The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-19
QUE ROMAN CATHOLIC BRxEHREN.

OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC RRXTHREN. Vi
We conclude our extracts from the Atlantic
Monthly, with the above caption. Out OF the
mouths of infants and of Stockings thou hast
perfected praise - : - =. y
Among our Roman Catholic Brethren the in
fnIlv developed Ihave before me a list, not
completes Of the Catholic orders, which con-
tains the names of two hundred and fifty one
varieties, each of which is an expression and o
permanent qualification of the desire of some
benevolent soul. One example: Two hundred
g and fifty years ago, d French priest, named
Vincent de Paul, was requested by lady of
his flock to call the attention of the congrega-
ton to the case of a destitute family lying sick
amile from the town. He did 80, and with such
food in prOfusiOn, so that mnch of it was spoiled
before they could consume it. This priest, being
one of those men whom every event instructs,
was led to reflect upon the need there was i'll
every large town of having the benign impulses
regulated, and the gifts of the benevolent hus-
banded, 30 that none of them should be wasted,
and the supply should never be exhausted. The
result of his meditations we behold in the order
of the Sisters of Charity, which all the world
approves, and will ever approve. But this was
not all the good arising from Father Vincent's
reflections. To-day, nearly every Catholic par
ish in large towns, in Europe, Asia, Africa,
America, aud Australia, has within it q society
called . "Cenference of St. Vincent de Paul."
the object of which is the systematic and judi
cious relief of the poor of the parish. These
societies form one vast system Of charity; each
conference reporting to u diocesan centre, each
diocese reporting to q national centre, and each
nation to the Head Centre of the organiza-
tion,-a cardinal residing ut Paris. From him
again, as the blood pulses back from the heart
to the extremities, a quarterly report is sent to
every corner Of Christendon, which reaches
every individual member of each conference
Any reader curious to know the practical work
ing of the system can crafty his desire by ex-
pending ten cents at any Catholic bookstore,
where he can buy the 90 Rules of the Society OF
st. Vincent de Paul"
Then there is the " Propaganda" or as we
should term it, the missionary system. This,
too, is organization which embraces the
whole world, and to the funds of wi.ie.. tens of
millions of Catholics contribs.tc. Each mem
Der of the organization gives ONT cont u week
toward the extension of the domain of the
Church. In every ten members there is one
person who is authorized to receive the weekly |
coppers, and pay the dime over to indivi- |
dual who is the centre o1H IN tens By the time |
the money reaches his Lands it has become u |
dollar and lie hands the dollar to one who re- |
ceives for ten of these ten tens. We have now
rolled up the sum to ten dollars, which is paid |
to the head of ten of the hundred tens and so |
it goes swelling until it reaches the chief of |
the propaganda, another cardinal, who lives at |
Lyons. He, in turn, sends to the societies re- |
port of the grand result, which, by system of !
handing from one ten to another, is made to-
reach every giver of d weekly cent. Thus is the
money raised which sustains the Church be-
yond the bounds of Christendom, and buys the
sites of churches where yet there is no hui
man habitation.
There is no end to the charities of our Roman |
Catholic brethren and sisters, and all that they
do in this way is done with the efficiency and
power of q disciplined organization An adj
case in point is that of q community in
Paris, which consists of an equal number of
blind and seeing sisters. In each cell there il
one Of each and it is part of the occupation Of
the sister who can see to aid, wait upon, and
read to the sister who is blind. It does the
heart good merely to know that such q sweet
device as this has ever been conceived. There
o1nHi7 porr IAN
to have such in our cities) which contains a
and brief account of all the charita-
bile organizations there,E5Man"et otes Earres ct
P .ircheregue, etc. 1t contains description of
one hundred and ninety-two benevolent socie.
ties and systems. Any one would be puzzled
to think Of a malady, misfortune, deprivation
pr peril for which there does not exist in Catho-
lie Paris some organized remedy, mitigation, or
prevention. The mere enumeration would eN-
haust all INV remaining space, and can only
mention few. There societies for aiding
mothers before, during and after confinement;
some of which give indoor others outdoor aid
some aiding mothers themselves to form ii fund
lgainst the time, and Others insuring the re-
uIiired aid, whenever needed, in return for the
payment Of q small sum periodically. There
are societies for the preservation and assistance
Df every conceivable description of needy chill
dren,-lost children, abandoned children, ne
elected children, destitute children, bad chill
dren, blind, deaf and dumb, and crippled chill
fren children subject to fits, convalescent chill
ilren, children whose mothers have to go out
to work, children who want to be apprentIced
and cannot pay the required premium, children
who have no one to teach them their catechism
orphan children in asylnms, orphan children
living with relatives, orphan children in places,
orphan children adopted, Polish orphans, jew
ish orphans Besides special hospitals for al
most every kind of durable and incurable NAL
adies there asylnms for every description
Of disabled persons,-the blind, the deaf and
umb, the crippled, the aged, the imbecile, the
incompetent Of all kinds and degrees. And
this vast system of charity is carried on by our
Roman Catholic brethren and sisters, and most
of the work is done by persons dedicated for
life to the service of the afflicted, and trained
to discharge their vocation in the best man.
ner. .,. ..