The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-17
WORK OF LAYMEN
 IN MIDDLE WEST Catholics May Cooperate With
 the Prote tants CHURCH NEWS OF WEEK Large Gifts of John S. Kennedy to Presbyterian Church Cause Cath
 oIics To Deprecate Lack of
 Gifts to Their Church.
CHURCH NEWS OF WEEK
BY V. D. FRANCIS.

BY V. D. FRANCIS.
 New York, January 16.-(Special)-l have given considerable space in these letters to the layman's missionary move ment, which is drawing together men of all religious bodies in the cause of bring ing the world to a knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ. It is a most inspiring subject, and I doubt that even its most enthusiastic advocates have as yet fully realized what it means in its utmost slg- nificance. The latest evidence of this work of the Holy Spirit is the news that the Roman Catholics of the middle west have made overtures to the leaders or certain of the evangelical bodies with ref erence to possible cooperation
 The New York Churchman speaks of 1t as follows Three Roman Cathol1c priests from the middle west recently sought a conference with the secretaries of one of the chief evangelical mission boards in New York city. Urgent prob lems arising from the immigrant tide led them. they said, to this unprecedented step.
 They felt their church in Chicago and
 
 cope alone with the difficulties of the situation They recognized that immi- grants of foreign speech. Roman Catho- lies by nativity and training, were being lost not only to their church but to all religion. by thousands every year, and they were ready to make what for them was a remarkable admission, that 1t was better that these people should go to Protestant churches than that they should go to none. They said that they held the conference as individuals; that they had no hiersrchial sanction, but that they and many others in their church felt that there were lines on which Protestant and Roman Catholic must work together more than they had done
 Points of agreement should be em- phasized and efforts to stir up strife ig- nored. They were met in a like cordial spirit. The secretaries also felt that the one sure foundation for the hold of reli- zion upon the life of people is the serv- Ice that 1t can render in the upbuilding of their moral and social life. On that basis they felt cooperation was possible. To work on that basis will strengthen the religious spirit of them all. It is most significant to find that this movement originated with the Roman Catholics of the middle west. Nowhere could such a movement be inaugurated with better promise of fruitful results. Its possibili- ties are inspiring
 Bishop Greer's New York diocese has reason to be proud of it's record in the matter of contributions to the missionary work of the church for the past year. Of the s22 ,fS5O contributed up to Decem- Der 1, under the apportionment plan, or, to bs exact, R,786.9S. came from tho sim gle diocese of New York, which has in- creased by more than 60 per cent It's gifts of last year. This remarkable showing is due primarily to the fact that Trinity chapel had given. up to December 1, 33, 93.45 and St. James s3.726.67. The only other parishes that had given s100 or more at that time were Calvary, the Church of the Ascension. St. Mary the Virgin and St. Mary's Cold Spring.
 Some weeks ago the papers were full of laudatory comments upon the will of the late John s. Kennedy of New York. It was certainly very inspiring and re- markable document. It will be rsmem- bered that more than s15,000,00o was left to Presbyterian missions and other rsli- gious work. This fact has stirred up a prominent Roman Catholic newspaper, Extension. published in Chicago, to give its readers a very outspoken piece of it's mind. Extension is grievsd at the con- trast between Mir. Kennedy's gift and the largest amount that has ever been con- tributed by any individual Roman Catho- lie in the United States.
 The paper says: Though this news was considered worthy of special note by all papers, yet 1t is not 70 very extraordi- nary to hear of wealthy Protsstants get ting rid of their fortunes. when they no longer need them, in such a maRnsr. The interest aroused in MT. Ksnnsdys dona- tions was only because of their magnifi- cent proportions. The fact itself seems to concern Catholics very little. But both the fact and the details directly con- cern us greatly, for 1t forces us into con sidering what we do not do. Then, too, a little thought brings out some most ex- traordinary bits of information. For sx- ample, do you ever realize that there has never been. in all the history of the Cath olic church in North America, an ordi- narily notable legacy from . wealthy Catholic to the cause of missions? There have been few leGaciss which caused . slight lifting of the eyebrovs-because they were unexpected-but we cannot now recall a single legacy for Catholic mis- sions, home or foreign, which amounted to $100.000. Yet such legacies as these to Protestant missions are quite ordinary. It takes a magnificent gift like John S. Kennedy's to cause any special enthusi- asm whatever among Protestant mission ary organizations.
 At the present rate of assisting Catho- lie missions in the United States and Canada 1t will take us about 3 years, with all our societies working together at their present capacity, to even equal the death donation of this one mandolin s. Kennedy-to a single Protestant sect"
 New York was startled by tho an- nouncement of the sudden death of the Rev. William R. Richards, D. D.. pastor of the Brick Presbyterian church, one of the richest churches in the city. The New York Tribune refers to the death of this beloved and distinguished citizen in such outspoken and vigorous terms of ap- preciation of his life. as the exponent of what true pastor should be. that can- not forbear quoting:
 ''The death of the pastor of the Brick Presbyterian church ended life of mucf sweetness and beauty and public ca. reer of more than ordinary usefulness tc the community. There are probably othel ministers in this city who are bettsl known to the general public. but it may be doubted if there is one who has labor ed more earnestly or more efficiently tt do the real work of the pastor of nu merous. needful and exacting congrega | tion. The church which was his is ont | of the historic churches of New York and it is one which has not declined witl age, but rather has continued to increase in numbers and influence, In the variet,