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wishes not the death of the sinner, but his salvation, awakens every where a strong confidence in Mary, how he inclines the Catholic people to approach the heart of their mother, there to seek an asylum and protection! A pious instinct leads them to repeat, from one extremity of the Church to the other, that touching invocation, “show thyself a mother to us, and may our prayers through thee be heard by him who in being born for us, chose to be born thy Son."

It was not enough to reanimate among the faithful the devotion to the Blessed Virgin, God, who seems to have confided our destinies to her hands, has indicated to us the sure way of making our devotion agreeable to her, and of rendering her more attentive to our prayers. And could there be any thing more acceptable to this Virgin of virgins, than to celebrate her spotless purity, than to proclaim her exempt from all stain, even that of our common origin? Is not this perfect innocence her most magnificent privilege? Does it not place her above the dignity of the mother of God, and the queen of heaven? Is not an exemption from the least stain of sin, more valuable to her than the immortal crown which encircles her brow? To supplicate her then in the name of her immaculate conception, is a pledge of finding access to her heart, and of meeting with a favorable attention to our wants and supplications.

The Church has well understood this subject, for she speaks to us incessantly of the spotless purity of Mary, and invites all her children to have recourse to her immaculate heart. She shows that heart to the most guilty, as a sanctuary which, far from being denied them, is the refuge where the divine mercy awaits them; and the name of our mother, that name hallowed among all generations, she does not wish to be pronounced, without the recollection that its splendor was never tarnished by the breath of the infernal serpent. She has regulated that the exemption of Mary from original sin should be solemnly proclaimed in her liturgy at the moment when the blood of the immaculate lamb, the source of all redemption is about to flow upon our altars.

In fine, she encourages her bishops to petition the apostolic see, to obtain the power of celebrating, without any restrictions, that feast so beautiful in the eyes of angels and of men, the immaculate conception of Mary.

In hearing us speak in these exalted terms of the holy Virgin, will our separated brethren renew against us the ancient charge of idolatry? Will they accuse us of paying to the mother the same homages as to the Son, and of associating them in the same praises and the same worship? Ah! may our right hand wither before we subscribe to these impious sentiments, which are attributed to us; may our tongue cleave to our palate, sooner than profess so gross an error! How sublime soever may be the perfections of Mary, how elevated soever her dignity, whatever privileges may adorn her blessed soul, she is not less with us at the feet of him who alone is worthy of adoration, because he alone has a sovereign dominion over all beings. She is a creature like us, and far superior to us, but there is an infinite space between her and her Creator. If we owe her a certain respect because she has brought forth our Saviour and hers, we owe adoration only to that Being who is sovereignly independent. To render to Mary the worship which is due to God alone, would be closing the heart of our mother to us, abjuring our Catholic belief, and excluding ourselves from the kingdom of heaven. If we wear on our hearts the sweet image of the immaculate Virgin, we raise our hearts to him who alone could send so perfect a being upon earth; and the remembrance of the heroic virtues she has practised, forcibly animates us to retrace them in our conduct. Do our separated brethren deprive themselves of the consolation of beholding on canvass, the cherished features of her who has given them birth? And is this contemplation a sacrilegious adoration? If we raise a temple in honor of Mary, it is that we may go there to thank the author of every perfect gift, for the graces he has lavished on this incomparable Virgin. If we address ourselves to her merciful heart, this heart is not for us the source of grace; it is but the

mysterious channel of it. Such is our doctrine, which at once repels and refutes the charge of idolatry and superstition.

Let us compassionate, beloved brethren, let us compassionate sincerely our separated brethren, for not acknowledging the sweet and consoling devotion to Mary. Her sacred name which, for a child of the Church, is a salutary balm to the wounds of the most afflicted heart, is never heard on their lips. Let us compassionate them; and let us recommend these wandering sheep to their mother, whom they do not love. For you, Catholic families, let Mary be in the midst of you as a model for all situations of life, as the mother of your children, as the mistress of your dwellings, as the guardian of

your fire-sides. Desolate mothers, press to your lips the image of the mother of sorrows; it will impart a secret virtue which will console you. You who are stretched upon the bed of suffering, turn your dying eyes towards the mother of mercy: a ray of hope will fall from her cherished looks, and will inspire your dejected hearts with hope and resignation. Let Mary be for us all the confidant of our pains and our joys; let our life with its struggles and sorrows be consecrated to her, and let it glide on under her maternal protection! May our last sigh be sent forth with those expiring words of St. Thomas of Canterbury, falling under the sword of his assassins: "To God and to Mary!"

FOREIGN.

INTELLIGENCE.

