This pamphlet was conceived in enthusiasm by men and women who are bristling with PEP to build a Beautiful Church in St. James Parish. They are impatiently waiting: they are clamoring for action. They want YOU to know what they propose doing. They hope you will be with them. Don't look for a seat in the Grand Stand -- People who do things move -- the disinterested sit and watch -- Our Parish Big Drum is beating a marching tune -- "LET'S GO."
Get ready, children, and have mother arrange your school togs so that you can jump into them next Tuesday morning when the parochial school will formally open at 8:30 with Mass and Benediction. It will be all the better if the girls have their school uniform which consists of a white "Peter Pan" blouse, and blue pleated skirt. This order extends to all the children with the exception of the girls in the Kindergarten. They can wear whatever dress mother thinks most suitable.
There will be a new Sister Superioress this year. Sister Gabriel's term has expired. On a post card recently received from her she stated she was returning to St. Louis but did not mention to what school she was appointed. She will be succeeded at St. James by Sister Georgiana who was the principal in charge of the parochial school at the Little Flower parish, Richmond Heights, until last June. Very good reports have preceded her. Of course. we don't expect her to be better than Sister Gabriel, but we do hope she will prove as satisfactory.
Sister Marietta continues to be indisposed and her place will be taken by Sister Antonia.
There is reason for believing that there will be a change in class books this year. The school board is always on the lookout for improved methods of imparting instruction and discard old books that the pupils may have the advantage of better ones. Not all the books will be changed.
The school rooms under the care of Mr. Thompson are spic and span. They are inviting and attractive. Hope you will like them and avoid deliberate defacement of walls and furniture. The school is your home for the greater part of many days and you should endeavor to keep it neat.
You are asked to do a little scouting before school opens and to invite to St. James School the children of your Catholic neighbors. This is really a missionary work entrusted to your care. The child's salvation may depend upon it. Of course you will be expected to bring your little brother or sister who is of school age. Children over five years of age are eligible. Many parents foolishly presume that a child in the Kindergarten cannot learn religion, but that is a mistake, a child must live religion before he learns it and little ones are quick to pick up Catholic practices such as the habit of truth and obedience, reverence and respect for pastors, parents and teachers, the importance and meaning of confession, communion and Mass as well as unselfishness in their dealings with their companions.
There are many ltttle boys and girls who have not older brothers or sisters and who live at a distance from St. James School. Their parents won't know what to do about them, they will be fearful to leave them travel alone: now here's where you could help; look around about your neighborhood as soon as you can, preferably before school opens, and offer your services to anxious mother and tell her that you will call every day for brother or sister and take good care of him on his way to and from school.
The parents will appreciate your kindness and the children will be your lifelong friends. Every boy and girl in later years recall the first day he went to school and who it was that accompanied him.
About medical care and how it can he had. You shall ask your teacher. There will be a charge of $1 for each child who avails of this medical attention. It is not compulsory, if your parents so wish they can take you periodically to the family doctor, but our expertence tells us that parents are often neglectful in this respect and take it for granted that everything is well because the boy or girl keeps "running."
Your child is not entirely yours. God gave him a soul which is his life. God loves him as much as you do and wants his love. In the parochial school your little one will be taught his duty to God and to his fellow human beings.
Your child's happiness extends beyond this mortal life. Don't jeopardize its eternal future by neglecting the means of salvation. Religion is not a school task or a periodical lesson on good conduct. It is a life or a way of life, a good way to a better life and a training to conquer oneself and keep God's Law.
Your child is innocent now and will continue to be as long as he remains young but with the years will come development, passion, and companionship. He will regulate his life by his own conception of what is proper. You will not be by his side to check or reprove him. God alone knows what temptations are before him. There is one thing you can do and that is impart to him your conscience. The school will aid you in this transmission but it is very doubtful if the child will be ever very much better than you are yourself in your visible character and conduct.
There is little good in sending a child to a parochial school unless you cooperate with the teachers in the development of his character. Whether you believe it or not you must always insist that the teacher cannot be wrong. At times perhaps, the teacher, like yourself, may be displeasing to the child, reproofs are always irritating and have a tendency to arouse prejudice, but the teacher who is conscientious must faithfully discharge this duty and reprimand the child who is lazy, inattentive or mischievous.
The standard of conduct imposed on Catholic school children is the Ten Commandments of God. The Sisters in charge will insist that the children comply with these laws and teach them it is a mortal sin to grievously violate them. You are not cooperating with the teacher if you openly flout those laws by such scandalous conduct as having meat on Friday at the family meal, or when you miss Mass on Sunday without sufficient cause. Frequently children have been found attending the parochial school whose language is a disgrace to anyone who professes Christianity. There is nothing so unbecoming a Catholic child as a foul mind and a dirty tongue. Bad companions are often the cause of this depravity but conscientious parents will not permit their children to go with whomsoever they please; a child is not always a good companion because he or she is a Catholic; there are good and bad Catholics as there are good and bad parents. We are often doubtful as to whether it is practical to take into our parochial school children whose parents are foul-mouthed and depraved. When we do so we are extending a charity to the child, who after all, is not responsible for his parents' bad example and vulgar conduct.
The Catholic school is of its nature selective. As a rule the association is good, clean and helpful and the influence of a nun to promote virtue is immense; her life is a daily sermon and her clothes and facial expression constantly turn the child's attention to God.
Parents have greater reason in this depraved age, to safeguard the morals of their children. It is not impossible that your child will become a gangster or a depraved woman. The flesh and blood of human beings are much the same under the skin. The only difference there seems to be in individuals is that of intelligence, character and conduct.
The Catholic school is professedly a character builder.
Rev. Basile Joseph Luyet, of the order or missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, whose monastery is in Fribourg, Switzerland, has taken up residence at 6206 Victoria Ave.
He has been appointed associate professor of biology at the school of Medicine, St. Louis University, and has been saying one of the Masses on Sundays during the past few weeks.
Is the end in sight?
