The Irish standard., 1915-04-24

St. Patrick's Church, Washington,
was the scene last Thursday of an
event of unparalleled interest in Cath
olic circles throughout the United
States-the celebration by the Catholic
University of America, of its silver
jubilee. The event was signalized by
the most brilliant gathering of prelates
in the history of the country.
The exercises opened with solemn
pontifical mass at 10 o'clock, in the
presence of the most distinguished
Catholic audience ever assembled in
this country. The three American
Cardinals, eight Archbishops, thirty
Bishops, thirty-one Monsignori, eight
heads of religious orders, sixty repre-
sentatives of colleges and universities,
over three hundred clergy and hun
dreds of distinguished laymen and
women from all over the United States
were present.
The church was decorated with the
papal colors and the red of the cardin-
alate, while, never, perhaps, has there
been a more beautiful setting for the
celebration of the holy sacrifice: in
the foreground the splendor, the scar
let and purple of the royalty of the
church: in the midst of all, the marble
altar, festive with lilies and seeming
ly resting in grove of palms. The
mass was sung by the priest students
choir, of the university, augmented by
the members of the various religious
orders living at the university.
One of the most beautiful features of
the celebration was the procession of
prelates and clergy from Carroll hall
to the church, which was viewed by
crowds of people who lined the side:
walks long before the hour for the
service.
Cardinal Farley, archbishop of New
York, was celebrant of the mass, as
sisted by Very Rev: John Chadwick of
New York, who was chaplain on the
Maine when it was blown up in Havana
harbor. The other officers of the mass
were:
Deacons of honor - Very Rev.
Thomas Finn, of Rockford, ILL.,, and
the Rev. Joseph E.. Smith, of New
York. Deacon of the mass, Rev. M. J.
Crane of Philadelphia. Sub-deacon of
the mass, the Rev. Thomas ]. O'Brien
of Whitestone, N. Y.
His eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, who
laid the cornerstone of the university,
preached the sermon. His voice car
ried full, but tremulous, to every cor
ner of the packed edifice. He said in
part:
"For the growth of the university
we are indebted above all to the God
of Wisdom, for whose glory the work
was begun. To the great pontiffs, Leo
XIII and Plus X, and to their success
or, Pope Benedict XIV, we make public
acknowledgment of our gratitude. To
the Catholics of the United States, we
return our thanks for their generous
support.
"The experience of these Is years
emphasizes the needs which the uni
versity aims to supply-the need of
divine truth to complete our human
knowledge, of divine justice as the
highest sanction of law, of the spirit
of Christ in our ministrations of mercy
and love. There is no real liberty
without law, and there is no meaning
or validity to law unless it be OBJ.
served.
''The growth of democracy does not
imply that each man shall become a
law unto himself, but that he shall
feel in himself the obligation to obey.
If the enacting power has been trans.
ferred from. the will of the ruler to the
will of the people, the binding, coercive
power has been laid with greater stress
of responsibility than ever before upon
the individual conscience.
"Unless man be taught that obedi.
ence is right and honorable and neces.
sary alike for private interest and pub.
lie veal, legislation will avail but lit
tie, and law-making power will become
a mockery and the people themselves
will complain that legislation has been
carried to excess. But conscience has
need of a higher sanction than any
merely human sense Of Justice.
ITO meet the requirements of oul
religious, social and political situation
is duty that we owe to the church
and to our country. To fulfill it we
must combine our efforts, and rejoice
that in the Catholic university q center
Of thought and action has been pro
vided."
The cardinal in the course Of hi,
sermon paid q great tribute to Arch