The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-07-28

war fund AR0uSES
GREAT ENTHUSIASM
Designation Of Order by War Depart
ment as Official Agency for Care Of
Catholic Soldiers Brings Heartiest
Response From Clergy and Laity-
Orders War Committee Now at
Work-campaign Week, July 1928,
Expected to Produce Big Results for
100000 Fund-Hierarchy Contrib
utes Generously and Urges Catholic
People to Support Great Undertake
ing.
The ringing appeal sent out by the
Supreme Officers of the Knights OF
Columbus in behalf of the Orders ST.
100000 War Camp Fund for the moral
and social welfare of the Catholic men
of Americas new armies has received
a cordial response from Catholics
throughout the country. Leaders OF
the Hierarchy and the laity are one
i'm their praise of the latest work un-
dertaken by the nations foremost Or
der of Catholic men. The prompt rec
ognition Of the Knights of Columbus
by the War Department as the official
agency of all relief work for Catholic
soldiers, just as the Y. M. G. A. is
recognized as the official medium for
relief work among non-Catholic SOL
diers, has created a profound impress
sion among millions of Catholics who
had hoped and prayed that this rec
ognition would be forthcoming, and
who knew that the knights of Colum-
bus, by virtue of it's achievements for
the troops at the Mexican border, was
splendidly organized and equipped to
carry through this newer and far great
er work to success that will re-
dound to the honor of American Cath
olicity.
His Excellency Monsignor John Bon
zano, the Apostolic Delegate, expressed
the general sentiment of American
Catholics when he said that the work
aroused his high admiration; and Car
dinal Gibbons, in letter to District
Deputy Frederick Ullrich Of Baltimore,
expressed i'm glowing and convinGtrTf;;
terms his endorsement Of the proI
."The timely, and handsome patEtpdS
ST of one million dollars 10 build
;reation halls for the soldiers at the
sixteen cantonment camps deserves
gratitude, from half million fathers
and mothers, and from a. hundred
million Americans" His Eminence
writes. '"The Knights of Columbus do
things, and it is my pleasant duty to
both thank you and wish you the most
hearty cooperation from not only your
four hundred thousand Knights, but
also from our eighteen million admir-
ing American Catholics.
"Soon we shall have one hundred
and eighty.one Catholic Chaplains in
the u. S. Armies, where over third
of the soldiers are said to be Cath
olics. And hence your noble gift OF
a million dollars to furnish places for
these splendid young American Cath
olic soldiers to hear Mass and receive
the Sacraments and other consultations
of our holy faith, should forever stamp
the knights of Columbus as men OF
practical forethought, timely patriot
ism and true Christian charity.
"May God bless the Knights and
this superb work!
"God wills it,
Cardinals Farley ard O'Connell, and
Archbishops and Bishops of Dioceses
everywhere have hastened to endorse
the work in the heartiest terms in
personal and pastoral letters, and have
contributed literally to the War Camp
Fund, thus setting high and prac-
tical example for the Catholics in their
pastorates. Individual pastors have
not only contributed to the Fund, but
have taken special collections among
their parishioners in it's behalf.
There is no doubt from the general
chorus of praise and approval heard
on all sides, and particularly from the
generous publicity and editorial COM
ment bestowed upon the work by the
leading Catholic papers, that the X OF
C. war relief work is regarded as the
paramount Catholic undertaking IN
America at the present hour.
AS one editor put it: For once
a Catholic organization is able to en-
ter field of service on absolutely
even terms with its Protestant com
petitor in the same field" With the
official recognition from the Govern
ment, the Knights of Columbus worn
goes beyond the bounds of merely
fraternal undertaking and. becomes II
fact, the standard before the worle
of American Catholicity's charitable
endeavor in this greatest of American
wars.
Since the drawing for the natlona
army was held there is hardly Catn
olic family in the United States tina
has not been affected; there is marc
ly Catholic man or woman VINO ma
not a brother, son or friend enilste
in the ranks of the nation's defenders
And these Catholic fathers and mott