When do the hard times end? is a question that is being asked of everyone who is presumed to know, and the answer is a guess. Reading over the latest guesses we have come to the conclusion that the hard times will continue until there is a change of mind and heart. The struggle that the laboring classes are having for existence is not the result of a physical catastrophe such as storm, flood, earthquake, or epidemic; its roof is the growth of a wrong idea in our social structure. Who would ever think that a wrong idea, or a false philosophy would have so wide an extension and could cause so much misery! Yet, the trouble has undoubtedly come from a false concept of man's duty to man. Everyone knows that the market is flooded with goods; think of the farmer picking and carting peaches to St. Louis from some faraway country orchard and selling them for 10 or 150 a bushel; what a heartbreak he must experience as he goes from store to store and commission house to commission house, doubting if he will be able to get enough to defray the expense of the gasoline. The same is true of wheat-a recent report states there are five and a half thousand million bushels of unsold wheat in the world; six million tons of unsold sugar; twenty-eight million bales of cotton; the colossal surplus stock of rubber of last year has increased by one hundred and thirty thousand tons: the unsold stocks of copper have increased by six thousand tons: the Brazilian government burned recently six hundred seventy-five thousand bags of coffee, and our farm board has suggested that the farmer burn every third row of cotton.
Every country in the world appears to have so far improved its machinery as to be able to create a surplus in food, clothes. and general equipment; there is no foreign market except among very backward nations, and the home market is also dead because the impoverished thousands have no money to make a purchase or a way of earning it.
How has this condition come about.? Evidently there has been injustice somewhere: man has failed in discharging his duty to his fellow man. The current false idea is that there can be no injustice in the taking of profits and in the accumulation of wealth. Protestant churches as a body have frittered their time away in arousing moral indignation about trivial things and they have been blind to the one big moral issue: namely Social justice, or the justice that should prevail in man's dealing with his fellow man. The Catholic Church has all the time maintained correct principles concerning commutative justice or the justice that relates to exchange, but the Catholic Church has been sidetracked in its efforts. It has been maligned, blackballed, and expelled from congresses, senates and parliaments of nations. Its teachings have been ignored and its counsels scoffed at. The world knew its own business and the wisdom of man has failed, and the poor and honest laborers are the sufferers. What are these Christian principles that have been ignored? They are a just wage, a reasonable profit and a divine obligation on every individual and corporation to be humanitarian in their dealings with the laborers whom they employ.
In every industry there are three factors for success: the man, the money and the machine. The man is the most important element. His happiness should be the end and aim of all industry, but this has been lost sight of. The machinery is carefully inspected and protected from deterioration; the account books are balanced and must show a profit; but the man and his family are entirely ignored. Their ailments, their emotions, their recreation and spiritual development are disregarded in the rush for wealth. The monster of modern progress is selfishness, sordid human selfishness, and it has eaten up the man. There is no pity, no sympathy, no looking in at the door, no word of encouragement. the man may rot and starve and his ghost may shriek at the rich man's banquet, but his cry of agony falls on deaf ears. Christianity is dying, Christianity is - dead, and our social structure is in agony.
A master's words are needed, a master's love is necessary, but the modern philosopher has ignored the master and his teachings, the vital spark that energizes the human heart and makes it human is extinguished, the labor lord is like his machine and his heart is made of steel.
We don't blame him nor do we censure him. He is the product of the times and our social ethics. From his childhood he was taught selfishness and was educated to be a great business magnet. Money was held up to him as the sumum bonum or the one great: good of life and his ethics were summed up in the old adage "Everything is fair in love or war," he was out to win and be it to his credit, he has made life for himself a success, he is probably sorry for those who are left behind in the race, but "woe to the vanquished." He has had his struggles in competition, his life has been a battle with other monsters like himself, the big fish swallow little ones and the honest capitalist was compelled to use every means to develop his strength, or, a greater one would come and consume him. Underselling or selling without a profit is as unethical from a social standpoint as selling at too high a profit, but these are the tactics employed in modern business, one of these tactics are-accumulate sufficient capital so as to be able to undersell the cost of production and give a rival a knockout blow. The biggest racket in the world comes under the heading of mergers. The merging corporations are gigantic and have unlimited capital at their back. Through mass production, overhead is eliminated and competitors cannot give a fair wage or a humanitarian consideration to their employees if they are to survive, so business has become a war and an insatiable thirst for destruction, and as General Sherman said, "War is hell." Is there a remedy or a hope of peace? Make your own guess, you know the human heart and its passions. The child is father of the man and the child has been educated for worldly success; the higher qualities of his nature have been ignored. God has been left out of his life and his spiritual development has been almost entirely neglected. He may have had good parents who were conscientious and religious, but when he went out of his home he soon learned that conscience was an impediment to success and that religion offered rewards that bore no immediate profits. Usually he dropped religion and religious principles from his daily dealings with his fellow man and as a sop to his conscience he gave a contribution to his church or an endowment to a school, and in this way often made the headlines in the front page of the daily press as being a great philanthropist.
It is common knowledge that our elections are financed by contributions from big corporations, our legislators in many instances are the men whom our capitalists have purchased from a voting public. They are creatures of the money market, they are mercenaries and not statesmen, their vote on legislation is as standardized as the rubber stamp of the corporations that had them elected. There is little hope of a change as long as party lines are kept intact, there is little difference in the caliber of party men be they Democrats or Republicans; they are all branded with the same stick. and as a body are well characterized as politicians-men who are not afraid to stain their aurelian robe by association with the rajahs of the underworld.
If a cure is to be found for the pressing ills of the moment, we must go away back to our Christian civilization and find in it our model. The old time employer whose faithful servants often sat at his board and told the tale of their simple struggles to a sympathetic ear and a noble heart, a man who loved men more than money and who cared not for any better profit than the power of doing good; the laborer was his in affection; in the rainy day as well as in the day of sunshine, he was gladdened by his smile and saddened by his tears. He knew his children and had them running errands, he approved of their good behavior and frowned on their delinquencies. He set up a feast at their marriages, was present at their funerals and shed a tear at their graves. He paid an honest wage for honest labor and he would hold himself in utter contempt if he became conscious whilst he feasted that there was one of his dependent's children crying for bread.
This Christian ideal was planted, cultivated and watered by the ancient Christian Church. The human race was regarded as one big family that had God as its father and no member of that family could regard himself as an honorable member of society unless he assumed a sense of duty and responsibility for the welfare of those around him. His surplus capital was not his own, it was God's benefice for the use of his children, he was only the steward and after all his own reasonable wants were supplied, the surplus and not the crumbs was the property of the poor. This is still the ideal of the Catholic Church, but who minds the Catholic Church? It's an outlaw in society, it is still the scarlet woman.
