The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-04-03
THE CATHOLIC PRESS.


to subscribe for Catholic
papers. He announced that a commit
fec appointed by him would visit the
houses Of his parishioners to take a
census of those who take Catholic
pa oers and those who do not. The
priest realizes the necessity of a Cath
Ollie paper in Catholic homes, and is
DESTROYS that every family in his par
isll take a Catholic periodical Of some
kind to counteract the influence of the
daily papers which are almost exclu-
sively devoted to secular news and fire.
quently contain matter detrimental to
the faith and morals of Catholic read
ers, especially the young. whose minds
are in a formative stage and suscepti-
bic of being easily influenced by what
Trey read.
The Catholic clergy Of the Northwest
ought to follow the example set by
the Minneapolis priest and get their
flceks to read Catholic papers and
Enter a Catholic home
where there is no Catholic paper and,
what do you find? You find luke
warm Catholics who are ignorant of
tho elementary principles of the Cath
Ollie faith and utterly ignorant of the
news of the Catholic world. II their
Protestant neighbors ask them ques-
tons concerning the doctrines of the
Catholic church, they are totally I'M
able to answer them; and intelligent
Professionals jump to the conclusion
that the Catholic church keeps it's
members in ignorance and supersti-
ton.
In this enlightened age, Catholics
must be readers Of Catholic literature
educated skeptics and agnostics Is it
any wonder that the sons Of Catholic
parents. who never took Catholic
publication, and who thought little
knowledge of the catechism was suf-
ficient, should easily lose their faith
in state universities where professors
scott at revealed religion and deny
tie Immortality of the soul? The late
Senator Fitzpatrick, of Winona, in
formed the writer that of all the Cath
oiic boys In his class at the University
Of Minnesota, 80 years ago. he alone
kept the faith In Which he was born.
This others became nothingarians. mar
ried non-Catholics and drifted away
into infidelity. who is responsible?
The parents unquestionably are, for
they never inculcated Catholic prin-
ciples into the minds of their sons
nor afforded them the opportunity to
read Catholic literature in books, mag
a:ines or newspapers.
The time is at hand when the bish-
ops and priests OF the United States
viii find 1t necessary to insist that
every Catholic family take Catholic
par er. and pay for it in advance. Many
Catholics have wrong notions about
Catholic papers, and they sadly need
instruction in business principles.
They pay regularly every week or
every month for daily newspaper,
but some Of them don't pay for
Cstholic paper for years, and some
never pay at all: and yet they pass
for good Catholics because they go to
church and frequent the Sacramento.
The very foundation of the Catholic
religion is honesty. What doth II avail
a man to profess the Catholic faith
and not pay his debts when he Is able
to do go? No wonder Catholic papers
suspend publication because Catholic
Subscribers will not pay their bills
when due. Catholic editors and pub
fishers are the victims Of the remiss-
ness Of subscribers to meet their cbli-
cations promptly.
The Irish Standard is a Catholic
paper Of wide circulation over the
Northwest, but many Catholics here in
Minneapolis have never subscribed for
it. The only time they ever read the
Irish Standard ia when 1t contains a
marriage or death notice that interests
them. Some of them do not fancy the
name of the paper. They are like the
man who recently wrote to one of our
contemporaries, saying:
You state that every Catholic should
subscribe for Catholic paper. would,
if IS per cent OF the papers were not
1rish-run, edited and at every oppor-
tunity Dragging Of the Irish people.
10 non-Irish 1t seems disgusting. Are
nny the rest of the races as good as
the Irish? Instead Of so much Irish
news. why don't they devote more
space to comparative studies. or ar
ticles on art. science, literature: that
which is of more value?"
In every community can be found
Catholics like this correspondent who
dislike anything smackine Of Irish.