Year: 1877




light, are but miserable counterfeit COM
pared with the solid and endearing league
created by Catholic faith and fostered by
Catholic charity.


THE CLERGY AND THE PEOPLE.


AS children of the same mother you have
solemn duties to discharge. The energies
OF the bishops and clergy are taxed to the
fullest extent. The duty develves upon US
not only Of ministeripg to the spiritual
wants OF the flock, but also Of administer
ing the temporalities OF the Church. We
are obliged to solicit funds for the construc9
ton OF churches, schools, and asylums, and
are held responsible for their payment.
And it speaks well for the financial admin
istration OF our hierarchy that, though they
are charged with the maintenance OF nearly
s6O, 900, 900 worth of property, the forced
sale of q church for debt among Us is not
only rare, but almost unprecedented.


We need your cooperation. Without you
we can do little or nothing. We clergy and
YOU people have the same interests. We
stand or fall together. We serve the same
God, are the children OF the same mother,
and heirs OF the same kingdom.


Cooperate with lis, first, by obeying the
Church with tilal devotion. She Is the
witness OF truth; the organ OF the HOLY
Ghost; the representative OF Him who mas
said ss He who heareth you, hearcth Me-"


IN UNION IRRESISTIBLE.


I'd. Take an active, personal, vital inter
est in all that concerns the welfare OF your
spiritual mother. Rejoice in her prosperity
Grieve at any adversely that may befall her.
Say with the Royal Prophet, ''If I. forget
thee, o Jerusalem, let my right hand be for.
gotten. Let my tongue cleaye to the rool
OF my mouth il do notTemember thee, and
place thee also in the beginning OF my
ways"


welcome you as brothers OF the same so
ciety. 1t is difficult to overestimate the
good which may be accomplished by an as
sociation like yours when it strictly keeps
within the limits permitted by It's rules ano
constitution. 1t is evident that greater
amount OF work can be accomplished by al
organized body OF men than by individuals
who labor without any concert OF action
Union is strength in the physical, moral, and
religious world.


Take a drop of water. How weak and
powerless it is as it moves on the palm oi
the hand. But let millions OF drops be
united together and directed to the same
object, and their force is Irresistible. LOOK
at the mighty Mississippi as it flows from
its rock-bound caverns to the Gull ol
Mexico. See how it swells as 1t advances
Every tributary stream increases its volume
and nastens its motion. 1t bears on lts
breast the treasures OF our western pralrleS
So with you. As individuals your power is
circumscribed; but united together you are
irresistible in your force, and will bear un'
told blessings to many an aching heart.


But sometimes the Mississippi oyerleaps
its natural boundaries. 1t bursts its leVees
and spreads ruin and dcsoation through the
fertile lands which it overfows. SO with
YOU. If you transgress the boundaries
fixed by your constitution you will waste
YOUR energies aM tSecome powerful for cVl
rather than for ssefd. Adhere, then, to the
letter and the spirit OF your constitution.


WISE MAXIM.


Follow the maxim OF father OF the
Church: In essentials, let there be unity
In open questions, liberty in all things,
charity.


81 beseech you that you walk worthy OF
the vocation in which you are called; with
patience supporting one another in charity,
careful to keep the unity Of the spirit in the
bond OF peace-one body and one spirit, as
YOU are called in one hope OF your Voca'
ton: one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father Of all, who is above
all, and through all, and in US ALL" You
should love one another because you are
Incorporated, says the Apostle, in the mys'
tical body OF the Church, and are also meul'
bers OF the same organization. Draw
comparison from the affection and sympa-
thy which the members OF the human body
have for one another.


You should love one another because your
society has one aim and one oblcct-the
temporal and spiritual advancement OF your
neighbor; therefore, you should all be AMI
mated by the same spirit.


You should love one another, because you
all possess the same faith. There is not
single article of the creed professcd by one
that is not professed by all. The same
waters OF baptism were poured on your
infant heads; the same sacraments Of con-
tirmation, eucharist, penance, extreme unc'
ton, dc.


ONE AND THE SANE FATHER.


You shall be united together because you
are all animated by the same hope OF pos
scssing the same happy home in Heaven.


You shall cling to one another because you
have all been redeemed by the same price
less and immaculate blood OF your Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ-bloOd that was shed
not only to cleanse your souls from sin, but
also to cement your hearts in love.


Finally, SAYS the Apostle, you should es.
teen one another, because you have one and
the same common Father in Heaven" one
God and Father Of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in us ALL"


invoke harmony on your deliberations
TT this ninth convention contributes to
more intimate acquaintance of the delegates
with one another; il it inspires you with
more earnest zeal in efectinS the works OF
benevolence prescribed by your constltu'
ton: il it fosters and strengthens among
YOU that spirit Of harmony and forbearance
which have hitherto marked your dellhera'
tions, you will not have assembled IN vain


At the conclusion Of the Bishops sermon
the Credo was sung by the choir. and mass
being concluded the procession formed in
the order mentioned yesterday, and filed
through the Capitol Square to the Govern
or's mansion, where his EXcellency deli
vered the following greeting:


Address or Governor Kemper.


Gentlemen,-I am happy to greet you here
to-day. In the name OF the oldest Of the
Commonwealths, in the spirit of Virginia's
hospitality, heartily and cordially welcome
your coming. learn that you come as rep
reseutatives OF an association organized to
promote benevolence, to dispense charity,
and to increase goodwill among men. Com
ing, as you do, from all the sections and
from many Of the States OF our common
country, you represent well the idea OF 8
harmonious national union; but the spirit
of that charity which you emblazon on your
banners reaches beyond the limits of this
great republic, for it embraces the fold Of
our common humanity, and its compass is
no less than the bounds Of the world.
You do well to assemble at the capital oi
Virginia. This is not merely the most an
cient Of the American States. 1t was the