The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-03

unusual and unselflsh one, We could
not we'll look upon the whole matter
without deeming 1t both a high privi-
lege as we'll as a sacred duty to define
| more specifically the inner meaning and
true object Of this newly-founded insti-
| tuition.
Deeply conscious Of the rapidly in
creasing foreign population through
out this valley, most of whom are ig-
norant poor, and submerged In misery,
and that neither the church nor the
| state are carrying on the needed. prac-
| tical. educational and religious work
| among a large class, now almost entire
| ly neglected; and believing that conse-
Grated lay-service, practically and
earnestly applied, could be made to
yield a vast amount of good, we, the
undersigned. heartily endorse the Bro
| therhood Of the Good Shepherd, whose
members are devout laymen, giving
their entire service to the teaching of
| the ignorant, the caring for the sick
| and poor, for which there Is great need
| in this community. And as one of the
| vows of the Brotherhood is poverty,
and as 1t is essential that the institu-
tion should have home somewhere
near the city. where convalescents
| could be comfortably cared for and that
| 1t should have some land to help fur
nish the simple living to those In com
munity, we heartily recommend the
brotherhood of the Good Shepherd to
| the kindly consideration and generous
support Of all those who are benevo-
lently and religiously inclined and in
terested in Gods poor as purely char
table and Christian institution"
II Il II
The above statement sets forth very
definitely and very practically the ma
ture and object of Brother Francis
work, as well as bears already the sig
natures Of some Of the best and most
influential persons Of this valley. That
there are a great many poor, ignorant
and helpless people in our rapidly
growing city goes without saying, and
that neither the church nor the state
has arrived at a practical solution of
the difficult problem. is known to US
only too well. In ordinary communi-
| ties, Sunday schools and churches, hos-
pitals and poor houses, in the main.
| may cover all that Is necessary. How
ever, we live In an extraordinary COM
munity. Our population, as we are told
repeatedly, as we can hear along the
public thoroughsares and as we can see
in certain sections Of the city, Is COM
posed very largely of a foreign ele-
ment, many OF whom are ignorant and
poor. The church at best is not adapt
ed to reach more than a small proper
ton Of this class, owing to language
as we'll as other radical differences. she
often is almost entirely helpless All
| the state does Is to offer educational
opportunities throught the public
schools to the children, help to reform
the criminals and maintain certain
number In the poor house. Every one
knows that great deal more than this
il necessary in community like this
that ways and means could be devised
and provided for, which would add de-
cidedly to our present system Of edu-
eating. Christianizing and Americana
Ing the congested foreign settlements
in our midst.
In our opinion the Brotherhood Of the
Good Shepherd strikes one of the key
notes in the manner and object Of its
work, toward the solution Of this very
difficult problem. It proposes to do
house to house visitation among
those outlying and neglected cheap
tenements; to report them to
the different churches who might
be interested in. and in condi-
tion to help them; to provide them with
Christian literature In their native Ian
guage; to instruct the ignorant and
care for the sick and poor; TO receive
convalescents from the hospitals and
elsewhere into q home where they
would be kindly cared for, both ~ to
their physical and spiritual needs, and
to do such other work - q xealous and
earnest CHRISTIAN would do for his fel.
low-man'dn time Of sorv need. 4