Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-09
SERVICE FLAG RAISED
At SAINT JOSEPH'S

\ service flag containing 81 stars
Tor the young men If the parish VINO
ere or have been in tae service. was
! raised Sunday afternoon with appro-
pirate exercises. The church was
well filled, despite the storm, to at
tend the exercises and listen 20 the
address which was delivered by JUS
tice a. NJ. Spear Of the supreme
court bench. The services opened
with he singing of The Star Span
gle, lS2nner" by the church choir
after which the flag was blessed Ivy
Eer. Fr. +. H. Reardon. pastor of
The church. A band furnished music
After few words Of greeting nd
welcome. Fr. Reardon introduced
Justice Spear, who delivered an ora
tio.l flied with patriotism. The speak
opened by reciting Moses Owens
! Nothing but Flags and then said
mat the service flag denoted the .ovc,
the hardships. the sacrifice and final
! triumph Of the boys, each OF whom
was REPRESENTED BY q star and Zach
Of whom had been willing to make
|, The supreme sacrifice if necessary. 1t
IS difficult for US at home 10 realize
also q symbol OF the church and the
parish. EnSl2Ed's six million stars
and Frances even greater number
are beautifully sprinkled with golden
ones. This country's men in service
are represented by more than :wo'
million stars, and since the armistice
has teen signed word has been COM
ing 20 hundreds of mothers and ia
theirs, who thought that the danger
10 their boys had past. that the star
had turned to gold.
The patriotism of the Irish is pro-
verbal, said the justice and many
If them have stars on this flag. Not
only in war are they strong AMI
mighty but also in civil life. in whit
ever they undertake they have hut
few equals and the 90 stars on St.
Joseph's flag represent nearly one
third of the brave lads who have
gone from Gardiner.
The speaker referred to our three
great wars. Either of the first two
might have been lost and we still exist.
but il this war had been lost it is doubt
full if the nation could endure. The lads
represented by the stars went away
boys. but they will come back men;
and those VINO come back from the fields
OF France will shape the course OF iris
nation for the next 30 years.
Justice Spear paid eloquent tribute to
England, France, Italy. and especially
to Belgium, whose stand against the
German .hordes enabled the Allies 10 ac-
complish the present result. Otherwise
the result would proba bly, have been far
different. for Germany would have dom
auered and the world been at its feet to-
day. He recounted the feats of Johre,
Foch. Haig and Pershing. and finally
alluded to man of the Catholic church
as BY rar the greatest character that
the war has produced-Cardinal Mer-
cier. He then paid tribute TO the moth
ers OF the lads in the service as those
who have suffered the most and suffered
in silence He said in closing that those
responsible for the war should %
brought to Justice and referred to the
tremendous problems that sthe future
is to bring The Catholic church is a
great institution that has come down
from its foundation to the present time
with the respect IT the world. he said.
and in closing pointed to the tremen-
dous influence the church could have IN
compelling the exercise o. the restraint
that will be so badly needed in the days
to come.
At the conclusion Of the service the
nag was given 20 the breeze in front
o. the church edifce.