Immaculata Academy - Lilium Convallium Yearbook (Portland, OR)

Page 28 text:

, - ah, hrmauwhweuuvn v .4 a w 1!; 1- Wu: e ' . 1 . . . .1 , LILIUM CONVALLIUM A Brief History of the Catholic Church The object of my brief dissertation is the Catholic Church, its organization, develop- ment and present status. , The Church, her founder, Jesus Christ, His mission and the Testament of Him left us by his disciples, are known to every student of history. . . The Catholic Church today is the most stupendous organlzatlon 0f the WOFId- From a few disciples it has growniinto millions, found in everv country. Its precepts are taught and reverently obeyed from the frozen North, through the troplCS,.t0 the 001d Antarctic regions of the South. With its center of government at Rome and its branches in every land, it is accomplishing a most wonderful work in the civilizatlon of mankind and the sanctification of the souls of men. . . Its history began when Jesus ChOSt: His twelve apostles and cornmlssmned-them to carry His teachings to all the world: ttGo ye, therefore, teach all nations, teachlng them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you? Gladly they heard hlS VOlce, left their usual occupation and commenced their mission of preaching and teaching. The elo- quence and sincerity of their words induced many to follow Jesus, and in order that what they had begun should continue until the end of time, He appointed Simon Peter to be the infallible head of His Church, saying: ttThou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it? He directed them to teach all nations, ttbaptizing them in the name of the Father, and 0f the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? and He promised that He should abide always with them: tiAnd behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world? Jesus set His apostles an example by preaching and teaching the love and service of God and the neighbor, and they and their successors up to the present time have faithfully ful- filled their duties toward the end for which Jesus labored, and for which He laid down His life. When at last the majority of the Jews refused to believe in Christ and His mission and even crucified Him, the apostles, in spite of the opposition and persecution they everywhere met, converted thousands to the faith. They journeyed into many lands, spreading the light of the true religion. They preached in Persia and Mesopotamia, in Asia Minor, Armenia and Arabia, afterward in Greece and Rome, and even pushed their way into Central Asia. At every place where the apostles preached they converted multitudes of people and or- dained many priests, that they might continue the work of redemption, a work begun by Christ, for which end He founded His Church. St. Peter, after some time at Antioch, perma- nently established his See at Rome and from thence directed the ever-increasing number of churches. ' As Christ had foretold, the world hated His faithful followers, even as it had hated their divine Master. In no place in history can we find anything to equal the brutal ferocity of the persecutions waged against the early Christians. But Christ was with His Church; the Christians rapidly increased in numbers. What is now Spain, France, Germany, Home and the British Isles were evangelized; the faith was being taught to all nations. Persecutions from .w1thout the fold gradually became things of the past, but new and greater sorrows were 1n store for herhschisms and heresies among her own children. The Greek schism of 858 separateti the Eastern Church from the Western. In the fif- teenth century Mar-tln Luther, an Augustlnlan priest, broke his vows and started a new religion whighfrapldly spread over Germany. In the s1xteenth century Henry VIII of England sepa- rate rom the.Church.and founded the Church of England, because the Pooe refused to allow him to divorce hls lawful Wife and marry another. . .Through these many sorrows the Church stood firm d1v1ne. At the present time many signs are in evidence tha to the bosom of the Church from which they departed, and when there shall be one fold and one shepherd. With the discovery of America, a new field was 0 olic Church. Father Perez, the faithful friend and discoverer on his voyage to the New World, and wa as a rock, for her origin was t her erring children will return that the day is not far distant pened for the propagation of the Cath- adVISer of Columbus, accompanied the s the first priest to offer up the Holy 22 afounder.