And the statesman was the intelligent practical defender of the public good, whose benevolence and intelligence distinguished him in his own community, and was extended through his election to office to the broader ways of public life. He towered over his fellows because of his integrity. The man did not seek the office, the office sought the man. His worthiness went abroad as the ripples in a placid lake when moved by the passage of a majestic ship. His reputation for distinguished service was the impulse that ruled his conduct and his eloquence had a magnetic attraction of sincerity. He did not rig his sails to move with the wind, he often faced the storm and if he were shipwrecked before reaching the harbor of his ambitions he went down with forsail and broken mast, but still the captain of his own soul.
These may be only characters created by a benevolent imagination, but if we are to think in terms of social betterment, our conceptions of human worth must be bigger and more beautiful than the concrete characters of the men whose leadership has led us to the stagnant pool of distress. We must think in terms of higher good and motivate our deeds by nobler thoughts than self-interest and sordid gain.
And as to relieving the present distress we must rise to higher levels of method than that of passing the hat under the eye of the boss among a force of indignant clerks and people of moderate means.
Though farm produce is so plentiful that our statesmen would have it burned. the farmer cannot relieve the distress of the growing army in our breadline because he and they have not enough of money to defray the expense of carriage and distribution of the goods. This is a time for Christian men and philanthropists to give a practical demonstration of benevolence.. Gentlemen! you have captured the wealth of the world, the poor are poor because you have not left them a cent. Come across! not with your paltry dimes but with your million dollars and our benevolent organizations will find an easy way near at home to dispose of our surplus goods.
P.J. O'C.
The winter schedule for Sunday Masses at St. James' Church goes into effect the first Sunday in September and the time of each Mass will be put forward a half hour.
First Mass - 6:00 A.M.
Second Mass - 7:30 A.M.
Third Mass - 9:00 A. M.
Last Mass-lO:30 A. M.
Notice there is an hour and one-half between each of the four Masses and the first begins at 6:00. This order will prevail for nine months and abolishes previous regulations given in the directory frequently published in "Let's Go."
Societies and sodalities will go to Communion at the second Mass and confessions will be heard immediately preceding it.
The Holy Hour will be held the Thursday preceding the first Friday, at 7:45 p.m. and confessions as usual.
Confessions will be heard on Saturday and the eve of Holy-days from 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and from 7:30 until 9:00 p.m. Baptisms on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Week day Masses 6:30 and 8:30. The 6:30 is permanent.
Don't forget there is NOT an 11:00 Mass.
Invite your non-Catholtc friends to listen in on the Catholic Hour which is broadcast from 6 to 7 on Sunday evenings.
A special meeting of all the fathers in the parish who are interested in the continuance of the formation of Boy Scout troops in the parish is called for Wednesday evening, September 9th, in the School Hall at 8 o'clock.
Mr. Morgan P. Foley, Scout Master, Mr. John J. Wack, Chairman, and the other members of the committee have given faithful and unstinted service to the Boy Scout troop during the past year. They have taken the boys on frequent outings and devoted every Wednesday night to their training, but a doubt has arisen in their minds if the boys' parents appreciate the training that is being given them. Hence this meeting is called and is intended to be a "show-down."
If Boy Scouting is deemed an advantage, preparation should be made to extend it to all the available boys in the parish. A single troop is only a practical illustration of what a Boy Scout movement means.
The Pastors believe that Boy Scouting prepares a boy for upright and honorable citizenship, makes him self-sustaining, energetic and considerate. But the Church does not propose extending its activities beyond a reasonable range, parents must come in some place. It is the duty of the parents to sustain and promote in a reasonable way the Boy Scout movement in the parish.
Son, if you want to be a Boy Scout, get your daddy or big brother to be present at the meeting next Wednesday night.
A convert class will open in the Rectory on Tuesday, September 8th, at 7:30 p.m. Those who come will be treated with the utmost consideration. They will be under no obligation to embrace the Catholic faith and will be urged to ask questions. The Catholic Church is an old church, her priests are usually well educated and kindly-hearted men They understand the difflculties that have to be overcome by a mind that is battling to reach the truth.
In the instruction class that will be held in the Rectory there will be given a simple straight-forward statement of Catholic truth such as a priest might give to a dear and inquiring relative. Tell this to your non-Catholic friends and volunteer to accompany them on their first visit to the Rectory.
Forty-Hour devotion will open in St. James Church on Friday, October 2nd, and close on the following Sunday. The schedule of devotions wi11 he announced from the Altar on the previous Sunday.
A few whispers settled it. The pastor decided on a trip to Colorado because Mr. Mar- tin Coad procured him a pass on the Missouri Pacific Railroad to Pueblo. Martin Coad, you must know, is a big gun in the Misaouri Pacific. He boosts this railroad with as much enthusiasm as a man might who owns it, and his superiors appreciate his interest. So he had little difficulty in procuring a special pass for Father O'Connor on the fast train, the Scenic Special.
When the train left Union Station at 2 p.m. August 24th there were three happy people at least, in one of the pullmans, Father O'Connor, Mr. and Mrs. Coad. The latter were going to Kansas City, Father O'Connor presumably was on a fishing trip, he had all the equipment including a basket and landing net, but something went wrong some- where, he didn't go fishing.
At Pueblo he and two clerical companions were the guests of Mr. McCord, a lawyer. It so happened that Mr. McCord, though an interesting scholar, knew nothing about fishing nor did the others in the party, and Father had to accept the inevitable and forego his inclination to go fishing. He spent a day or two motoring in the mountains and learned that there is no good fishing within 200 miles of Colorado Springs.
