The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-08
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special interest, by making very favor
able comment on the letter. Thus,
the letter was given wide circula-
ton, and must have been read by a
large number of people. Few, how
ever, gave any practical attention to
the letter, and the burning necessity
outlined therein. But these few were
generous.
The letter described the serious
difficulties met with by the Catholic
soldier, in his efforts to fulfil his duties
as Catholic; it set forth the great
dangers which confront him, espe-
cially, at the distance of so many
thousand miles from home; it showed
that the struggle to live active and
truly Catholic lives, without the props
which you have in civil life, is often
too much for poor human nature, and
that Catholic soldiers are in great
danger of forgetting their allegiance
to their Great Captain, Christ; it made
it clear that there is a weakening
and often positive loss of Faith,
because these young men are with
out the reasonable means of keeping
alive their devotion TO the Grand Old
Church; that the great and efficient
remedy and genuine safeguard, lies
in the erection of Catholic chapel,
at this post; and finally, it appealed
to you for some help, no matter how
small, to aid us to build one
The smallest help from half of those
who must have read the letter would
have given the soldiers chapel;
yet, in most cases, the appeal fell
upon dull ears. Is not this a truly
American charity? Are not these
young men your sons, brothers, or the
sons and brothers of your people
When you sit in your comfortable
and spacious churches, with all the
conveniences of religion and aids to
piety, with grand organs, beautiful
pulpits, rich frescoes, and everything
to bring weak human nature nearer
to God; when you come from your
Confession, your heart filled with
peace, "the peace that the world can
not give;" when you receive your
Lord and Master in the Blessed
Eucharist, and when you that tabor
and are burdened," kneel within the
shadow of the Tabernacle that Christ
may refresh you," and that you may
draw from that fountain of grace the
light and strength which you need );
think, then, what blessing it would
be, if these soldiers had a chapel, in
which they could enjoy the same
spiritual advantages, in which they
could arm themselves against the
world, the flesh, and the devil, in
which Christ could heal them of the
fever of sin, in which they could be
fed with the Bread of Life, and
through whose benign influence they
might be preserved from the danger,
not of temporal death, but of eternal
death And think how pleasing it will
be to the Sacred Heart of Christ, if
you send even small offering to help
to give the soldiers, at Fort Mckinley,
a. chapel. They are ready to fight
your cause; should you not help
theirs?
Therefore, I appeal to you, again,
to send us something for this very
worthy purpose. 1t need not be a
large amount No matter how small
it may be, send something; it will
surely help the cause. You may send
it through this paper or through the
Archbishop of Manila, the Most Rev
erend jeremiah J. Harry, Manila, P l
Faithfully yours in Christ,
crew EDWARD F. BROPHY
Chaplain, Seventh Cavalry,
United States Army.