The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

I6dQ0TSHlp. we all I00l lIIdL- Tic wal
is raising the souls of millions Of our
non-Catholic fellow-citizens to higher
ranges of thought We may not ex-
pect a complete adhesion to our Cath
olic social principles, but we rightly
look forward to a greater respect for
those immemorial convictions of right,
justice and liberty for which we are
struggling; to a more sympathetic
study of that sane and reasonable
philosophy of thought and life for
which the Catholic Church has always
stood; to a fairer study of the great
historical situations of the past in
which the Catholic Church defended
herself on moral grounds Identical
with those on which the American
people now stands. More than ever
we shall need young clergy and laity
soIidly trained along the highest lines
of Catholic thought and able to eX-
press themselves with broad learning,
irresistible logic, and the eloquence of
profound conviction. Perfectly train
ed at the National Capital, these
young men will go forth from year to
year as the best eXponents of our holy
religion and our intense patriotism.
Already the twelve colleges of the
religious orders and the four large
halls of the secular or Undergraduate
youth are sending out every year
many ardent and energetic young
priests and young laymen of this kind,
who are quickly absorbed by our Cath
olic people in all parts of the Union.
The Catholic University is doing
much for our women in the way of
higher studies by it's fostering care Of
Trinity College, where hundreds of our.
young ladies follow graduate courses
under the direction Of University pro-
fessors, and return to bless the homes
and communities whence they came.
Our Sisters College is rendering an
incalculable service to the parochial
schools, and to the academies of our
teaching sisterhoods. Both these col
leges have a student body Of over four
of Catholic female devotion to learn
ing and socialzpr0gTess.
Naturally the many activities of the
Catholic University call for an increas-
ing annual outlay, new buildings must
be erected, more professors secured, a
larger equipment provided, in order to
care for the eger-increasing body OF
students from all parts of our coun-
try. l know that our people have
been most generous in the purchase
of Liberty Bonds, and in their contri-
buttons to the War Drive. But know
also that the Catholic University is
very dear to them, and that in view
of the general prosperity they will not
be unwilling to give generously to the
great Catholic work of education at
Washington of which today non-Cath-
olics speak with the greatest respect,
and which appears to them as typical
of our Catholic devotion to every
branch of learning and our readiness
to make great sacrifices at all times
in it's favor
Since my last appeal to our Catho-
lie people for their cordial support of
the University two of it's original
founders, Cardinal Farley and Arch
bishop Ireland, have been called to
their reward, and with them passes
away almost entirely the generation
of far-seeing and courageous men who
laid so deeply it's foundations. Divine
Providence has spared me to celebrate
the golden jubilee of my episeopate,
whose chief service / firmly believe to
have been the creation of our pontifi-
cal University at the National Capital.
That it may grow regularly in num-
bers and influence is my ardent pray
er, being profoundly convinced that
no institution offers greater security
for the preservation and the diffusion
of our American Catholic faith and
temper. For that reason may God
bless abundantly all those who con.
tribute to it's support and growth or
who remember it generously when
| disposing of their earthly goods.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
! JAMES CARDINAL GIBBONS, .
Chancellor of the Catholic University
of America.