Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Next Page
OCR
i
q
i
1
;
a:
Vol. XII.— No. 17.
Philadelphia, Thursday, April 25, 1844.
- Whole Number 589 :
THE CATHOLIC IIERALD
18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
M. FITHIAN,
No. 72 North Second Street, Philadelphia,
Terms.—T wo, Dollars and Fifty Cents, if paid
inadvance, or Three Dollars, payable half yearly.
No paper discontinued until all arrearages are
settled.
_ All Communications, except from Agents or
Subscribers enclosing remittances, must be post
paid, and addressed. ‘+ To the Editor of the Ca-
tholic Herald, Philadelphia, Pa.”
By permission of the Post-Master General, any
Post-Mastercan frank a letter containing a remit-
ance, fora Subscriber.
Poetry. e
For the Catholic Herald.
N VALEDICTORY ADDRESS
on DELIVERED. BY PROFESSOR HORNER,
‘TO THE MEDICAL GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENN-
s SYLYANIA, APRIL 4, 1844, *
Itis an hour of triumph! and we view a gallant band,
The noble sons assembled of our free and happy, land—
Gay sounds of victory fill the air, and oh! it is most meet”
Exulting strains of music should those youthful conquerors
greet. : :
In the toil of patient study have pass'd their boyhood’s
lays, /
‘And are they not entitled to the victor’s meed of praiset
‘Their bosoms beat with hope and joy, for they this day
receive
The valued scroll that sends them forth the sufferer to re
ieve—
No vain pretenders are they. but well okill’d to bear a part
In true philanthropy’s pure cause—and honor fills each
‘They listen now to words that{all from him who trod be-
fori
e
In learning's path unweariedly, fair science to explore—
And well may love and gratitude, to him their guide and
friend, :
Find place within their hearts, and with each joyous fecl-
ing blend;.«; -” whee
He bears a willing testimony, to their worth and skill,
‘And proudly speaks of competence, their calling high to
I —
With affection he entreats them to keep honor still in view,
‘To shun the thorny way of vice, and wisdom to pursue—
He tells of jay that virtue gives, and ob! "tis ‘his to know
"The happiness that e'er from conscious rectitude must flow,
Bat on his lofty sentiments I need no longer dwell,
‘The counsel he so kindly gives, will be remembered well.
Upon those gifted aspirants may Heaven's blessing rest,
And tranquil virtue e’er abide within each peaceful breast;
May success attend their efforts, and cheer them on their
way,
‘And the lavish gifts of fortune their industry repay.
"They will list to gratulations warm from each friend sin.
cere,
‘And tones of cordial greeting to their hearts may well be
dear,
For may we not imagine human sympathy and love,
Bear a feint resemblance to the bliss that saints enjoy
ve
al
"Their present hopes are fair and bright, but should dark
clouds arise . ;
‘To dim the glorious beauty of their radiant, summer skies,
Let them still preserve integrity through every changing
._p seene,
And calmly they will view the storm, and still will smile
serene.
Ob! may they ofien think of him whose words they hear
to-day,
‘Aad may his bright example beto them a guiding ray—
Tfain would wish unmingled joy might bless them here
&° below,
Bat that I know all earthly bliss, inconstantly must flow—
Yetmay religion’s pure effulgence gild their pathway here,
And they by Faith enlightened Jook beyond this narrow
sphere—
‘That when the trying hour of death is swiftly drawing nigh
And every worldly scene is dim before the fading eye,
A hope of life eternal, in the regrons of the blest,
Where allie perfect happiness, and love, and peace, and
May sustain them in their time of need—and when this
life iso'er, °”
Their glad unfetter'd spirits exultingly will soar—
And then will be revealed to them the ever glorious sight,
The radiant vision of the blessed Lord of life and light!
And that Physician who the soul's infirmity can cur
Whose mercy and whose iove through endless ages will
endure,
Will bid thementer to His rest for having served Him
well— . . .
And bright rejoicing angels will glad songs of welcome
fo swell. eeraa ‘
. EF W,
Philadelphia.
From the Catholic Telegraph. .
CANISIUS.
