The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-10
SOCIAL ACTION IN IRELAND
INSPIRED AND DIRECTED BY THE
PRIESTS WHO ARE TRAINING
THE LAYWoRKERs-PRosPEcTs
FOR THE FUTURE.

Even before Ireland was given a
chance of working out her social and
economic salvation Cher religious sal
walton had been secure throughout,
we find bishops and their clergy do
ing what they could, with their hands
tied, to reorganize a shattered social
system. Thus eighty years ago we
find Archbishop Murray vigorously
urging before vice-regaI commission
the adoption of certain measures for
the restoration of agriculture and the
relief of restitution in Ireland. His
recommendations, endorsed by the
commission, were swept aside by the
British government, which imposed
on the country a system of it's own
This system proved deplorable
failure, and it is only now that return
of Archbishop Murray.
Now, however, that the disabilities
of Catholics in Ireland have been re-
moved, and security of land tenure
provided, the clergy have for the first
time an opportunity of showing
whether their unselfish interest in the
people is limited to the performance
of spiritual duties, or whether it ex-
tends to their social welfare. What
use are they making of that oppor-
tunity? The clergy of Ireland today
are, in proportion as the utility of
social work becomes evident to them,
throwing themselves into that work
with all the energy which character
lied their former efforts to secure re-
ligious and civil liberty for their
people.
In cottage gardening, too, the
priests have given the lead, says Rev.
Charles Platter, S. j., in the October
Catholic World. We may instance the
splendid success which has attended
the efforts of Canon Doyle in County
Wexford. His Technical instruction
Committee, inaugurated about eight
years ago, is not only increasing the
resources of the cottagers, but is Civ.
ing them a notable capacity for self.
help and pride of ownership
Canon Doyle's social activities are by
no means confined to promoting cot
tage gardens. He has worked veri-
table revolution in his parish of Ire
goat, and his activities extend to the
whole of Wexford. Many visitors
have admired his town hail." where
he holds frequent meetings of his
people, and where he gets them the
most skilled instruction that can be
obtained in matters agricultural, etc
A wonderful change has come over the
homes of his people: they are models
of neatness within and without The
same might be said of the work done
by Father Mathew Mcguire, P. P, OF
Trillick, County Tyrone. All over the
country halls and reading rooms are
springing up, under the guiding influ
ence of the parish priests, which are
doing much to enlighten and educate
the masses of the people.
1t is evident that Ireland has the
prospect of great period of social
development, in which the priests are
the natural leaders Not that it is
possible or desirable for them to take
the whole of the work upon their own
shoulders, since the cooperation oil
the laity is becoming increasingly
necessary; but the clergy here may
well be Gas, indeed, to a great extent
they already are) the inspiring infiu
ence, guiding and encouraging anC
training the lay workers, keeping
prominently before the minds of the
people the great social principles laiC
down by the Catholic Church. Per
haps in no country in the world has
Catholicism such splendid oppor
tunity as in Ireland of establishing &
healthy social order, and of SHOWING
to the world an example of that fail
and prosperous commonwealth fol
which Leo XIII would have us strive
In other lands the issues have beer
confused, and the minds of large sec
lions of the people poisoned by ire
ligion and its accompanying anti-so
cial tendencies, or else committed tt
doctrinaire systems which promote
hygiene at the cost of liberty
Hitherto Irish social enterprise, as we
have seen, has been hampered and
crippled. Now it is getting it's oppor
tunity. The Catholic world is watch
ing with sympathy, trusting to see
Ireland, inspired by that teaching oil
which the clergy are the custodians
display the beauty of a supernatural
faith reflected in worthy social order