Page 27 text:

inican Sisters rance, lies the hal revealed to St. Do if luence over soul lOWed 5;, minis lhe S it W n the very heart of Lang- ieh now belongs to the; nother rocky eminenceh the dialect of the count iolated bit of land andhe; to come and pray. Ourre; riars Preachers evangelizcd estruction among souls. ling missionary beheldsl: and villages: broken her: man sympathy, yearnedt I. Between Fanjeauxand. w village called Protlillt ines attracted many pilgrii ed astray, Dontinic's'thf his anxious mind aslgn'v - ' ' f truthand: e the spirits 0 t: rly heart that he COHf'W . o ' ty-Second 0f Juh, 1.00 Iii; s was his wont, an ill; s feet, the Wide What i ' ' a is attention. ll Image chapel of Prgeurlst: Dominic at last UH LILIUM CONVALLIUM and their time was divided between prayer and work. Their chief object, together with their own salvation, was that of their brethren, and especially of the Albigenses, and their prayers and penances tended to this end. Thus, while the Friars Preachers labored for souls by their active apostolate, the daughters of the Order, from the depths of their Cloister, served the same cause by their prayers and sacrifices. It was the night between the 21st and 22nd of July, 1206, that St. Dominic, far away t from all living creatures, knelt on his rocky eminence, his arms uplifted in earnest prayer for poor souls. Looking toward Prouille he saw a globe of fire descend from heaven and alight on the prilgrimts chapel. For two successive nights he had the same vision. Then and there St. Dominic received the inspiration from God that he should build a Convent on that holy spot and people it; not with men, mighty in working and preaching, but with holy women, who should, by means of prayer and penance, bring down God,s blessings upon his and his followers apostolic labors. St. Dominic knew that the Catholic religion would be practiced if only future mothers were well instructed. Hence at a very early date, Dominican nuns undertook the education of girls. At Prouille, then, a rude house was converted into a temporary convent. You know, dear readers, that all great works have had poor, humble beginnings. At first only nine ladies joined the community, but, little by little, this first spiritual family of St. Dominic grew and spread. The 27th of December, 1206, is the birthday of the first Dominican Convent of Nuns. aCLARA JACQUES, ,1 7.

Page 29 text:

Lhurch, p01. . I gamzallttg l am the T i estame tolH' uni. 0rgilnizahon m 001mm eMild 1 lo trODiCs hceplsl lpostles '9. teach H and commissionel i all nations, mi; tiladly they heard hisi preaching and teachingi' low Jesus, and in ordert appomted Simon Peleral , and upon this rocklwill: t. He directed theml.:- of the Son, and 0f the Hilli 11: And behold, I am ll'i? I melting the love and semi . present time have faith tl. and for which Helaidu ieve in Christ and Hismiv n and persecutiontheyei: ito many lands, spreading lDOitllllitl, in Asia llinor. Lth their way into Cell ted multitudes of peoplt of redemption, a wotlzl after some time at Aunlmft ted the ever-increasmgm illowers, even as it lialdfh: g to equal the bm'mChi' Christ was with H15 t WI 1 min, France. Gelma't' Liht to all nations. things of the sies among her 0 'h from the is vows and st urv Henry H, iwcause past; ll WM 1 l n Western' . art? Met till 0 3 : LILIUM CONVALLIUM Sacrifice of the Mass in the newly discovered America. lowed by other missionaries, of over 16,000,000 Catholics. dred and seventy millions. The Catholic faith was brought to Oregon in 1838 by Father Blanchet, itthe Apostle of Oregon? Father Blanchet established the mission at St. Paul, the oldest Catholic mission in Oregon, and it was Father Blanchet also who later received into the Church Dr. McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon. Surveying our brief essay, we find that Christ gave to St. Peter the power of the keys, or supreme authority over His Church. 0T0 thee I will give the keys to the kingdo.m of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, it shall be bound in heaven, and what- soever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven? By this St. Peter was also made the Vice-gerent of Christ upon earth, and in matters of faith and morals he and his successors are infallible. The Popets supremacy consists in his primacy, both of honor and jurisdiction, over all the bishops and churches of the world. The Pope, by virtue of his position at the head of the Catholic Church, is given many titles, among which are Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Arch- bishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, and Sovereign of the Temporal Dominions of the Holy Roman Church. Pope Benedict XV is now reigning on the throne of St. Peter and is his two hundred and fifty-nirLth successor. He was crowned September 6, 1914, and since then has given the world many evidences of his holiness and diplomacy, and is doing his part to carry on the work of the Divine Founder. Down the centuries he was fol- so that today we have in the United States a population The total Catholic population of the world today is two hun- aMONICA MORLEY, t1 7. INTERIOR IMMACULXTE HEART CHURCH.