Irish Capuchin Fathers’ Mission Crowds St. Agnes, New York

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Irish Capuchin Fathers' Mission Crowds St. Agnes' On the first Sunday of Advent a three weeks' mission, conducted by the Irish Capuchin Fathers Joseph, Brendan, Matthew and Aidan, opened in St. Agnes' Church, East Forty-third street, with High Mass sung by the Right Rev. Monsignor Chidwick. The first week was devoted to the married women of the parish, and their very faithful and loyal attendance at the early Masses, and the evening services evidenced a wonderful spirit of faith in the parish. The spacious and beautiful Church of St. Agnes was crowded to its utmost capacity, and the forceful sermons preached by the Missionary Fathers were followed with marked attention and interest. The subjects preached during the married women's mission were peculiarly adapted to the needs, circumstances and home conditions of wives in the City of New York. Particular stress was laid on the sphere of woman in the home, where she reigns and rules as mistress and queen, and where her sacred duties if carried out make for the happiness of the whole domestic circle and the building up of true citizenship. The prevailing evils of the day were largely dwelt upon, viz., the curse of divorce, birth control, etc., which were denounced by the missionaries in no uncertain language, notwithstanding the recent infidel pronouncement of some disgruntled female lecturing to the Columbia student girls to the contrary. Father Joseph Fenelon spoke vigorously on the nation-wide curse of divorce, and emphasized the unity, sacredness and indissolubility of the marriage contract, which no power on earth can annul. The very horrible and unchristian practise of child prevention or race suicide he termed Satanic, and the Catholic wife or husband guilty of such he declared unworthy of the name they bear of being cogenerators with God of the bodies of their children. He said such husbands and wives live in homes of sin, and in houses of marriage infamy, offending the great God of heaven and killing the race. He strongly appealed to the Catholic people and all whom his words might reach to obey the law of God and the teaching of their Church, to have reason guide them in all things, especially in the matter of human love, and this reason will direct their lower nature and rule an overmastering passion, which, if unchecked, bebases and degrades them. The Sacrament of Marriage, he said, is a sacred contract, instituted by God Himself for the propagation of the human race. Its nature, therefore, is divine and its purpose natural; hence the most formidable dangers of this holy state can be avoided by the special grace of God, maintained by prayer and the constant reception of the Sacraments. In the closing exercises of the married women's mission, the preacher reiterated the exhortations given to mothers during the week, of looking after the religious and secular training of their children, and the best way to secure this was to send their children to the parochial school, where sound educatio…