The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-11
Continued from Page ~
THE IDEAL CATHOLIC WOMAN.
Dignity as Catholics.

OuCA d1S LII SSLlul VI IuCI1
dignity as Catholics. The Catholic
woman has a right TO regard herself
not only as the equal of others, but as
their superior. Why should our intel
ligent, cultured, well-to-do, practical
Catholic women ever take an inferior
place?
In religion do they not possess the
inestimable gift of faith, which is a
treasure beyond all price? Have they
not inherited the requisite physical
and intellectual qualities which exalt
them above others? Do they not fol-
low stricter moral principles and aim
at higher ideals than those of other
religions or of no religion at all? Is
not the Catholic woman the highest
and noblest type of female virtue the
world has ever known?
The wonder would be if it were 9th
erwise. Back of her are all the sacred
traditions of the ages. Back of her
are ancestors who behaved themselves,
who kept the commandments, and who
though robbed of their possessions and
denied the advantages of education
and prosecuted and despised by their
unjust oppressors nevertheless remain
ed true to God and fellowman-loyal
to faith and fatherland, gentlemen and
pure women.
Duty of Patriotism.
The Catholic woman should not be
slow to assert her patriotism. Why
should others be allowed to claim a
monopoly of patriotic devotion?
America is prominently our coun-
try by many a glorious title from the
landing of Columbus down to our own
day. Every page of true history de-
clares that Catholics have always been
among the foremost in the intensity of
their patriotism and in their unswerv-
ing loyalty to the flag during all the
years of our national existence. They
have done more than their share.
Bravest of the brave as defenders in
war of all that our country holds dear,
they have been second to none in all
the works of peace. Great is Ameri-
cas- debt of gratitude to the Catholic
nations of other days for their effec-
tive cooperation in the achievement
of its independence and to the Catho-
lie Church of all days for her contri-
button of principles and ideals which
make for the stability of our govern
ment and for the social health, happi-
ness and liberty of all the people. We
are constantly reminded that we
should be thankful to our country for
so fair field for the exercise of our
religion. l grant that it is good for
us to be here; but declare emphatic
ally that it is also good for our coun-
try that we are here. If the Church
is deeply indebted to the republic for
freedom and protection under the con-
stitution, the republic is more deeply
indebted to the Church for the uplift-
ing, restraining, conservative, spirit
ualizing influence of her doctrines and
moral principles. Let it not be forgot
ten that the Church stands like a wall
of adamant against disrespect for law
and constituted authority; against un-
belief and immortality, and thai her
teachings are the best safeguards of
the social structure. The leaven of
Catholic teaching is intellectually bene-
fetal.
In view of this luminous fact, is it
not strange that persistent effort is
made in some quarters to stigmatize
us as aliens in our own country? Why
is it thus? Why are the Murphys and
tho Cchnnidnrs and fhn a EOntainps
and the Babinskis and the Tomeks,
and the Bandinis and their children
and their children's children consid-
cred aliens from generation to genera
ton, down to the latest day, while the
Doolittles and non-C Catholics generally
are called Americans as soon as they
land on our shores and their children
are known as the Americans of the
Americans?
IL you seek the cause of it, you will
find that it is partly the work Of those
who wish to create prejudice against
the Church by presenting her to the
American public as foreign institu-
ton out of harmony with her surround
ings. That outsiders should take this
attitude toward us is Ineligible
they should attempt to establish on
our free soil a non-Catho1ic ascend
ancy such as they have maintained
for centuries in certain countries of
the old world is not surprising; but
that some of our own people should be
willing to acQuiesce in such q discrim-