The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-15


show that over thirty per cent of our
adult women are unmarried; and ten
per cent never marry. According to
the census of 1910, there were over
thirty million adult women in the
United States; and out of these. nine
million were unmarried. According
to the lesson of statistics, nearly
shree @illion of these will never
mtt'ry.
Convent Inspection.
There is no call for this measure in
any proven abuses or definite pur-
poses.
Private reformatories and orphan
asylums may properly be subject to
some kind of state visitation. Minors,
legally committed to private institu.
tions, are still, technically, in the
custody of the court, and may easily
be withdrawn or transferred or set at
liberty. Boards Of supervisors, paying
bills to private institutions for the
support of public charges, are in such
relation that they may inspect and
investigate as to all matters con-
nected with the contract No addi-
tional legislation is needed in any of
these cases to safeguard the rights of
the public.
And, usually, there is classification
Of public officials, like plumbing in
spectors, factory inspectors, health
officers, building inspectors, and what
not, whose duties may. at times, take
them into orphan asylums, Houses
of the Good Shepherd and even con.
vents.
II we assume that the Catholic pop
ulation is one-sixth of the total pop
ulation of the country, then it would
appear that there are over five mil
lion adult Catholic women in the
United States, of whom nearly two
million are not married, and of these
two million, nearly 100000, according
to the lesson of statistics, will never
marry. ...-.................. ..........
Now. when we gave forth the in
formation that there are altogethe
fifty thousand Catholic sisters ant
nuns in the United States, the thought
full reader will see that this small
number cuts no special economical
figure. Less than one per cent o.
the Catholic women of the countr,
enter nunneries or become sisters.
The interesting question is: What
are these fifty thousand Catholic Sis
tors doing? Nearly $4,000 Sisters be
long to the teaching orders, and are
instructing children in the parochia
schools. The Catholic church con
ducts nearly 300 orphan asylums II
the United States. which take care
of nearly $4,000 orphans. 1t also con
ducts 1O7 homes for the aged. W.
may safely say that there are at leas
1000 Catholic Sisters in charge o
these asylums and homes. There ar,
over 1000 Sisters of the Good Shep
herd, who devote themselves to tn,
reformation of girls, and conduct in
dustrial homes for the young girl
who are exposed to danger through
evil surroundings. Over 1000 Cath
olic Sisters may be assigned to hos
pital work.
Other bands of Sisters devote them
selves to mission work among tn
Indians and colored races. There ar
Sisterhoods which devote themselve
to nursing and taking care of the sic
as visiting nurses. There Is Sit
terhood which devotes itself especial
: to the care of cancer patients, also t
the care of lepers, this class of tn
poor being very much neglected.
While nearly all the Catholic 81,
ters are thus engaged in the work {
education and charity, a small Pc
centage are more strictly cloistered
as for instance, the Sisterhood know
as the Ad0rers Of the Precious Bloc,
> which is contemplated order an
counts membership Of one hundre,
A Civil War Veterans Testimony.
ooh, friends, oh, friends! theirs is
noble work! How many a veteran {
the war, who wore the blue or til
gray, can yet recall the soothing touc
Of a Sisters hand, as he lay upo
the pain-tossed couch of hospital
Can we ever forget their sympathet
eyes, their low, soft-spoken words I
encouragement and cheer, when tt
result of the struggle between III
and death yet hung in the balanc.
, Oh, how often, how often have I II
lowed the form of the good sist
e Valentia with my sunken eyes, as 81
y moved away from my cot to the c
y Of another sufferer, and breath,
r from the most sacred depths of n
3, family beating heart the ferve
Il prayer: God bless her! God BILE
her!
n my friends, l am not a Cathol
70 but I stand ready at any and at ,
lr times to defend those noble wome
even with my life. for owe that II