Evening star., 1919-09-24
HIERARCHY HEARS
Cardinal MERCER
-
Session of Catholic Confer
-,
snnce Dignified by Presence
~,
:: 8 of Belgian Prelate.
THRONG GATHERS AT C. U.

tnnUN0 0A InCnS ~ " "
=
.The opening session of the largest
nathering of hierarchy of ttao Catholic
Church ever held in this country,
Which was called into conference by
cardinal Gibbons this morning at
Gstcholic University, was given addl-
tIonal dignity by the presence OF Car
dinal Mercier. the distinguished pre-
late from Belgium. Cardinal gibbons
is presiding at the conference
-,rhe session today was an executive
one. as will be all of the meetings which
are to continue throughout the "eek,
s3ome time before the opening Oh tne
Meeting A throng had gathered IN the
vicinity of Caldwell Hall to get glimpse
~ Cardinal Mercier. He. however Ell.
tered the building by another ooor, anu
there was great disappointmenc ahoHs
many Of the watchers. me, IheS we W. vere
rrfitted to the building later anu "eie
able to see the cardinal
Arriying shortly after noon, Gar
diual Mercier went Immediately 70 tne
conference room. short time la.er
the doors were drawn open IN ofuea
tSat nictures could be taken OF the
Tardinal Mercier briefly addressed
t6s conference. and expressed the
xrztitude of the Belgian nalon ior
the part America had taken IN me
war. and especially the activities OF
the Catholic Church. He pictured tne
sSffering Of the people OF Belgium
during the war as a result Oh inc III
rASion of the German army, ana IOIu
Of their great fortitude. He said tnat
thGv faced these conditions full Of
h0ne and with the belief that America
vsn,Ild give them every aid possible.
sEt the session this morning the ap-
pOintment of committees was discuss
"a. A press committee was named. as
foliows: Archbishop Hanna OF san
francisco. Archbishop Bowling OF st.
PNul. Mimi, and Bishop Shahan. rec
tor. of the Catholic University Of
America.
thrse Who attended the conference
were served with dinner. The con-
ference was resumed at 2:30 O'Clock
=. A Notable Conference.
There are about ninety high officers
OF the church in attendance. This Is
said to be nearly double the number
that attended the last conference.
which was held in Baltimore In 1884,
which shows the great growth OF the
Catholic Church in this country IN the
last thirty-five years.
The present conference Is the nrst
OF what is to be an annual confer
e1Se Of the high officers OF the Cath
olie Church in the United States.
eThe visiting churchmen are to be
tAd guests of the National Catholic
War Council tonight at Mcmahon
Fall, when a motion picture review
showing the patriotic services OF the
hierarchy, the clergy. the National
Catholic War Council and the Knights
Of Columbus will be shown.
:, Those in Attendance.
Among those attending the confer
effce were Cardinal Gibbons, Cardinal
Mefcier, Cardinal OConnell. Bishop
Alerding. Bishop Allen. Bishop Alt
h0ff Bishop Anderson, Bishop Beaven.
BpShe. Bishop Eyrne. Bishop Canevin,
Bishop Cantwell, Bishop Carroll, Bishop
Chaftrand. Archbishop Christie. Bishop
C66foy. Bishop Corrigan. Bishop Cur
ley, Archbishop Dagger. Bishop Davis.
Bishop Donahue. Archbishop Dough-
DSossaerts, Bishop ,Drumm, Bishop
Duty. Bishop Dunno. Bishop DaSilva.
Bishop Els. Bishop Gallagher, Bishop
bishop Garvey. Bishop Gibbons.
Archbishop Glennon. Bishop Guertin.
B}shop Gum. Bishop Haid, Archbishop
Hanna, Bishop Hartley. Archbishop
H&rty, Archbishop Hayes. Bishop
Heelan. Bishop Hebron. Bishop Hen
missy, Bishop T. F. Hickey. Bishop w.
AZ Hickey. Bishop Hoban, Bishop
Jnnnard, Archbishop Keane. Bishop
Kkiley. Bishop Kelly, Bishop Koudel-
ks. Bishop Lawler. Bishop Lenihan.
B4Bhop Lillis, Bishop Lynch, Bishop
jones.
Bishop n. Court, Bishop McDevitt,
Bishop Mcdonnell, Bishop McGovern,
Bishop McGrath. Bishop McNicholas.
Archbishop Messmer. Archbishop
Fbeiler. Bishop Monaghan. Bishop
Norris Bishop Muldoon. Archbishop
Mundelein. Bishop Nussbaum. Bishop
OiDea. Bishop c. ]. O'Reilly. Bishop
Jsnes OReilly. Bishop Rhode. Bishop
Rice, Bishop Russell, Bishop Schrembs,
Bishop Schwebach. Bishop Shahan,
Archbishop Shaw. Bishop Then,
Btahop Turner. Bishop Van de Ven.
Bishop l. s. Walsh, Bishop T. ].
walsh. Bishop Ward. Bishop Wehrle.
Cardinal Thanks Red Cross.
cardinal Mercier made an informal
cA1l at American Red Cross headquar-
ters yesterday aftrnoon for the pur-
pose Of expressing his gratitude for
the part that organization played in
al2eviating the suffering of the peo-
pie Of Belgium. The various officials
Or the organizatio were presented to
HIN.
willoughby walling. chairman of
the central committee, made an ad-
dress to which the cardiT!al responded,
in which he said the work of the mem
bers of the Office force of the Red
Cross here made the relief activities
in Belgium possible.
Il feel proper sympathy for your
work" the cardinal said. During the
sorrowful years among a people who
had much to suffer, ] understood the
importance of your work-what you
did for the wounded, and not only for
them, but for those who were sick on
their beds and for their families. 1t
was a great satisfaction for the father
and mother to know that those who
were wounded in the war were being
cared for materially by you.
II express to you my great gratitude
II express it to you personally, and
I express the gratitude in the name of
my people. not only to you here, but
also to those of you who are far away.
as your vice president mentioned. /
thank you also for your great work of
the Red Cross. 1 know your member
ship has grown from 400, 900 to, think
1t is, nineteen or twenty millions.
This is a splendid progress in splen-
did movement.
Still there is one thing 1 appreciate
more than quantity-it is quality. But
for the quality of your hearts and
these / offer you my expression of ad-
mfration. and when 1 shall be back
home, after some time. 1 shall tell my
people not only of what you were Going
during the war. but what you are al
ready coming to be, our permanent in