The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-06-15
BISHOP MULDooN PAYS FINE
TRI8uTE-WoRk IN FRANCE
CRITICISM is. WELcoMED-A
BEAUTIFUL TOUCH OF Ro.
NANCE IN CAMP.

bEAO iFOI lOQG7 Of RO.
NANCE IN CAMP.
At the rate Of twenty-five week,
secretaries of the Knights of Colum-
bus and volunteer chaplains are now
going to France to help those already
over there, to develop and carry on
the work which the Order has been
doing with such success in this coun-
try. 3Frt
This is the most important prob
lem now facing the knights, but
despite the obvious difficulties that
surround the selection and sending
abroad of the proper type of men, the
work is being handled with business
like efficiency.
Bishop Muldoon's Fine Tribute.
The way the Order has taken hold
of this welfare work and carried it
on up to the present is the admira-
ton of the thinking Catholics of the
country. Speaking at the meeting of
the Supreme Directors of the knights
of Columbus, held at Hotel LaSalle,
Chicago, Illinois, May 1927, Bishop
Muldoon, of Rockford, ILL.,, said many
complimentary things of the work of
the K. of C. of which the following
are few extracts:
Criticism you are going to get fire.
quently, and it may be from the Bish-
ops and priests of this country. But
has the Knights of Columbus work
failed? I think not. 1t is up to you,
therefore. | will not interfere unless
see something absolutely wrong.
/ hear things you do not hear. They
are very complimentary. And the
criticisms, they are mostly childish
and spring in great numbers from
people who know only what they hear
on the street-corner.
They criticise your work in this
country and the same tendency is
shown to criticise your work abroad
Some people ask; what have the
Knights of Columbus done in France
and Italy? You are a young organ.
ization, and there is much work. j
am glad to hear you criticise yourself,
go on and criticise yourself but do not
listen too seriously to some soldier
who is writing from France. You will
never have covered all the territory
1t will not be physically possible. The
Y. M. g. A. are learning that now.
There is word of the Red Cross
and the. Y. NC. A. sending back men
all the time, and this is family af
fair x all the difficulties you are
havings the Y. M. G. A. are having
them every one. Do not become dis
couraged at criticism. If you cannot
reach all the fields even by the time
the war is over, do the best you can
Let our criticism be with the idea OF
betterment.
"One word more before leaving.
am highly pleased. | am sure the
Bishops of the country are. You are
learning by experience, you are doing
the work Jesus Christ. Garry this
out-go forth to France. You are the
representatives of Jesus Christ an6
the Catholic Church in this country
The Knights of Columbus are doing g
sacred work, truly priestly work
May Jesus Christ bless you ALL
Such words as these cannot but be
heartening to those who are charged
with the war work of the Knights Of
Columbus. Sentiments of this kind
coming from such a source, indicate
that the K. of c. is backed up most
heartily by the Catholics of this coun
try, bishops, priests and laity. Crit
cism of their work is bound to express
itself occasionally, and those who
only know a small part of the i'm
mense field may find fault because
they imagine that particular section
is apparently neglected, but there is
evidence, constantly coming in that
offsets the criticism although sc
long as the criticism is constructive
it is heartily welcomed by the
Knights.
The Knights in France.
Testimony as to effective worl
abroad comes from many sources
Here is an interesting letter from 9
soldier in France, James III. Curran
of Medical Unit, Base Hospital IS
Somewhere in France. Mr.. Curran i:
a Massachusetts boy, and under date
of April 10Th, he writes to his folks
who live in Springfield, Mass, Mr.