The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-13
A PLEA FOR THE NEGRO RACE.

Every day the Catholic world is be-
coming more interested in the Negro,
writes Shiela Mahon, recognizing the
great responsibility which rests with
it for the ultimate salvation of the
race. It realizes this in providing
laborers for the vineyard of souls
waiting for religious instruction. 1t is
an immense field for Catholic endeavor
to work among this bright, but neg
lected race, so many of whom are
still wandering in the darkness of I'M
belief and ignorance. To provide
priests to evangelize them and teach
ers for their children; to build paro-
chial schools and churches in the
poorer parts of the South, this is the
great work that the Hierarchy has set
itself to accomplish, with the help of
the Catholic people of the United
States.
And who shall say that the colored
man will not respond to religion and
become credit to the state morally
and intellectually?
1t has been proven beyond doubt
that where Catholic truth has pene
trated that the Negro eagerly accepts
it, and throws aside the false teach
ings of those who prey upon his ig-
norance and want of education to in
still in him hatred of everything
Catholic, Despite every drawback,
the Negro as a race is becoming more
Catholic every day In the poorer
parts of the South they send their
children to the Catholic parochial
schools, even though they themselves
have been attending Baptist, Metho-
dist or Protestant Episcopal churches.
The influence of the children cannot
be overestimated in this great spirit
ual battle for souls, for, wherever
there is a Negro child attending a
Catholic parochial school and in
structed by devoted missionaries, men
and women-it can be safely said that
it means the conversion of the whole
family. "And little child shall lead
them" Every missionary realizes
this and eagerly looks for the chill
dren.
missionary work the outlook is vast
and startling. TO think that at home
with us there are millions of Negroes
who have never been baptized is
somewhat Of a blot on our vaunted
Catholic civilization.
The pity of it is that the Negro
cannot yet act on his own RESPONSE
bility in spiritual sense without help,
particularly in the South, where in
many parts the Negroes are miser-
ably poor and lead sordid lives. 1t is
right here that your Episcopal minis
ter or Methodist preacher, or Baptist
steps in and spreads temptingly be-
fore them temporal advantages to In
duce them to join their sects.
Can you blame the Negro for sue
cumbing if the bait held out to him
is that his children will be clothed,
fed and educated free. / do not,
What I do wonder at is that even
more of them have not accepted the
gilded lure. In the old days in Ire
land the soup kitchens answered the
same purpose and caught weak souls
in the net of unbelief That is why
to this day we have Methodists by
the name of Murphy, Baptists by the
name of O'FIagherty, and genteel
Episcopalians by the name of O'Reil
ly, who have come here from the
Isle of Saints. boasting that they are
Protestant and Irish.
Why should we be less kind to the
Negro because he happens to be of 3
different race and color? He has 8
soul to save. st. Benedict, the Moor
was one of the great saints of the
Church and his skin was of ebony
blackness. but his soul was snow
white in holiness. The Rev. John e
Burke, who has labered among the
Negroes for over thirty years, has
nothing but good to say Of them q