The third day of his vacation his clerical friends induced him to drive with them to their homes in Kansas which entailed a journey of 425 miles. They made it in the afternoon of one day, but took "a few hours from the night, my dear." Their journey carried them through Garden City, Dodge City and Great Bend, where they put up for the night. Next day, which was Friday, Father O'Connor visited old school fellows who are feeding the flock in Kansas, amongst them Father John Davern, Grand Rapids; Father Eugene Teahan, Ellsworth; Father Dan Mulvihill, Lincoln; Father McManus Wilson; and he also met the first priest Whom he ever saw ordained, Father Michael Fleming. He was deeply impressed with the missionary labors of these Irishmen. The greater part of Kansas is a missionary field in which the Faith would have perished were it not for the number of volunteer priests who came there from Ireland. These immense plains are very different from the shaded dells and lovely lanes of their native land. They look lonely and uninviting because of their vastness. There is little or no forestation. A field is usually a section of country whose boundaries touch the distant horizon. The land is luxurious and this territory is included in the corn and wheat belt of the United States. The towns are about 20 miles apart. One of them through which the party passed was a Spanish settlement and another was mostly inhabited by Russian immigrants from the Volga. There is usually a Catholic Church in each town or at least a Mission. The automobile has made it possible for the priest to cover a large extensive territory and to keep in contact with his scattered flock. This reunion, though it only lasted for a day, was extremely interesting and delightful to Father O'Connor.
At 2 o'clock on Friday morning he entrained at Hoisington and reached home in time to hear confessions. He said he was doubtful that he was on a vacation since he spent two of the five nights on the train, one in a tourist camp, and covered in that time about 6OO miles by automobile and 1000 miles by railroad.
Mr. Will Lindhorst. the popular magician who recently ran a series on tricks in the St. Louis Star and a pupil of Thurston, will entertain at the Holy Name quarterly meeting, which will be held in the Old Church Hall on Monday, September 14th. at 8 p.m. The officers of the Society are meeting success in their efforts to procure talent and are planning an enjoyable evening.
The June quarterly meeting went over big for the junior members. There were two boxing bouts of three rounds each - a fast and peppy exposition of the art of fistic self defense. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Hoogstradt, president of the Diocesan Union of the Holy Name Society. At this meeting a discussion ensued pertaining to the membership dues as a means for raising funds. A change in the times necessitates it was said, a departure from the old method of procuring funds through entertainments.
At the next meeting plans for holding a Triduum will be discussed. The executive committee fears that a successful Triduum cannot be held unless a majority of the men of the parish take an active interest in promoting this devotion. Last year it will be remembered Father Shaw, a Redemptorist Father, was invited to conduct the exercises and came here from Denver. The expense of a Triduum is considerable and should not be incurred unless there is evidence of co-operation of all the members of the Holy Name Society.
Your presence at or absence from the quarterly meeting will be interpreted by the officers as an indication of your willingness or unwillingness to promote this admirable and interesting devotion.
You are welcome to St. James Parish.
Make yourselves at home, and give us the cooperation you have been accustomed to give in the parish from which you came.
From the time you took your residence within the parish boundaries the parish buildings were yours, or at least you have as much claim to them as have those of the flock who labored and made sacrifices to erect them.
The school is modern. The Dominican nuns who teach have their Mother House in New York and need no recommendation. They are as a body excellent teachers. The church was erected only a few years since and you can see for yourselves it is a work of art.
The Pastors also are at your service. They are the only priests who are obligated by Canon law to attend to your spiritual needs, and should all occasion, such as all epidemic, arise or a virulent and contagious disease attack a member of your family, they will be with you.
They are your priests, the Church is your church, the school is your school and the parish is your parish as long as you are within the limits of the territory assigned to our care.
There is no compulsion about dues, though we have a $65,000.00 parish debt and a big monthly overhead. There are no school dues, pew rent, or "drive at the door. We treat you as we would wish others to treat us. We expect you to be decent, honorable and zealous for the glory of God.
An extensive activity like a parish cannot go on unless it is given generous support. Reasonable people know this and are practicable in their contributions. They give according to their means.
We ask each wage earner to give 4 cents out or each dollar he earns. The same is asked of you. There may be some peculiar stress that makes this difficult, in which case we only ask you to do your best.
People who are not disposed to give try to pick faults with everything and everybody, and to justify their disregard for their lack or parochial interest. See and hear the evidence and form your own judgment.
The order of going to Communion in St. James' Church has been in the experimental stage during the past year and the ushers' committee are well satisfied with the results. A majority of the parishioners apprecaate the order that has been established and prove of having the front pews retained solely for those going to Holy Communion. There are, however, a considerable minority who experience some difficulty in getting back to their places in church, and, as the order has been established solely for the welfare of the congregation, it has been thought expedient to now extend the privilege of going up the sides or coming down the center not only to those who are invalids, but also to others in the congregation who find it more convenient to remain in the pews toward the rear of the church.
All that is asked of them is not to disrupt the order now established for sodalities and those who prefer to avail of the advantage that communicants have who retain the front pews.
After an illness of two years Henry W. Carreras, brother to Miss Marie Carreras, the church organist, died Tuesday, August 18th at his home, 2710 Ellendale Avenue. He was 80 years old and had been in the printing business in St. Louis about 50 years. He is survived by his widow and three daughters. Mr. Carreras was well known in Maplewood where he lived during the past forty years. He was much respected by all who knew him. His funeral was held from the Immnaculate Conception Church in Maplewood. May he rest in peace.
Dominican Nuns: In reply to your inquiry how to become a Dominican Nun consult Sister Superioress in St. James Convent. She will gladly give you all the facts.
Why don't the strange priests who say Mass at St. James Church preach? Because they are not permitted to do so by Canon Law unless they have the faculties of the Diocese.
On August 5th at Asbury Park, N.J., ten thousand Lutherans celebrated the 400th anniversary of the signing of the Augsburg confession. This apparently, was a day of retrospect. Professor Walter A. Maier of Concordia Theological Seminary in st. Louis is reported to have said "Twenty-five thousand churches in this country are dead or dying, conversion to Christianity seems to be at an end."
"So ruthless and so brutal are the atrocious inroads which the atheistic Bolshevists are making in the Christian Church," said Dr. Maier, "that a wave of hot resentment and fiery protest has swept over the churches of our country; and so scathing is our denunciation of this bloody persecution that we have overlooked a very similar tendency right here within the confines of this so-called Christian country.
"Moscow may be 3000 miles away; the Russian atheist in his racial affinities, in his appearance, in his dress, in his custom, in his morals, in his education and his whole philosophy of life may be as far from the American free thinker and the American liberalist and skeptic preacher as any two conceivable extremes can differ from each other; yet when it comes to religion - or the lack of it and the opposition to it - we are not as far from Russia as we think we are, and the rampant reaction against religion which charactertizes the rule of Red ruin is near at hand."
