South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-14
CHURCH RISING
DESPITE HATRED
Rev. John Cavanaugh Delivers
interesting Sermon Rela-
tive to Columbus Day.

THE Spirit of the Founders was
| the title of the sermon OF Very Rev.
John Cavanaugh, president at Notre
Dame, Friday when Columbus day
and Founders day were Jointly cele-
brated. F'r. Cavanaugh took his
text from St. Matthew. Going
therefore and teach all nations"
DR.. Cavanaugh said in part:
"Theologians say there are four
marks or characteristics Of the true
church. II is one, that is to say, 1t
is made up of all the faithful bap-
tized with the same baptism, believ-
ing the same truths, receiving the
same sacraments, observing the same
law 1t is holy in its founder, its
doctrines, its discipline and its
operations in the souls of men. 1t is
Catholic. that is TO say il is as wide
as the world and as broad as hu-
manity II is apostolic in that 1t is
the church the apostles themselves
disseminated over the world and ii
is governed by the successors of the
apostles.
But there is another Characters
tic of the church as distinct and al
most as universal in time and place
as any of these. No other institu-
ton ever inspired at the same time
such intense hatred and such heroic
love. The persecution of the church
! began with the massacre of the
holy innocents for the sake OF the
new born Christ and it has con-
tinued until the present day, but the
church has risen above all its per-
secutions. and has developed the
missionary spirit more than any
other organization on earth.
France long held noble pre-
eminence in missionary work and it
was from France that rs years ago
came Father Edward SOrin and six
brothers. Vincent, Joachim, Law
renee, Francis Navier, Gatien and
Auselim. They were among the
earliest members Of the little Con-
gregatiOn Of the Holy Cross, found
/ ed in lie Mans early in the last CEN
/ fury. At the call of the missionary
I bishop from America these courage
/ Gus spirits turned their faces to the
setting sun and ventured into what
was then the wilderness Of Indiana.
Settling at first near the frontier
! town Of Vincennes, they soon moved
to what is now Notre Dame, a spot
beautiful by grace of nature, and
| hallowed by the labors and virtues
| Of the older missionaries.
1T is we'll shat faculty and stu
| dents should understand and accept
/ the sacrifices these missionaries
made If our work here is not a
missionary work our lives are vain.
If the students of the Notre Dame
are not more religious men, more
virtuous men, more true 10 tho
sacred loyalties or life and home
and faith than the students of other
/ schools than the dream of Sorin and
the brothers was an illusion, their
sacrifices were folly. their aspira-
tons a barren hope.
"A great function of this univer-
sity, then, is TO perpetuate among
all its members the faith Of the
| founders, to enkindle in its stu
dents the zeal which made the early
days great and heroic, TO move and
/ charity which drove Sorin and the
brothers into the unknown wilder
ness and wherever the finger Of
destiny beckOned manifested the
! loyalty TO faith and duty which
made the lives or the founders.
beautiful. strengthening and inspir-
ing.
THE founders were true patriots
and this university is irrevOcably
American by virtue Of the spirit Of
/ the founders.
The spirit Of the founders was
also a spirit Of service 10 God. They
I rendered 10 God the double tribute
/ OF worship and innocence. They
made the forest ring with prayer
and chant. and in their little log
I chapel the consecrated host and the
empurpled chalice were lifted with
! worship as glorious as any that ever
\ lent glamour 10 a great cathedral.
In this year or glorious jubilee
! let US register a sacred VOW that this
shall never change or that spirit be
/ lost or diminished. Let the faculty
\ and students OF today emulate the
/ men Of old. the men of gold, who
! spent their days in labor and in in
nocence, who guarded the gates OF
their souls as the angels guarded
the gates Of Paradise with a fam
/ ing sword.
And finally the spirit Of the
founders was a spirit of large and
| beneficient service TO humanity. The
creams OF SOrin and the brothers
have come true through the grace
| OF God and their own great endeav-