Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-02-16
ANNUAL COLLECTION FOR THE IN
DIANS AND NEGROES CARDI-
NAL GIBBONS INSTITUTE.

The mission Of the Catholic Church
Is to bring all men, without distinction
OF race, 10 the knowledge and practice
Of the teaching OF Jesus Ghcist. Down
the centuries from the First PentecOst
until now. in the face OF apparently in
surmountable opposition, she has never
faltered lie her fidelity 70 that trust
And so today, natural consequence,
we may call il, she is not a Stacker in
mission work; she never hesitates 10
face the most discouraging difficulties
The first statement is borne out by
the fact that In every country under
the sun abe Catholic missioner carries
the knowledge OF salvation bought
with the price paid on the cross of call
vary to the thousands who "sit in
darkness and the shadow OF death -
The second statement ~ also fact of
today as we'll Of yesterday. The wri-
ter knows priests who have worked
with himself, who haYe deprived them
selves of common conveniences of life,
to save little cash TO further the
cause of enlightenment in the knowl-
edge of Jesus Christ. IL would reach
beyond brief notice to cite facts from
various mission fields, in which men
and women whose lives at home could
be spent in abundance and luxury, are
wearing out their lives for want OF
proper food and shelter, at times, Suf-
ticient clothing, in torried and arctic
climate, in the midst OF the filth OF the
life OF the savage, that the light OF
truth may dispense the darkness of pa
ganism and savage idolatory.
| am not diiferentiating between
Catholic and non-Casholic, but calling
the attention of the Catholics o.
Charles Co. TO their duty financially to
the Indian and Negro races. No one,
at all familiar with this country's his
tory, can be blind TO the fact that the
Indian and Negro, for his religious
and civil advancement, depend finan-
cially in great measure, on their white
brethren, who are better OFF in this
worlds goods. Both have little ini-
tiative AS they are today. AS body,
they want, | think, to be law-abiding
religious men and women, but do not
know how TO meet the opposing forces.
As consequence, they require educa-
tion, industrial and otherwise, that,
will make them, what the man and wo-
man, who have the social and relig-
ious welfare of the country at heart,
know they ought to be, and can be, if
such education is pnt within their
reach.
To meet this requirement financially,
the Catholic Church in the United
States is calling on her children TO
make this yearly contribution on Sun.
| day, February 18th. There are about
5000 Catholic colored people in the
counties of Prince George, Charles
and st. Mary's. They are backward
and poor, and sorely in need of the
advantage | have spoken OF. They
have no capable leaders OF their own.
They need the assistance of the white
man to become what the white man, If
be be honest in his thoughts about
them, and not swerved by prejudice,
should want them 10 be.
In conclusion, | wish to direct the
attention, both OF white and colored,
to an undertaking launched under the
approval and sanction of Archbishop
Curley. | refer 10 the Cardinal Glib
bons Institute, Incorporated. This is
a step towards securing what the col
ored people should have. Its purpose
| Is to afford Industrial Training and
High School advantages for the coll
ored youth OF both sexes, whereby
leaders OF their own race may be
formed, who will be able to aid in
guiding their brethren in the advance
ment required for deeper religious life
and better citizenship.
| 10 encourage US in this work, as
well as the colored people themselves,
mon OF the calibre of Rear Admiral
Benson, Senator Walsh, Of Mass,
Hollingsworth Wood, OF New York,
Rev. John La Fargo, s. j., Judge
Terry, OF Washington, A. G. Mono
han, N. G. w. c., Michael Slattery,
fHon. j. E. Ransdell, La, and others,
ICatholic and non-C Catholic, are enthu-
siastically active in promoting the
lplan.
]. BRENT MATTHEW'S, S.
St. Thomas Manor.
Feb. 10, 1923.