People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1895 — Catholic Notes. [ARTICLE]

Catholic Notes.

The young men of the St. Aloysios Society approached holy communion last Sunday, and after high mass elected ofI ticers for the ensuing year. The I following young men were elected: President, Joseph Born- | trager; secretary, Francis Meyer; - treasurer, Thomas Eiglesbach ' and librarian, Joseph Luers. The object of the society is the 1 promotion of. good morals and I the diffusion of general knowlI edge, particularly in the interest of history, Christian etiquette and literature. Next Sunday the young ladies, of St. Rose Society will receive hob’ communion at the early mass and after high mass have their meeting/ for the annual [ election of officers. All are exI pected to be present. St. Vatentine. Valentine was a priest in Rome, who. with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs lip the persecution under Claudius 11. He was apprehended and sent by the emperor to the prei feet of Rome, who. on finding all jhis promises Io make him reI nounce his faith ineffectual, com- ' manded him to be beaten with [clubs, and afterwards to be be-

beaded, which was executed on the 14th of February, about the /ear 270. To abolish the heathen’s lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing thq name of g ; rls in honor of their goddess. Februta Juno, on the 15th of this month the clergy substituted names of saints in billets given on this day, but. although this gave the custom a religious aspect, still they did not succeed in extirpating this pagan practice. Up to the 15th century this custom prevailed in England, Scotland and many parts of France. On the eve of St.. Valentine’s day a number of young folks—maids and bachelors— would assemble, and inscribe upon little billets the names on'an equal number of maids and bachelors of their acouaintance, throw the whole into a receptacle of seme sort and then draw them lottery-wise-care, of course, being taken that each should draw’ one of the opposite sex. The one thus drawn became ones Valentine. The imaginary engagements, as may readily be supposed, often led to real ones; because one necessary consequence of them was, that after a whole year a bachelor re-

mained bound to the service of his Valentine, somewhat after the fashion of a medieval knight of romance to his lady love. At one period, it was customary for both sexes to make each other presents, but later on the obli gation seems to have been re stricted to young men. This practice has ceased since the 15th century to possess the sym bolic meaning it then had and had become a considerable nuisance. The approach of the day is now heralded by the appearance in the booksellers’ shop windows of vast numbers of missives calculated for use on this occasion, each generally consisting of a single sheet of paper, on the first of which is seen some ridiculous, colored caricature of rhe male or female figure, with a few burlesque verses below. More rarely, the print is of a sentimental kind, such as a view of Hymen’s altar, with a pair undergoing initiation into wedded happiness. Maid-servants and young fellows interchange such epistles with each other on the 14th of February, no doubt conceiving that the joke is amazingly good, whilst in many cases it brings gnef to the heart and unfriendly dispositions among associates.

Ctlltfe Nates. The Rev. Mathew Zumbuelte former pastor of of St. Augustine's church, paid a visit to his many friends in Rensselaer and Collegeville last Tuesday. •'Father M. Zumbuelte ingratiated himself with the Catholics of his place by the erection of St Augustine’s church and he is always cordially welcomed by his numerous friends. He .is at present in charge of a congregation at Hanover Center near Cedar Lake.

Will flossier of the Model and Ike Leopold of Wolcott, are in Chicago this week. Mrs. Emory’s “Seven Financial Conspiracies” should be read by every person in the United States. It gives a history of the legislation that has built ihe money power of America. Sent post paid to any address for 10 cents or three copies for 25 cents. Address this office. S. F. Wood, engineer at the electric light plant, was called to Pulaski county Sunday by the sickness of his wife at the home of her father, who died a few days ago. He returned Mon day, his wife being some better. Creviston’s market is a desir able place to order that Sunday roast.