The Irish standard., 1914-06-13

is asked either to subscribe to the
Sodality's monthly publication, 1.-THE
Echo from Africa" $50 cents year,
or to became promoters of the Sodal-
ity by making an annual Offering of
fifty cents and doing what may be
convenient to further the work.
Could there be, it may be asked,
form of missionary endeavor better
calculated to widen and deepen the
missionary movement amongst us
than the Sodality of st. Peter Cla-
yer; for by the religious conservation
Of its internal members, and espec-
tally by the heroic virtue which en-
gendered it, the Socially gives a
tongue to the mute eloquence of a
cause that would else remain imper-
sonal? And whatever tends to pro-
mote the missionary spirit is dis
tinct gain for the church in America.
In fact, is there not solid reason for
saying that the missionary move
ment will be able to do for this twen-
tieth century of ours what the spirit
of poverty did for the thirteenth? Is
there not the we'll founded hope that
the missionary movement is destined
to render our Catholic people in
large measure immune from the
ever increasing contagion of luxury?
Is the child, to take an exemple, who
has learned to give a part of his or
her spending money for the relief
of Christ's spiritually poor, likely to
grow up a spendthrift man or
spendthrift woman? Is the girl who
the strength of Christian sacrifice
which watts on her course the he
rome of Christ from the sweets of
home and civilized life to the depths
of barbarism in for-off pagan chimes
is that girl when married apt to
shirk the ennobling duties of ordi-
nary household work for the glamor
and tinsel of snowy idleness?
The missionary spirit, then, is
strikingly fitted. at least in this age.
to develop the extraordinary in Chris
tian virtue; but in the church the
extraordinary on the part of the few
seems the condition of the ordinary
on the part of the many. Those who
have the habit of giving aims are
pretty sure of contributing to the
support of their lawful pastors while
those who have never responded to
appeals of charity are all too liable
to be likewise deaf to the voice of
precept. How explain the ever grow
ing army of the poor pay" Catho-
lies except by saying that many of
them were never encouraged in early
years to stint themselves in order to
enrich Christ? wonder if that lad
out in Oregon who on reading in the
Child Apostle" of the needs of an
Alaskan Priest and having no money
of his own contrived to trap musk
rats enough to realize two dollars
and fifty cents on their pelts and to
send to the good missionary, l won
der if that boy will ever outgrow the
effects of the deed inspired by the
extraordinary? And that crippled
wood chopper spoken of in last
months issue of the Echo" who
brought his savings. to the amount
of $4,000. to. branch office of the
sodality of St. Peter Claver. to give
toward the purchase of monstrance
for poor mission in Africa won
der if he is not better off than his
fellow workman whose extra earn
ings found their way to the cash reg
lister of corner saloon. Yes, the
results of the lecture tour just
closed cannot help redounding more
to the benefit of the Church in Amer
lea than to the Church in Africa.
Baroness Won Schoenau and Miss
Bielak returned to Rome May fifth,
sailing on the same boat with Cardi-
nal Gibbons and a number of other
distinguished churchmen. In their
short stay in America these two
ladies gave lectures in four archdio-
ceses in getting nearly all the big
teaching sisterhoods interested in
the work of the African Missions. AS
result of their visit the Sodality of
St. Peter Claver has now perma-
nent foothold in this country where
before it was scarcely heard Of;
headquarters have been established
in St. Louis and branch Offices in
Dubuque, Milwaukee and Chicago
respectively. The worthy ladies are
to be congratulated on having sue
cessfully inaugurated among us such
a truly good work; they are to be
congratulated even more on having
brought home to the American pub
lie the truth that the Catholic church
Is not bit narrow in her treatment
of woman, since woman may have all
the liberty she needs to carry out
whatever will make for the true
elevation of her sex. These good