The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-22
SERVICE FLAG UNVEILED
TRIBUTES FOR SOLDIERS
Splendid Ceremonies Are Carried Out at Vernon
Center; Patriotic Address Delivered By
Rev. Father Colbert
From Fridays Daily.


SO beautifully decorated as was st.
Matthews last Sunday afternoon, the
occasion being the dedicating and
unwilling of beautiful silk United
States flag and service flag con-
tanning five stars. Rev. Father Col
bert purchased these flags from a
Chicago firm. They were made by
the Sisters of the Good Shepard, the
stars are hand embroidered, and the
colors extremely rich which make
them really works of art The Unit
ed States flag was at the right of
the sanctuary and the service flag at
the left. Both flags were unveiled
by the altar boys, Charles Kraus and
Edmund Good during the dedicating
program. The national colors and
small flags were used to advantage
about the church, bunting was
stretched across the front of the bal
cony from the center of which hung
a red cross banner the rod of which
was wound with red satin ribbon
and wide ribbon streamers extended
from the both ends of the rod down
the sides of the banner, a tripod of
small flags were in each window. Red
roses and smilaX were used about
the altar and red roses filled the tall
altar vases and bowls of red and
cream roses were paced in front of
the statuary at either side of the al
tar
The service began by Rev. Father
Colbert reading that beautiful i'm
pressive soldiers prayer, composed in
1900, by Bishop Carroll of Carroll
town. This was followed by the
singing of America led by the choir
in which the audience Joined. Mrs.
Thomas Caven presided at the organ
accompanied by Lyle Cooper on the
slide trombone. Mr.. Cooper accom-
panied in all the musical numbers,
and the choir greatly appreciated his
playing which added so much pleas
ure and impressiveness to the occa-
sion. When about in the center of
his address, Father Colbert paused,
removed his baret and in reverence
stood facing the congregation while
the boys unveiled the two flags, while
the strains of the national song was
played, with one accord all rose and
stood while singing the anthem.
At the close of the address "The
Red, White and Blue" was sung, Mrs.
Caven was soloist, the audience sing
ing the chorus with slide trombone
accompaniment. The Benediction of
the blessed sacrament and the song,
Holy God We Praise Thy Name
was a most fitting closing to this
service which will long be remem-
bered by those who were so FORUM
ate as to be present After sketch
Ing the origin, spirit and progress of
our country, Father Colbert contin-
ued:
I'm the old world whoever was
straitened or oppressed whoever
sought for richer life and wider OPP
portunity turned to America. And
what did America do? Did she raise
a forbidding hand? No, no. Amer
lea true to the spirit that gave her
birth. True to her heroic founders
who wrought and sacrificed and
dared and died that she might live a
safe haven for the oppressed of all
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. America OPP
ened wide her shelttering arms and
welcomed them to her bosom as her
own children. She opened wide her
rich treasure store of incentive, in
spiration and recompense. She said
to them, Here is liberty; here is
good will; here is willingness; here
is invitation to all; here is opportun-
ity reckoning to every faculty of the
human SOUL She clothed them in
the regal mantle of her sovereign
manhood. She placed them upon the
high road to achieve their God-giy-
en- destiny. She lavished her bless
1ngs upon them no less profusely
than upon those who were born in
to her heitage. She would make nc
distinction. All are equally her chill
dren. And now when her honor. he]
place among the nations of the world
Their pledge to humanity, her duty tt
you and to me and to all her citi.
ZenS) require that she take decisive
action, eventuating In her utter ex
termination or in Freedom For Al
Forever, who of all her children shall
now seek to separate from the res
and repudiate their sacred obliga.
tons of filial love and obedience
Surely not her sons and daughter
who are blood of her blood and lif,
OF her life. And surely not her SON
and daughters who so eagerly sough
and who so graciously received adop
ton into her great family of free an,
noble men and women. By the i'm
pelllng force of overmastering graft
tude they, too, must stand up with al
her grateful sons and daughters an
be counted among her wholehearte
and unwavefing defenders. Con
scious of our privilege, our oppor
tunity and our duty, it well become
us all to stand in serried colum
one hundred millions strong agains
our ruthless foe.
AS st. Matthew's parish of Verno
Center we glory in our allegiance t
our God and to our country. We re
spond most heartily to the dictate
of religion and patriotism. We valu
and welcome the presence of our Non
Catholic fellow citizens and ask the1
to share in our joy today. We unfu
the flag of our country and the hon
or flag of our congregation. We p,aC
both along side the sacred flag of GU
spiritual allegiance-the Cross of Jes
us Christ. For we recognize that q
the cross is the emblem of the trut
on which Christianity is founded so
the flag of our country the emblel
of the fruit that Christianity ha
borne and so is our service flag til
emblem of the force, with both hay
gripped our souls. The cross hans
above us a constant reminder of IL
vol. GoI