Undoubtedly Dr. Maier attributed this failure not to the Augsburg confession but not-withstanding it. He apparently is a man who faces facts and the fact is that Christianity has been grievously wounded by the Auxsburg confession.
Four hundred years ago religion as it prevailed in Christian lands was given "the once over" and Ecclesiastictsm or a Church that. had divine right to rule was dethroned and individual conscience was made supreme judge of things spiritual. Many of the tenets of the ancient religion were rejected but as there was not unanimity of decision as to what was to be retained and what discarded, great confusion arose and the Christian world split into congenial groups of individuals. Instead of a Church there was Churches. Many conflicting dogmas were taught. Teachers debated, argued and condemned one another. Some said Baptism was necessary to Salvation, others replied that Faith alone was sufficient. There was unanimity only on one point and that was that the old church should be opposed, its adherents despised and persecuted and its freedom to teach curtailed. This constitutes the first page of the history of the Reformation.
The second opens with a working agreement among the sects. They agreed to disagee. Truth, it was assumed, had no particular significance. There was nothing definite and therefore nothing should be defined as dogma or absolute truth. The teachings, in part, of all the early general councils of the church were rejected. Believe what you please, became an axiom, but don't believe there is any Divinely instituted organization or church.
This broad toleration extended even to atheists but it stopped short when it came to Jews and Catholics. These groups were outlawed. In many countries they were denied the ordinary privileges of citizenship. They were permitted to exist and labor but their status was that of people who could not be trusted to vote or participate in government. In this way the ruling classes in all the countries of the world with a few exceptions became associated with the ideals of the Reformation.
Our modern civilization, therefore, is to a great extent, a product of the Reformation and as such should be judged at the tribunal of justice and truth.
I will recount its achievements. It has emphasized the necessity of education and the importance of worldly success. Under its urge scientific investigation has ushered in a multitude of modern inventions. The machine has been perfected; facilities for communication and travel multiplied, production has speeded up to a point where destruction of surplus commodities is deemed essential to welfare of commerce; and the wealth of the world has reached unprecedented figures.
But in contrast to its credits, stand the red figures of horror. The world war with its millions of hating antagonists, in the grip of a terrific and gigantie struggle; a battlefield that extended across the face of Europe; a grave yard wherein rests soldiers, the pick of every nation, more numerous than the poppies that grow in profusion in Flanders; the uncounted desolate homes and broken hearted parents: the veterans' hospitals, and the congested slums; the starving millions who are now seething with the spirit of rebellion in every land; the murderous gangs of racketeers that are more numerous than rats in every city; the crowded prisons; the divorce courts, and lax morals which have made a virtue of birth control and companionate marriage; the countless hosts of human beings in Russia and in every other land who have ceased to turn their eyes toward God except in blasphemy; the general lack of belief and hope in a life hereafter.
These are only a short summary of the fruits of the Reformatton, and makes one dubious as to its divine conception. The Creed makes the code, even amongst gangsters, and the code makes the deed. Our blessed Lord left us the standard test of spiritual plantations. He said. "By their fruits ye shall know them. A good tree does not bring forth evil fruit, nor an evil tree good fruit."
The Rerormatinn has not reformed, it has deformed. Under its influence the human race has become ugly and selfish. The Spirit of Christ is gone from the world, and avarice has made our rich harvest futile. Modern progress has in the words of Henry W. Anderson, "dehumanized industry, and at times has debauched the agencies of government. Through inventions and organizations tremendous fortunes have been accumulated. Between the extremes of poverty and wealth, we have chartered unprecedented distances."
The Reformation has failed to bring the human race closer to almighty God. It is all very well to teach the Bible is the only infallible source of truth, but who is the infallible interpreter? The fickle human mind with its blindness and inconsistency! the Mormon divine with his new-found key and supplement! Mrs. Eddy and her disciples of Christian Science; or the ancient Supreme Court, called The Church whose inspired writers wrote the revealed word and whose teachers taught and converted the greater part of the known world before this same institution had gathered together all the books that were claimed to be inspired and with the guidance of the Holy Ghost selected those that are now accepted as revelation and constitute the greater part of the new testament.
Yes, we Catholics believe in the Bible and profess that it is inspired in whole and in every part, but we also claim that this body of revealed truths was entrusted to an authoritative church to teach and interpret; that the early Christian world had not forgotten the significance attached by Christ to His own words, they lived the religion that is taught in the Bible and the practice or tradition of the early Church is a safer rule of interpretation to follow than any that might be later introduced as a contradiction and in opposition to the most ancient beliefs and practices.
P.J. O'C.
Mrs. Schollmeyer and her daughter, Virginia, who now reside at 4232 Louisiana Ave., former parishioners, visited the Rectory last week and were given a warm reception. Whilst the Schollmeyers lived in the parish they were among the best contributors and could not do enough for the nuns and priests. Business necessitated their moving to South St. Louis. They have retained their affection for the parish and we are urging them to come back. Virginia has completed her high school course and intends entering De Paul Hospital next Tuesday to be a nurse.
Miss Vera Bersch, 6800 Nashville Ave., recently returned from a trip through Yellowstone Park. She brought Father O'Connor a trout that was not fish, it looked just as good but was made of candy.
Miss Agnes McLaughlin, daughter of Mrs. Anastasia McLaughlin, 6225 Victoria Ave., was married from a Nuptial Mass at which Father O'Connor officiated, to Richard Edward Stanley, 6531 Wise Ave., on Monday, August 24th.
Agnes, who is a granddaughter of Mr. John J. Houlihan decided to have a very quiet and unpretentious marriage, but it was elegant though informal. She is a very pretty girl who has Catholicity and virtue chiseled all over her countenance and she looked beautiful as she knelt before the altar in he nuptial regalia. She wore a white dress an a trailing veil and carried a bridal bouquet. The bride's cousin, John Houlihan, was best man and her sister, Dorothy, was bridesmaid. Only the immediate relatives, Father O'Connor, and a few friends were present at the breakfast which was served at Van Horn's Inn, St. Louis County. The young couple spent a few days of their honeymoon in Chicago. They now reside in Richmond Heights because they could not find suitable apartments in the parish. They are a loss to the congregation because they were generous and faithful contributors. Agnes, for many years took the quarter-a-week collection for the church on the street in which she resided. She is our ideal of a Catholic young lady and we wish her and Mr. Stanley much happiness.
