The Irish standard., 1901-05-04

age of Catholic literature, the Catho-
lies Of today have gone backward
There were more Catholic books in
one log shanty of an Iowa pioneer of
forty or fifty years ago than in half
dozen pretentious mansions Of Catho-
lies Of the present time. The chief
Catholic literature sent out today by
Catholic publication houses in Amer
lea are prayer books and catechisms;
there is but scanty sales for publica-
tons of more serious kind.
Are we doing enough to reach out to
all classes of people? What are we do
ing in the slums of cities? What are
we doing to recover luke-warm Catho
lies who because of social isolation, or
spiritual apathy, are holding aloof
from mass and sacraments, and whom
however, kindly effort would stay in
their receding march? What are we
doing for unfortunate Catholics, in
mates of state institutions, who can
not come to us, who remain without
instruction or sacraments unless we
seek them out and pursue them with
the charity of Christ?
I might ask, do we take of our young
men that very special care, which the
perils of their surroundings, as, also,
the Importance Of this element Of our
population to the church would war
rant? More than in other classes Of
her children must the church repose
her future in the hands of her young
men; and I fear much that sufficient
attention is not given to this fact. A
crying need everywhere, but particu-
larly in cities, is that of organizations
for young men, in which, through pro-
visions made for their social and ma
terial interests, their spiritual welfare
may also be guarded. More necessary
for the future Of religion are organiza-
tons of this kind than costly church
structures; more profitably spent, in
the interest of souls, is money put in
such organizations, than much of that
which goes to works Of pure charity,
which would not, indeed, eliminate
from our lists, but which would, at
least, supplement by what is sure to
! bring n hundred fold more In substan-
tial returns. Then, let us not forget
that our Catholic people are part Of
the American nation, dividing with
their fellow-c citizens the responsibilities
Of the public veal, and that they are,
at the bar of public opinion, judged
more by their citizenship and outward
life than by what happens in their
homes or in their churches. Without
| the good will and the esteem Of their
fellow-citizens, Catholics may not hope
that many will come to the knowledge
of the true faith, or that the church
will be in the enjoyment Of the public
respect and outward dignity to which
| for Christ's sake she should aspire
Let, then, no effort be spared that
the spiritual life dispensed from the
sanctuaries Of our temples flow in
abundant rivulets into the outward life
OF our people. Let us emphasize for
Catholics the Importance of the great
social virtues of truthfulness, tenn
pcrance, honesty in business, purity of
morals. observance of laws. Let Cath
olics take deepest interest in the public
| affairs of city, state and nation; be
most vigilant guardians of the public
veal and most loyal to it's purposes in
their use of the electoral ballot.
And, finally, in my earnest desire
that the Catholic church in America
he all that God intends her to be, all
that her opportunities proDel her to be,
may l be allowed to say to Catholics
or Amerlca--be you, in the truest and
best meaning of the word, Americans,
loving America. loving it's institutions,
devoted to it's interests chary in blam-
ing it, ardent in defending it. The
church of America did in the past
from the necessity of circumstance.
wear foreign aspect; and it were
futile to say that no harm came to her
from this. 10 do away with possible
misunderstanding or suspicion, we owe
1T to church ard to country to empha-
| size our Americanism. We must he
scrllpulously on our guard not to act
or speak so as to give rise to single
| thought that we are not in the hearth
est accord with our country. We need
not approve all that the country does,
| what is done in it's name; as citizens it
is our right to condemn. to blame, to
strive to alter; but whatever we do, it
must be plain that we love America
and that if we do find fault, it is for
very love of country. There is among
some of us, am not afraid to say, a
disposition to criticise at every mo-
ment, to rejoice in criticising, to exag-
gerate faults, to minimize virtues, to
pile up grievances, to grumble perpet-
ually. Such a disposition is unpatri-
otto and does most serious harm to
the Catholic faith in the eyes Of intelli-
gent and earnest Americans. Let it
disappear for good.
| If grievances there are that Catho-
lies have reason to complain of, let us
by proper methods seek to redress
them; and, apart from things which
we might wish to see improved. but
which ,,uovnidohlo o;,.o,,,,,to,,. IS