The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-07-28
Catholic Congress to Be Held
Washington.

John j. Burke, G. S. p, of New York,
and Rev. DR.. VIM. Kerby, of the
Catholic University, are completing
arrangements for Catholic Congress
to be held in Washington, where it
is hoped to have the bishops of the
country, representatives of the Cath
Ollie press and all the Catholic So
cieties represented, so that the Cath
Ollie attitude may be defined in regard
to the various war activities and ques-
lions that are constantly coming up.
The congress will be held at the
Catholic University of America, and
will open on Sunday, August IL, with
solemn high mass. An invitation
has been extended to Rt. Rev. Thos. ].
Shahan, rector of the university, to
act as honorary chairman.
The following draft has been sub
mitted to the Catholic Hierarchy of
the United States, viz:
"The entry of our country into the
great war in Europe has created
duties, obligations and problems for
the Catholic body in the United
States which are both novel and ex-
traordinary. Hundreds of thousands
of our Catholic young men are or
soon will be enlisted in our army and
navy. That fact means changed con-
ditions in the lives of Catholic youths
of our country; conditions which will
indeed affect the life of the entire
Catholic body. It is not too much to
say that the future of the church in
this country depends in great meas
ure on how we meet the problems
and the needs now presented to us.
We must take them up as one body,
and solve them with one mind and
one heart. For the problem is ma
tional, not local one. It's efficient
solution demands intelligent co-opera-
ton; united effort; standardized
method of operations. Our resources
are great; our societies many, capable
and Jealous. We must not work at
cross purposes, nor overlap one an
others work. Through ignorance of
what other individuals or societies
among ourselves are doing, we will
forfeit just so much of the salutary
work we would otherwise do. It is a
time when we should get together
as speedily as possible, learn, If we
do not know already, the problems
and the needs we must meet; the
common policy we ought to pursue,
and how, working with one another,
can best meet them. Generous CO.
operation is the only road to a right
solution.
can assembly in which every dio.
cese of our country and every Cath
Ollie society and interest of i'm
portance is represented will be the
best, and we think the only way, by
which we may all gain a knowledge
of those problems, apportion the han
ding of needs SO that they may be
adequately met and thus learn what
each one is willing to do and able
to do, and give such support and CO.
operation to one another as will make
that cooperation thorough and effec-
tive.
The spiritual and moral welfare of
the Catholic soldiers is in our hands.
In every camp established, or to be
established, by our government, we
must build a recreation hall that will
give to the soldiers the opportunity of
fulfilling their religious obligations,
and of enjoying such healthy recrea-
ton as will help them to forego evil
company and sinful occasions. These
halls must be we'll built, so that they
may be used in winter as we'll as in
summer. In many camps more than
one hall will be required. These
halls must be we'll furnished and
equipped Priests-outside of the
regular army chaplain-will have to
be provided and supported that they
may minister to the soldiers.
"Some of the new camps will num-
Der 10000 men; of these $4,000 will
be Catholics, How are all of them
to have the opportunity of assisting at
Mass on Sundays?
"The salaries of those assisting
priests must be furnished, for the
dioceses are as rule too poor to pro-
vide it.
1.-THE spiritual work of the priests
must receive the assistance of the
laity-local committees who will as
sist in providing suitable recreation,
bringing something of the home life
into the lives of those who have been
for the time deprived of it.
"The halls must be furnished with
the suitable means of recreation.
''The chapels furnished with all
the necessities for divine service.