Mary Ellen O'Donnell, 1208 Tamm Ave.
Marian Clara Koetting, 1446 Tamm Ave.
Paul Victor Bendyk, 6116 Wilson Ave.
Norman Arthur Krumprey, 6439a Wade Ave.
Helen Burch, 6509 Nashville Ave.
Martin Willis Herman Voss, 6449 Schmidt Pl.
Daniel Francis Sheehan, 1044 Forest Av
Eleanor Lois Kaiser, 6734 Clayton Ave.
When you make a visit to the church you make a sacrifice and though you may not stay long or pray well your act is pleasing to the Almighty God because it is a manifestation of thoughtfulness.
Patrick J. Phelan, Sr., 62, 6609 Wise Ave., died at his home after a protracted illness on August 8th, and was buried Tuesday, August 11th, from St. James Church. Mr. Phelan was born at Portlaw, in County Waterford, Ireland, and resided in this community more than 28 years.
Beside his widow, Mrs. Catherine Rooney Phelan, he leaves four boys, Joe, Michael, Edw. and Patrick, and one daughter, Mrs. Alice Bailey.
During the years that Mr. Phelan resided in this locality, he identified himself with parish activities. He usually helped to erect booths for fair'S and festivals, and gladly undertook the rough laborious work connected with them and in this way endeared himself to the pastors and his fellow parishioners. He was an early riser and rarely missed being present at the first Mass on Sundays. He frequently received Holy Communion for a year before he died and manifested a strong Faith. May he rest in peace.
Rev. John A. Masterson of Galesburg, Ill., and 25 Boy Scouts who were touring in busses, visited the parish whilst camping in Forest Park, and were present at the 8:30 Mass August 23rd which was offered by Father Masterson. They had been in Hannibal and intended being present at Springfield. Illinois, State Fair. They were having a splendid time and said the bus company charged them only $100 for the service of two busses for one week. The outing was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
Bernice N. Bond, daughter of the late Mrs. Bertha Bond, who used to reside in the 1100 block of Louisville Ave., though she has not resided in the parish for more than a year, came back to be married in St. James Church.
This privilege was extended to her by her pastor, Father Lynch of St. Thomas Parish, because she is a convert to Catholicity and received her instructions from Father O'Connor. Her husband. Mr. Murray S. Peeler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Peeler, is a business man in South St. Louis. We extend to them our felicitations.
Mrs. Cornelius J. O'Riordan, 1575 Louisville, is a patient in St. John's Hospital. Her illness is not diagnosed.
Mrs. Edward Schafer, 1550 Louisville, a young mother, is a patient in her home and after a blood transfusion at St. John's Hospital her condition has improved.
On Tuesday, September 8th, there will be a meeting of the Virgin Mothers' Sodality at which election of officers will be held, and final arrangements made for the retreat which members of the Sodality will attend. The retreat opens on Saturday, September 12th, at 2 p.m. in the Little Flower Retreat House, 2500 S. 18th St.
On August 15th after the 5:30 Mass 23 young ladies were formally received into the Sodality. These are very enthusiastic about its future. They have the spirit of religious and assure all the young ladies in the parish who may desire to show special honor to the Blessed Mother that should they enter the society they will be given a warm welcome and a great deal of consideration. Charity and good will are among the virtues that distinguish sodalists from others. Each member may count on her fellow members as being as considerate as sisters. Those desiring memberships are requested to be present at the meeting next Tuesday.
Mrs. James Fahey, Forest Ave., recently suffered a severe infection of her throat and was a patient in St. John's Hospital.
Bess O'Gorman Gallaher's class of expression and dancing gave a show in the back yard of the J.P. O'Gorman's residence recently at which they netted $20 which they will give to charity.
Mrs. O'Hearn, 6219 Victoria Ave., after spending 3 months in St. Mary's Hospital suffering from a broken hip, is not very much improved. The bone does not knit.
Pass "Let's Go" to your neighbor and don't take more than one copy for your home use.
Howard Mathew Ragsdale, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ragsdale, 3539a Delor St., who recently was received into the church by Father O'Connor, was married on August 1st to Miss Helen Kammermeyer, 6200 Berthold Ave., whose parents have not long resided in the parish. We wish the young couple God's Blessing.
October devotions consisting of Rosary and Benediction will begin the first day of October in St. James Church at 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Sept. 16, 18, 19, are Fast Days and days of abstinence (quarter tense fast).
John Newport sat on his porch Sunday evening complacently smoking his after dinner pipe and doing nothing in particular. "I did not think it was so late," he soliloquized as he observed Charles Thompson walk from his home which is across the street to the basement of St. James Church to ring the Angelus.
"I had better call Ed. Cody," he thought, "so that we can make an early start; Father told me he would be free about 7 o'clock."
Before John had put his decision into action, Charley emerged from the church and leisurely walked across the street. "Are you having a game tonight?" he queried with the enthusiasm or a man who appreciates a spirited contest.
"Yes," replied Mr. Newport, "I was just thinking that it was about time to call Ed, I suppose Father O'Connor will be expecting us soon."
"He will," said Charley, "I believe that man gets more pleasure out of a game of pinochle than he does out of anything else in life except casting a fly at a trout or taking a shot at a quail."
"He does," replied John, "and I believe if he had a hundred worries on his mind he would forget them when Ed and myself show up at the Rectory. Pinochle is a game that makes a person keep all his wits about him. It is not the stake that makes a man ambitious to win, it is the glory of beating the other fellow. Father says the stake is only the penalty for errors in play and is the only hint some fellows will take that they are outclassed,"
"Yes," said Charley with some hesitation, "there would he no real game unless there was blood in it, but you must admit luck has a jot to do with it. There is Ed Cody, everyone in the club admits he is the best player, but who gets away with the money? Charley Klasek two nights out of three is in the running for 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize and Ed is often left at the last table."
"How is your luck, Mr. Newport? I heard you were not doing so well recently."
