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Show WAS HEARD BY MANY. Audience of Fifteen Hundred Listens to First of Paulist Father's I Lectures. (Helena Independent, Jan. 16.) The first of six lectures to be given at the Auditorium by the Paulist fathers, who have been conducting a mission in Helena, was heard last night by 1,500 persons.- The big audience which filled the main floor and gallery numbered members of all denominations of churches represented in Helena, and of persons of no acknowledged faith. The lecture delivered by Rev. Father MacCorry Mac-Corry on "The Divinity of Christ" was directed principally to non-Catholics, who were specially invited to attend and to ask such questions as might interest in-terest them,,, The Catholic Truth society, soci-ety, under whose auspices the lectures are being given, had arranged special music, which proved to be one of the enjoyable features of the meeting. The Auditorium had been prettily decorated decorat-ed for the occasion. After a hymn with solo by Miss Sweeny, Rev. Father Hopper and Rev. Father MacCorry were introduced by Colonel W. F. Sanders, who took the opportunity to assure the priests of the earnest attention of the audience. No matter what their religious opinions might be, Colonel Sanders said, the people' of -Helena-were broad enough and liberal enough to hear all sides of a question. Rev. 'Father MacCorry was- greeted with applause as he stepped to the front of the platform. Before entering upon his lecture, he spoke in terms of graceful grace-ful approval of the remarks made by Colonel Sanders, referring to the happy results that must accure to members of all churches from a mutual understanding under-standing of their respective religious beliefs. "If we are to disagree," he said, "let us join hands of friendship across that unfortunate chasm and unite our efforts ef-forts for the betterment of mankind." Rev.. Father MacCorry seemed inspired in-spired by his subject and his audience an audience that listened with almost al-most breathless attention as he told the story of Christ. It was a story of power, of entreaty a prayer for the people to accept the divine one of whom he told. Through it all the ar guments was never lost sight of. Everything Every-thing that faultless diction, apt illustrations illus-trations and rhetoric could do was presed into the work of portraying the most perfect life that can ever be held up for the admiration and imitation of men. The arguments against the divinity divin-ity of. Christ as preferred Rehan, Strauss, Hobbs and others were ably refuted. . The "Unitarian dilemma," so-called so-called by the speaker, was a clever piece , of logic, demonstrating that Christ ,,was either God or an imposter and. a wretch, since he claimed divine ! honors and required for himself divine homage and respect. Rev. Father MacCorry's big audience was silent until he closed, and then the applause was tremendous. He had touched his hearers; no matter how nvueb raany of them differed from him on points of faith. ; The lecture was followed by a solo by Mrs.. Adolph LaSalle, who sang "The Palms," by Gounod. Rev. Father Hopper Hop-per proceeded to open the question box, which was placed at the Auditorium entrance en-trance and to which everyone had been invited to contribute. So soon as Rev. Father Hopper had answered one question, ques-tion, he would proceed to another, but he was unable to dispose of all that had been asked, although, in several Instances', he was briefer in his replies than he cared to be. Both questions and answers were interesting. "Do Catholics worship images and statues, and if so, why?" one person asked.-"Why asked.-"Why do Catholics prefer the blessed Virgin, Mary, to her divine son the Savior?" was another inquiry. The venerable query, "Why don't priests marry?" was among the number asked. "Has not the Catholic Church been guilty of "many persecutions of protest-anta protest-anta and Jews?" was another of the questions! answered. Rev. Father Hopper said that he was glad that the question had been asked. There had been, many persecutions of both protestants- andi Jews, he said, none of which were sanctioned or authorized au-thorized by the Church. "I deny," said' Rev. Father Hopper, "that the Catholic Church has been guilty of any persecutions. One must discriminate between the Church and individuals. Aa ; Individuals Catholics have done things which are to be coa- A J J |