The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"348 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.municants, whose numbers are limited, and whoordinarily communicate only on certain Sundays ofeach month. The Catholics of the world, on the contrary, number about two hundred and twenty-five millions ;and as communion is administered to some ofthe faithful almost every day, in most of our churchesand chapels, and as the annual communions in everyParish church are generally at least twice as numerous as its aggregate Catholic population, the sumtotal of annual communions throughout the globemay be estimated in round numbers at not less thanfive hundred millions. What efforts would be required to procure altar-wine for such a multitude?In my missionary journeys through North Carolina,I have often found it no easy task to provide for thecelebration of Mass a sufficiency of pure wine, whichis essential for the validity of the sacrifice. Thisembarrassment would be increased beyond measure,and stillif the cup had to be extended to the laity,more so in cold regions, where the cultivation of thegrape is unknown, and where imported wine is exclusively used. 1It would be very distasteful, besides, for so many1While Protestants consider the cup as an indispensablepart of the communion service, they do not seem, in manyinstances, to be very particular as to what the cup will contain. I am credibly informed, that in a certain Episcopalchurch in Virginia, communicants partake of the juice of theblackberry, instead of the juice of the grape. And the NewYork Independent, of September 21, 1876, relates the following incident: A late English traveller found a Baptist tnis-