Why Men Do Go to Church

New Zealand Tablet, 15 October 1908, Page 22

Why Men Do Go to Church

From time to time we read in the newspaper press earnest, efforts by non-Catholic divines to solve the riddle, ' Why men Don't Go to Church.' By comparison with the non-Catholic denominations, the Old Church in these countries hardly knows the problem of the churchless multitude. It was, therefore, with a spasm of unaccustomed interest that we perused the report of a sermon recently delivered by a Methodist clergyman, the Rev. James Benninger, at Plymouth (Pennsylvania), and . published in the Wilkes-Barre Record. The subject of the sermon was, in effect, ' Why Men Do Go to Church '—the church in. question being the Catholic. The preacher said in part:.We hear much carping and criticising these days about the different methods to attract men to church. The Protestant world has gone almost to the limit in adopting means to secure this, desired end. We have seen the magic lantern exhibition, and listened to addresses on the lake poets; we have heard classical singers and eloquent orations, but the men were no nearer the kingdom than before. We have fumed and fussed and worked ourselves into a frenzy, while the Catholic Church, without any effort on her part," has gone on in the even tenor of her way solving the problem to the satisfaction of her hierarchy. How does she do it? How does she get men out of bed on Sunday morning at an early hour —men who work late on Saturday night? How does she fill the streets on Sunday morning with worshippers when the Protestant world is fast asleep? I know some of the' explanations that are offered, but they do not explain. Many that we have heard and read only seem childish twaddle.'

Here is how the preacher explained the secret of the Catholic Church's hold upon the people : ' The reason the Catholic Church succeeds, jn spite of our misgivings, is because she is triie to the central fact of revelation. She makes the death of Jesus the centre of her devotion, and around that point she organises all of her activities.- When you see a company of Catholic people Sunday morning on the way \o church, you can be assured of this : they are not going for i;he sake of fine music ; they are not going to hear an eloquent dissertation. on Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. They are going to that- place of worship to attend the Mass. What is the , celebration of the Mass? It is what we call the celebration of the Lord's Supper. That fact is kept prominently before the mind of every Catholic. What is the first thing you " see as you approach a Catholic church? A cross. What is the first thing j'ou see as you enter that church? A- cross. What is the first thi.ng you see a Catholic do as he seats himself in that church? Make the sign of the cross. What is the last thing held before the eyes of a dying Catholic? - A cross. He comes into the church in childhood imbued with the death of Jesus ; he goes out of this world thinking of the death of Jesus., Whatever may be our opinions^about certain other features of, that Church, here is one thing at least fronv-which we ought to draw a lesson." If that Church has succeeded by magnifying the cross, why not every Church? If -the dark negations of these three schools that I have set before you are failures, " to whom shall we go " but Christ? All that is noble and elevating in our civilization is there because He is there. If this world

is to be regenerated, it will only come through His " words of eternal life." Shall we, then, go back to Christ? Better still, never leave Him.'