ROME. The Rev. Father Alexander, the superior of the congregation of the Redemptorists, in America, lately arrived in Rome from Baltimore, accompanied by three American youths, who are to be placed in the Noviciate of the Congregation at Vienna. They were presented to the holy father, who manifested much pleasure on being informed that the Redemptorists had already established five houses in America. The Rev. Father Alexander was for a long time the superior of the house in Belgium.--Tablet.

BERLIN. The queen of Prussia has publicly declared herself in favor of the proposed establishment in Berlin of the sisters of the Order of St. Clara, and has promised them her patronage.-Id.

GUINEA.-The following circular respecting the mission of Guinea has been sent us.-Id.

"Of all holy works," says Saint Dionysius, "that of co-operating in the salvation of souls is the holiest and most divine; great then must be the excellence of those Catholic missions which carry the gospel light amongst unbelieving and contradicting people, and point out to them the way, the truth, and the life. And if every other Catholic mission has calls for the sympathies and co-operation of the faithful, how much more imperiously are they claimed by that mission which is rendered so painful and laborious, and difficult to those who cultivate it

by the insalubrity of the climate, by the privation of every comfort, or even convenience of life, by the difficult variety of its languages, and by many other obstacles to success scarcely to be met with elsewhere? Such is the new mission of the Two Guineas, in the west of Africa, whose black and almost naked people live without house, or comfort, or civilization, in a state of almost utter barbarism. Although they acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being, they are a prey to the wildest superstition. They worship the demons, they practise polygamy, they bury several of their slaves with their deceased masters; they are, in a word, immersed in all those worst vices which must accompany the most barbarous ignorance, and the absence of that blessed light of faith which alone can enlighten the darkness in which sin of old involved the human race. Nevertheless, among these unhappy people there now begin to manifest themselves a wonderful movement towards our holy religion, and a marked respect for, and attachment to her ministers, the first fruits, no doubt, of that heavenly grace which seems to have chosen this as the time of their conversion. Already have the missioners the pleasure of seeing at Cape Palmas from two to three hundred of these poor barbarians come every Sunday with eager desire to be initiated in the mysteries of our faith, and to embrace the truth; and at the same time other distant

tribes are sending to them to desire that they would hasten to come and dwell among them. Great has been the consolation thus afforded to the vicar apostolic, and most eagerly would he fly in every direction to satisfy the desires of his beloved Africans, to instruct them and bathe them in the salutary waters of baptism. But, with only one companion, how can he answer every call? How learn all their languages, various as their tribes? How visit usefully a country of greater extent than the British Islands? He has then believed it to be expedient to leave the mission to the care of his companion for a very short time, whilst he comes to Europe to receive blessing and new authority from the father of the faithful, and to implore his fellow-christians to lend him the succours which he so much needs. As prayer is the principal means for the conversion of souls, the Right Rev. Dr. Barron, vicar apostolic of Guinea, with the warmest earnestness of his heart recommends his mission to the fervent prayers of all the faithful; but in an especial manner he implores of the clergy to remember it in the holy sacrifice, and to recommend it to the prayers of their flocks, and from the holy religious he desires a particular remembrance in their public and private suffrages. He even flatters himself with a strong hope that the holy zeal for God's glory and the salvation of souls so dearly purchased by him, which is now moving so many young apostles from their native shores in search of spiritual conquest, will direct some generous spirits amongst them to this new mission, where success is so certain, and labor, and danger, and privations, and every material for glorious merit for eternity so abundant. But thirteen missioners have as yet offered themselves. And when he shows the difficulty of conveying even this small number to the field of their labors, he believes he will not appeal to the charity of the faithful in vain. The missioner must carry out with him not only all that is necessary for the celebration of the divine mysteries and administration of the sacraments, but every object by which life may be defended or supported-the very materials for erecting his hut, bed furniture, clothes, medicine, and even provisions for several months, a boat for passing lakes and rivers, implements of husbandry, and tools and other instruments of different trades, &c.; so that at a moderate calculation the necessary expenditure for bringing a missioner to his labors will be near two hundred pounds. Need he say more to prove the extreme want of his mission, and how abundant should be for so holy a charity the contributions

of those to whom God has given the riches of this world?

"Contributions, however small, will be thankfully received by Right Rev. Dr. Kenrick, bishop of Philadelphia.