"That's right, Charley, luck has been against me. The last night in the hall I got only five bids and I was set twice."
"Luck is a queer thing," added Charley, "When I was down in Carolina I knew a colored man who cleaned up every time he played craps. No one could beat him and it was all because of a rabbit's foot he carried in a pocket placed over his heart. This had a very peculiar history, it was taken from a rabbit that had the head of a cat and was killed by a wolf. "When that man said 'come 7', it came as sure as a dog that is called by his master. I never saw him miss in the first, second and third throw of the bones. He never stayed very long in one place, he moved from lumber camp to lumber camp and everywhere he went 'twas the same. On Sunday night, there was not a nigger in the outfit that had a dime left of his week's pay. You could not buy that rabbit foot from him I bet for $500."
Mr. Newport looked impressed and Charley continued, "I have something myself over in a drawer that never fails when I am out for luck. I had it with me the year the Cardinals won the the world championship, I was then an usher at the ball park and when I looked down on the diamond and saw the two teams ready for battle I was doubtful about taking a bet. I turned to usher a party into the reserved seats and as I did, I stepped on a big copper penny. I picked it up and noticed that it was an old veteran, it had stamped on it the year 1822. I said to myself, "that's luck, the Cardinals can't lose today, and I immediately went and slapped down on them $10. From that time on I never made a bet when I had that copper penny in my pocket but I won. I figure I have cleaned up on that more than $100. have often been offered $5 for it but I'd rather sell my razor than part with it."
Mr. Newport shrugged his shoulders like man who feels he has been always working at a disadvantage. "Charley," he said. "something like that is what I need, not only in the card games but also in my business. In the past month I haven't a bit of luck. if I found a nest of eggs, you could be sure that 9 out of 10 of them would be rotten. Some fellows are always lucky; that Henry McCauley, for example, he started with a shoe string and now he has at least 20 mules and a whole up to date excavating outfit, and his neighbor, Arthur Pahl, is just as lucky. He started selling cigars and now has so much property he is busy from morning till night doing the chores and odd repairs; you never see him losing at a poker game, I believe he must have in his jeans a toe of one of them Egyptian mummies."
"John," said Charley with great seriousness, "people may think and say what they like, but you can't beat luck."
John arose from his chair and proceeded to enter his home and Charley moved towards the sidewalk where he stopped and paused like a man does who is endeavoring to remember something. "Mr. Newport," he shouted. "stay where you are for a moment, I'll run over to the house and get you that penny," Charley returned in a short time with a seriousness and dignity of a Secretary or State bearing an Ambassador's note to the president. Mr. Newport took the penny his hand and looked at it with reverence, "it's 1822 all right." he asserted, "it must have gone through many a hand and been in many a pocket, but why the heck did they have so much copper in it?"
"Them were the days," said Charley, "when money was worth its own weight whether it was copper or silver or gold."
"I hope," said John as a smile enlivened his jovial face, "that it will be worth something to me tonight. I owe a licking to Ed Cody and Father. They are beginning to treat me with the sympathy that one gives to an orphan. I haven't much use for that sob stuff, especially when it is given to me by a man who has taken my money with his tongue twisted in the back of his mouth."
Mr. Newport entered Father O'Connor's study and saluted with more than his usual geniality. Mr. Cody was sitting at the table counting the chips and placing them opposite each of the chairs. "Two and a half for you John," he said, handing him the chips. "Fifty cents will be enough," replied Mr. Newport, "I made up my mind to lick you fellows tonight."
Mr. Cody looked inquiringly at Mr. Newport's countenance. "What have you up your sleeve?" he said.
"I'll show you," said John as he took the stack. "Change them blue ones for me, I want all nickel ones." The exchange was made and the stack rose several inches above the table. Then Mr. Newport arose and made a few gestures like a magician at the circus: he simulated a clairvoyant preparing for a seance. He took the coin from his pocket and uttered a few Aramaic words that show his Gypsy descent -the Irish you know, have inherited many Gypsy traits, especially that of wandering and mending tin cans - and placed it with much ceremony on the top of his pile. "Deal out the cards," he said, "I'm ready to take your money."
The cards were distributed and the players began to bid. "Two hundred," said Father O'Connor : "Two hundred and ten," said Mr. Cody, "Four hundred and fifty," said Mr. Newport and he was given the play and won the bid without a contest.
"Four or five more rounds like this," said John, "and I won't have to go to work tomorrow."
But the next round was in favor of Mr. Cody, the next went to Father O'Connor and Mr. Newport's stack showed marked signs of depreciation. His enthusiasm abated and his confidence was less evident. He bid in a disheartened tone of voice two hundred and was set.
After the next deal he bid, and again was set and thus the night went on till all his chips were gone. Father O'Connor had little better luck. His chips also disappeared and as if to keep up his spirits, he frequently kidded Mr. Newport about the penny.
"That, I believe." said Mr. Newport, "is what has kept Charley Thompson at his job of janitor all his life. Charley has plenty of brains, and I believe were it not for that spooky penny, he would now be Archbishop of Canterbury. When I am going home I'll stand in front of his house and throw the penny through the window."
Mr. Cody, in his gentle, kindly way, with the gravity of one giving a fatherly admonition, interjected, "I wouldn't do that, John, Mr. Thompson is not so much to blame, in the first place you shouldn't have let everybody see that penny or put it on the top of your chips, and moreover, I had that rabbit's root that Charley told you about,"
P..J. O'C.
Our local drug store at Tamm and Clayton Aves., owned and managed by Mr. W.H. Bissick, has been remodeled and new fixtures will be installed in the near future. This drug store has been a landmark in the community during the past quarter century and has served its patrons with kindness and consideration. It has been conducted in a manner that wins the affection of its patrons. In its new dress it looks very attractive and the alterations that are being made will enable it to give better service to the community. Mr. and Mrs. Bissick have been generous and courteous in all the dealings that we have had with them and we earnestly wish them continued success.
Mr. Wm, Volz is in a very miserable condition as the result of an internal tumor. He wishes he were dead but is reconciled to God's will. Pray for him
The combination of the safe in the Sacristy of the Church was recently torn off, apparently by a robber. Though considerable damage was done to the safe, its contents were not reached. The burglary effort was made in the day time and was probably interrupted by someone entering the church. An expert on safes could not decide whether it was the work of a professional or amateur.
