The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-05
THE COUNSELOR

 e 1915.) T Everybody who is acquainted with 1 the customs of the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus knows that 1 they always select for the exemplifi- cation of the degree work a date which is marked by some patriotic | disti0ction
 They do not select Christmas or New Years or Easter Sunday, or any other one of the church festivals. Such days would be more suitable for | one of the earlier degr ees and are | therefore used for that purpose; but l the Fourth Degree is devoted to pa l triotism, and so the selection of a day set aside for the cultivation of pa | triotic sentiments is manifestly ap- l propriate for the purpose Of that de- 1 gree.
 That is why we find the work done 1 on Lincoln's birthday or George 1 Washington's birthday, on Memorial
 Day or Flag Day, and even sometimes | on Labor Day; which is, in 8 way,
 day. of the highest patriotism. | Those unfortunate people who are | so ignorant and narrow minded as to
 be misled by malicious bigots, can not understand this broad and beau i tifuI patriotism on the part of the
 Knights of Columbus. The, man who
 is stupid enough to believe that the
 respectable Catholic gentleman. who 1 becomes member of the Fourth De- gree or fAe hnlghLS or SO4u1nDuSs IS
 capable of taking the bogus oath l which he has Seen circulated by the unspeakable bigots of the Menace and ! their ilk, is of course incapable of 1 appreciating the lofty character of any patriotic citizen, and therefore it 1 would be only folly to attempt to ex- FpIain anything of the true nature of | Colunbianisnr to such person.
 But every reasonable citizen in the United States, who is a believer, in I4I. low l of his native land must be thankful I that the nation has been blessed with such an order as the Knights of Co., I lunnbus, and will always feel a, thrill of pleasure when he hears that there
 is to be an exemplification of the
 Fourth Degree, knowing as, every reasonable man knows, who has ever
 learned the nature of the order, that
 the more of such celebrations we have, the better it will be for the
 country at large
 l Only the other day a prominent | business man in one of the cities of
 this state in speaking to the writer about the outrages committed on SO . ciety by the anarchists, and the evil consequences following the teachings ! of socialism. even in many of our leading colleges, exclaimed: TT am not a Catholic, but I confess that the making for the safety of our institu- tions is the Catholic church and the } people who follow her teachings: and : as such followers say God7speed to
 the Knights of Columbus
 If that gentleman could only have l the happiness of being present at an 5 exemp1ification of the Fourth Degree, 3 am sure that his enthusiasm, great s as it was, would be wonderfully in lcreased.
 The Catholic people of the state of l Connecticut have much to be thank full for in the fact, which is becom- ing more apparent every day, that, in
 spite of the malice of the bigots and 2 the gullibility ofFthe ignorant, the citizens of Connecticut, regardless O1
 religious affiliations, are heartily ir
 sympathy with the magnificent work = which the Knights of Columbus are = accomplishing
 a Now, how should the Catholic peo- r pie show their thankfuIness for this Q broad sympathy? Surely there is nc g better way than to do all in tfaeil z blower to hold up the hands of the s Knights of Columbus in their Fespec- 3 tive localities. They should, if they . are eligible, make application to be : come members of the Council in thei1 : neighborhood and so enhance the - work and enlarge the Influence for ; good of this great Catholic order. Again, if a man is already a mem I Der of the order and has passed :, through the first three degrees, he Q icannot do better than to get into the t Fourth Degree at the earliest possi- , bIe date He should not wait to be
 asked. He should feel that a good
 deed should be volunteered. He may a rest assured that the good which , flows from association with the work
 of the Fourth Degree will rebound te : his own benefit in large measure.
 It is a great pleasure for me, there : fore, to call attention to the an
 Lnouncement to all brothers eligible tc a membership in this dAgree, that the f next exempHficatiou. will take place ! in the city of Norwich on May 30tt f | next.
 f MT. John M. Lee, the Master of the n Fourth Degree for the state of Con. = necticut, has. recently issued this an : nouncement, which will speak for it
 self and reads as follows:
 Il ."To the Members of the Knights O.
 Columbus of the State of Con
 nectfcut. Greeting:
 Dear Sirs and Brothers:-
 s'An exemplification of the FourtI a Degree for the District of Connection ' will be held at Norwich, Sunday. Ma! 20th, at 2:3D p. m.
 a t'The great progress that has beer l. made in the growth of this section O. s. the Order during the past few year II is such that it should be the ambition e of every member of the Order fns Con it necticut,. who is eligible for member d ship in this degree. to consider mak n ing application at this Hnnes
 s! .'The requirements for applicant
 I are:
 "(a) All candidates must be. owe c twenty-one years of age, and citizen
 of the respective countries in whicl l. they reside.
 W "Cbl They must be in good finan . cial standing in their Council and il f. the Order. .s "(co They must be in genera t. good standing in their Council and il 'r the Order for the full period specific e,
 in b-division .e) hereof.
 't(d) They must have their prac
 tica1 Catholicity Vouched for by thei
 chaplain, pastor or other priest o
 spiritual director, and must presen
 before initiation a certificate or cer