The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-11
Local Council Of
 Catholic Laymen Formed Last Night
50 Leading Catholic Ci- tizens Meet to Form New Social Service Organization Here.

AtS" oONl0I oS1 fASS Organization Here. A Bridgeport Council of the Ma tfonal Council of Catholic Men was formed at Knights of Columbus hall Catholic laymen representing all the parishes III the city. The officers chosen to start the new organization 1 in it's chosen field of social service
 cesan Social Service Bureau were:
 Peter Davey of St. Peters, president; | James shannon of St. Augustine s. Vlce president; John Ryan Of st- Gee of St. Patrick's, treasurer
 Thomas F. Walsh, representative on
 the advisory board for Fairfield ! county of the Connecticut Council of | Catholic Men opened the meeting,
 and Daniel Brennan acted as tempor- 1 ary chairman. There were addresses i by Rev Matthew Judge, director of l the Diocesan Social Service Bureau
 and Rev. John J. Landry. director
 of the Catholic Charitable Bureau. l Father Judge told of the formation | lie Men at a meeting attended by 700 men in Hartford in March, and 1 Of the progress of the Hartford Coun- l ci1. Father Judge stated that the l Council of Catholic Men would con cern itself with welfare work among
 boys and men, forming committees on
 boys welfare employment, immigrat- | ton. institutional visitation. education l and kindred problems.
 | He said the boys welfare commit 1 tee would first try to stem the tide l Of Juvenile delinquency by preventive
 measures, and where boys had been 1 placed on probation or committed to l correctional institutions would at | tempt to surround them with better 1 influences, asserting that there was | more of this work to be done than | the Catholic Charitable Bureau or
 public officials could possibly take
 care of.
 He cited one instance of an under nourished lad about nine years of age, 1 who opened the door of the Catholic Charitable Bureau office when Father
 Judge was stationed here, and called out in a weak voice 'tTimes today" l Father Judge found that the lad was left alone from one weekend to the | pers and that his principal article of | food was raw frankfurters. "If that | boy mad gone wrong" Father Judge
 said, 'it would not have been his
 fault, but that of his mother and his | surroundings"
 1 Through the Catholic Charitable l Bureau he was placed with a family
 in nearby town and is making good.
 Father Judge asserted that police l men, probation officers and others
 who come in contact with incipient delinquency freely welcome intelli- gent assistance in the work among | boys which they haven't the time to do themselves. Father Judge assert | ed that 67 per cent. of the immigra- ton now coming in was Catholic and declared that more attention should be paid these immigrants by Catho- | lies
 The function of the educational committee, he asserted, would be to | challenge misstatements about Cath ollc practices. guard against inm oral moving pictures and unwise social ! c Q nI1 oil Connecticut child welfare code which he stated gave too much power to committing Judges over the religion or dependent children, giving as his opinion that the law should provide that all children of Catholic parents should be placed in Catholic homes. all children of Protestant parents in Protestant homes and all children of Jewish parents in Jewish homes,
 without discretion in the judges. Ine speaker also asserted that too much power had been lodged in the hands of the director of child well fare, which would be disastrous to the institutions of the state if exer- | c1sed by a less tactful and competent man than the present incumbent. In emphasizing the need for an in stltut1onal visitation committee Fr Judge stated that there were many institutions in the state where Catho-
 llcs are lodged in considerable num- bers where no Catholic organization ever visits.
 In conclusion, F'r. Judge said: 'rwe
 want the sustained interest of every
 man in these diocess in this worth While work, and we must have it to succeed. As our Right Reverend Bis mop said: Love of neighbor is not op- t1cna1. It is commanded" We all have surplus energy. It dosen't belong to others There are thousands of books
 written about life of our Divine Say
 10 tpr put they can all be summed up in
 these words: He went about doing
 good.' That is the program of the
 Council of Catholic Men
 Rev. John Landry explained the
 Bureau and emphasized the need of
 such assistance as the Bridgeport
 nish. all Catholic men of the city to get in | and work with heart and body and soul for the organization. Vice Pres
 1dent shannon spoke along similar
 An observation committee from St James parish of Stratford headed by Judge Thomas E. Cough1in and Ed
 ward Gaynor attended the meeting, ford.
 William E. Hogan was temporary secretary of the meeting
 The following advisory committee was announced by President Davey:
 Spirituad Advisor Rev. John J. Lan- dry; lay members, James J. Broder- lck, sacred Heart; Francis J. Bren- nan. St. Patrick's; James L. NcGov- ern, St. Mary's; Dr. Joseph Keegan,
 Blessed Sacrament; Patrick H. Fftz- patrick, St. Ann's; John L. Harter. st. Joseph's: Raymond Thibault. St, An thony's; Joseph Kochis, St. John Neo- pomuk; Anthony F'assaneIlo. Holy
 Rosary; John Mojcher, St Cyril and
 Methodius; Dr. Smykowski, St. Mich ael; Joseph Lengen, St. Stephens;
 Anthony Beleckia. St George; Charles Schvorc. Holy Cross; stephen Horan St Peters; George Burns, St. Pat ricks: Francis P Dunigan St CharIeS; F. w Wren, John A. Cornell John Lyddy, James J. Conlan, John A. Leonard, John J. Phelan. Thomas
 A. Cullinan, Dr. Mccarthy Thomas Morrissey, Supt. Patrick Flanagan
 Matthew Rogers, Robert Hurley. Rich ard Murphy. Bernard Keating Dr. Edward F. McGovern. Michael Il No