The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-30
CATHOLIC FEDERATION.
FATHER ROTH OF NEW ORLEANS
DISCUSSES THE QUESTION OF
A FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC
WoMEN's SOCIETIES BEFORE
AN INTERESTED AUDIENCE.

On Monday, August 25th, Rev. l..
M. Roth of New Orleans, La, ad-
dressed a representative body of Cath
olic women in the K. of G. hail. First
Avenue and Sixth Street, South, Min
neapolis Father Roth is a particular
friend of Archbishop Messmer and
has attended all the conventions of
the American Federation of Catholic
Societies and is an earnest advocate
of national federation of women's So
cieties.
The meeting was presided over by
Mrs. H. B. Sweetser, President of the
Minneapolis League of Catholic Wom-
en-. A considerable number of the
ST. Paul Guild of Catholic Women
were in attendance.
The speaker gave his hearers a
brief review of European women's or
ganizations and expressed the hope
that American women would soon
emulate the good example set them
beyond the Atlantic.
In a pleasing manner he set forth
his arguments in favor of closer union
among Catholic women of this coun-
try. The first good that will result
from a national federation is the
bringing of Catholic women together
with advantage to themselves and to
the organizations which they repre-
sent. Secondly, to make a success of
Travellers Aid work there must be CO.
operation everywhere. Special stress
was laid on this important phase of
charitable activities and plea made
for the unprotected girl. Thirdly,
Catholic women must work together to
bring into existence girls homes in
the cities so that Catholic young
women will be provided with board
and lodging at reasonable rate and
their purity and faith safeguarded.
Fourthly, Catholic settlement work is
too big a movement to be properly
carried on without union of forces.
Father Roth went into instructive de-
tails regarding the good that can be
accomplished by establishing and
maintaining Catholic Settlement
House. He showed the benefits to be
derived from such work by adults and
children and encouraged his hearers
to follow in the footsteps of the lead
ers in this kind of commendable char
ity work. Filthy, he emphasized the
fact that to get the desired results in
reform endeavors Catholic women
must band together Here followed
some observations about the social
evil and the possible uplift of those
who have lived life of sin for a
time
Particular reference was made to
the efforts put forth during the last
three years to federate and the OBJ
stacles in the way of such a union
were definitely pointed out.
The speaker invited his hearers to
seek from him the information they
desired, and as some in the audience
had been delegates to the Twelfth
Annual Convention of the American
Federation of Catholic Societies, GER
tain matters relating to the work of
the Milwaukee convention were dealt
with from the viewpoint of the diff
ferent delegates. The speaker finally
assured all that Archbishop Messmer
and Bishop Muldoon would have a
constitution carefully prepared and all
things made ready for organizing a
National League of American Catho-
lie Women at the next convention
which is to be held in Baltimore
AS the Holy Father has blessed
such a federation in Europe and en-
courages American women to CO.
operate in the broadest way possible,
Father Roth expressed the hope that
the women's guilds and leagues of
Minnesota would not hesitate to be-
come part of national organization
when such action would afford them
greater opportunities of doing good.
Rev. Thomas E. Cullen, spiritual
director of the League of Catholic
Women, followed with a brief address.
He did not attempt to add to the ar
guments already given in favor of fed
Grafton, but asked some practical
questions which were briefly answered
by Father Roth.
Rev James Donahue, City Mission
ary of st. Paul, made it clearly evi-
dent that he saw greater need of
state federation than of national fed
Grafton He gave his reasons for this
attitude towards the national fedora
tion question and, while he noted the
rapid growth of charitable societies in
the state, he called attention to the
fact that in many ways we fail to do
our Christian duty to the poor, the
unprotected and the unfortunate He
counselled the assembled charity
workers not to take any action at the
present time which would subsequent
ly bind the represented societies to
definite course in regard to national
federation He spoke of the adyisa-
bility of conferring with ecclesiastical
superiors before committing the diff
ferent organizations to a definite pol
icy in this important matter
Many persons in the audience asked
for information and. as the majority
favored countrywide federation, mo-
ton was put and carried that, while
not committing the League of Cath
olic Women and the Guild of Catholic
Women to definite national program,
this meeting endorse what was said
by Father Roth, approve of his plans
and when the desired ecclesiastical
approval was given they would indi-
yidually or collectively give their sup
port to national Federation.