The year 1521 is a memorable one in’ the
history of the church. -While’ Luther was
throwing off the mask in the Diet of Worms,
a young Spanish Cavalier, who had previous-
ly dreamed of nothing but war and gallantry,
moved by the spirit of God, suspended no
inglorious sword at the altar of Mary, re-
nounced worldly joys, and commenced thase
austerities that were one day to give to earth
and heavea a Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Onthe
8th of May, of the same year, Nimeguen gave
birth to another Saint, Peter Canisius, who
was destined to become one of the most in-
defatigable athelte of the ancient faith, in
ermany. The Holy See is now occupied
with his “canonization and we therefore pre-
sent this sketch of his life to our readers,
Canisius was one of those men who never
falter in the practice of piety. His first toy
was a good book, his first word a prayer. He
was sent, young to school, to Cologne, which
was already infected with heresy, ‘The new
religionists had an infernal talent for seducing
youth; they first intoxicated their unsuspect-
ing dupes with flattery, and pleasure ‘soon,
finished what vanity had begun. Canisius
was plied with the same arts, but they could
not succeed, for his humility’ surpassed ‘his
talents. ©The name of a priest, remarkable
for his piety, learning, eloquence and eharity,
who had just arrived at Mayence, was one
day mentioned to him and the virtuous stu-
dent immediately left Cologne to: visit him,
That priest was Lefevre, the first of the re-
markable band that formed the nucleus of the
Society of Jesus, in Paris. | [tis needless to
say what were their mutual greetings, thei
conversations, their holy. projects and their
fervent prayers. Canisius performd the spirit-
ual exercises and -s he was one of those men
whose sublime devotion leads them to conse-
erate. to God’ alone, heart, mind and: body
without reserve, he gave all the ‘worldly
wealth he possessed to the poor, and became
a member of the Society of Jesus.” «+2 that
time,” says Bossuet, “crime, turpitude, and
apostacy notwithstanding, there were chris-
tians in the world.”
One Coes not become a Jesuit per, saltum.
The Protestants boasted of the learning of
Luther, apparently unconscious ‘that, they
thus indirectly lauded the discipline of the
Catholic schools in which it had been acquir-
ed, ° ‘The design nearest the heart of St. Ig-
natius, after forming most saintly priests, was
to form most learned theologians, | Canisius
girt up bis loins, like a man, and strenuously
labored to attain this double perfection of his
calling.” He prepared for study by prayer
and prayer taught him how to study. ‘Truth
profited, in the intervals of both, by his elo-
quence. Scarcely was he ordained ‘priest,
when he began to preach from city to city,
every where reclaiming the victims of religi-
ous error and reconciling the sinful to God. [a
the midst of these apostolic labors, he pub-
lished the best* edition that has been ever
given of the’ Alexandrian Fathers, and’ we
find him at the early age of' twenty-six years,
legate of a German Cardinal in the Council
of ‘Trent.’ From ‘Trent, where he passed an
entire year, Canisius wentto Rome. Saint
Ignatius was then solicited by the king of
Naples to founda college at Messina, ‘To
make sure of the disposition of those whom
he destined for this purpose, Ignatius address-
ed certain questions to his disciples,” ‘I'he
responses of all were in favor of obedience,
Tam equally ready,” said Canisius ‘to remain
here, to go to Sicily, or to India, or anyeother
part of the world, whither my venerable father
and master in Jesus Chri-t may judge proper
to send me. If Sicily be my destination, I
protest that whatever employment—gardener,
cook, porter; scholastic, or professor, even
though it shouldbe in some department of
science with which Iam not aequainted—is
assigned me, I shall try to learn it and acquit
myself of it properly.’.” Canisius was sent
to Messina as Professor of Rherotic, But
soon there was need for his services in. Ger-
many, where heresy was continuing its ‘rava-
ges, and he therefore left Messina without a
murmur, for Ingoldstadt, as he had left Rome
for Messina, and would have left Europe for
apan and life for martyrdom. And this spirit
was that of all the Jesuits; Xavier, as any o
his brethren would have done, left’ Paris for
India, and laboured there for iwenty years, to
his death, without asking, or desiring to re-
_ {turn to friends, or to country, because he
was doing good where he was.
