Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
- 298
great evil, and source of many disorders, that, by Extract fro
failing to make provision for the necess:
of pastors, and the maintenance. of public worship,
you faillikewise of fulfilling the obligation of being
present at mass on every Sunday and, ae 3 you
lose the etunity of receiving nece sal-
and, finally, an bits daregard
for the sanctification of the Lord’s day, and for the
exercises..of prayer and religion becomes. pre
lent
In this matter, I recommend earnestly to you, my
dear brethren, not to be too indulgent to yourselves,
in forming principles, which indeed may satisfy an
erroneous conscience, and suit your attachment to
your ease, and you
afford you a reaso onable assurance of having fulfilled
essary and essential duty to Almighty God.
Every inconvenience is. not pufficient to exempt you
from the obligation of atone ding at mass on Sundays
and other days prescribed by the ch hurch : The ob-
stacle must be grievous and weighty, amounting al-
m Has
st to an impossibility, moral or physical.
such an obstacle or incon nce .existed with res-
pect to all those; who hear mess, perhaps not more
than once ina » or, seldomer ? ere not
congrogatins, ‘where now divine service is perform-
ed o' month, which are fully competent to
the my one “ot keopia ng a cler, © res
midst them, and to ax ‘minister to them continually
in all holy things? -'To offer every day for them,
and i resence: of some at ledst of them the
great sacrifice of the law of grace 7 To teach, to ad-
monish and reprove them? To: instruct their chil-
and serrate | in the doctrines and exercises of
religion Tand t to make lighter the burthen,
which rests on vavents and lieads of families 2° To
a-
"fines of sickness, the spiritual euccour committe
‘o his dispensation ? t
merate the a advantages, which evil result from so
sirable a situation,.as that, of having constantly
amongst you, your pastor and (Spiritual guide ; and|t
Lexhorty ith earnestness to use much in-
dustry, and with thankfulness.to Almighty God, fo
the tem eceive: is hand, gen-
a Part ef them to the obtaining a
mportant consequences
wa be derived. The, sacrifice of property, which
u make, fora purpose so useful and religious. ig a
Kind of restitution to Him, who first gave ou;
and, besides act of the virtue ofretizion |
it is sagged by the esire of encourag- |
eran
he poo id igno-
rant; who will be enabled to obtain essential instruc-
tion and: relief im all their: spiritual necessities,
_through-the.means and contributions of the rich and
iddle cla: asses, of life ; 3; and these: will thus become
many to justine shall shine as stars for all seeraty-
Ch, xii. v. 3;
T will ventura to add, tat even with respect ¢ oO
is world, you will find itto be no luss to concur
owardy the regular support o
socricen of religion. «
atruction : The lessons and duty. of industry ar
fre equenty inculcated by virtuous and careful pas.
tors: Your children and servants will be admonish-
ed perpetually to. shun idle: enesa, dishonesty, dissipa-
tions, and that train. of expense which a always follows
them.. These, by their effect on domestic: economy,
will make abundant compensation for the charges i in
support of religion, Besides, ve a divine
. that God will” use a more opesial provi- |S
your subsistence, wlien you make it your
first. care, to fulfil his holy law ;- Seek first the king-
dom and’ his justice.
be mtd unto you. Mat.
Amongst all obetrvetions to.t
‘of divine service, and ‘the: regular attendance:on
gion; thi of the
faithful: to contribute: for. ite support ne of the
greatest, as-was generally agreed and represented
f the Di
by my venerable brethren, the clergy of the Diocess,
in a synod held ¢ When I convok-
ed them, F formed some statutes of general concern,
which will be communicated to you, and am ong!
them are the following, relative to the matter, “of
which I have just now treated, and enforcing the
name observations :
ur worldly interests ; but cannot] of the
i the offerings of the faithful.
ethren, enu- [th
| But if provision be ma
e prophet Daniel, that they, who instruct}
Habits of temperance and fru-|!
gality are. generally the effects of evangelical in-
and all those things shall d
r
‘the due- celebration
the th
“UNITED STATES CATHOLIC MISCELLANY.
im the Statutes of the Diocesan Synod, hel id
\
VOL. IX,
were formed, relative to he oblations of the faithful;
at Baltinore, from the Ith to the 10th of Novem-) and others will be added hereafter.’
ber, 1791. ust, that you, my dear brethren, will consider
Srarut z V. That the Holy Eucharistic’ sacrifice | these - statutes with the same cand in the
may be velebrated with all reverence an ng |same spirit. in which they were form de 8 not
respect; and that the faithful may be excited more
and more’to a lively devotion tuwards this singular.
pledge. of divine mercy, it is decreed, that the con-
&- | gregations be reminded frequently, how disrespect-
ful it is, that any thing used for the Holy Sacrifice
should be of the meanest materials, or not kept
cleanly'and entire ; and that. suitable vessels and
nt vestments and linen for the ministry |
wax candles and wine fit for mass be
ovide et the christian people be told,
with how minute attention God himself was pleased
to ordain every thing relating to his service in the
Jewish law w much more care
therefore should christians ase for the decency of
ossess, not the shadow
divine worship. since they
of future lessings, as, the Tews, but the substance
and reality of them! Let them be admonished like-
wise of the offerings made by primative christians}
at the time of Mass ;
must be. very: regardiess.of the honour of God,
fuge or neglect. to contribute for those e things. “with.
out which’ ‘the functions of religion se’
dignity and authority. ; an ene-
ration for the blessed ‘ucharist ig greatly diminish-|
utensils for the alta ar,.as chalices, ciboriums, and | pr
in the spirit of avarice, but of real rolcitue for the
preservation of faith, and for your increas odli-
ness and heavenly knowledge. Thcy were suggest
ed bythe desire of séeing. you assisted, with the
same means of salvation, as your catholie brethren
inall other countries ; and’ with the hope, that you.
would use the same en
iate to yourselves the
struction, and uninterrupted
may add according to ce; and
which my reverend bretiven 3 are tereby charged not
to require from those, nt of thei
great poverty, and compensation “vould t be burthen-
and Jet them know, vat such) |some.
