Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-15

l implied in the expression, Lay action in church matters. The splendid re- suits that would be accomplished would more than compensate for labor expended, and the consolation that would flow from the thought that we
 are actively cooperating with the church in the accomplishment of her divine mission would be recompense
 incomparably of greater value than
 any temporal reward could be. I
 maintain that an organization such as
 ours is does not discharge it's entire obligation to the Catholic public at 1asge when 1t pays to benefciaries the insurance of it's deceased members, for 1f this were the sum total of the bene- fits disbursed by the Knights of Co
 lumbus there would have been no
 greater special reason for it's founda-
 ton, as such benefits may be obtained by utilization with some of the other
 Catholic organizations or with any of
 the old line companies. No, gentle
 men, the field of our activities should
 be broader than this, the scope of our
 existence more comprehensive. You
 may assert that you owe the Catholic
 public nothing more than you give 1t,
 but your claim will not be allowed at
 the bar of public opinion. As the
 order has officially proclaimed itself a
 Catholic organization, its Catholic
 character should be visible in its
 works. But the levying of assess
 ments, the collecting of dues and the
 payment of insurance benefits are com
 mon to other than Catholic organiza-
 tions, in fact, they are features of so-
 cieties that recognize no religion But
 you may ask, what do you wish us to
 do? To what shall we bend our ener-
 gies? How employ our talents2
 Where is the field for the display of
 our activities? Go out into the intel
 letcual field and combat there for su-
 premacy. Put forth your best endea-
 vors for the purifcation of the political
 atmosphere, if it need purifying. En-
 ter the lists boldly with the traducers
 of your faith, and when our enemies
 assert that he who gives allegiance to
 the pope cannot be a loyal citizen of
 the republic, answer the falsehood pub
 hcly by the declaration that the strong
 CT IS your allegiance to the pope the
 greater is your fdelitp to the republic.
 When ignorant persons declare that
 money is paid for the pardon of sins,
 rebuke the slanderer by the relation of
 your own experience in the confession-
 al. In fine, do not leave this line of
 work solely to the clergy. Enter into
 every combination that has for it's ob-
 Ject the uplifting of your fellowmen.
 Cheerfully encourage every work that
 makes for the religious and education
 al welfare of our people, and when a
 duty devoEes upon us, as it does in
 the matter of endowing chair in the
 Catholic university at Washington, let
 US not fail in its fulf1llment; rather
 should we face such obligations with
 alacrity and discharge them faithfully.
 And, if there is a body of Knights in
 this broad land of ours that should set
 the example in the furthering of good
 works, such as outlined above, it is the Knights of Columbus of Connecticut.
 Within its boundaries 1t had it's origin connecticut is its cradle. Here it hourished alone for many years. The ashes of it's founder; mingle with it's soil. Are these not incentives strong enough to spur us on to noble endea- Vor! Is mere increasing membership to satisfy our ambition? Should we not awaken from our Iethargy when We see younger state organizations surpassing us in influence, attaining abroad in the land a power which we do not seem to possess? Other state organizations seem to be forging ahead and reaping the advantages that follow active work along intellectual and re- ligious lines. Let us. by way of illus tration, take the Knights of Columbus in New York or Brooklyn or Boston or Washington. They occupy. and de servedly, not only high rank in the councils Of the order, but have achieved enviable names in the do- main of religious and educational ef- fort. They are churchmen of very pronounced type, nor does this char acteristic make them less devoted to ther country's welfare nor less faith ful to the orders interests. They stand shoulder to shoulder with fha clergy in the prosecution of parochiaI and diocesan works, aiding by their counsels and attaining success by ac- i've and constant cooperation. Are 1 they better equipped individually for the accomplishment of great res111ts 1 than are the Knights of Connecticuf? Are the Catholic laity of our state in- tellectually or religiously inferior to l those of New York, Brooklyn. Boston or Washington? By 10 means. Onr state has many bright young men, who 1 made brilliant records at college. who for years sat under the same profes. sors III history, in the classics and in Cnristlan doctrine with those now Inlnlsters IT at the altar. They had ! the same opportunities to become con versant with the history and with the l doctrines of the church as they who en- tered the religious state. What have they done with their knowledge? TO l what use have they put it? It has served useful purpose, no doubt. and has been used honorably to accom- pllsn legitimate ends, but of what ben | eht has 1t been directly to the church | that gave it? How many of our col lege trained young men are teachers in our Sunday schools or in our Bible his tory classes? How few nf | them deliver addresses ha- Tore our reading circles or other literary societies. How many news. paper or magazine articles from Catho- hc lay pens can you recall at this mo- ment! How many of them are mem Ders or distinctly religious organiza- lions. What influence does the Al. Q. H., the K. of O., the c. B. L.. and k1ndred organizations exert upon the intellectual and religious life of the state! And yet, to be member of any of these societies an applicant must be practical Catholic. Tn the ranks Of these organizations are many men whose literary attainments would shed lustre over the Catholic name were they employed in the service of the ,hI1rch. the most nyaIf.ad of oil Snrvioe.. I