The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-03-08
The Annual Collection In Aid
OF Home And Foreign Missions
To the Clergy and the Laity of the
Diocese of st. Paul:
Beloved Brethren:

taken up in all the Churches of the
Diocese of st. Paul on the second
Sunday of Lent. The announcement
of the collection will be made at the
several Masses on the preceding Sun
day, the First Sunday of Lent, by the
public reading of this, our present let
ter, to be followed on the part of the
pastor by a cordial explanation of the
holiness of the work to which the pro-
ceeds of the collection are to be de-
voted, and a fervent exhortation to
his faithful people that they allow
themselves a liberal sharing in the
blessings of those who contribute to
it's furtherance.
IT. is with every special qualification
that we publish the proceeds of the
collection in aid of Home and For
eign Missions for the year 1918. The
total sum received by the Diocesan
Chancey was s9,OO1.04 ISL
In addition to the sum going from
the Diocesan Chancery to Missions in
foreign lands, we should put to the
credit of our faithful people the sums
RENTED directly to the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith and to
the Society of the Holy Childhood by
the Local Diocesan Director of those
societies, Rev. James A Byrnes, of
the st. Paul Seminary, st. Paul.
Those sums for the year 1918, amount
ed to $30,S29.72 for the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith, and
$3,495.92 for the Society of the Holy
Childhood.
The work done through the Office of
the Local Director of those societies,
let it be said at once, receives from
us most cordial approval and en-
couragement. We hope earnestly to
see it established and prospering in
every parish of the Diocese. 1t by no
means takes the place of the general
annual collection, of which we today
give announcement, Or of similar col
lections to be henceforward an
nounced. Those collections look to a
| wider scope-covering besides the
Propagation of the Faith in foreign
lands, missions in our own United
States and in our own Diocese of ST.
Paul; and, besides, they represent the
| more official contribution made each
year, by the Diocese to the holy cause
| of missionary labor. To this official
| contribution the work of the Local
Diocesan Director is welcomed sup
plement, and as such commends it.
self most significantly to the zeal and
the piety Of our Catholic people.
| beg leave to repeat the words of
eXhortation of the late Archbishop:
| Generosity, beloved brethren, in
aid Of the missions of the Church, is
generosity to the cause nearest to
| the heart of Christ, to the cause that
impelled the Eternal Word to the
| mysterious acts of the Incarnation
and the Redemption. I am come to
cast fire on the EARTH said the Lord,
and what will |, but that it be kim
died The fire brought to the earth
by the Eternal Word, is His Gospel
of salvation. That this Gospel be
heard to uttermost confines is the
passion of His heart. To this end He
instituted the Church, under the man
date to preach the Gospel to every
creature, to teach all nations-'even
unto the consummation of the world.
To this end apostles of His truths
are needed, who, in burning love for
those truths and for Him Who first
spoke them, will bear them to farthest
corner where humanity lives in the
vale of darkness, and open to souls
the pathway to the Kingdom of God in
Heaven. Such apostles there have
been in every age of the Churchs
story; such apostles there are today
proving by their zeal and the sacri
fees to which it submits them that
Christ did not come in vain, that the
Church is, as hidden to be, Catholic
universal, taking the earth as the field
of it's regal beneficence, distilling
across every sea and through every
continent the saving dews of divine
love, the Frightening rays of divine
truth. The missionary work of the
Church! 1t is the most precious
ijewel in it's casket of holy deeds: il
is the manifest attestation of its
origin in the love of Christ for the
lsouls of men. The apostles who dc
this work! We repeat of them the
words of Scripture: How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the
Gospel of peace, that bring glad It'd
Iings of good things.'
! Brethren, it is not the privilege O
all Christians to be the missionarie.
of Christ's Gospel 1t is, however, tn,
privilege of all to be the helpers, tht
co-laborers of those missionaries
Help is needed that missionaries b,
increased in numbers, that the prop
er training be given to those whom
God is calling to the ranks of the di
vine army. Help is needed, when th
missionary is in his chosen ground
that, however heavy the sacrifice, h.
still may at least retain life, and tha
the equipment essential to an effectiv
J preaching be in some measure secure,
to his work. This help, this participa
] ton in the labors of the missionarie
of the Church, all Catholics shoul
give. and give most cheeIfnlly-knoN
} ing well while giving it that the bene