The Washington times., 1910-09-25
Archbishop of New Orleans
Makes Appeal to Charity
Conference.
UNIVERSITY SCENE
OF BIG CONGRESS
Important Meeting Will Be Held
At National Theater This
Evening.


only efhcacious power to stem the tide
Of socialism, and predicting that the
present conference will be one or the
most important in the history or the
Catholic Church in the United States,
Archbishop Blenk. of New Orleans.
preached the keynote sermon on charity
at the opening OF the First National
! Conference Of Catholic Charities. at the
Catholic University this morning
Delegates drawn from practically
every diocese in the United States. and
men high IN the rank Of the churcn.
were present Preceding the sermon OF
Archbishop BIenk, solemn high mass
/ wa celebrated in the presence OF the
papai delegate. MOnsignoT FaIconio. TIE
I cslebrant was Vice Rector George
! DOUghtery, OF the university.
Cardinal To Preside.
Cardinal Gibbons will reach the CAPT
/ tai this afternoon and will preside at
the great public meeting TO be held at
the National Theater tonight. All OF
the visiting dignitaries are expected to
be present, and will be officially wei
coined to the city by Commissioner
CUno n. Rudolph
The business session OF the conference
viii begin tomorrow at the Catholic Uni
versity, and viii continue through we'd
Following the sermon Of Archbishop
Blenk this morning, the delegates 10 the
conference were received BY the ApOs-
tolic Delegate MonsignOr FalconiO. and
the MonsignoT Shahan, president OF the
&C inference and rector Of the Catholic
[ University At noon luncheon was
se r.si upon the university grounds 70
tn t-rge assemblage gathered 20 wit
ness the opening Of the important
charity conference
Exchange Of Views.
The conference IS called 10 bring about
an exchange % views among ex psri-
~ueed Catholic men an9 women who
are active in the work OF charity.
Archbishop BIenk declared today that
TIE washington meeting followed as a
natural sequence Of the recent Euchar-
istic congress in Montreal
Archbishop Blenk spoke today 10
gathering representing every branch OF
The work Of the Catholic Church stu
dents Of the university, black-rObed
nun. priests young and old, members
OF the laity, charity workers from the
highways and byWayS. and dignatsTles
in their purple and scarlet robes. de-
noting their high church estate. ali as
Sembled in the lecture room at Nc
MahoE Hall
mon TO the correlated subjects OF love
and charity. He bitterly arraigned
those who OppreSs the poor and those
who bring about near starvation and
degradation through such oppression.
Those who fiaunt their wealth in the
face Of such unfOTtunates. said the dis
tinguished speaker. are but sowing the
seeds Of haze and bitterness In part,
ne said.
Has High Aim.
"Can there be any conference whose
am is higher, whose purpose Is more
broad and comprehensive than this con-
ference called here today2 Since God Is
charity and he that abidetl In charity (
abideth in God. and since love is the
well call this conference a continuation, (
or a practical culmination Of the great I
congress at Montreal
Charity is the necessary and only
ef1cacioUs power to stem socialism and 4
relieve human suffering.
There is in our land, as in other \
Il nds a held Of blood where men and 4
omen, and even children, are but /
beasts Of burden retaining a SembIance /
Of intelligent beings
--On those responsible for their suffer /
-=g the justice Of God will descend I
God avenses the oppression Of his 4
children, those VINO have been driven !
through despair TO most heartrending
degradation You have seen them and /
have seen them The meTciless
=
and down the land, in great cities, and /
IN small ones, IN factory and mine,
wrecIng pTema tUTely lives and homes
and leaving distress along the trail
These poor victims look upon their
master with bitter hatred in their heart
and in memory they store up the pro-
vocations Of Haunting wealth in their
weary faces and upon bruised and
broken hearts
Help For UnfOTtunates.
1t is the duty of every man and
V oman TO set about and help the IN
fortunate These Of whom / have
spoken are among those for wSom
Christ shed the last drop OF His blood
We must either let these poor iII-fed,
ilI-clad unfOTtunates dream dreams Of
a social upheayal that may right their I
VI Ongs, or, with Jesus Christ we
are heavy laden.
Christ gave the final word in the
true meaning Of Christian charity
when he said, As l have loved you.
love others, and that is the message
I bTlng az the opening Of this con-
At the public meeting which will be
held at the National this evening. the
Right Rev MOnsignor Shahan will
talk upon Tho Practical Mission Of
the ConfersIIce He will be followed
by Judge NJ O'Doherty, Of the JEFF
ferson circuit court, of Louisville. who
Y i'll deliver an address upon Catholic
Ideals in Charity"
Tie informal reception held upon tb--
University grounds at moo today save
the delegates an opportunity TO become
acquai inted. Never before have there
been present in Washington men and I
women who have assembled from Sllcb
distances IN the common cause OF