Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-21
LARGE CLASS FOR
COLUMbUSORDE
ADOPTED SUNDAY
Rock Island and Moline Councils Of
Catholic Society Holds Joint Cere.
monies Here.
TWO DEGREES ARE CONFERRED
Nearly Five Hundred at Banquet.
T. Burns. New York, and Supreme
knight Heard.

One Of the largest gatherings of
Catholic laymen ever held in Rock Is
land ended last night with banquet
al the New Harper, with 476 present
With a brilliant array of orators on
hand the Knights of Columbus of the
tri-cities were treated TO such a pro-
gram as they had never heard before.
The enthusiastic session marked a fit
ting climax to events earlier in the
day, the most important of which was
class adoption, when 81 candidates
we're given the second and third de-
gree in the afternoon.
A procession four blocks long from
the hall to the Sacred Heart church.
where solemn high mass was cele-
brated, featured the morning. The
event was made doubly interesting by
the presence of Supreme Knight James
A. Flaherty of New Haven, Conn. The
occasion was joint initiation of Al
louez council of Rock Island and Leo
council Of Moline, but many members
attended from Davenport, Monmouth
and other nearby cities
The banquet at the New Harper was
served at 7:30, Stroehle's orchestra in
terspersing the courses with music.
and the evenings program followed.
NJ. H. Sexton, grand knight of Allouez
council. presided as POSTMASTER. A
prayer was offered by Rev. c. P.
0Neill, chaplain of Allouez council.
E. F. Burns of New York was the
first speaker on the program. He
commented eloquently on Catholic
Manhood and when he finished there
was not man in the room who did not
feel proud to be a member of the or
der. Mr.. Burns explained that there
were many who held that a Catholic
was an alien, that he had no rights in
this country. He attacked this view
point vigorously and in his discourse
gave nothing but facts. as they stand
in American history. He pointed out
clearly how Catholics had taken a very
important part in the history Of Amer
lea from the time this land was dis
covered by Columbus up to the Goth
century
Tells of Those Who Have Done Things.
In a rapid-fre way he enumerated
dates and names Of Catholic men who
did things at the very start-ChristG-
pher Columbus, who discovered this
country; Balboa, who found the Pa
cifc. and Cortez, who invaded Mexico,
then TO the pioneer settlers in Canada
and of the early French Catholic set
Elements in our own middle west,
through the revolution, with John
Perry as father of the American navy,
down to the civil war with the dash
ing Sherman and others. Catholics,
Mr.. Burns said, played an important
part in fighting every danger that
threatened the country. He told how
through the dark ages up to the pres
ent times the Catholic church had
stood the floods of destruction that
threatened to engulf the world. "Ev-
erything else has changed, but the
church will never change, because it
stands for truth, and truth never
changes. and even when the world
shall end and crumble into dust she
will be unawed and live" said the
speaker.
Tells OF Work of Order.
Supreme knight James A. Flaherty
was given rousing reception when
called upon. Before launching on his
subject he paid tribute to Mr.. Sexton
as POSTMASTER for the masterful man
ner in which he presided. Mr.. Flaherty
confined his remarks to facts concern
ing Our Order" for the benefit of the
new members present. He gave an in
teresting account of how the Knights
or Columbus was organized only 81
years ago in New Haven, Conn, by
Rev. Michael Joseph McGibney, a
Young priest of small parish there,
with only seven charter members. To-
day the order has 5000 members.
and he stated that should he set out
TO visit every council in the United
States, taking one each day, the task
would consume more than five years.
He explained that the order was form
ed to create good fellowship and for all
10 live as brothers and friends and that
high standard had been maintained
throughout the membership.
Nr. Flaherty then told Of the work
Inc Knights Of Columbus were doing
IN protecting the church from unwar-
fanted attacks Of certain other ele-
ments and how, through literature
spread broadcast throughout the coun-
Try and through lecture courses the
hon-Catholics were being taught the
truth in all these cases.
John O. Callahan Of Chicago told OF
rather Matthew Kelley, who through
his missionary work in the middle
west in the 30's made possible the first
diocese at Dubuque, Iowa. and how
THIS man of wealthy parents, gave up
all Injuries TO carry on his great work
practically alone and through an un-