The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-13


greater and better state--a greater and
better nation. Wherever there is suf-
fering to be relieved, wherever there
is adversely to be comforted, where
ever there is misery, moral or physi-
cal, to be removed; there / hope, you
will find me doing my best to tighten
the burdens of sorrow and of sin
weighing heavily upon the different
types OF human wretchedness. With
the poet, Terence, of other days, may
truly repeat: Il am a man and there
is naught that touches man, that is
not my concern" Were to assume
any other attitude towards the COM
pick interests of human life would be
out of harmony with the example and
spirit OF our Divine Model. Were |
to fold my arms and resolve to keep
aloof from the different spheres of hui
man thought and action | would be
false to the traditional estimate of
the Catholic Bishop throughout all his
tory. 1t is not necessary to dwell at
length upon fact which every page of
history declares.
Need l remind you that the Church,
animated by the spirit of her Divine
Founder, has come down through the
ages, alternating the ills of suffering
humanity; encircling the globe with
her institutions of benevolence, as
with a diadem of charity; softening
customs, humanizing laws, teaching
and encouraging all that is best and
truest and most beautiful in our civil
iZation? While pointing to mans SUI
pernal home beyond the skies, the
Church has never forgotten that she
lives on earth, dealing with human be-
ings who are subject to many miseries.
Love of fellowman, poor weak, de-
graded, despised, love of all the dis
inherited of the race, is her favOrite
virtue, her distinguishing trait. And
in fulfilling this merciful role of the
good Samaritan she is but walking in
the footsteps of her Master. 1t is
profoundly true that the Christian re-
ligion, which was established to lead
men to happiness in the life to come,
has actually done more than any other
institution, in making them happy in
the present life.
I do not forget that I am now one
| Of the citizens of the great common
wealth of South Dakota What our
country needs most today, is moral
| and intelligent citizenship. | am here
to help you to produce it. The better
the Catholic, the better the citizen
Oe yyI1i 7 n
| always stand like wall of adamant
against disrespect for law and consti-
| tuted authority-against unbelief and
immortality. If the Church is indebted
to our country for freedom and pro-
| lection under the constitution, our
country is much more indebted to the
Church for the uplifting, restraining,
| conservative, spiritualiZing influence
of her doctrines and moral principles
1t must not be forgotten that her
teachings and ideals are the best safe
| guards of the social structure, con-
| tributing to the stability Of our gov
eminent, and to the health, happiness,
and liberty of all the people. Unhap-
PLY there are those who insist on
their rights and privileges as citizens,
while Sinking their duties and re-
| sponsibilities. Let poetry sing of the
| glorious duty of fighting, and if need
be of dying for ones country. While
granting that it is we'll to do so, |
would have you be mindful of the much
more difficult and useful task of liv-
ing rightly for ones country.
In war, valOr is the test of patriot
ism: in times of peace, virtue in pri-
vate and in public life, is it's best eX-
preston. We whose lot is cast in the
bright era of peace and prosperity can
serve our country best by living right
eously for it. The men and women
who are willing to live rightly for our
country-to conquer self-to overcome
pride, envy, greed, dishonesty, sensu-
ality, all the passions, on the silent
battlefields of their own hearts are
our best citiZens-the strongest de-
tenders of our liberties. The most
dangerous, enemies of any country are
not armed rebels-not foreign invad-
ers, but it's own evil-doing children in
all walks of life, but particularly in
positions of trust and prominence.
Worse than rebels, worse than invad-
ers, are citizens who are base enough
to use their civil rights and privileges
for their own selfish aims-who are
grandiloquent in their profession of
patriotism, yet who like the augurs of
ancient Rome cannot speak the word
and look one another in the face.
Emerson was right when he said:
"The true test of civilization Ia not
the census, nor the size of cities, nor
the crops, but the kind of man the
country turns out" In harmony with
this principle it will be my aim to
make our Catholic citizens not only as
good as the best. but the best of the
best-the most exemplary citizens
the noblest types of men and women
the country turns out. And there Is
no other country more worthy Of noble
living than our own.
The evenings festivity was brought
to a close with a reception during
which the citizens of Lead were given
an opportunity to meet Bishop Lawler
personally, to express their good
wishes, and to bid him welcome to
the city of which he is to be the fore
most citizen and churchman, The
Bishop made splendid impression
on all by his dignified bearing, era.
cious manner and pleasing address.