Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-08-01
FATHER DOETTERL.
EXTOLS CATHOLICS
trays Lord That All People May Sec
His Faith as One and Only
Church of God

Henderson's Catholic pastor. Rev
Leo Gerard Doetterl, yesterday in his
church uttered prayer, calling upon
900 Tor most unusual favor Father
'Doetterls prayer, copy of which
was furnished by him, follows:
: Dear Heavenly Father, l beg Of
you, in. your love for the, souls Of
these people of Henderson, arouse in
the hearts of these dear people an
interest in the, serious business of
knowing and cherishing that which
constitutes right believing and right
living. Give them hunger Tor cor
rect faith and for correct morals.
Cure them of this Eastern North Car
DINA curse of religious Indifference.
Eighty percent of Henderson's peo-
pie are neither Catholic nor Protes-
tant church-goera. They are indif-
ferentists. They frame their own faith
they make expediency their only
guide in morals. They do not even
ask what is the holy will of God. AS
l see it, Christ may as well not have
come upon earth that first Christmas
night, as far as these people are con-
cerned. They do not investigate which
is the true church; they show by their
actions that they are not concerned
whether there is a church actually
founded by the Son of God. They do
not care about His sacraments.
MY dear Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, you once said, I wish that
thou vert hot or cold; but, because
thou are neither hot nor cold, I be-
gin to vomit thee forth from my
mouth. 1t is the only occasion, dear
Jesus, when you went so far in your
human encouragement, as to speak
OF vomiting. You were disguised with
cbld and unfeelihg relE:pus indif-
ference.
Dear Lord and God. those dear
people, without Faith and without
fixed Morals, seem not to think about
right and wrong until their own sons
and daughters are in disgrace before
the bar of civil justice. Teach these
people to make the precious inherit
ance of right believing and of right
living an important part of the home
atmosphere, a chief duty on the part
of parental training, and a central
factor in their philosophy of life. If
this is too much to ask, that Faith
and divine love be suddenly returned
them after long years of indifference,
please, dear God, send us few spirit
ed 3bigots, strong bigots, who will ut
ter publicly their hoary false charges
against your holy church, that we
may publicly answer them, that we
may vindicate your holy church, that
the virtuous element among the peo-
pie here may clearly discover that
the sweet voice of the Savior still
rings with authority throughout the
ancient church, and that your holy
church still can furnish complete Gre
dentials, and can still bring perfect
peace to those who are humble enough
to pray and earnest enough to in
vestigate. Take away from others
that bondage Of spirit by which they
cling to a man-made sect which they
themselves know is not thy church.
Give them all at least the spirit of
honest search and inquiry. The soul
and core of the religious spirit is the
desire to do the will of our Maker.
Give them all this restless desire, I'M
til they have learned the truth which
will make them free, the truth which
you have forever bequeathed to your
one authorized agency on earth, the
changeless and indestructible church
Of Rome. Amen"