The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-11-29
MESSAGE FROM DETROIT BISHOP

Detroit, Mich, November q, 1913.
Reverend dear Father:
President Wilson has appointed
Thursday, November 2Sth, as Thanks
giving Day and following laudable
and long standing custom, invites the
people of the United States to assem-
BILE in churches to offer thanks to the
! Almighty for the protection and bless
ings He has bestowed upon us as a
nation during the past year.
Not for many decades have we had
such compelling reasons to pour forth
our souls in gratitude to God as pre-
cisely at the present moment. In the
greatest war of all the ages He has
given us a glorious victory with the
prospects of lasting peace. During
the past four years the bloodiest
pages of the book of time have been
written. Mars, the brutal god of war
has gorged himself on the wealth of
the richest empires and revelled in
the blood of slaughtered millions.
The pure hearts blood of youthful
manhood has been poured out in tor
rents. Yet, while the other large
nations saw their sons go down to
death by the hundreds of thousands
our losses have been held to the
thousands. We mourn most deeply,
we revere most tenderly, we honor
most devoutly the lives that have
been sacrificed in liberty's cause. AS
long as America endures as nation
the memory of their devotion unto
death for the flag will never fade
from the hearts Of the people and the
glory of their achievements will never
grow dim. But we rejoice and thank
God that so many of our valiant
soldiers and sailors have survived the
conflict and are returning safely to
their native shores, crowned with the
laurels of victory. They, both the
living and the dead, have nobly barred
their breasts to the fiery bolts of war
and shielded our land from invasion,
our cities from desolation, our homes
from destruction and our hearts from
pollution. We honor them to the
utmost and unite in thanksgiving to
the Lord God of Armies for the vic
tory with peace He has conferred
upon them.
! On thanksgiving day, therefore, in
all the churches of the Diocese, Di-
vine Services will be held to thank
Almighty God for the blessing of
peace. This will comprise a High
Mass of Thanksgiving with an appro-
pirate sermon, followed by the TIE
Deum (Holy God) and benediction of
the Blessed Sacrament.
But while millions will rejoice and
be thankful on this occasion, we must
not forget that there are in our midst
homes that are desolate and hearts of
fathers and mothers that have been
rendered sad and disconsolate by the
merciless hand of war. Let us pray
for them to the God of infinite pity
and all consolation that he assuage
their grief and sustain them by His
all powerful grace to bear with resig-
nation the heavy cross, which love of
country has imposed upon them.
On Friday, November Goth, a High
Mass of Requiem for our soldiers and
sailors, who have given their lives for
us, will be sung in all our churches
to implore the eternal Judge of the
living and the dead to accept the
supreme sacrifice they have made for
God and Country as full atonement
for all their sins and speedily admit
them into the number of the blessed.
The Mass will be followed by Abso-
luton and prayers for the eternal re-
pose of their souls. A sermon, set
ting forth the merit of their sacrifice
would also be appropriate.
Cordially yours in Christ
Micheal James, Bishop of Detroit.
Owing to the epidemic of the In
fluenza these instructions cannot be
carried out to the letter in this parish
It is however expected that all
Catholic families will assemble in
their homes on these days and recite
the rosary or some other appropriate
and approved devotions for the patri-
otto and religious purposes mentioned
by the Bishop.
G.. Clarson.