Evening star., 1935-12-01
SODAL|TY PLANS
125TH BIRTHDAY
'TWo.Day Celebration to
Mark Founding of Union
at G. u.

A two-day celebration, marking the
i25th anniversary of the founding OF
the Sodality of Our Lady at George
town University, oldest sodality in the
United States, will be held next Sat-
urday and Sunday.
Rev. Vincent S. McDonough, s. j.,
director, announced yesterday the
program will consist Of Sodaity
Union meeting Saturday, representa-
tive Of all the Catholic colleges ana
high schools in the District, with a
religious service Sunday morning, fol-
lowed In the evening by the reception
Of new candidates.
The Georgetown Sodality, founded
December 9, 1910, sponsored the
union Of all school sodalities in Wash
ington, one of the strongest links in
LIE local Catholic youth movement.
Last year the union conducted an
extensive campaign against the per-
secution of Catholics in Mexico, and
was one of the first sodality unions in
the country to enlist in the warfare
against indecent films.
Communism to Be Fought.
The gathering of delegates from
Catholic schools next Saturday will dis
cuss youth problems in general and
also will formulate plans, it was an
nounced, to combat the spread OF
atheistic communism in the schools
OF the land.
The sessions and jubilee anniversary
will be attended by two Of the leaders
IN the Catholic youth movement, Rev.
Daniel A. Lord, S. j., of st. Louis,
national organizer of sodalities, and
Rev. Francis P. LIE Buffe, S. j., organ
izer in the East. Father Lord is gen.
orally given credit for the success of
the campaign of the hierarchy of the
church against indecent movies.
Rev. DR.. Arthur A. O'Leary, s. j.,
president Of Georgetown University
and Rev. John E. Grattan, S. j., dean
Of the College of Arts and Sciences,
will address the sessions also.
Sodality Oldest of Kind.
It Is of record at Georgetown that
the Sodality of Our Lady is the Oldest
student organization Of the university
and the Oldest of its kind in the coun-
try. The sodality is not only school
OF sanctity, but legion of apostles.
Their membership today number ap-
proUmately 100000 young Catholics
throughout the world.
The Georgetown Sodality was re-
sponsible for the introduction of May
devotions in this country in 1880.
Since that time this practice has be-
come universal in all Catholic churches
and schools. The first May devo-
tions ever held in this country were
at Georgetown, the event being a
memorable one in the records of the
church.
The year 1888 marked the official
aggregation of the Georgetown Sodal-
tty with the Rome "Prima Primaria. "
Records of all meetings of the sodality
have been preserved in the George
town archives.
The first Sodality of Our Lady was
founded in 1868, in the Roman Col
lege of the Society Of Jesus, and on
December S, 1884, 1t was economically
established by Pope Gregory XIII as
q Prima Primaria Sodality-one which
may communicate to other sodalities
afinated with it the privileges and
indulgences possessed by itself.
Father McDonough, student coun-
selor at Georgetown and former pre-
feet Of discipline for Is years, was
placed in charge of the sodality in
1882. Under his direction it has grown
tremendously, until now it has Or
ganized into various units, such as
the Big Brother. Citizenship and Mis-
sion groups. each with its own partic-
ular problems.