"EDWARD, Bishop of Constantina,

"Vicar Apostolic of Guinea. "Irish College, Rome, Feast of St. Charles." Catholicism in Great Britain.-We glean the following from the Catholic Directory and Annual Register for the year 1843. The number of chapels in England, Wales, and Scotland, is stated to be five hundred and seventy-one-of which four hundred and ninety-two are in England, eight in Wales, and seventy-one in Scotland, besides twenty-seven stations in the latter country, at which divine service is performed. The English counties in which the chapels are most numerous, are Lancashire, ninety-six; Yorkshire, fifty-eight; Staffordshire, thirty-two; Middlesex, twenty-four; Northumberland, twenty-four; Warwickshire, nineteen; Durham, seventeen; Hampshire, thirteen, and Cheshire, twelve. In England there are eight Catholic collegesviz., St. Edmund's, Hertfordshire; St. Peter's, St. Paul's, and St. Gregory's, Somersetshire; Stonyhurst, Lancashire; St. Mary's, Staffordshire; Ushaw College, Durham; and St. Lawrence's, Yorkshire. In Scotland, one-viz., St. Mary's, Blairs, Kincardineshire. The number of convents is twenty-six, of monasteries, three. The total number of missionary priests in Great Britain, including those in England who have no fixed mission, is stated to be seven hundred and thirty-three-viz., in England, six hundred and eighty-eight, in Scotland, eighty-five.

Truth Teller.

FRANCE.-During the last four weeks, ten French priests of the Foreign Missionary Society have set out for various destinations. Two are gone to India; two as directors of the General Missionary College established at PuloPenag; two are to endeavor to penetrate into Cochin China; one is to go to Siam, and the others to Macao, preparatory to joining the missionaries in China.-True Tablet.

DOMESTIC.

ARCHDIOCESS OF BALTIMORE.-Regulations for Lent.-The following extract is from a circular addressed to the reverend clergy by the most Rev. Dr. Eccleston.

"The regulations for the ensuing lent will be the same as last year. The use of flesh meat, accordingly, will be allowed at any time on Sundays, and at one meal on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the exception of the

first four days, and all holy week including Palm Sunday."

Mount St. Mary's College.-A meeting of the professors and students of Mount St. Mary's College, was held on the 20th January, 1843, to take into consideration the propriety and means of erecting a suitable monument to the memory of the Right Rev. John Dubois, the founder of Mount St. Mary's College.

On motion, George H. Miles, of Baltimore, was called to the chair, and explained the object of the meeting: a secretary was elected, and it was then

Resolved, That a monument be erected at Mount St. Mary's to the Rt. Rev. John Dubois, founder of Mount St. Mary's College and Seminary, and father of the institution of the Sisters of Charity in this country.

Resolved, That we, the professors and students of Mount St. Mary's College, will contribute the sum of four hundred dollars.

Resolved, That a committee of nine students of the college be appointed to determine on the plan of the monument, and the means of erecting it, and that the president and vice-president of the college be invited to give their advice and co-operation to this committee.

Messrs. George H. Miles and Joseph J. O'Donnell, of Baltimore, Louis S. Se. Bourgeois, of Louisiana, Thomas E. Irby, of Alabama, John F. Ennis, of Washington, D. C., William F. Tehan, of Frederick, M. D, Francis X. Byerly, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Daniel Beltzhoover, of Pittsburg, Pa. and William George Read, Jun. of Baltimore, were named as the committee, with the approbation of the meeting.

Resolved, That a circular letter be addressed by the committee to the former pupils of Mr. Dubois, at the mountain and valley, and in general to all the friends and admirers of this good

and venerated man, inviting them to co-operate in erecting an appropriate and durable monument to his memory, as a testimony of gratitude for his great services to the cause of education and of charity, and an expression of respect for the noble virtues which adorned his character.

The Rev. John McCloskey, Vice-President and Treasurer of Mount St. Mary's College, was appointed Treasurer of the Monument committee, and accepted the appointment. It was further

Resolved, That the editors of the various Catholic papers throughout the country be requested to publish these proceedings.-U. S. Catholic Miscellany.

DIOCESS OF NEW YORK.-Ordinations at St. John's College.-On Sunday, the 29th January, the feast of St. Francis of Sales, Messrs. Laurence Carroll, Richard Kein, William Hogan, James Keaveny, Anthony Farley, and Francis Donahue were raised to the sublime dignity of the priesthood, in the chapel of the Blessed Virgin attached to the college.-N. Y. Freeman's Journal.

CATECHETICAL.-The Banner of the Cross cannot reconcile the Catholic practice of pray. ing to God alone for mercy, with the petitions which we address to the blessed Virgin, and in which she is styled the mother of mercy. Answer: In all prayers to God, we recognize him as the only source of every good gift; in all prayers to the blessed Virgin and the saints, we address them merely as our helpers, that by their prayers they may obtain for us the graces we desire. Would it be too strong language to call the editor of the Banner a merciful man? If not, he certainly should understand the propriety of styling the blessed Virgin, the mother of mercy. See page 189.

