The Irish standard., 1916-04-22
Work of the Leopoldine Association In
Aiding Struggling Missions In
the United States.

Aiding Struggling Missions In
the United States.
One wonders why so little is known
in American Catholic circles about the
generosity of the German and Aus
trian Catholics to the struggling
Church here during the nineteenth
century, writes "Flanders" in the
Catholic Standard and Times. The
poverty of our early Catholic congre'
cations, strange to relate, appealed
more strongly to the Catholics OF
Germany and Austria than to those OF
France or Ireland. France, it is true,
had seen the foundation of the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith In
1922, but it's activities were worldwide
and only included the United States
as one among many churches asking
for help. Ireland was impoverished
at the time, and indeed what charity
there was went from the hands of her
exiled children here to the priests and
people at home. For almost century
the dioceses of Germany and Austria,
through the Leopoldine Association of
Vienna, have been sending to the
Church in America, Irrespective OF
race, hundreds of thousands of dol
lars, vestments, chalices and church
furniture. Year after year, from its
foundation in 1929, the Leopoldine AS
ISOLATION published report contain
ing valuable pen-pictures from Bishops
and priests in America on the condl-
lions of the Church here, and at the
end of each report there is a state
ment containing a tabulated list OF
all the contributions received and of
the distributions received and of the
disbursements during the year. In the
report of 1888, for example, from forty
nine dioceses of Austria, Germany and
Italy the amount received was about
fifty thousand forins. The list includes
many names which have become IA
miliar to us during the present war,
such as Trieste. Lemberg, Tarnow,
Przemysl, Cattaro and Spalato. The
sum disbursed during this year 0S33)
among the American missions was
fifty-three thousand florins. Cincinnati
received thirty thousand; three thou
sand more were spent for the voyage
of the Redemptorist Fathers who left
in 1882 for America; about three hun
bred tlorins were given for chalices and
church vestments, etc, and twenty
thousand forms were sent to the Arch
bishop of Baltimore.
Bishop kenrick's Acknowledgement.
It was only just that the greater
part Of these charitable contributions
should go to the Western dioceses,
then badly in need of help, and indeed
mostly peopled by Austrians and Ger
mans. But there was no rigid distinc-
ton drawn by the association, as is
evident from the following letter which
has been translated from the report of
1888. 1t is Bishop Kenrick's acknowl-
edgment of the receipt of ten thou
sand florins the year previous:
Philadelphia, May Z, 1892.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sentiments of the
most lively gratitude acknowledge the
due receipt of the 10000 forms which
the Leopoldine Association has so
kindly RENTED to me for the pressing
needs of the diocese placed by the
Holy See under my administration. It
shall be my sacred duty to apply this
very generous contribution, so benefi-
cial to my poor diocese, in the most
conscientious manner for the most ur-
gent demands of our holy religion,
and if possible shall use it in found
ing diocesan seminary.
ANOTHER CRY FROM STRICKEN