The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-07-16
(By N. G. w. G.. News Scrvice.)

Ill DOoIoI 1unuSu up W one OIL the
Catholic Immigrant Welfare workers,
who was on hand to serve the horde of
new arrivals in the United States.
There's girl down at the end of the
dock you ought to talk WITH" said the
man. "She looks like an Italian.
She's talking with man. Perhaps
everything's all right, but something
seems to tell me it isn't. Anyway, I'd
be better satisfied if you will take a
look"
The Catholic Immigrant service
representative Immediately called an
Italian fellow-worker and went to
investigate.
Sure enough, they found the girl
there, and the man with her.
The girl couldn't speak word of
English
The man explained that he had
come down to meet her in the solicita-
tion of one of her friends.
The representatives of the arch
diocesan Immigrant Welfare Depart
ment, organized by orders of Cardinal
O'Connell several months ago, took
the girl aside and questioned her.
She said that she did not know the
man, but that he suggested that she
go with him to his room until her
friends came for her.
And the man, who said he had been
sent to meet tho girl, when closely
questioned admitted that he did not
know her name. Evidently he had
planned to entice her away.
Now, this is not an imaginary case.
1t really happened. Perhaps it is an
extreme case-but such things occur
from time to time.
How Some Lose Their Faith.
Here is another thing that has nap.
pened more than once in the past.
Through certain channels a young
girl in Italy or some other European
country or her parents, will enter into
correspondence with a man on this
side of the water. Object-matri
mony. In due course the passage
money is sent back to the old country,
the girl sails, and is met on the dock
by her affianced husband.
Then the man, who from the first
had either claimed to be or had been
assumed to be a Catholic, is married
by justice or perhaps a Protestant
clergyman. The girl is taken to her
new home, fails to establish connec-
tions with the Catholic church in her
city. and eventually may be lost to
the faith. ..
Sometimes it happens that the girl
is forced into marriage against her
will. There are, in fact, all sorts of
complications.
But there are problems, big ones
and it is to prevent unpleasant tangles
and to straighten out those that do
occur, that Catholic organizations are
everywhere preparing themselves.
The Boston organization, which is
working hand in hand with the I'm
migrant Department of tho National
Catholic Welfare Council, is fully
equipped for it's work
Directly in charge of the Immigra-
tion Welfare Department is Miss Mary
Alma Cotter, a graduate of Radcliffe
College, Cambridge, who has had a
wide experience in general social well
fare work.
Many Languages Spoken.
When liner arrives at quarantine
news is quickly flashed to the Catholic
Immigrant Office of the nationality of
the passengers, and workers speaking
the languages of the. newcomers are
rushed to the pier. The department
already has in it's employ Italian,
Polish, Portuguese, Syrian and Ger
man and French-5peaking officials.
At the pier, where the archdiocesan
representatives are easily distinguish
able by brassards of red and white,
bearing blue letters c. I. W., they mix
with the incoming passengers and
lend hand wherever possible.
Anybody is welcome to their assist.
ance. Religion makes no difference.
But as many immigrants are coming
from Catholic countries, there is much
work to be done for that particular
class.
For instance: take the matter of
marriage. It is a common thing for
girls to come to America to marry
men already in this country. In Bos-
ton the State workers on the pier
have been instructed to refer all in.
quiries about tho arrival of prospec
tive Catholic brides to C. l. w. repre-
sentatives. That means that Catholic
men coming down to meet theil brides
and they come here from cities
sometimes hundreds of miles away
are interviewed by diocesan represen-
tatives, sometimes before the vessel
docks.
Then the brides are singled out from
the crowd in the inspection lines.
They are handed over to c.. l. w.
workers by the Federal officials, and
released in their care Otherwise, the
marriage would have to take place on
the pier.