Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
NEARING THE CLOSE
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE TO END
LABoRs THIS EVENING.
Papers Read Today on slav and italian
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
of the Faith

The conference of missionaries of the
Catholic Church. which has been in progress
for week at the Catholic University, will
be brought to an end with the session to-
night. 1t is expected that the members of
the conference will at the closing session
elect officers and they may also choose a
rector for the Mission House. which Is to
be formally dedicated Thursday afternoon.
The last days sessions were opened this
morning in the usual manner Rev. Father
Griffin of Pittsburg presented the first pa
per, which dealt with the problem pre-
scented through the immigration of the Slav
and the Italian. The speaker said the ques-
ton of how to keep the thousands of Slav
and Italian immigrants in the practice OF
their faith was a question of much I'M
portance to the church and especially TO
the apostolic band of missionaries. 1t should
be remembered that they are Catholic peo-
pie and the problem is to make them re-
tain their usefulness good Christians and
church members. The problem, he declar-
ed. Is almost as great as that of fusing
them with American citizenship, as they are
a Catholic people and will not leave the
church for any other denomination, but are
likely to fall away in neglect and indif-
ference.
Besides the many Slav and italian
parishes in the Pittsburg district where
these people are most numerous. that do
cese. the speaker said, maintains in IS
apostolic band. Slav and italian mission
aries to travel about caring for the scat
tered immigrants in the small towns AMI
forming the nucleus of new parishes.
In the discussion which followed the read
ing of Father Griff1n's paper the question
of the greater usefulness of American
priests of Irish or German descent, who
have acquired these languages or of the
foreign priests who speak them as natives
was considered. The discussion developed
the fact that there was need for both
clo Nhn orn nf FL 10
familiarizng them with American institu-
lions was declared to be the duty of the
priests who had charge of them spiritually
Missions and Faith Propagation.
Rev. Father James Walsh of Boston then
read a paper on foreign missions, and was
followed by Rev. Father j. Freri. D. D.,
who spoke of the Society for the Propaga-
ton of the Faith. The society was organ
lied in France more than four-score years
ago the direct result of a cry which
came from America for help 1t was Or
ganized by a few devout people of the
church for the express purpose, at that
time, of raising funds to help the mission
aries in this country. but even then the or
ganzers and promoters of the movement
did not confine themselves to one country
or one field of missionary Tabor. Their
field, the speaker said. was boundless. and
they decided then and there to bend thar
efforts toward the propagation of the Cath
ests required.
Because the society has been of assist
ance to foreign missionaries, and because
it's funds have gone around the world, the
speaker declared. this should not be taken
as an indication that its purposes and mis-
sion lies entirely through the conversion of
the so-called heather or pagans from saw
agery or semi states of civiliza-
ton. The Society for the Propagation OF
the Faith, DIR. Freri declared, is not for
eign missionary society, but Catholic mis-
sionary society and his hearers were led to
believe that the word Catholic used In this
sense referred not only to the church, but
to the broad aims of the organization.
In the past the society has done much for
the negro and the Indian in America, and
it is spending large sums in this work. It's
hea dauarters is now in France, where it
has always been, but this must not deter
people of other countries from organizing
branch societies. There is no reason in the
world Dr. Freri said, why there should not
be a Society for the Propagation of the
Faith in every parish in the United states,
and there is no reason why the funds de-
rived from such society should not be
used in the home mission fields, if this is
found advisable.
Should there be organized such society
in, each parish in the country and should
each member thereof contribute cents per
month to the cause, the enormous sum OF
s. COG. 600 annually would be collected in TINS
manner and would form handsome fund
for use in this work. DR.. Freri spoke of the
that something would be done to promote
it in this country because he believed this
tc. be a fertile field for such work
Message of Good Will.
telegram expressive of good will was
read from Right Rev. William Stang, ID. D.,
bishop-elect of Fall River. Bishop Stang
has recently had charge of the missionary
band of the Fall River diocese and was
raised from this post t. the episcopate.
Rev. Father Elliot will this evening deliver
en- address on missionary work Father Ell
Eott is one of the prime movers in the ms
sion work and will probably be placed In
charge of the new mission house, arrange
ments for the dedication of which have been
made The ceremonies will occur THURSDAY
afternoon at O'Clock. The knights OF CO.
lumbus will tomorrow afternoon formally
present to the Catholic University the FUND
Of $4,000 raised by the order for the en-
dowment of a chair of secular history In
the university. The presentation VIII De
made the occasion for elaborate program
of music and speeches
The members of the board of trustees OF
the university will meet tomorrow morn
ing to accept the gift and in the afternoon
at O'Clock the exercises will be held
Thursday afternoon at O'Clock the Mission
House will be dedicated and meeting OF
the archbishops and bishops of the church
viii be held.