The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-09-01
Central verein Convention
Takes up Important Problems
Timely Action and Resolutions Of the
Pioneer Catholic Society.

The war with all its difficulties and
problems in no way dampened the
ardor of any of the many delegates to
the 62nd Annual Convention of the
Central Verein held in St. Louis Aug.
10 to %, in spite Of the absence of
any of the usual festive events which
were restricted as BELTS time so
serious.
Opening with a solemn reception to
His Excellency, the Papal delegate,
who had come to St. Louis especially
to attend the convention, each and
every session of the three days, from
Aug. 10 to %, was crowded with meet
ings for all of the delegates. mass
meetings, committee meetings and con-
ferences in which serious and timely
work was done.
A feature of the opening day on Sun
day was the dedication of the new
$250,000 orphanage erected by the St.
Vincent German Catholic Orphan So
ciety, one of the oldest German or
CARNATIONS in the city. Besides a
splendid musical program, including a
chorus of 500 voices, there were adj
dresses by His Excellency the Papal
Delegate, and by Archbishop ]. j.
Glennon of st. Louis. Bishop j. M.
Koudelka of Superior, Wis, delivered
beautiful and stirring dedicatory ad-
dress in which he paid high tribute
to the charitable and social activities
of the German Catholics.
feature of the Monday morning
session was the address made by His
Excellency Archbishop Bonzano to the
assembled Delegates in which he en-
phasized the fact that his very pres
ence was testimonial to the loyalty
and genuine patriotism of the men,
bers of the Central Verein. Were he
not, he said. among other things, thor
was above suspicion and of the most
genuine kind, he would not be in their
midst. Similar words, encouraging the
members in their work of soldier well
fare activities were spoken by Arch
bishop Glennon and by Bishop Busch
of St. Cloud, Mimi. Other dignitaries
who attended at various meetings and
took all active and sympathetic inter-
est in the work of the convention were
Archbishop Messmer of Milwaukee and
Bishop Althoff of Belleville, Ill.
The chief interest and activity of
problem Of caring for the spiritual and
physical welfare of the Catholic sol
diers. Definite action was taken to
insure very active and efficient pro-
gram of work along these lines and in
conjunction with the work already
proposed at the Soldier Welfare Con
ference recently held at Washington
d. c..
A not inconsiderable part of the at
tention of the convention was also de
voted to the question of the support OF
the Catholic missions, so hard hit by
the effects of the war. Rev. +. Hillig
S. j., of Toxic and Rev. F. Jannsen oil
Techny, Ill.,, gave most interesting
talks on the question of missions and
their support.
Nor were the laboring men and wo
men forgotten A special mass-meet
ing for workmen was held, in which
the specific problems of their class
we're dealt with in two addresses, one
by Rev. F. Marke, o. F. NJ, and the
other by Rev. VIM. Engelen, S. j.
The question of male teachers in oul
schools was also discussed in a series
of meetings held in conjunction with
the convention by the Southwestern
Section of the German Catholic Teach
ers' League. Archbishop Messmer in
particular took a warm interest in
this question and lent his support tc
a furtherance of the movement.
simultaneously with the Central
Verein convention proper the Kath
Frauenbund or Cath. Woman's League
held it's convention, in which the va
rious questions of special interest tc
women were discussed and for which
a definite program of action was out
lined. Here, too, all of the discussions
and lectures were marked by the eff
| cheney and interest which has made
the annual sessions of the Catholic
German bodies so successful.
So too the Junior section of the Cen
trail Verein, the Gonzaga Union, held
it's sessions in connection with the con
vention and dealt with the same prob
lens from the view point of the young
er generation.
The officials of the General Verein
were reelected, fitting tribute to the
efficiency and prudence which has
guided them in their direction of the
Verein's work during the difficult times
of war.
The convention was supplemented
by a we'll attended study course al
which a well mapped out program OF
intensive lectures and study was held
Rev. VIM. Engelen, S. j., Rev. DR.. c.
Bruehl and Herman Danforth of the
Federal Land Bank, St. Louis, spoke
on the problems of Solidaric Society
Solidarism and the State, Solidarism
and Cooperative Endeavor, and Co-ope.