MARIST FATHERS' MISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 April 1913, Page 6

MARIST FATHERS' MISSION

SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE. MODERN ABUSES. THE DUTY OF PARENTS. PLAIN SPEAKING BY FATHER O’CONNELL. 1 Some straight speaking was clone by 1 the Very Rev. Father O’Connell at St. } Patrick’s Church, last evening, in u sermon dealing with the sacredness of matrl--3 mony. L . It was the duty, he said, of a priest to speak plainly to his people, and though 3 the subject upon which he was about to 5 discourse was somewhat difficult, yet it was of the vital importance to 1 Catholics. It was the duty of a priest to warn his people of the dangers that beset 3 them, and if there was one danger which ' beset the world to-day, it was that men and women did not think wisely about the responsibilities of life, that they did not ’’ understand what marriage meant, and therefore lost sight of the obligations entailed by marriage. The Catholic Church k taught that marriage was elevated to the sublime dignity of a sacrament by Jesus 1 Christ himsoir, and it was therefore right 1 that young people contemplating marriage should know something of the duties that were imposed upon them. It was quite the natural thing that young people should desire to unite and make a home for themselves, and it was necessary that they should meet each other, know each other’s position, and, most important of all, know whether or not they were suited^to each other. It was the* duty of parents to guide their children in so important a mat ter. and to see that their daughters did not enter into agreements or engage themselves to any man until they, the parents, were satisfied that he was honorable, that he [ was free to marry, that ho was in a position to keep a wife, *ancl that ho proved in every way before the marriage that he . was worthy of the girl whom ho asked to become his wife. The warned ■ Catholics against mixed marriages, point- . ing out that it was necessary for the peaceand happiness of a household that there should be perfect unity. Husband and wife must work together for the common good, and without religion there was no possibility of doing this perfectly. Of course there were exceptional cases where man and wife of different creeds lived happily together, but this was not the general rule. The preacher condemned long engagements, and warned the young men never to be the means of causing a young girl to lose her days by useless friendship that would not lead to marriage. There were young men, he added, who made sport of girls, who wasted their time and deprived them of the opportunities of respectable, decent marriages. No young man should continue to monopolise the attentions and affections of any young girl, unless ho had the intention of offering that girl a home, and of leading her to the altar. He urged upon young people, before entering the matrimonial state, to first make sure that they were suited to each other,, and not to be led away by the spirit of the ago, that spirit which was to be found in every town, where young people paraded the streets, where all modesty was lost, and where gaily bedecked girls paraded, endeavoring to attract the first young man looking their way, without knowing who ho was or whether ho was a fit. associate. Tbs cities were full of young women who worked hard through the day, but who put every penny they earned upon their backs, often at the expense of bodily nourishment. Modern man. however, was not to be caught by the gaily dressed female, but preferred, when lie intended I<> many, to take a young woman who was a little less expensive in her attire. Speaking of engagements, Father O'Connell said there were sonic who had the idea that because they were engage! they could enter into all sorts of familiarities, who allowed themselves all kinds of indulgences, which could not be justified in any way. Parents therefore, should be warned against allowing young men to come to their homes and monopolise the front room night after night. There should be no lonely walks and no long-spun conversations in the parlor with only the two young people together. This was loading them into temptation. endangering their purity, and running tremendous risks which might lead to many heartburnings. The home, continued the preacher, was a sacred training j ground for children. Almighty God in- , stituted the sacrament of marriage in or- j der that the world might be filled with, j children who would be a reward to their j parents and a joy in the world to gome. ( To-day, however, there were apparently j people who entered into the state of marriage for unholy motives, and rather to evade the duties which God intended them to discharge than to carry them out. Hence the great outcry which rang from north to south and from oast to west that i men and women wore defying • God’s authority. and were preventing the entry of children into the world. The preacher said lie could not speak too strongly in condemnation of this vile practice. Couples wore frequently heard to say “Away with too many children, we cannot afford to keep them; they prevent ns enjoying ourselves.’’ Unfortunately there were men in this world, so-called medical men, chemists and nurses, who recommended young women to evade conception. Such men and women were unworthy of their calling, and he could not too strongly condemn these aiders and abettors to the slaughter of innocents, In conclusion Father O'Connell ■warned parents In b" watchful of their children, to see tint their companions were pure and holy, and mothers and fathers would not then go to their graves in sorrow because they had neglected their duties. This evening at 7.30 o'clock the mission exercises will be continued. An iinjKnTant sermon on the “Evils of Intemperance” will be delivered. Yesterday the Rev. Father Taylor. S.M., returned from Rowanni, where for some days he ■conducted a very successful mission. <• , . This evening at 7.30 o’clock ho will open a mission at Cobden, which will continue till Sunday morning.