The Irish standard., 1904-04-02
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE.
Suggestions Which Would Advance
the Church's Interests.


Dear Editor:-Asked what things
/ would like to see done to advance
the interests of the Church, let NE
say:
]. would like at least one Catho.
lie paper in every Catholic home A
Catholic paper is to the home what Il
window is to a room.
2. A united, earnest, intelligent eff,
fort on the part of the laity to ad,
vance the interests of the Church by
seeking the conversion of nom Catho-
lies. The clergy are regarded with
prejudice by outsiders, while the laity
can favorably dispose those towards
our religion. A million of earnest
workers could be mustered and mil
lion of earnest, intelligent workers
would do world of good. The press
should work up this great Apostolate
of the laity.
3. AS the Church has more to fear
from whiskey than heresy, a Catholic
ought to be opposed to excessive drink,
for drunkenness is opposed to the law
of God, the law of man, the law Of
ones own body, the welfare of ones
home, ones eternal interests, and the
interests of the Church.
4. l would like to see Truth So
ciety, Catholic Truth Society, es.
tablished in every Catholic center, big
and little, throughout the country.
The duties of the members to be light
and easy, such as each one supplying
a non-Catholic with Catechism or
other Catholic book, such as what
the Church Teaches" Catholic Be-
lief" or the Question Box" OCCASION
ally lending him Catholic paper, and
praying for his conversion and edify-
ing him or her.
5. l would like to see the German
Central Verein establish bureau to
watch over German and Holland nom
Catholic publications which are poison
ing their readers with untruth about
the Church, and to procure authorized
trauslations of Reformation literature.
Then it may be seen how the world
went crazy over Luther, man who,
were he living in our day, would
probably be an inmate of lunatic
asylum, according to the opinion Of
wel-known nonCatholic writer.
Also that the Verein would have
organized missions to non-Catholic
Germans. The German priests of
this country, great in numbers, great
in ability and virtue, owe it to Mother
Church to make a special effort to heal
the scLism of the sixteenth century
G. Each Catholic to show some non
Catholic the injustice of double taxa
ton in order to get Il suitable education
for their children This is an effective
way to educate the masses, and in q
couple of years the country will admit
the business of our claims. Catholic
schools doing work for the state ought
to be rrcompenscd by the state Just
as Il volunteer regiment is as accept
able To fight for the nation as the one
levied by the state and is just as much
entitled to regular wages. The same
principle holds good in the battle
against vice and ignorance. Moreover.
these volunteer schools do what the
state schools cannot do under existing
circumstances.
These schools are Il help to the state
do the work of the state in educating
the children and they save the state
money. We want this help so render
'Al. and this money so saved, to be
recognized
The state wishes to pay for the edrl-
c,tinn Of the child. that is for its sm.,,-
E.r rlnMtion. The state school. how
ever. does not give IL complete cduca-
ton to the child. 1t gives IL secular,
but not a religious education, and this
it says it cannot give. But both are
necessary: hence Catholics have to es-
tahlish schools where both are given.
But let the state pay for the secular
instruction therein impaired, and over
Look the religious training.
Let the state designate the branches
to he taught. determine IL standard to
be reached. examine the pupils annual
". and when the standard is reached,
ply for it, This is what is called the
Results System. 1t should make no
difference what religion is taught there,
or il none ut all. Such n school should
be Donated not by the denomination
but by Il number.
I. To promote the interests of the
Church mixed marriages must be
stopIlrd, the Catholic party marrying
OILY one who is already a member of
the Church, or becoming one.
8. The Catholic societies in the par
ISL should be oledirnt to the pastor.
9. Each person to lay aside . cents
week or $1.0O a year for the Propa,
Cation of the Faith and for it's preser
yation, too. Ills easier to conserve
than to convert. Ana here let me say
that there are probably more lost every
year by want of conserving than ar.
gained by conversion. This the so
ciety with it's numerous officer.
throughout the world ought to attent