On this occasion, I cannot forbear mentioning an
abuse, or.rather a prevalent neglect and indifference .
with respect to your departed parents and relations.
When death has removed them from your sight, you
|seem to forget that doctrine. of
w
mean the doctrine, that it
VI. It is decreed therefore, that in every congre-
gation, two or three persons of approved
respectability be chosen by the congregation, or ap-
pointe stor,. @ Church-wardens or
guardians ; and that the persons so appointed, on
Sundays and other festivals, after the reading of the
fist gospel at Mass, or after sermon, shall collect
f|
is 'y and ‘Yy
¢ dead, (hat he may be deliver-
ed from their sins. ° How dif-
ferent is your behaviour, wae
Their sensibility is not confined to the un-
3 and lamentations ofa few ;
ofitable da
heir faith follows their deceased friends into the
offerings, according to the practice
applicd
tor; another to the relief of the
to the procuring ofall things requisite for divine}
worship, and for building and repairing the churc'!
de otherwise for the mi
nance of the pastor and the poor, all offer ings at are to
be appropriated to the fabric of the church, or fur.
nishing it with proper utensils and ornaments fo
the 4 re dignified celebration of divine worship.
‘Tho offsprings made by the faithful, to ren-}
der VGod propitious to themselves or others, through
the efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, should
|be accepted by the ministers of the altar in sue eh
manner, as to. afford no room for suspicions o
rice or simony ; let. them ‘be contetted therefore
with such an ‘ackiowledgment of their services, as
cannot be burthensome to the besto wers of it ; | nor
yet so “insignificant, as te render the priestly minis-
try despicable in’
| men
XXUf. The number of catholics having increas-
ed, and being. aispersed through the different States,
and at great dis! m each. other ; it is be-
cone. necessary to have likewise a greater number
of spititual labourers ; but these cannot be brought
rom countries. or maintained, unless the
i that expense, as
sown unto spiritual shin, teita great matter, tf we} ty.
reap your carnal thin, 1.Cor: ix, ii. The faith-
ful therefore are to be teminied often of this duty,
with) which if “they neglect to comply, they will
omit, through their own fault, hearing mass.on Sun-
days and festivals; and receiving the sacraments at
those Beasons, in which they need’ them most; the
sickness, .of Easter, and when through
the prevalence of sinful’ passions, or eng abits of,
reconciliation with ecomes in-
‘ortune giv
n » and:thus violate the a
vine and cccesnatical laws, they are to know,
they. are in and incapable of receivin,
forgiveness in the t inant of confession ; 3; and that
y will be answorable » God, not only for their
own: non-compliance dnties 8 89 “sacred 3 {
likewise-for the ignorance and vices of the pour peo-
>
co
t|Ple,.that remain destitute of christian instruction on
account of the sordid avarice of those, who arc
more favoured with the gifts of fortune. To begin
then, in this Diocess, :that, which is practised in
other christian countries; the preceding regulations
us ypnial
rl other primitive fathers leach uss children exprseed
and n for
the opinion of inconsiderate fo}
ta
iz vantage to the preserva
of another life, and on tad les all their
charity : They procure prayers an sacrific es to be
offered to God for the repose pf their souls : Th
exercises of charity to the poor,tand all the works of
that they may want it,
ed his sensibility, after the "death of his holy mot er
Monica ; ¢ Tertullian, St. and
their dut neratio parents
surviving christian spouses for them, to whom they
had been united by the ties and duties of 2 virtuous-
marriage.
When it pleases God to call your friends outof
this world, do you, my dear brethren, give such
proofs of your affection for them 7 You attend
em.to the shed ov
and there i is the “te erm
esinsof the world, he does it, gener-
ally, unsolicited and unthan nked by yo u. You make
no sacrifices of intetest or enjoyments. to ‘charity
and “religion, that the deceased may find speedy
mercy, and an anticipated enjoyment of everlasting
bliss. I earnestly: beseech you, to deserve no lon-
ger this reproach on your cl y and sensibility. —
t the great sacrifice of propitiation beo
for ally ‘who die e unity of the atholic church,
and in due submission to her wh :
Where it is-possible, let a funeral serv
formed : and I recommend it strongly to the pastors
of all. congregations,.and to the faithful themselves,’
to promote the forming.of pious-assuciations, whose
special object shall he, to bestow on the dead, an
especially on those, who die poor and friendless, the
-best offices ‘of religion, that is; to procure for them
a decent interment, accompanied aah the prayers
and sacred rites ordained by the ch
my dear ‘brethren, I
end to your
attention those things, which will he. “of general ad-
tion and increase of true re-
I have no doabt, but that your. immediate
will give you caution frequently sgainst. the
angerous..vices ; and will in-
i observance of all
tues, fa e. and
vent and well-regulated devotion to the holy mother
ofour Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; that you