ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 264, 5 October 1940, Page 5

ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH

HOSPITAL DAY. An innovation, adopted from Dunedin, was a special day devoted to emphasising the spiritual aspect of nursing, held at St, Patrick’s Church, recently. The matrons and a band of nurses from the Pannerston North Hospital, the Awapuni Home, and private hospitals attended in uniform at 10.30 a.in. Alass, besides exnurses and others. Rev. Father P. J. Herlihy preached a striking and appropriate sermon on the words: “Amen 1 say to you that as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren you did it to Ale” (Matthew 25:40). Father Herlihy re-, terred to Christ’s compassion for human suffering when He was on earth. His power over Nature, by which He demonstrated His claim to be God, was employed most often in delivering suffering people from their infirmities. Those, therefore, who cooperated with Him in this noble work received His blessing for ever. It was with sincere admiration for their noble work that Father Herlihy welcomed the nurses to the church to join in asking God’s continued blessing and to consider the great part the medical and nursing professions could take in helping to restore and reOhristianise society. He went on to explain that man was a composite being, unique because in him matter and spirit were united and mutually interdependent, thus providing the most interesting and at the same time the most baffling problems of psychology. Each part had, nevertheless, its own problems of health and well-being. The Church had been "established to care for the spiritual health of mankind, and it was clear, therefore, that thero existed a very real affinity between t.ie Churc-h and tho professions of nursing and medicine. As body and soul were so closely bound up, it followed that the Church and the nursing profession had much in common. Throughout history those who ministered to the sick had always been regarded with special affection by the Catholic Church. From the very beginning, inspired by the example of t Christ, the Church bad fostered the study of medicine and the science of healing. She. had begun the work of founding hospitals and establishing schools of medicine. Religious orders had bean founded to devote themselves to the work, and it had only been discovered in modern times how much those early monks knew of drugs and surgery and hospital treatment in general, that were thought to be modern discoveries. AVith the despoiling of the Church at the Reformation tins hospital system had suffered an almost complete collapse and the care of the sick had gone back and back until it reached the deplorable state of a century ago. It was, therefore, with profound thankfulness that the Church viewed the wonderful development of medical and surgical knowledge m modern times —developments to which her inspiration and influence had contributed no small part. She had no profession nearer and dearer to her heart than those whose noble work it was to care for the sick and infirmThese were dearest to tlie heart ol Jesus Christ, AVlio regarded anything done for thqm as done to Him person, ally. Not a single human being, now« ever abject and abandoned, was lett out of His Sacred Heart. NOBLE SERVICE. Service to others, continued Father Herlihy, was always noble and praiseworthy when it sprang from unselfish motives But the highest motive was the love of God. This was an inspiration and source of strength that made hard things easy and turned sacrifice into joy. This gave nursing its greatest nobilitv. It was a vocation that needed a great heart, high ideals and the capacity for self-sacrifice- No one was capable of self-sacrifice without ideals. The world needed good women to uplift it. Most people to-day lived in an artificial atmosphere, a whirl of business and pleasure, refusing t° taco the great and deep realities or luo. But the nursing profession came face to face with stern, stark reality and bad opportunities, which came to lew others, to realise the uselessness of a selfish life. AVlio could say that the general tendency to-day, was not to lead a selfish life? How many could he said to be oven trying to live up to that great . precept, ‘ I hpu shall love thy neighbour as thyseli t Ihe world needed to break away from its false standards and return to the Christian way of thinking and living. The war had caused a growing feeling that only a widespread return to the laws of God could savo civilisation. Doctors and nurses, who came nearer into the life of the individual than most people, and whoso professional knowledge and standing gave thorn power to speak with authority on coitain vital matters, could do much towards re-Oliristianising society. They knew that the human body was not merely flesh and blood, but tlie tomplo of an immortal soul. Its life belonged to God AA’lio alone might decide when it should end. The. body's functions were designed by Him and subject to His laws.'"Tho speaker emphasised the importance of a right attitude to social health. Chastity before marriage and proper safeguards for chastity should bo insisted on. It was impossible to be chaste in body without chastity of mind. A right psychological attitude was difficult for young people today when they received so much erotic stimulus from certain literature and films, but, as the moral health of society was so closely hound up with its physical health, the medical profession'. as well as the Church, must bo vital I v interested in opposing evil influences. Turning to the problem of race suicide, Father Herlihy' said this was weakening most civilised nations and degrading the sacred institution of" marriage. It had been demonstrated that a civilisation could not be maintained with an average of less than four children per marriage. A smaller number would load to actual extinction. So the real patriots of a country were those who perpetuated their race. The speaker condemned the attitude - to child-bearing, so common in New Zealand, of people who looked on it as a misfortune instead of the greatest privilege and glory of womanhood. The medical and nursing professions could do much towards correcting this attitude. Unnatural birthcontrol was a grave sin against the laws of God, a crime against the land and a grave menace to health. Wlmt an irony it would lie if Now Zealanders.' who sang as their national hymn “God Defend , New Zealand” were to dcs.trov their own nation and cause it to pass into oblivion. 'Hie nurse’s calling was among the noblest of earthly vocations and could develop tlie spirit of unselfish devotion to duty and the glad giving of self for suffering humanity, Father Herlihy said. AA’hen nurses could see in sick and broken bodies and afflicted hearts the members of Christ, the Alan of Sorrows, AVlio bore the world’s infirmities upon a cross of pain, and hear Him say .“As often as you did it to the least ,of these Aly brethren you did it to Ale,” their work for mankind would take on a new grandeur and a new nobility.