff
 ference between the physical. intel lectual and moral health. Others pro pose a system of social culture. They claim that by training men to be re- fined in acts and speech it gives them g. strong character conducive to be-
 come good citizens. Others again claim that education of intellect is the
 only means to form a strong char
 acter. They build libraries, endow unive14ities in order to facilitate to
 make good citizenship with strong
 moral character. I do not wish to
 belittle the value of Knowledge. but
 CAA4o S1e4lI SAY I11dC I1dI SlIO4AS
 charaeter is positively not formed by
 knowledge alone.
 We all know that it frequently
 happens that those who are highly educated. refined and with perfect
 physfca1K development are not always
 most desirable nor most useful citi-
 zens. Here it is we see why Cath
 olics make such enormous sacrifiees to keep up their own schools. Tell
 me what is the highest sanction that schools, leaving out God, give to a
 child to be good and honest?
 The highest sanction that they can give is the fear of the punishment by law, or that a virtue is it's own re- ward, which in most cases is not
 realized. The Catholic schools on the contrary do not teach a child to be good because there is a policeman
 on the corner or a jail at the North End of our city. They tell the child to be good, honest and loyal because there is the all seeing eye of God who sees them. That God will punish their wrong doings or reward their virtues. l Nor do Catholics find any fault with public schools, They are good as far as they go but they do not go far enough. For the development of chfld's character not only it's intel l lect, but it's heart, it's conscience and 1 it's will should have it's share. This, | in justice to God and to their coun- 1 try, the Catholic parents cannot see how it could be done if God, the most salutory influence in forming the l character is left out
 | Still another system claims that l good housing conditions among the l foreign population tends to create a 1 strong characters and make good citi- zens- We all know that all these sys- I terns have some grain of truth, that d they ares lone of manyaes helps that | tends fa ir1f1IYaT1no To l strong character, but take each one separately or all collectively as the only means, they will not and cannot I produce the real strong moral char I acter The strong character is built l up not by physical development or by 1 teaching of refinement and knowI- I edge, nor by regulating ones shelter
 It is developed by teaching and exer- | cisil1g the religious principles which alone can give the highest sanction to I human acts. Religion alone can do | that which no other factor can do
 Just picture to yourself a human being on the battle field @f life How I arduous his march. What struggles I disappointments. and failures so fre- 1 quenfly. Barriers there are at every
 step- Abysses there are beneath every l foot fall Misfortune and hardships assaiI him continuously. Moments of sunshine and calm come but seldom l heart but for more bitter disappoint- 1 naents. And then when a short way | off there stands death.
 I This struggle is true of everyone whether he be in political social or I commercial career or a simple factory help. Tell me where is the strength l that could sustain him in hS trials, if l religion be excluded from his life? | You may say that the appeal to him l is the welfare of society. But what
 cares he for society, who is its east l away and a victim. as he may believe, Of its rules and orderings
 I You may say: the appeal to be ] strenEn1pr him. is the good he may do by his example But what cares he i who sees that the wealth which f should be used to do good, is abused, t it's resources given over to regulate I the teachings of schools for wealth s own advantage, to subsidize the press, to form it's own public opinion,
 whilst he, the child of misfortune and I hardships, has to struggle till death takes pity on him and relieves him of his struggles. Or you may say that E the appeal to make hfn1 strong is the 1 ultimate veal Of the human race. But he who feels that he is but a ere 4 atom is but little disposed to do him. self violence for the sake of other atoms for which he cares nothing.
 There is then but one motive for him to be strong; it is God, the just and
 rnerciful, who in His own time will l reward the virtue of those who strug- gle in life.
 | such then is the strength of re- ligfon, and the strong faith of the
 Slova1s of Bridgeport is but a new
 proof what religion can inspire. what
 enduring monuments it can create. I My friends, this day bridges 8 gulf
 or many sad and happy years, and it l n Iz Sfl- rercrTii icT
 community but rather does it portray
 what self sacrifice and zeal inspired
 by deep faith in God, can accomplish. 1 The hardships of the past years in-