The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-25
MONEY IN CHURCH.

81 declare! I'm sick of this eternal
cry for money!" one sometimes hears
a Catholic exclaim. tits all one hears
in church, almost-money, money. Il
don't think money ought to be men
toned in church-that isn't what one
goes to church for!''
Or another says: THAT Father
So-and-So makes me tired always
begging!"
This sort of complaining is almost
chronic with some people, says
writer in the Monitor They never
stop and look at the other side of the
question.
In the first place, who is the ex-
pense for? Not for the priest, for
there are enough churches already
built to accommodate all the priests
in the world
The expense is for you, Mr. Com
palmer, that you may have a place
in which to worship and priests to
minister to you.
Women are constant church-gOers;
almost any congregation contains
more women than men. 1t is only
right and just that they should con-
tribute their share toward that from
which they derive so much help and
comfort. Almost all the women in
any congregation are we'll dressed;
many of them are extensively
dressed. 1t is not poverty, then,
which makes them contribute so little,
but thoughtlessness.
Money ought not to be mentioned
in church." you say. True-it should
not be necessary!
And you, Br. Businessman, who
complains that the priest is always
begging, do you expect to live in
your house rent-free, or to get any
of the comforts or necessities of life
for nothing?
The fact that you pay only your
share of the expense of the house of
God ought not make you less ready
and anxious, as an honorable man, to
pay that share. You might even
stretch a point and pay little more
than your share; you would, if you
felt as you should about it.
When your family physician has
taken some member of your family
through dangerous sickness and has
been at your side day and night, you
do not wait for him to present his
bill, but you gladly and willingly give
him all you can toward it and pay all
the rest as soon as you can; you wish
that the money were thousand times
more than it is; you feel that you can
never repay him. Has he done more
for you than the priest?
Picture to yourself being obliged to
incur some great expense for those
dear to you and having no sure way
to meet that expense; can you
imagine any more trying? Yet the
priest must do just this for you.
You know your business or salary
brings you in certain amount, you
can calculate ON clearing off a certain
part of your Indebtedness each month
or year-the priest has no such
security
You can redouble your efforts to
increase your earnings; the priest is
already doing all his time and
strength will allow.
PICTURE 10 yOurS0lI, also, WnaC your
work or business would mean to you
if there were no pay-days-no definite
financial results to be attained by
your labors and anxieties. It would
get to be rather discouraging and dis
heartening after awhile; the trials and
difficulties would loom up rather large
as time went on.
The priest has not even the relief of
becoming Indifferent to his burden.
To cease to be anxious to pay his in
debtedness; not to care whether it is
paid or not, would be to lower his
moral standards. That he can not
do, either for the sake of his own soul
or for the sake of the souls COM
mitted to his charge. If, in time, he
becomes little bitter upon the sub
ject and speaks little harshly, who
can blame him?
Let him go out and earn living
the same as I dol" says another man
mot gentleman.
The priest earns living and more,
as it is, with long hours, many
duties, heavy cares and physical
hardships; but he is not paid for
what he earns. He is quite intelligent
and competent enough to earn much
more than living at something for
which he would he maid