ST PATRICK'S, WAIMATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 1405, 26 October 1909, Page 3

ST PATRICK'S, WAIMATE.

INTERESTING . SERMON. Tho sermon preached 111 the new St. Patrick's Church last Sunday was by the Very' Rev. D. J, Sullivan, who gave an extremely interesting discourse* The preacher opened his sermon by saying that the imposing ceremonies of dedication they had. that- day witnessed had been suggestive to him of two practical questions.. One of those questions may ho found in the lives of thousands of men at this present time. It arose in fierce and open hostility to society, to established law and order; it was disturbing the peace of the world and destroying human life. It even denied the right to ato* of that very temple in which they worshipped. The question was this: In this age of progress and enlightenment, why should such an anti- 1 quated institution as religion be any longer suffered to disquiet the niinds j of men? He readily admitted the antiquity of religion, and he also admitted that it contained many a warning quite capable of troubling the false" security of the minds of wicked men. Having defined religion as implying a knowledge and a belief on the part of man that he had come from God, that he was hero in this world , for the performance "of certain duties allotted him by God, and that his ultimate destination was to return to hi« Creator, he illustrated the absurdity of irreligjon by the supposed mental condition of a traveller on the highway who was ignorant of where _ he hod come from, of what his business, and his destination were. Such a_ man would be called a fool; and it was from the abundance of similar folly that the question came: Why should there be such a thing as religion? The second question _ thi«: Why should this beautiful buildinc be named now henceforth and for ever —num«>d with such a commonplace name as St. Patrick's Church? The world abounded in men and women of education, taste, and refinement .who would have no hesitation in deciding that the old musty antiquity of the •nstma was out of kßeDmc with the newness and the beautv of the building; that the name of Patrick was by to means a fashionable name: that, it savoured too much of many tbincs which the world loved not ncr admired; that it was frequently found in association with poverty - and i<morance, and with lowly conditions of human life: and that even at the sacred font of baotism the name of Patrick was now becomine 1 rarelv chosen name. Tbpse ,obiec f ions. ine, this church had been St. Patrick's. hecp"«« it- w* a tc-nle of the relieion which Patrick tnngb*-. because in the hearts o£ thirty mP'OM frf tJw» Trinh race scatter~«l t''*-oushoufc the Enelish-sneakine world. the-® was Jin name dearer or more revered the name of "Patrick. nv, d hf-p'-sc. it not he«*n for- Patrick f"l the dren of Patrick' o inherita"'*®. th->t obnrcb ard the thoi ,c «nid? of OMiol'ehurohes like it in New Zealand and Australia, would never bo in existence to-day. Tho preacher then went on to show the marvellous analogy which existed between the life "of St. Patrick and the missionary history of the Irish race; wherever throughout the world the English tongue was. spoken there they would find the Catholic church raised into giant proportions by Irish hands. The Catholic church of America counted fourteen millions of the Irish race. In Australia - and New Zealand less than a hundred years ago the Catholic church was- an insignificant grain of mustard seed—now it was a mighty tree—a giant of "the forest, sending its branches far and wide into every corner of those-lands of the southern seas and striking" its roots .down deet» into the faithful hearts of one . million of the Irish race r