The Catholic bulletin., 1920-10-23
NEED FOR SISTERS IN OUR
SCHOOLS GROWS ALARMING
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BECOMING
NUMEROUS AND vocATloNs.
ARE NOT KEEPING PACE.

I. NHG&NOi NEEFtNG FASE.
On. every. side, is heard the appeal
for more Catholic Sisters. Classes
are left unopened, schools not built,
hospitals and ether charitable insti-
tutions not founded because Of a lack
of Sisters to conduct them. Thus
Gods works are left undone because
too few Catholic young women follow
the call to religious life in the cen
vent. Considering the immense needs
Rof the schools the number of applica-
tions that come in, to every superior
for teachers, and the thousands Of
Catholic girls who go out ever year
from the parish schools, one sees that
it would be right to expect and desire
for more recruits each year to the
army of devoted women, who have
consecrated themselves to the work
of Catholic education" (Your Interest
Eternal" by Edward F. Garesche, S.
j., p. 44), and the performance of other
works Of mercy properly within the
sphere of the Church's activity. The
dearth of vocations to the Sisterhoods
| is becoming alarming, observes Rev.
A. King, in Queens Work.
Lack Of Vacations.
A prime factor contributing to the
lack of response to "a life in religion
is fast diminishing spirit of self-sac-
rifice.
The life in convent necessarily
requires self-sacrifce. Despite the
sometimes palatia1 buildings, the con
vent life demands a life in the genu-
inc spirit of poverty. For the nun
| the show Of fashion in attire, as inno-
cent and simple as it may be, yet so
dear to the feminine heart, must be
| banished forever. The simplicity OBJ
served with regard to food, not be-
| cause distasteful in itself, but rather
because all choice in the matter is
precluded, and the scriptural injunc-
tion Of eating what is placed before
| one is literally fulfilled, requires no
| small amount of self-mastery. The
lseverity of the simple furnishings Of
| the Sisters cell offers little attraction
| for ease and comfort. Consequently
convent life affords but a severe as
| spect in our. day when the lure of
fashion, ease, and enjoyment may SO
easily be followed by the average
young woman Only such may be
looked to for following so arduous q
life, as are imbued with strong love
| of God and their neighbor, and pos.
sess a generous will to sacrifice them
selves for Gods glory and their neigh
boris welfare.
/ Courage Is Needed.
/ But in our day the generous and
courageous will is sadly lacking. "Our
generation has been intent on the de
tvelopment of the intellect. We have
been neglecting the will" ("Health
and Will Power" James j. Walsh
Nh D.. p. Wild. :
Many young women are difident ol
being able to endure the life of the
convent Injured to the comforts and
pleasures of the world the will has
been weakened, and they hesitate tt
take a step repulsive to sensitive
human nature. Just as soon as 9
human being loses confidence that he
or she may be able to accomplish a
certain thing, that of itself is enough
to make the will ever SO much less &C
tive than it would otherwise be. 1t is
like breaking a piece of string: those
u who know how wrap it around theil
fingers then jerk it confidently ant
i the string is broken. Those who feal
that they may not be able to break j
/ hesitate lest they. should hurt them
Iselves and give half-hearted tWitc1
which does not break the string; ths
only thing they succeed in doing is il
hurting themselves ever SO much more
than does the person who really
breaks it, Qbidem, p. 20.)
Il Faith is Weak.
4 The will is. weak because faith j:
Eweak., Despite the splendid testimons