The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-13
GhtGtteltiQeucea
IMPORTANT CATHOLIC MOVE.
MENT.


Organization OF the Lay Societies fol
Effective Spiritual WOrk..--ThG
Young Mems Christian UniOn-...
What Il aims to Accomplish.
From the New York Standard, Dec. /.
The organization OF an association Of
Roman Catholics, chiefly composed Of
the most respectable young men in our
Catholic community has been in progress
Tor some months prst, and, from all that
has been learned regarding it, promises to
become the most effective and beneficial
outside the regular ecclesiastical orders.
It would appear that II was called Into
existence by the present peculiar pc.
siIion OF the head oil the Catholic
Church, aud it'll said 70 be the Amari.
can oitshoot OF European movement
which originated after the Sandman oc.
cupation Of the Papal City. This had in
view the protection Of the interests of the
Pope, and the enlistment in his aid of all
the material and moral assistance that
Catholic laymen could legitimately and
cOnstitutiOnally Afford him. To further
these ends "Catholic Unions" were es.
tablished in England, Belgium, and else.
where, So successful have they been IN
cnlistlng in the service OF the Church the
sympathies and active cooperation Of
lay Catholics, that il was determined to
promote the organization Of similar as.
soclatOn here. 1t was felt that the time
was come when the enthusiasm and intel
ligeuce OF Catholic laymen should be util-
lied by the Church, and under its direc.
ton be employed to further those ends
which Catholics, laymen and ecClesiastics,
both alike, have equally at heart. The
first circle of the catholic Union
founded in this country was IN the Dio.
CesC Of New Orleans. The second circle
is that Of New York. ....
The specific purposes for this union are
set forth In the general constitution"
which Tor the Diocese OF New York re-
Ceiyed the approval Of the Archbishop
June 10, 1871, They are to "mect, con-
suit, and act in defence OIL Catholic inter
csts to maintain spirit Of devotion to the
Holy Father; and TO unite in increasing
efforts tor his deliveranCc from the hands |
Of his enemies, and for the speedy rcstOra-
ton to the plentitude OF his sovereign
rights The union Is to be composed of
u number Of aggregate "Circles," each
circle or branch association beng cock
tCnsive in Its field OF action with diocese.
The circles are to communicate with
central association. Each circle consists
Of q council OF management and,Of u body
members. The members OF the council
are active, consultative, and honorary.
Each circle is to have tho right OF "OCal
selfgOvernment," but II is expected that
all the councils will unite in forming
General Assembly" The circles kOl
New York vested It's management in a
council OF not less than seventyfive aC-
tive members; the first council included
some of the most eminent and influential
Catholics OF New York and Brooklyn,
and the accesslons to II are daily beCom.
ing more numerous. The lay element
predominates, the ecclesiastical being
represented by the spiritual dlrGc-
tors, Very Rev. Patrick Francis
Dosley, s. j., OF st. Francis Xavier Col.
lcgc, Sixteenth street, and Very Rev.
Thomas L. Preston, Chancellor Of the
Arch Diocese. The Archbishop also eX-
Crcises n general supervision and the right
NJ disalloWing any proposed expenditure.
The annual subscription Of the ordinary
members will be 81 and the councillors $40.
With the money subscribed 1t Is proposed
to aid the holy fathers to forward CAtho.
lie interest here by diliusing CatholiClit-
rraturc, advancing the higher educational
interests, md, perhaps, even going so far
~ to found university Of tho highest
class. In view Of the misrepresentation