The Irish standard., 1915-02-20
IN THE WAKE OF THE NATIONAL
CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC
CHARITIES.
BY VIM. J. Kirby, Pho.
City Conferences of Catholic chariti


City Conferences of Catholic Charities.
The institution of City Conferences
in Catholic Charities was discussed at
the second general session of the con-
ference. The mind of the audience
was Enthusiastically in favor of that STEP
The aim of conference is to bring
together at stated intervals all of the
Catholic workers in our larger cities,
in order to spread knowledge of our
problems, of our resources and our
limitations, to promote mutual &C.
quaintance, comparison of views and
discussion of methods. 1t was pointed
out that neither the difficulties nor
the expense of travel stand in the way.
It was said with no little force that
not single difficulty can be stated
which would reflect any credit on
those who admit much force in it.
City conferences in our charities
would serve our city charities just as
the National Conference serves our
national charities. The immense re-
sources of our agencies of relief are
not used adequately, because we are
not we'll co-ordinated. To borrow
figure happily introduced in one of
the section meetings, city confer
ence may be likened to an assembling
plant where the parts of the automo-
bile are put together, and the machine
is made ready for operation. A city
conference of Catholic Charities as
sembles leaders, agencies, experience,
talent, and co-ordinates them in way
to promote efficiency and develop
ment.
But one city occurs to mind where
in an attempt has been made to estab-
lish city conference, that is st. Louis.
The report on it's organization made
at the national conference, showed
that it had to survive many gratuitous
difficulties before it's existence was
made at all secure. But one diocese
occurs to mind wherein there is es.
tablished a diocesan conference, Pitts
burgh. There are possibly fifteen did,
ceses in the country which have do
cesar directors of charity. 1t would
seem that the creation of either city
or diocesan conferences might fall
happily within the jurisdiction of such
directors.
The discussion of this step in or
ganization brought out many interest
ing things. 1t represented the city
conference rightly indeed as a great
and impressive assembling of our
charity interests, as training school
in writing and speaking, as a factor
which would win over to the cause of
charity many who are Indifferent to it,
and as the prolific source of very
profitable literature of relief. If the
enthusiasm of the delegates to the con-
ference survives the inroads of time
we may hope to see the impulse to-
ward the establishment of city con-
ferences develop much strength with
in the next few years.
The Problem Of Catholic Statistics.
The conference registered one i'm.
portant note of disappointment in or
dering a suspension of the work of
compiling a National Directory of
Catholic Charities. It began this work
in 1910, intending to make it it's first
permanent contribution to our self
knowledge. At the 1910 meeting the
delegates remarked frequently that our
Catholic charities were not known to
one another. 1t was discovered that
agencies engaged in dealing with iden.
tical problems in different cities, and
even in the same city, were unknown
to one another. Delegates who com.
planned that the Catholic church was
backward in certain kinds of social
work, were astounded to find that in
other cities, such works were -four
ishing. There was a consciousness of
general lack of relation and asso-
citation. This had led to the creation
of the national conference, and this
led the conference itself to order the
compilation of an authentic national
directory. The work was begun
promptly in that year, and it was car
ried on internationally since then as
other duties of the conference officers
permitted.
Naturally the work had to be done
through correspondence. The serv-
ices of the Catholic press were asked
and were cordially given. Systematic
seeking approval from
the authorities in the church, and seek
ing direct relation with those in
authority in our great communities,
was begun and maintained. AS a re-
suit of the most persevering efforts,
the files of the national conference
show at this date complete informa-
ton is on hand from ten dioceses; in
complete information is on hand from
fifty-three dioceses; there is no infor.
nation whatever from thirty-two did,
ceses. Out of total of over thou,
sand institutions in charge of religious
in the United States, information is on
hand from five hundred and thirty. A
last effort was made in June of last