The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-10

Kansas City, Mo-, last week. This
amount is about twice as much as
that contributed for the same pur-
pose eight years ago, During the
same period the contributions for
Home Missionary purposes have
| been much larger than the in
crease for Foreign Missions.
According to Mr. White it costs
only eight per cent to administer
the big funds for Foreign Mis-
sions. This is less than one-half
the per cent Of administrative
cost of five hundred Of the largest
business concerns of America. Mr.
White appealed for $50,000,00O a
year for Foreign Mission work
from North American churches
and stated that by the Standard
zation Of financial methods now
| going on this would mean only
ten cents week from 100000
church members, even if the bal
ance Of the 100000 Protestant
church members in the United
States and Canada gave nothing.
These figures are a revelation
to people who are not in touch
with what is going on in the
Protestant missionary field. This
sum is enormous when compared
with what is given for similar
purposes by the Catholics of
the United States. The total
receipts Of the International So
ciety for the Propagation Of the
Faith for the year 1912 amounted
to only $1,635, 78O.57, which was
apportioned among all the mis-
sions in Europe, Asia, Africa,
America and Oceanic. The Cath
Ollie Church Extension Society of
the United States received only
1922, 897.87 during the past year.
These amounts are paltry in
, comparison with what is con-
tributed for Protestant missionary
work by the Protestant churches
Of America. Nor is it too much to
believe that during the coming
year they will succeed in raising
the $5O,OOO,000 which they deem
necessary for carrying on their
work, especially if we view the
matter from the standpoint Of in
dividual contributions which, ac-
cording to their calculations, will
amount to only ten cents a week
for less than one-third Of their
: nominal membership.
If a similar amount-ten cents
week-could be obtained from
the adult Catholics Of the United
States it would cheer the hearts
, of the missionary societies now
: laboring under tremendous diff,
culties to secure funds for the
support of a small number Of mis-,
sionaries in foreign lands and in
the poorly equipped Catholic dis
; tricts Of America Even a con,
tribution Of one dollar a year
: from every Catholic family in the
United States would suffice to
place the mission work of the
Church upon self-sustaining
: basis and enable Catholic mis-
sionaries to carry on their work
Of evangelization without being
haunted by the fear that their
; resources will be all too speedily
exhausted.
It would be well for Catholics
to take a lesson from the zeal and
generosity displayed by the Prot
estant churches in the promotion
Of their missionary work. True
Catholics are burdened with de.
mands for financial support from
many quarters and they have re.
9 sponded very generously in the
past Their energies have been
,, directed to parochial or diocesan
works and they have not beer
taught to look beyond the imme
diate needs Of the home parish, OF
) diocese. What we need is broad
er view Of the missionary activity
of the Church and deeper in
terest in the salvation Of those
who are not in a position to dc
9 much for their own spiritual wei
fare. Catholics should be mindful
: of the needs of their less-favoreG
brethren and should be willing tc
show their appreciation of the
! heroic efforts made by the mis-
Z sionaries-Priests. Brothers anC
Sisters-who are laboring for the
= up-building Of religion in local.
ties where Catholics are few il
: number and the conditions not
!. very favorable for missionary
; work.