~ We cannot keep pace with Canisius in bis
incessant labors in Vienna, where he publish-
ed his. celebrated Catechism which was trans-
lated into most of the languages of the entire
world; of which there were upwards of four
hundred editions in one hundred years, in
Prague, Augsburgh, ‘T'rieste, Rome, . Inn-
spruck, Cologne, Mayence! 3
«At the least sign from’ his superiors, or the
slightest intimation of any spiritual necessity
which it was in his power to relieve, whether
sick, or tired, or dearly occupied: with some
literary labor, he mounted his horse and away,
are now, in various parts of Germany.” He
had to cross lonely and desert ‘mountains,
swim rivers, . wind ‘ slowly © and: painfully
through torrents and ravines, and put up with
uncomfortable lodgings after a day's‘ toil and
hunger, often ‘too’ the ' enemy’ occupied’ the
pass ‘and he had to risk it with a proscribed
character and name. No matter. The sooner
the better,’ “The Redeemer laid down” his
own life for his sheep forgets not those who
jo the like, Sometimes the pious missionary
was received as an angel from heaven and his
journey was changed ‘into a triumph, at other
times, the mob pelted him with stones and
mud. It was all one to him. \ He proceeded
with. the same serenity! of’ soul, preaching
two, or three times a day, instructing the ig-
norant, comforting the’ afllicted, reclaiming
the profligate: and counselling the prince.
Canisius, invitedy“welcomsd, venerated every
where by the good, refused honors,’ wealth
and dignities, or exerted the influence forced
upon him only for the benefit of those in need
and preserved nothing for himself but the mo-
desty of au angel, the power of an apostle and
a
the guilelessness of a child. jocile as a
novice to the will of his superiors, when they
ordered him! to write, be took up the pen,
when they bade him cease, he laid it aside
withthe same admirable simplicity. | It was
thus he undertook to reply to the centuriators
of Magdeburgh, a work of immense labor,
which he in part accomplished, notwithstand
ing frequent interruptions by other and more
urgent duties. He was never idle, never long
in the same place. -When enfeebled by old
age and infirmity he cheerfully abandoned the
residence he might have liked best, for those
that were less agreeable, and the oceupations
which recreated his mind, for those that tend-
ed rather to accelerate the decay of nature.
‘The ouly part of the time whose employment
was invariably the same was that which he
devoted to God.’ He daily consecrated five
hours, and towards the close of his life, seven
hours to prayer. Ile’ prayed not, all this
time, for himself alone. “Tn his numerous
pilgrimages and apostolic journeys he had
met with the erring, the sinful and the un-
happy. He remembered them atthe altar,
he offered for them a portion of his own. suf-
ferings, and be imposed on himself every day
for the conversion of heretics some new aus-
terities. .
Canisius’ had ‘reached his sixtieth year,
He was at. Innspruck and expected to die
there, believing that bis end was nigh, when
new labours summoned him to the missionary
field. Switzerland was invaded by heresy and
the pestilence spread with fearful rapidity.
‘The faithful Cantons knew of only one. re-
source—the- Jesuits: Canisius was. sen
thither. His three score years prevented him
not from preaching regularly, every Sunday
and festival, and during the week. Ele visited
the poor, traversed the country in every di-
rection, and finally established in Fribourg
the famous institution of his order which is to
this day the bulwark of the faith for the coun-
tuymen of Tell and the admiration of the trav-
eller. During eight years, increase of toil
seemed but to infuse new vigour into the body
of the aged priest. [le was honoured blessed
and venerated ‘as the. aposile of Switzerland.
Par from imitating the ferocity of Calvin and
Zuinglius and Haller, he went himself, in-
stead of sending soldiers to subdue the obsti-
nate and conciliate the. dissenting. - When
the heads of the government asked him for
counsel, he ‘promptly ‘gave it, but chiefly
recommended to them. to have recource to
God by prayer. Meantime, to inculeate hu-
milly on his own’ heart first and then on the
hearts of his younger brethren, he frequently
swept the corridors aod scrubbed the kitchen |)
furniture.
