The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-08-19
Delegates From All Over the
Country viii Meet n
New Orleans II October.
IMPORTANT WORK 70 Be DONE
HISTORY OF A GREAT MOVE
MENT OF WHICH BISHOP Nc
FAUL WAS THE ORIGINATOR.

turned towards New Orleans, La, on
October 10. II and Il next, when the
great meeting of the Catholic Federation
will be held in that city.
The Importance of this great gathering
lies very much in the hands of Bishop
James A. McFaul, of the Trenton do
,cese. His indefatigable efforts in bring
ing this great organization to the fore
cannot be realized.
Bishop McFaul and Archbishop Mess
mer have been conspicuous in the FEEDER
alton movement almost from the begin
ming. In their personal relations they
may be regarded as the Siamese Twins
of the hierarchy, although the latter has
the advantage in years having been the
tutor of Bishop McFaul in Seton Hall
college. The bishop of Trenton seems to
have been accepted as the leader of the
English-sp speaking element, while Arch
bishop Messmer has represented the
German Catholics. At national conven-
tions so far held they have been present,
and their prudent and wise counsel has
contributed much to the conservative yet
forceful expression of the aspirations of
American Catholics as set forth in the
platforms annually presented by Feler-
alton.
The next national convention of the
Federation was arranged to be held in
New Orleans, La on October TO- IL
and 12 at the urgent solicitation of the
late Archbishop ChapeHe, of that dio-
cese, and the local federaionists, who
promised a liberal dispensation Of the
well known Southern hospitality.
The brightest lights of the church in
America, clerical and lay, appear at
these great Catholic Chautauquas Cath
olic opinion will in future be greater
factor in the social and economic life Of
the nation. Partisan politics is positive-
" esehewed, and it is agreed among the
; active promoters of the movement that
the instant politics is tolerated fedora
tion becomes disintegrated Federation
is intended as a great moral ferce for
the promotion of Catholic interests il
State and nation. 1t is only by organize
tiop and from the rostrum of these repre-
sentative Catholic congresses may our
mont Catholic fellow citizens learn the de-
sires of Catholics and their views on
questions in which all American citizens
are alike interested.
A brief history of the Federation is
given by Edward Feeney, who says of
the movement
early in August. 1904. / saw 300
members Of the knights of ST. John. a
Catholic fraternal organization. parad-
ing on Woodward avenue. fine boule-
ward in the beautiful city of Detreit,
Mich. asked, Who are these knights
of st. John of whom so LITTLE is known
in the East?
Il learned that they were members
of a Catholic fraternal organization fav-
orably known in the Middle West as a
benevolent society of 30.e00 Catholic
men banded together to provide fer their
families when overtaken by disease or
death | also discovered that the Ameri-
can Federation Of Catholic societies was
conceived at the national convention of
knights Of st. John. held in Cleveland.
o., in June. 1899, when the subject was
first brought before the members Of their
order.
Al the next convention of the society,
in Philadelphia. in 1900, they took up
the question of uniting all the Catholic
societies of the country, with the appyo-
val of his eminence Cardinal Gibbons
and the apostolic delegate, Mgr. Mar
tinelli. The order has issued leafiet
addressed to the archbishops, bishops
and Catholic societies. asking co-opera-
ton. In response. twenty-five organiza-
tions announced themselves as in favor
of the project. Delegates sNan eight of
these societies met with the knights of
St. John in conference on the proposition
to launch the greatest movement vet un-
dertaken by the Catholic laymen Of
America.
'srhe first declaration Of principles
drafted was based on the lines of strict
autonomy for each society it was a
clearly defined recognition Of separate in
! dependence and the jealous preservation
of the cherished customs as well as the
| languages of each Of the different racial
ana nati0nal aociesies.