St. Basil, about the same time, writes, " To them who willingly undertake it, fasting is at all times profitable, but chiefly now, when a solemn fast is everywhere published. There is no island, no continent, no city, no nation, no corner of the earth, where it is not heard. Let no one then exclude himself from the number of fasters; in which number every age, all ranks take their place.— Homil. ii. de Jejun. tom. ii. St. Ambrose writes about the year 397, Except Saturday and Sunday, we fast every day in Lent." Lib. de Elia et Jejunio c. 10, tom, i. St. Augustin teaches, before the year 430, that the fast of Lent is recommended by the authority of the fasts of Moses and Elias in the old law, and of Christ in the gospel. "Christ fasted forty days, to shew that the gospel was not in opposition to the law and the prophets." Lib. ii. ad Inquisit. Januarii, tom. ii. c. xxv.Before Easter we fast forty days." Tract xvii. in Joan. tom. ix. "There are forty days, most holy over the earth, which all Christians, whom God reconciles to himself in Christ, observe with singular devotion, as Easter approaches." Serm. de Diversis, 73, t. x. The ancient Fathers attest that the fast of Lent is an apostolical tradition, or institution; thus, St. Jerom writes to Marcella, before the year 420, "We fast one Lent by apostolical tradition, the whole world agreeing with us herein." St. Leo, about 450 says, "Let the apostolical institution of forty days be spent in fasting." Serm. vi. de Quadrages. St. Isidore, of Seville, says, about the year 630, "Lent is kept over the whole world, by an apostolic institution." Orig. lib. vi. c. 19. The fast of Lent was enforced and observed in the primitive ages as a duty of conscientious obligation. St. Cæsarius, of Arles, about the year 540, pronounces, that "to fast on other days is a remedy of sin, and entitles to a reward. Not to fast in Lent is a sin. He who fasts at another time, shall obtain pardon. He who is able and does not fast on these days, shall suffer punishment." Hom. ii. St. Ambrose says, "To neglect entirely the fast of Lent is a sacrilege; to transgress it in part is a sin." Homil. vii. now xxiii. n. 2. In the 69th of the Apostolical Canons, it is enacted, "If any bishop, priest, deacon, reader, or precentor, does not fast the forty days of the Passover, or (the weekly stations of) Wednesday and Friday, unless through bodily weakness he be not able, let him be deposed. But if he be a layman let him be excommunicated." From the canons of councils, the writings of the Fathers, and the practice of the church, from the first ages down to the present time, it appears that the fast of Lent was observed from the beginning as an apostolical and ecclesiastical law, binding all Christians, as far as health and strength permitted. STATE OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. IRELAND. THE following is from the Catholic Bishop of Waterford :MONKS OF MOUNT MELLERAY.-The brotherhood of Trappists at Mount Melleray have just appealed to the charitable and huinane of every county and town in Ireland. They promulgate the following heads of benefits for the aid afforded them, in forming their establishment : 1. We celebrate every day, the holy sacrifice for our benefactors. 2. A memento is made for them at every private Mass. 3. We pray for them at every private office, and at the canonical hours of the day. 4. The community make a general communion for them on the first Thursday of every month. 5. They partake of every good and penitential work of the community. 6. They are prayed for after meals. 7. They are prayed for when we are informed of their illness. 8. At the death of any benefactor a Mass is offered for the deceased-every priest makes three mementos-every lay member offers a communion, and recites the Seven Penitential Psalms. 9. A De Profundis is recited every afternoon, by the community assembled for the deceased benefactors. 10. Every special benefactor shall be associated to the prayers and good works of our whole society. To the above we have affixed the following testimonial : Deeply impressed with a sense of the great merits of the Monks of La Trappe, and of the blessings their pious exertions and example must bestow on the people, amongst whom they reside, I earnestly recommend them to the notice of the faithful, and to the particular patronage of the clergy." W. ABRAHAM. LAYING OF THE FIRST STONE OF THE NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. PAUL. ON Patrick's Day, at two o'clock, his Grace the Catholic Archbishop, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Yore, P. P., and a great number of clergymen, proceeded from the vestry, through the old chapel and Lincoln-lane, to the site of the new church, on Arran-quay, where a very large concourse of the parishioners and citizens had assembled, and having gone in procession round the ground, and solemnly invoked the divine benediction on this great and important undertaking, laid the first stone with the usual grand and affecting ceremonies of the Catholic ritual. In the part of the foundations immediately under the high altar, inclosed in the stone is a phial, hermetically