Strock with apoplexy at the age of ‘sixty-
eight and incapacitated from preaching, Cani-
sius did: not, on ‘this account, abandon. the
ice of heaven and his neighbour. In hearts
like his the fire of charity is extinguished only
with the vital Spark. itself. Being urged to’
publish his sermons, he refused through hu-
mility, and only gave to the public four Vol-
umes of notes which are, as it were, the arse-
nals of those arms which he so gloriously
used. ‘Ie wrote the lives of the Saints reve-
red in the places where he lived—a work of
much research and. elevated ‘morality. » He
composed books of piety destined for the peo-
e,in the Spirit of the gracious God: who
wished little children to be suffered to ap.
proach him, aod he keptup a paternal corres- *
pondence to his latest breath, with men’ like »
Nimself inexhaustible incharity and the love
of christian’ perfection, addressing them: in
German, or in: Latin, which he» wrote with!
much facility:and elegance, and all this while ©
he was wasting away with the sharpest pains !
ofa lingering and fatal malady; ey
Apprehending from ‘an increase of his
sufferings that he “was soon to leave this
world, anxious to devote the remnant of his!
days :to prayer, he terminated ‘his active
life by a letter to the General ‘of his‘ order)!
father Claude Aquaviva, the fifth from St.°
Ignatius, renewing the assurance of his pro-!
found submission, accusing himself of all the
faults he might have committed in his various
duties as superior, preacher, or writer of the
company, asking for a penance ‘and recom-
mening “the useless old trunk” to the fer-
vent prayers’ of his” brethren.’ Afier this,
addressing himself toa friend, he makes‘ use ’
of this admirable reflexion: “May the great‘
God, the boundiess'source of all good, be ever,
blessed in permitting by asecret order of his
providence, that dulness, forgetfulness, weari- -
ness, and an haddred “other inconveniences °
should be the lot of old age, to remind us that |
we dwell in claytabernacles which shall shoril
‘all to pieces und *tiat we must think in time :
of quitting them for more lasting habitations.-"
Let us commend our souls into the hands of
this ‘adorable Master with the most’ sincere”
gratitude for his mercies.” This done, he ©
awaited in peace* the term of his sufferings
which he clearly foresaw. And as Yue mo- °
ment which he had foretold arrived, he was |
heard repe
to” himself:
Christo.”
Apostle. .
Canisius lived seventy-seven years, not one.
of which, from the early period of his arriving |
at the age of reason, was lost for. the service
of religion, orthe good of his ‘fellow-men.”
Let us judge, from this single fact of the wise”
delays and circumspection of the Catholia,
chure proposing a Saint to the veneration
of the faiuhful. Canisius is not yet canonized.
But the people have anticipated the judgment
of Rome. They invoke the good father: in
their sufferings, ‘hey implore his Protection
on earth and his favour ia heavea, ; -
Guicr or Separation.—"“Let us not ima: *
gine that those are dead, bot rather «almost
dead, whom we see lying wounded in the’
fatal persecution : Since were they entirely '
dead. confessors and martyrs would not arise *
from among them.” Since thereforé they may !
by penance grow: vigorous in faith, and from !
penance be armed with strength’ for virtue,
which force cannot be had, if any one yield |
to despair,’ if being seperated “ harshly ‘and |
cruelly fromthe church he turn ‘aside to hea:
thenish practices and worldly works, or being”
cast off by the church he pass over to heretics «
and’ schismatics. where, even if he be after- >
wards ‘slain fot the Name, being out of the
church, and cut off from’ unity. and charity‘
he cannot be crowned in death ;—on this :ac- —
count it’ was deereed, dearest brother, that ’
those who had purchased certificates of con-:
formity -to the laws’ should be admitted’ to
communion, afer a diligent’ examination’ of :
each ease, and that ‘those who had sacrificed '
should be succored in the extremity of life ©
since there is no room for confession in hell, 2
and ‘we cannot force any one to do penance, if ©
we witbhold from him the fruits of penance,
St. Cyprian Ep. Iv. moet ees ay
eu J ott
Seay ay
Jf $o———
it teat ~*
alts. of ignorance are
where the ignoranca itself is so.
excusable, only. :