The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-30

Specially Written Article on Church Cor
Labored There.
Notwithstanding the enormous del
velopment Of business relations with
South America in recent years. popu-
lar ideas about the actual situation in
the great southern continent are very
vague. One sometimes hears people
speak az II revolutionary disturbances
were common features Of South Amer
ican life. says the Catholic Times."l
although, a. q matter Of fact, there
has now been unbroken peace in its
10 republics for many years. Indeed.
South Americas recent history isl
much more peaceful than that Of old
Europe. And again-thanlzs largely tol
the Impressions derived from the non
Catholic press and the writings oil
Protestant travellers-there is q wide. |
spread impression (shared by many
Catholics)~ that the Church In South
America is in anything but q flourish
ing condition, and that infidelity. care
lessness or mere formal observance
with no real life in it. is characterts-
tic Of the people.
Col. Dalton; one Of the most emi-
nent Of English electrical engineers.
during the last six years has spentj
epasiderable, t.ne p South AnasFiea AL
the work Of planning and carrying out
important engineering undertakinss.
Unlike so many travellers, who claim
to speak with authority on South
American matters after q flying visit
10 q few Of the great ports on the
seaboard, he has penetrated far into the
interior. visiting not only cities and
towns. but doing pioneering work
along the, rivers and In the forest
regions, where he lived among the
people in remote villages. He can
therefore speak with familiar knowl-
edge Of their life and ways. y
Creation Of Church.
Within the compass Of q brief re-
port It would be impossible to do more
than touch upon few of the interest
ing points that the lecturer put be-
fore his audience in . pleasant famil-
iar style. He pointed out that the
civilization Of South America was the
creation Of the Church. Its people are
Catholic. Professionalism IL found only
among Immigrants and business mon
from other countries. Modern infldel-
ity has not touched the mass Of the
people
1.-THE South American does believe
in God, not simply 40 . far-away ideal,
but a. a living personality
I saw this faith, knew it. during
many visits to q country permeated
with ideas Of Almighty God Of the
Blessed Sacrament, OF the Sacrifice of
the Mass, Of Our Divine Lord, of Our
Blessed Lady. Of Confession Of Abso-
luton Of all holy things all Of which
are taken by all men. rich ana poor,
young and old. bad and good, in the
nature Of facts uncontested, unques-
toned, undoubted."
One saw this living faith in the
great cities. said the lecturer, but still
more vtvidly among the simple folk
Of the interior. He told how on q
river Journey the boatmen neve.
failed to kneel for prayer at morning
and evening. and to say grace before
each meal; how . forester at work in
= clearing Of the woods, on being asked
the way. would say: God has sent
you to give me q chance to help you" "
How everywhere rich ana poor Of
fered friendly hospitality to the trav.
eller. ana how in every one Of the re-
oublics he found . spirit Of helpful
charity binding men together.
In the Argentine. with q population
largely affected by immigration, out Of
. total Of six and half millions there
are four and . quarter million Cath.
olics. Buenos Ayres. has 12 parish
churches and more than q hundred
churches and chapels belonging to re-.
ligious communities aud charitable
foundations. 'Pious associations tol
men and women abound, particular,
those devoted to charity, upon which
the people Of Buenos Ayres spend i'm.
nsnss sums" Church and State are