The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-01

H.
their conversion was the result of a
specill and extraordinary grace, be
cause most Of them have had intimate
friends and companions, apparently
just as sincere as they were, who
never accepted the Faith; they either
constructed for themselves an ideal
theory of salvation, or have kept on
cropping, as if it were normal state
OF the mind to only seek, but never to
find, religious certainty in this life.
The convert-priests who have be-
come distinguished, as rule, have en-
tered the Church after their Teputa-
ton as scholars was already estab-
lished. One whom | now call to mind,
the Rev. James Kent Stone, enjoyed
fame as a Protestant, but is now liv-
ing and almost forgotten. At the time
of his ordination he said to me: 81
hate Vainglory; | had my fill of it in
the Episcopal Church Che had been the
president OF three colleges). | dread
nothing so much as publicity" He
afterWard became a Passionist and if
is known only to his religious breth-
rem. few years ago | heard that he
had been sent to establish mission
of his congregation in Brazil. So far
as | know, there are no statistics CIV
ing the number of convert-priests in
this country. They have fallen into
line and are not publicly known as
such. Thank God for this; it is a, sign
that their lives are hidden with God
in Christ" If we were to give the
number OF convert-priests living today
as a hundred, | believe no eXaggera-
ton can be charged against us. In
the work of missions to non-Catholics,
the conVert-priest should find his
choicest field. 1t is hard and trying
work, but the harvest is great and the
laborers are few" 1t is not ostenta-
tlous; neither the missionary nor his
converts will be applauded by the
world; the results will be known only
on the last day.
And let me say that prayer, more
than work is needed to bring the happy
result that we anticipate. The sacri-
fices that conVert-priests will have to
make will be great and lifelong. Their
nearest and dearest relatives and
friends will be likely to remain out
side the Church, unless the PRAYERS of
the faithful for them become irresisti-
BILE with God
wish l could picture to you a
young convert who has left Prot,
estant college or seminary and aspires
to the holy priesthood. If his family
is prominent and has wealth, in the
eyes OF his family he is unworthy of
assistance. He has to go penniless to
bishop or superior of a religious or
der and ask for shelter on probation.
Or, perhaps he is harassed by a debt
to Protestant clergy society which
has already paid for a good part of
his education. If he should choose q
secular vocation the debt would he
forgiven, but if he is to study for the
Catholic priesthood, payment is de-
manded. He is denounced as a fraud
for changing his religious opinions bv
those who profess to think that he
should change them whenever con
science tells him to do so.
Catholics often wonder why SO MANY
converts have vacation to the priest
MOOD, but when we read or hear the
stories OF their conversion we find
that the practice of the counsels of
poverty, chastity and obedience, sane
toned by the Church, attracted them
TO her more than the other marks of
her divinity. They often, like Cardinal
Newman, were interiorly attracted to
single life before they knew the
| Church. Protestants have not failed
TO notice st. Pauls recommendation
OF celibacy. Rev. Dr. Kirk, a cele.
brated Congregational minister of Bos-
ton, hfty years ago stated publicly that.
ike st. Paul, his vocation to celibacv
came with his call to the ministry I
heard OF this when a boy of sixteen
and thought it sublime; he became in
my eyes the hottest man living. and
ne died a Congregationalist, thinking
doubtless, that he belonged to the true
| Church.
In old-fashioned, orthodox Prot.
estantism there were deep religious
and moral principles which would have
made conversion easy if their adher,
ents had only known as much about
the Catholic Church as every we'll.
read man today has to know about
her. Before unbelief completely sweeps
away every vestige of supernatural be-
lief from Professionalism it is probable
that, even more than in the past,
chosen souls will tire of a fruitless
ministry and come knocking at our
doors.