The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-11
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE
THE GUILD OF CATHOLIC WoM-
EN- OF ST. PAUL, ON JANUARY 6,
BY THE RIGHT REVEREND BIsH-
OP LAWLER.

OP LAWE6H.
The Catholic woman who would ap-
proach the ideal should be a practical
member of the Church. AS such she
learns her duties toward the home and
fulfills them. Realizing that the home
is her sphere of influence by excel
1ence she strives to make it nursery
of Christian virtues. She also crowds
into it all the joy, amusement, cheer
fitness she can, thus creating a pow
erful preservative for her family
against the attractiveness of vice out
side, and cherished spot to which
her children in after life will turn for
comfort and guidance feeling that
East or West home is best.
There are those who, while longing
for a grand sphere in which to do
great things for God and fellowman,
forget that the home is such sphere
in which they can exhibit all that is
beautiful in Christian conduct,-in
which they can mold the plastic heart
of childhood and youth; in which they
can compose the future history of their
children, writing it into a hymn OF
happiness or turning it into dirge OF
misery.
1t is the lesson of the past that for
the honor of the home, for the per-
manency Of the family, for the last
fngness Of the marriage contract, the
human heart must be protected against
it's own Inconsistency. They who d1sre-
gard history's warning and attempt to
found homes without the elevating,
refining, restraining influences of re-
ligion will reap the sad but logical
consequences of their conduct. Re
ligion is the foundation on which the
edifice of family life should rest.
The Church a Society to Save Souls.
The Catholic woman does not con
fine her power for good to the pre-
cincts of the home. Knowing that she
is her brothers keeper, she takes part
in movements which make for the bet
terment of the community in which
she lives.
While asserting herself in the diff
ferent departments of social service
she is guided by the true principle
that the sanctifcation of souls is the
Church's primary, supernatural mis-
sion on earth. The prevailing tend
ency among non-Catholics is to con
slider the Church chiefly as a socia
factor for the promotion Of civic, hu
manitarian and philanthropic activi
ties. The Church is expected to make
a speciality, not of saving souls, but o
furthering such works as the estab
lishment of sunshine societies, EN-
ployment agencies, fresh air clubs anC
matrimonial bureaus. More stress II
laid on the necessity of attending tt
the wants of the body than to thu
needs of the soul.
The Church is deemed necessary al
a social organization, if it's methods b.
up-to-date, but the Church as spir
itual society is looked upon as mat
ter of trivial Importance.
The Spiritual Interests Are Kept il
The Backeround-The Material
Work is Magnified.
While the true Church Of Christ hal
always emphasized the salvation o
souls as her chief concern, she has no
lost sight of man as social being.
Animated by the spirit of her Di
vine Founder who went about doin,
good, she has come down through thu
centuries alleviating the ills of suffer
ing humanity, encircling the worl'
with her institutions of benefcence al
with a diadem of charity, soften1nI
customs, humanizing laws, teaching
and encouraging all that is best in ou
civilization. The true Church has no
forgotten that she is on earth dealin,
with human beings who are subjec
to many miseries. With one hand sh'
points man to eternity and with tn
other she relieves his pains and wipe
away his tears. Love of fellowman
poor, weak, ignorant. degraded, de
spised-lOve for all the different type
of human wretchedness regardless o
color, condition, relationship, nation
ality, is particularly her virtue. Sh
is but following in the footsteps of he
Master.
Christ came and wished to be recog
nized and served and loved in the vic
Tins of distress. 1t is His promls'
that kindness toward them would b.
rewarded as kindness toward Himself
and that coldness toward them woult
be punished as Indifference towar'
Himself.
Necessity of Religious knowledge:
The Catholic woman of today needs
to be well informed concerning thu
doctrines and practices of her religion
1 would have our Catholic women b.
foremost in intellectual attainments
as Catholic womanhood has ever beer
first in all the Christian virtues. LIE
our Catholic women be made more
learned, but let them be made more
religious as we'll Let them become
polished members of society with al
the graces of culture, but let them alsC
be ornaments in that other society il
which the soul is the chief concern
Let them cultivate the faculties o
the mind to the highest pitch, but le
them not neglect to control the incli
nations of the heart. Well balanced
characters are what we need. The!
who are not well balanced characters
who are at the same time intllectua
giants and moral pigmies are danger
Gus to the well-being Of any commun