sealed, containing the various coins of the present reign, and a parchment with the following inscription : "This stone was laid at the foundation of the church of St. Paul, apostle of nations, on the 17th of March, in the fifth year of the pontificate of Gregory XVI., the fifth of the reign of William IV., king of Great Britain and Ireland, and the year of our Lord, 1835, by Daniel Murray, primate of Ireland, and archbishop of Dublin. (Signed) "WILLIAM YORE, P. P." It is gratifying to be able to state that the church will be one of the finest in the city both as to its exterior and interior effect. Its interior area being twice that of the old chapel, will be capable of accommodating double the number of persons-this was extremely necessary, as the old chapel is generally so densely crowded as to render it very dangerous to health, and not unfrequently many of the congregation are obliged to kneel outside in the chapel yard. The great difficulty of procuring a suitable and convenient site on moderate terms, having obliged the expenditure of a very large sum for the purchase of the ground, has, we are sorry to hear, notwithstanding the liberal contributions of most of the parishioners of all religious denominations, greatly lessened the funds, and rendered it necessary that the clergymen and committee should appeal to the generosity and kindness of their fellow citizens of every Christian creed, who, we feel confident, will contribute with their usual liberality to this important and most necessary work. The Very Rev. Dean Burke, P. P. of Westport, and the Rev. Dr. Cullen are on their way to Rome. The Bulls of his Holiness for the appointment of the Lord Primate are daily expected. REV. MR. MAGUIRE'S SERMONS. In a late number of a Protestant periodical, remarkable for its outrageous misrepresentation of every thing Catholic, we find language attributed to the celebrated Father Maguire in his controversial sermons, which we have authority to state was never uttered by him. As Mr. Maguire's sermons have been reported by two gentlemen of veracity, and are preparing for the press, we rejoice to hear, that arrangements are making to have them published in an authorised form, and in such a way that every man in Great Britain can purchase them. It is not too much to say that those controversial sermons are the most forcible, clear, and argumentative ever published. APOSTATES-MR. CROLLY. [FROM THE BIRMINGHAM MAGAZINE.] Ir appears that this wretched man is merely a relapsing aposThe following account is from one well acquainted with his tate. history. "You have often heard of the apostate Crolly, of Maynooth College. I think you could not but have heard of him. His apostacy made, as you may suppose, just as much noise at the time, as this fellow's writings now. I believe it occurred when we were in college. Well, this fellow is his brother, and had the honour of setting him the example. This unhappy man, after being some time on the mission, in the diocese of Cork, became a Protestant, and continued so for some time. In the mean time, the brother in Maynooth wrote several letters to him, imploring of him to return to the church and station, which he had abandoned. He did return, and was again on the mission, when his unfortunate brother in consequence of some difference with his superiors, left the college and the church together, and continues so to this day. But there is a singular circumstance connected with the history of this " par nobile fratrem." When the college lad took it into his head to take unto himself a wife, (the governess of a charity school) he wrote to his brother, (the present man) inducing him 'to follow his own example. What did the brother? He enclosed to him the letters, which he received from him after he apostatized, proving the truth of the Catholic religion, and the necessity and propriety of returning to it. So you see what a pair they are. This fellow has been many years a P.P., living I understand, a very secluded life, and amassing money, which he possesses to a considerable amount. Indeed, I have been informed, that when he published his pamphlet, he had in his possession a sum of money sufficient to support him during the rest of his life, and enable him to set his superiors at defiance. Dr. Murphy, his bishop, suspended him immediately on the appearance of his book, and, to the honour of his good flock be it told, they closed the chapel doors against him, even before his suspension. Dr. Murphy, after suspending him, sent his pamphlet to Rome, with a statement of all the circumstances of his case, and has been favoured lately with a brief, authorising him to degrade and deprive him of his parish. This is the history of this very unhappy man." DUBLIN:--Stereotyped, Printed and Published by T. and J. COLDWELL, 50, Capel-street. Sold also by the Catholic Book Society, 5, Essex-bridge; R. Coyne, 4, Capei-street; R. Grace & Son, 45, Capel-sticet; J. Coyne, 24, Cook-street; D. O'Brien, 2, Abbey-St. WHOLESALE AGENTS in London, Keating and Brown; Liverpool, John Pagbe, 6. Marehone; Manchester, Samuel Birchenough, 35, Smithy Door, and R. Lynch, Back King-street; Glasgow, D. Kennedy, &c. &c. |