EDITORIAL REMARKS.

In consequence of the unusual length of several articles in this number of the Magazine, our readers will find but a small space devoted to intelligence. For the same reason we have reluctantly omitted our customary notices of books. We acknowledge the receipt of "St. Bernard and his beloved Jerusalem," from a learned corres

pondent; number one of the "Catholic Poets of England" from the same author, numbers three and four of "Catholic Melodies" from the pleasing and instructive writer over the signature of Moïna, and several other contributions which claim our thanks, and will be published as soon as our space will permit.

therefore the dilemma in which Bishop Whittingham has placed himself, remains in full play against him, and we repeat the question, where was the Church of Christ, "the pillar and ground of truth," at the time when low, contradictory, almost blasphemous practices were prevalent, and a halfdiscarded paganism characterized its worship? How can all this be conciliated with the promises of Christ, to remain with his Church to the end of time?

3. We proved that Bishop Whittingham had incorrectly represented the Catholic worship, in the statement that it was offered "not with, but for the people." The words of the canon of the mass quoted by us are an evidence that the people do offer in conjunction with the priest: but to escape from the charge he says that we did not cite his words at length; we cited what we knew to be an error, and we exposed it. That this error moreover was the point to which the bishop directed particular attention, is plain from the italicism of the words. He seems to argue that, the sacrifice in the Catholic Church is not offered with the people, because the more solemn part of it is recited in an inaudible voice, and in an unknown tongue. But how such an inference could be drawn from the premises we are utterly at a loss to conceive. For if the people read the prayers in their books or mentally unite with the officiating clergyman, what prevents them from being co-offerers with him ?*

*Bishop Whittingham very learnedly tells us : "In their (Catholic) books of devotion, while a part of it (the canon) is translated, as if it were the whole (see Ursuline Manual, &c. approved by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Hughes, New York, 1840, page 101, ss), a part is cunningly kept back, because it makes mention of facts and implies doctrines that it would be most inconvenient to have constantly before them. Let this be disproved, if it can." It is difficult here to conjecture what the writer wishes us to disprove. If he allude to the motive for omitting the words of consecration in the U. Manual, we deny the assertion as utterly gratuitous: 1. Because in many prayer-books all the words of consecration are to be found. See Roman Missal, in English; Holy Week; Paroissien Rom. in French, &c. 2. The people not being the consecrators of the bread and wine, there is no necessity to place the formula required for this in the prayer-books. It would be Do convenience whatever for the Catholic clergy to withhold from the notice of the people any doctrine of the Church, because the people believe the real presence, and every thing else that the clergy believe; but we may conceive that it is very conveVOL. II.-No. 3.

4. In relation to the charge that Bishop Whittingham had stigmatized the Catholic priesthood in opprobrious terms, he remarks that he spoke of the priesthood which the reformers found. This observation may pass for what it is worth; every body knows that the priesthood which the reformers found, was the priesthood of the Catholic Church. But he adds: "In many respects the reformation has been of great advantage to the priesthood even in the Tridentine schism: and the writer of these discourses would not choose to employ the language of the text, without qualification, of the priesthood in any part of the Roman obedience at the present day; still less, of that in the Roman schism in this country."+ Are we to consider this a compliment, gentle reader? It cannot be denied that opposition on the one side is frequently productive of reaction on the other, and in the providence of God evil may become the occasion of good. By the efforts of the reformers, who set up their private opinions against the teachings of the universal Church, the vigilance both of the clergy and the laity was doubtless awakened, and they armed themselves more vigorously against the dangers that surrounded them. In the same way does the faithful Christian derive advantage even from the suggestions of the evil spirit, and by the habit of resisting temptation become more firmly established in the practice of virtue. As to the doctrine and worship acknowledged by the members of the priesthood anterior to nient for certain bishops and clergymen to talk of a sacrifice, real presence, &c. at one time, and a few days after, to explain the whole matter away.

But be it observed," says Bishop Whittingham, "the assertion is made in the text, of times preceding the reformation. Does the Romish critic venture to admit that his communion at the present day, in this country, is answerable for all that may be truly proved against portions of the western and eastern Churches in the sixth and following centuries?" To this we answer yes, if these portions were in communion with the see of Rome; because the doctrine and worship of the Catholic Church have never changed. They are now what they were in the sixth and following centuries. "Does he venture to affirm that even now, as much of the mass as is laid before the people, say in the Ursuline Manual,' would be entrusted to them in Sicily or Malta, where Rome has the complete spiritual dominion she so much affects?" We answer most assuredly.

*See pages 172-182.

+ Priesthood in the Church, 2 edit. p. 21, note. 24

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