The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-11

Continued from page ~
THE WORK OF PARISH VISITORS.
Contact with the poor and study
of their needs from a spiritual stand
point showed the good that could be
done by using the resources of the
Guild for the moral betterment of
many of the recipients of charity. 1t
was soon found that it could command
the zeal as we'll as the money of it's
members, and time has shown the
great value of the former. The desire
to help ones neighbors was happily
expressed in various ways. There
has been very gratifying increase in
the number of members who are
fitted to take a dignified part in civic
affairs, and bring credit to the Church
by participating in leading social
events. Practical talent was not lack
ing to make best use of the varied
resources-material and moral-at it's
command and active minds evolved a
plan for administering charity that
should recommend itself to all.
Juvenile Court Work.
The chief reason that calls for the
cooperation of exemplary Catholic
women with the pastors of parishes
is the necessity for uplifting many
of their co-religionists whose short
comings have brought them before a
| legal tribunal, or who are considered
fit subjects for direction by child
saving organizations The need of
pure-souled and strong-minded Cath
Ole women in the field of rescue work
being recognized, it soon became evil
dent that there were in the Guild of
Catholic Women many who were
specially fitted by nature and grace, tc
make an eminent success of volunteer
probation work. A Juvenile Court
Department was formed and at its
head was placed one who gave almost
all her time to bringing about the
moral betterment of her probationers.
and safeguarding the young from
falling to the level of the locality in
which they had lived.
DESTROYS of benefiting by the coun-
sci of recognized leaders in Catholic
philanthropy the Guild looked for
some one who was capable of direct
ing the members in charitable en-
deavor The choice fell on Mrs. John
MacMahon, then president of the
Woman's Catholic League, Chicago
Arrangements were made for he1
visit on May 4th, 1910. A capacity
audience listened to her in the Palm
Room of the st. Paul Hotel with
mingled feelings of surprise and pleas
ure Mrs. MacMahon stated that she
had come to st. Paul believing that
she was to speak to the small mem
bership of a newly-formed charitable
organization. Instead of this she was
amazed to find the Guild of Catholic
Women taking rank among the lead
ing Catholic societies of America. In
regard to administration of relief she
confessed that the society of which
she was head had much to learn from
the Guild. She emphatically declared
that it's members were doing charity
work on scientific lines and voiced he1
admiration for the enlightened and
earnest manner in which it's repre-
sentatives went about the reform Of
erring girls.
The Guilds Method.
:. This strong public commentator
of the work of the Guild of Catholic
women, by woman of national prom
inence means that the system under
which the Guild carries on its worl
may recommend itself to those who
! are not yet satisfied with results
achieved in the broad field of charity
The plan of doing good to the needy
and the hayward is this: In relief
work there is chairman. in each par
ish who sees to the needs of the poor
who co-operates with her parish priest
. in determining whether or not an
applicant for aid is deserving. Where
: family is found to be in want, the
chairman of relief is called up and she
J gives the order for the things needed.
1t sometimes happens that case Of
want is first reported to the genera,
chairman. To enable her to learn in
: which parish this poor family resides
; she turns to map of the city or
which each English-speaking parish ii
traced in red, and every German
. speaking parish in blue Each parish
is numbered. On the margin of the
map opposite each number is giveI
the name of the church, the pastor
: and his phone call The material re
sources of the Guild are therefore mo-