The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-27
SPECIAL MISSION OF CATHO.
Lie WOMEN.

In his addresses at the com
mencement exercises of several of
the Catholic converts in st. Paul
and Minneapolis, the Most Rever-
end Archbishop emphasized the
special duty imposed on Catholic
women by the extravagances of
modern fashion. He alluded in
particular to the dances now in
vogue which offend against mod
esty, and to the mutilated gar
ments worn by women who wish to
be considered in the social swim.
Respectable people who have
witnessed the physical contortions
and unseemly gyrations which
pass for dancing among the de-
voices of fashion and those who
ape their ways, are outspoken in
their condemnation Of the want
on manner in which the modern
dances, so-called, outrage the
canons of modesty and the con-
ventions of polite society. They
brand them as immodest and sug-
gestive, if not openly indecent
and so well founded is their YER
dict that no woman who makes
any pretentions to good breeding
and lady-like conduct will so far
forget the respect due to her
Womanhood as to make the ball
room theatre for the lascivious
display Of her physical charms.
The modern faddish dance is an
insult to virtue and a direct chal-
lenge to temptation and sin.
In the appeal which it makes to
the baser passions it is in the same
category as the garb which the
dictates Of fashion prescribe for
its votaries. No self-respecting
woman should wear or tolerate
in her home the dresses which
are nowadays SO much affected by
women who would be considered
leaders Of sOciety-costumes
heretofore associated with the
street walker whose purpose is to
parade her supposed charms, and
with the deniZens Of the under
world who make it the badge of
their nefarious traffic. Whenever
a Woman's garb is so loud or so
unusual as to attract the attention
Of the passerby to such an ex-
tent that the thing worn is no.
ticed rather than the wearer,
there is something wrong and it
is time for those who have at
heart the social we'll being Of the
community to call halt and de-
mand that the requirements of
decency be not publicly violated.
1t cannot be denied that Chris
tian modesty is suffering, to say
the least, as a result of the
modern fashions in dance and
dress; and as result, private and
public morality are being gradu-
ally undermined by the assaults
made upon them from these
sources. 1t is unfortunate that
so many women cannot resist the
appeal made by fashion, no mat
ter how fully they may be con-
WINGED Of the dangers that fol
low in it's wake.
The last to yield to this deplor-
able tendency of modern society
are Catholic women, he,daughters
of the Virgin of Nazareth, who
should never lower the standard
OF Christian modesty. 1t is to be
regretted that some Of them-for-
tunately, the number is not large
have failed to measure up to
the high ideal Of purity which the
Church sets for them. They would
like to be regarded as leaders of
society and must, perforce, bow
to it's ever-changing fashions in
dance and dress. AS a general
rule, however, our Catholic wo-
men recognize their duty in a
matter of such Importance and
strive to set a good example for
others.
Among those who should ex-
eel in this regard are the
alumnae, Or graduates, Of our
convent schools and other institu-
lions of learning conducted by the
Catholic Sisterhoods. These young
women are fortunate, indeed, to
have received such a training and
are naturally looked up to by
their less-favored sisters. During
their school days they have had
before their eyes, in the persons
of the Sisters, concrete examples
of true Christian modesty and
lady-hke demeanor. Consequent
ly, they have learned how to keep
aloof from all that would offend
against the strictest canons of
maidenly reserve and conduct.
The purpose of these schools is
to train their pupils in Christian
virtue, to form their characters
along the lines laid down by re-
ligion. The salutary influence OF
II I 4 II