MISS j'GOMAN'S LECTURE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2174, 18 December 1885, Page 2

MISS j'GOMAN'S LECTURE.

Miss O'Gorman, the " Escaped Nun/ delivered the first of her promised lectures at the Theatre Royal last night, and although there was the counter attraction of the Circus, there was a very good house. Miss O'Gorman has an excellent flow of language, good expression, and speaks with a peculiar earnestness that is bound to impress her hearers. The subjects which she had chosen for last night were " Life in a Convent," " Theßomish School System," and "The Romish Priesthood." In opening the first of these, she said all the laws of the Church were calculated to confuse the mind, There were various supposed advantages held out to girls to become nuns, and young delusive creatures sacrificed their lives for a perpetual crucifixion, not knowing that Christ was sufficient sacrifice for all. When Bhe was a young girl she confessed to her spiritual adviser, and was told by him that Bhe could only be saved by becoming the bride of Christ. She was very young then, and had full, faith in her Church, so in 1862, she entered a convent in Madison, United States, By degreeß Bhe learnt the extent of tho sacrifice Bhe had made. It was by auricular confession that the Ciiuroh had obtained its only firm hold. It was required in the convent that there should be an entire surrender of . will to the superiors. She had been taught to anticipate the greatest purity in the convent, but what she saw soon led to a revulsion. She described at length the ceremony of taking the veil. She entered the convent with several thousand dollars, and as she was becoming a Sister of Charity, she anticipated that she would bo able to dispose charity, which was one of her reasons for entering ; but during all the six years she was.in the convent, Bhe was only allowed to dispense a. little cold victuals twice to two poor beggars. There was no charity among them, and there was not a true Sister of Charity in the whole of the world who could ga on to a battle-field or to assist the poor of her own free will. If any one asked for assistance he was told that they had surrendered everything to the Church, and that they themselves were as poor as beggars. Nearly the whole of the time she was in tho convent she prayed every morning that she might never seo another night, and every night that she might never seo another morning, As for charity among the priests, she had never seen a priest give a pound for a charitable purpose yet, though Bhe had known them to extort the last half-crown from the poor. Sho did not wish to say there were no noble and good priests, but sho had never seen them. She despribed the Sacrament, and what they were expected to believe while taking it. If a nun fell in love with a priest she was bound to tell him of it and ask his advice, and absolutely obey him. A nun must not kiss a baby, for it is a sin,because sho is gratifying an earthly passion. She had known six nuns to be in love with one priest, and he was the ugliest man aha had evet seen. A nun who resisted, or declined to follow the advice of the priest, had to do penance, and in these cases the priest was always supported by the Sister Superior. The principle laid down by the Church was .that the responsibility of a sin or crime committed will rest on the supeHor who caused it to be committed. Sho had never sacrificed her own will, and had to undergo many penances in consequence. These penances often led to death, or to that other escape from auch a life—insanity. " A hell upon earth" were the only words in which she could describe life in a convent. *Sho described t|ie Roman Catholic Schools, and stated that thoy were very inferior to Protestant Schools. She warned Protestants against sending their children to them, as they would be sure to be taught what they should never be allowed to learn. She asked her hearers to look at any country that was chiefly Catholic, whether it stood on the same footing with-others. Ireland was torn up with strife and orime. It was almost the same thing. in Spain, while poor Italy was just heginning to throw off the heavy yoke oftheprioathood, If ever Catholicism gained an ascendanoy in England, then it would be farewell to the present liberties, to the liberty of Bpeeoh, and of the Press. In conclusion, Miss O'Gorman said she gave .names and dates', and had never been openly contradicted yet. Offers had, however, been . made to bribe her. There had been at assassination, slander behind her bac]t,,and mob violence; but not a : word had been disproved, She ahoUld devote her whole life to her cause; • Misß O'Gorman lectures to-night on why . she had'left. the convent. This afternoon iha leotures to ladle* only.