The contents of the safe has been secured to the extent of $600.00 and the insurance company was kind enough to pay $40.00 to defray the expense of repairs.
The poor boxes in the church have been frequently tampered with during the past year and small sums of money have been taken from them. Suspicions that have a slight foundation are settling on a few of our local boys and we ask of parents to co-operate with us in finding the culprits. We have no ambition to prosecute, but we would like to nip in the bud an inclination to a career of crime.
If your boy seems to have more money at his disposal than he could reasonably be expected to have, studiously investigate the matter. Boys who remain out late at night and frequent many places of amusement must have money to meet the expense and if they have no visible source of supply, undoubtedly they procure funds through means that are not legitimate.
Washington, June 3. - It costs 60 cents a day to educate a child in the average city public school.
The office of education of the Interior Department, after gathering statistics from a representative group of cities, says the average annual cost for each child is $108.87. The figures include teachers' services for nine months, heat, janitors' services and in most instances school supplies, books and library facilities
6436 Nashville avenue - 3 room frame cottage, bath, $22.00.
6418a Lloyd Avenue 5 room fiat, hardwood floors, garage, $40.00.
1555a Tamm avenue - modern 4 room $35.00.
6430a Nashville avenue - 4 room frame redecorated, bath, $20.00.
Letter carriers, school teachers, firemen, police officers and a few others have no reason to complain. They get more for their dollar and have the same pay.
St. James has not lowered salaries, and the school and janitor service is a big expense. There is a note of $5000 to be paid November 1st and the annual interest note as well. We cannot meet these obligations unless every wage earner gives a generous contribution each Sunday.
The children on Wade Avenue had a narrow escape last Wednesday evening when a automobile running at high speed turned over as the driver tried to avoid another car at Tamm and Wade Avenues. Several children who are accustomed to play at the scene of the accident were saved from possible injury by the fact that they were at supper when the accident occurred.
UNCLE HENRY'S LETTER
September, 1931.
dear Charlie:
Sum of the boys around here has been talkin about nominatin me for Presidunt an are feelin me out to see if i would "choose to run", or if they would have to "draft" me. they want me to run on what they call the Iudependable ticket. the Pastor has indorsed me on account of he says that as president of the Holy Name Society i have displayed lots of independable qualities, so i figger that if folks will vote with the same degree of intelligence as they have shown in the past, 1 ought to win in a landslide.
it just demonstrates Charlie, that it pays to keep your eyes open, an be prepared to "go on a date" with opportunity, in case she gives you the "wink." here i am, about to be elected Presidunt just because i developed a poplar idee from reading the "word bombs" that Mr. Busch the brewer, an Mr. Scott the automobile manufacturer has been throwin at each other, over the pros an cons of prohibition.
the big idee is that when elected Presidunt i am going to prohibit the manufacture, sale, an transportation of automobiles, on acount of every argerment that Mr. Scott ever used against "licker" applies as well to his own product.
1. automobiles are a useless waste of material an labor.
2. They cause the death of thousands of persons each vear, an bring untold suffering to innocent victims.
3. fathers dissipate their wages on the family car while their children suffer for food an clothing.
4. Crooks who used to brace their courage with drink are now inspired to crime through the "get-away" afforded by high speed cars.
5. (submitted by Father O'Connor) parish loners "hang-out" in them when they should be in Church, and buy gas with the money that should be put in the collection basket.
6. Eliminating automobiles would put a stop to "petting parties" on Art-hill an Lovers-lane.
7. The air around fllling stations is polluted, an offensive to the sence of smell of decent citizens.
8. gasoline is made by distillation, an should be prohibited like whiskey.
9. without autos, parishioners would stop bUilding fine homes in the county, an move back to the parish where the street-cars are handy.
10. Sum folks dont care for autos, so why should the others be allowed to have em?
11. Owing to the use of autos, picnickers have ruined every good fishin place within 100 miles.
these is what i call my "Eleven points." i could of thought of 14, but my opponents would say i was copying after Mr. Wilson, an besides, eleven is a lucky number, an ought to give me the entire vote of the "Crap-shooters of America un-inc. Anyway, i got more reasons for being elected than any of the other candidates will have.
i was afraid sum folks would be oppose to my "platform," like frank an Louie Fieser that sells Plymouth an De Soto Cars, but Louie was telling me the other day that he thought it was a fine idee. he said if it looked like i would get elected frank an him would move there second-hand cars to the basement an put em up for sale as "pre-prohibition stock" an get a fancy price for em, an they could operate without paying the government tax. then, every cupple weeks they could go to Canada an hitch mules to several cars an bring em in as wagons; like mabel Wille brand is peddling wine as grape juice.
john Newport thinks it would help his bisness too, as he would start to building parts for "boot-leg" auto bodies an would soon be as rich as al Capone. he figgers he could use all his scrap like rusted guttering an discarded furnace pipes, on acount of when peeple are buying bootleg stuff they are not particular but take enything they get an no questions asked.
Eddie Ryan called me up an said him an Clem an Bill was for me strong an if the law passed they would have a secret entrance in the back an let their front windows get dirty like other blind-tigers an they could sell gas by the pint at boot-leg prices. howard McVey an johnnie Ryan that operates the Wise ave. station has got a plan all worked out for running a secret pipe line from the station to each of there customers garage, an do a wholesale business. Howard is going to lay the pipes at night while johnnie runs the pump.
i was worried for a time on acount of the number or people that will be thrown out of work when we shut down the auto factories but i believe a Presidunt should be big enough to meet any contingency, so i decided to let em go on a life-time picnic with the brewery workers that was laid off in 1920.
i was thinking of making my first campaign speech at the Holy Name meeting on the 14th of this month on acount of they will be a big crowd there, but I found they are having will Lindhorst an I was afraid he would pull off sum trick that might "queer" my campaign. so i will have to put it off till sum later date.
your pertickler friend & uncle
HENRY.
Flat for Rent - 6219 Victoria Avenue; 4 rooms, bath, furnace, hardwood fioors, garage; rent reasonable.
BACK TO LET'S GO, 1931
BACK TO LET'S GO, 1925-1932
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