The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-26
THE LAY APosToLATE.

lie great u00u VI IAS LlluCS 10
virile, fervent love of Gods cause and
all the Church holds dear. This is
certainly present in some degrees in
every community of Catholics. Now
then, let some one in each commu
nifty be strong enough to rise, and, il
need be, single-handed do some one
positive thing to make known to the
Ghurch's enemies that her children
will be instant in her defense. En-
thusiasm will be awakened, slowly
perhaps but inevitably, writes M. A
Molloy in America"
Then again the Catholic laity must
get over a regretable failing, so char
acteristic of many communities, the
carping criticism directed against any
Catholic leader, be he lay or eccles.
iastic They must learn to see the big
object clearly, to sense the good that
is struggling to the front, to realize
that God can raise leaders out OF
straw, and that perchance the great
leader whom the times demand will
be formed in their midst, if they but
rally around the standard raised in
the Church's battle no matter how
humble, obscure or otherwise un
promising the standard-bearer may
seem. Unfortunately, too often, the
problem is reduced to the familiar
outlines of cause in which leaders
struggle without followers, as op
posed to the more spectacular view
of swarming followers who clamo1
for leader.
Each community that has done
something or is doing something
effective in the defense of the Church
should make it's action known in the
forum of the Catholic press, so that
local leaders and followers may be
inspirited to enlist in cause that &C
complishes rather than fancies re
suits. Let each community inaugurate
it's honor roll of Catholic heroes.
This rejuvenation of Catholic loyal
ty will blossom forth into Catholic
lay congresses and will stabilize lay
organizations that will guard in ser
ried phalanxes the sacred treasure O
the Catholic Church, and each anc
every one who bears the humbles
livery of her apostolate. Is this TOT
much to expect from the Catholic
laity? Will they rise from thei
apathy to the great work that lie'
somewhere near to each and ever.
one of us?
We have many organizations. 4
new organization is invariably sug
gested as a panacea for every socia
ill. A badge or a button as symbo
of membership is we'll enough bu
how very many rest perfectly conten
with the button-wearing. Something
more than button-wearing is impers
tive for the life of any cause. If tn
members of the organizations a
present in existence were individuals
active, individually, | emphasize, tn
powers behind the diabolical propa
ganda would shrink bowling from tn
light. The leaders of the organize
tons at present among us should en-
deavor to qualify for the great ger
eralship that is demanded by enliver
ing the dormant in their variou
groups, or checking them off into tn
Sleeping Chapter" so that the OF
CARNATIONS may forge ahead withou
them. Our present organization
should get into training for the grea
apostleship of the future, the defenc
| of the Catholic Church. There shoul
be a qualification for membership
some live deed performed to guar
antee that true soldiers are enlistin
in the ranks. Soldiers are the nee
of the hour; not men who prefer tn
purse to principles or society I
Catholic manhood. There are enougl
commercial and society Catholic
already. The time has come for otF
ers to stand out as representative o
the Church. If they do so, the bless
ing of heaven will rest upon thei
banners as it rested of old on tn
standards of the Crusaders and tn
snowy gonfalons of France, and tn
annals of history win record no NOR
glorious epoch than the twentieth
century, the era of the great Amer
can Lay Apostolate.