People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1895 — Catholic Notes. [ARTICLE]

Catholic Notes.

Service will be held every Friday evening during Lent at 7:30, in St. Augustine’s church. Next Sunday au explanation on the sacrament of baptism will be given at 10 a. m. St. Patrick'* l*a», 17th March. On the 17th inst. the church will present us again the glorious memory of the Apostle of Ireland, a saint, we may say, oi a most extraordinary character, in whatever lignt he is considered. His mission seems to have been a sudden illumination, a rapid conquest, of a whole nation; and although one of the earliest preachers of the go-nv>i in Europe, his hold upon faithful people once conv*-. u is apparently as strong t> - fourteen hundred years at'it death, as it ever was. No • . :

saint we cau think of, co,. <»« compared to St. Patrick for tue permanancy, the freshness, the server and intensity of love of the lam. he drew from the darkness of idolatry to tne brightness of divine faith. Before the island of the Britons had emerged from the shadow of Paganism; before the nation of the Franks had heard the name of the true G >d; while the vast Germania totally iguored the coming of Const upon earth; while all the nations of the north were still asleep in the darkness of infidelity; previous to the awake ling of tuese various people, St. Patrick raised in Ireland the torch of divine light, and announced the good m ive, the happy tidings of salvation to the astonished and docile Hibernians. The heavenly seed took at once a marvelous root through the whole island, wtiieh divine grace had blessed even more richly than nature. From the beginning, saints succeeded to saints, in q, ’hey covered the land. Churches arose everywnere; sen joio aud monasteries were founded in which science and exalted virtue continued long to flourish. Such was indeed the renown of Ireland for sanctity and learning, that, by common consent, she received the glorious titm of "the island of saints;” foreig lers flocked to her shores to be instructei in religion and letters, and a residence in Ireland was considered as almost essential to establish a literary charac-

ter. Not content with affording an asylum to strangers at home, | the sons of Hibernia crossed the j seas to diffuse the same blessings? abroad. All the neighboring nations, England, France, Germany, and Switzerland, profited by the zeal and learning of Irish I missionaries, and the most cele-; brated nurseries of science in those remote ages were founded or improved by Irish scholars. And When the epoch of the great, apostacy came in the sixteenth] century; when the German de- I section was followed up at turns I by England and Scotland, finally] by the whole north, Ireland] stood firm, alone; and no persecution, however artful or atrocions, for full three hundred ■rears, has ever been able to. - i ike the faith once implanted the Irish heart by St. Patrick. R aised be forever the glorious . la; her of such heroic children.

The Stanislas Literary Society gave an elaborate program of addresses, and musical and literary numbers at the Forester’s hall last Sunday evening. Thei program was the fruit of two• weeks of careful preparation \. and reflects great credit on the; taste and judgment of the officers. The audience besides being nu-, merous was intelligent and appreciative one. It is a matter of! regret that the public at large I cannot be admitted,, a« onl y members of the St. Augustine’s congregation can be present at the exercises. Many, who from lack of room are debarred, would highly appreciate the work of the society. The musicia! members consisted of excellent performance on the organ, violin, cornet and mandolin by Messrs John and Jerry Healy and their sister, Miss Maggie. The Meyer sisters gave much pleasure by their vocal duet, and the solo rendered in such a good voice by Miss Annie Meyer was duly ap- j precia’ed. The prophecy by j Mr Francis Meyer was well received by the audience. The recitations by the Misses Maggie. Healy. Annie Walters, and Cinda Maclainburg elicited merited applause. The description of Niagara Falls was scientifically t-eated by Miss Amzie Beck, and showed careful preparation. Tle comical dialogue by tlv Mi liens brothers was calculate to cheer the audience aud will be repeated at the next meeting j

The society paper was carefully edited and besides being humerous contained also many good moral lessons, which when observed and put in practice, will serve to fit youth morally and socially for life.