The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-05
THE MTERMouNTAN AND COLORADO OCTOBER s.

ders to earn 9 competence, denied them
elsewhere. With earning 8 living and
the chance of nearing mass. they were
content. This immigration was the
seed of the Church III the Ia wes::
For years these children OF the faith
were almost the only ones who helped
to build the first frame churches and
missions and support the pioneer
priests. These were the only ones
| found at the early mass on week days
and at the evening devotions on Sun
day. OF church history they knew
little, and what little they did know
was confined to the lives OF saints and
martyrs. Even such knowledge they
could not impart to the unbeliever with
any effect of language CT attempt at
analysis, nor did they essay to do so.
The salvation of their oSii souls was
their first thought in the morning, their
last thought at night.
! Catholic education, religious and sec
ular, mas made gigantic progress in
this country during the past twenty
years, 50 that now the descendants 81
the ''sfanty irish" and low Dutch
the derisive terms applied to them by
bigots-are the peers in intellectually
with the brightest scholars in the land.
They converse intelligently on ally
! topic allied to the affairs of the world
analyze its financial ana political prog
ress and yield to none in debate. But
as was said IN the beginning, too many
such Catholics are endowed with more
intellectually than piety. Their zeal
for the acquisition of wealth exceeds
their zeal for the faith Of their pare IS.
While Protestants are aggressive and
| lead in conversation on religious top
les, these Catholics withhold their
opinions, fearing an expression would
| give offense and hurt their business,
How edifying it is nowadays TO see
the intellectual and spiritual Catholics
mingle with the pious poor who attend
the early mass and evening devotions.
| 1t is such Catholics who bring about
conversions to the faith. 1t is such
Catholics who use the talent God gave
| them for the spread of truth. 1t is
such Catholics whose aid is indispensa-
| BILE to Gods priests, because they are
in touch with the world and society.
1t is such Catholics who have builded
! up that grand organization known as
/ the Catholic Truth society, whose mis-
sionary work is demoralizing heresy
and prejudice in the large cities of the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
While we have an abundance of
| Catholic societies in Denver, Salt Lake,
Butte and other cities in this inter
mountain basin, social and benevolent,
these is none whose objects are so
broad and unseIfish as the Catholic
Truth society; none that can so well
elevate Catholic thought, impart Cath
Ole knowledge and give Catholic tone
to all the affairs of secular life.
For the cause of truth, then, let us
start a Catholic Truth society in Salt
Lake, another in Denver and one in
! Butte Let it be composed of capable
and jealous men and women who not
only dare be defenders of the faith
but promoters of the faith; who have
the courage of their convictions and
the tact to press the truth and pune
| ture falsehood whenever and wherever
| opportunity presents. Such people can
! be mighty aids to the Catholic press
in the distribution of literature, there
by enlarging the influence and circuld-
ton of the Catholic newspaper and
making it self supporting, Well
equipped for the work in hand, these
! intellectual Catholics can take into
their social and business life all the
talents God bestowed upon them and
impart the truth in a manner as at
tractive as it is convincing.
If it is found impracticable to carry
out such plan by the organization of
a distinctive Truth society, then should
the Knights of Columbus take it up.
These gentlemen are appointed by God
for other and nobler purposes than
such as is called for in a man-made
ritual: for greater designs than the
selfish one Of good fellowship and the
material success which follows. In the
published roster of charter members of
the Salt Lake lodge, we notice names
of Catholics who could DISCOURSE with
as much grace from the platform as
many priests do from the pulpit; Cath
olics who could make it clear that the
grand old Church is the patron of sci
ence literature, art, and all that is
good in Gods Kingdom upon earth.
| T1rbo+ GOV, Won KNIGHTS of COlum bus