The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-09-05
Church Collections.
louisville Catholic Advocate J

Huntsville Catholic Advocate !
Give heed TO an expert in his own BUSH
mesa" is the English of sn old law-latin maxim
that has been quoted since the time of the
Cesars. Now if there ever was time when
commerce was reduced to q nicely it ia in the
present age, which is pre-eminently the age of
commerce. And it is hard to imagine any i'm
provement that can be made on the systeIn of
collecting what's due over the ex pediente used
byzthose who make q profession of dealing in
Tbe great body of mankind il engaged in
giving credit and then in collecting VIII at is
due them, People dsGes in almost eYarythiug
else religion, polats aanguags. customs; but
them they are almost Unanimous. Aud the
world would be entirely unanimous on, the sub
ject we're 1t not that the Catholic clergy form
an exception to the general rule. his is. per-
haps, a merit on the part of the clergy. for it
shows at least that money 10 not their first OBJ
jeot, otherwise they would long since have
adopted something of q better than third
century method OF collecting what they need
and what they have Q right to. And evidently
neither knowledge of bookkeeping nor bank
ing was looked upon as o necessary branch of
study IN the College of the Apostles for the
present and he abused his trust aud committed
suicide like any modern 6efaulting cashier.
Started thus in the beginning of the Church it
looks as if the Divine Founder did not wish
his followers to be over sharp in money mat
ters, and Ger tainly Catholic clergymen seem TO
have taken the hint, for few Of Them show any
l.
proof of this edifying backwardness is that
whilst the whole world makes it a cardinal
point to so to those who owe them, the good
priests take an opposite system and ask those
who owe them for anything to come to them.
now u IS good rule to give heed to an
expert IN his own business" And if any body
would ask the experts in collecting money
what the best method of approaching delin-
qnent debtors is, they would answ or, t'go after
them, they will never come to yo1.n The en-.
tire commercial world is agreed on this point,
the Protestant churches, vice in such matters,
successfully adopt it, and the Catholic clergy
alone seem Ignorant Of the potency of aS per-
sonal dun. For this churches sink into debt !;
for this their income is eaten up by large pay
ments OF interest; and for this thousands of
Catholics pass away their lives without ever
complying with the 9Th precept of the Church.
contribute to the supports Of your pastors. F."
States, especially in this East, the clergy seem
TO have taken leaf out of the merchants
book, and, instead of irritating their congre-
cations by pulpit jeremiads on delinquent
pew-holdeEs, the collector goes quietly around
each quarter to the debtor and presents his
bill. Thus the dignity of the pulpit is pre-
served, the irritRbility of the prompt-paying
members is not excited, nor the sensitiveness
of the man taken Ia Te5sts aR1ustts is not
wounded. And thus also is avoided the biting
sarcasm and lnvidous criticism of congrega.
ton leaving church aud saying to each other
after mass on their way home that thew are
tired of this never-ending talk of money
money, = = go
anu Otou ueToI IN LOUISVILLE, a 'l866le COM
'meroial light and . better method of dealing
with monetary affairs eczema to be breaking on
the clergy. The first experiment. in a. better
system that weihave heard of has been put in
use by the pastor of st. Patrick's church.
Father Lawler recently purchased house next
his parsonage, for the purpose of establishing
additional facilities for girls school. TIE
house cost $4,000. In ordorito obtain snbscrip-
tions for the payment of this debt, tho Rev,
gentleman commissioned two laymen TO solicit
In the parish and take q census Of the people
meanwhile. GEst ~ 81
The result is rather interesting, % correct
hgurea always aFe.- Sc. Patrie<ss parish con-
tains 800 families, of whom only $50 rent peWs
or parts of pews. There are only about one
fourth Of the congregation who contribute TO
the support of their pastor through pow rent
the other three fourths contenting themselves
with the nickel contribution on Sunday. But
it is q safe assertion 60 cay that not one in Eve
pays nickel even, so there are . large number
in SC. Patrick's parish, anq every other parish
also, who DO not ContFibuthsa cent to the sup
port Of their pastors Then people csu be
brought to their duty only BY going after
them, for they will never come of their own
accord, 9-sr s,. ff-.,.--r 81. -.-.-ss
1t is interesting to gel henres built on re-
liable statistics. The usual average number of
souls to family is six. Therefore in 600
families there are $500 persons. Were ali to