The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-20

Frank McEvoy, Mrs. Alice Bradley, and Mrs. P. J. OBrien; St. Cecilia's, Mrs. Charles Wollschlager; St. Xavier, Mrs. Albert Gen. terbar. Mrs. Wilfred Rochon, and Miss Margaret Tehan; Immaculate Conception, Miss Mary Devereaux, Miss Agnes Fitzpatrick, Miss Kath- ryn Healey, Mrs. Mary Kilnartin, and Mrs. Foster Bedell; St. Joseph S, Miss Gertrude Miknaitis, Mrs. Ma thew Balanda; St. Lucy's. Misc Josephine Menotti; St. Michaels, Mrs. Arthur Dubois, Mrs. Joseph Seery and Mrs John M. Lynch; >sTir e*sSy Os Mt. Carmel, Mrs. Louis Dezinno; Our Lady of Lourdes, Miss Altieri; St. Margaret's, Miss Catherine Maloney, Miss Edna M. Mrs. Edward J. Mcdonald, Mrs. Thomas Nolan, Mrs. Patrick Bergin and Mrs. Harold Brennan; St. Patrick's, Miss Helen Devine, Miss Frances Courtney, Miss Mar garet Leary, Mrs. James Whelan, Miss Katherine Griffin and Miss Helen Shannahan
 Catholic Readers
 Mrs. Goggin then introduced Rev. John s. Kennedy, who spoke for the third time as guest of the council, Father Kennedy taking for his topic Catholic Readers" Father Kennedy is known to Catholics throughout the diocese as author of the column in the Catholic Tran script "The Sitting Floor" through which column he so Skillfully dis cusseS national events, books and other subjects of vital interest to all. His subject for discussion yes- terday was happy choice and one that appealed to all present, as his sane and sound views on the books of the day are so expertly given.
 The speaker divided readers into three groups, those who read for information, that is to say, to ex- tend their knowledge in certain fields, those who read for delecta- tion, just for the delight in certain books; and thirdly, those who read for amusement. In the last group he said novels were the principal form of reading, and those readers of this group he again divided into several classes: Those who have a taste for reading and read with discrimination; those who read to escape and lastly those who read because it is the thing to do, the last named char acterized by Father Kennedy as on the lowest level of readers.
 Book EvaIuatiOn
 In discussing reading for amuse- ment Father Kennedy said that the reader evaluated books not on the same literary level, men, tioning the two novels "Sapphira and the Slave Girr' by Villa Gather, and the poplar Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. Ex- amples of real delightful books, but not fulfilling requirements as to accuracy of detail were some of
 Lytton Strachey's, he said.
 Those who read to escape like books about glamour, penthouses, in a dream world, and read to get kick" he stated. The reason, he said that Grapes of Wrath" had been criticised by Catholic critics was not because of the picture it presents as a social study, but because of the detail in description of filth and the moral evil it presents.
 He characterized the highest mo- tives in reading as ascribed to those who read for intellectual de- velopment. Tn consideration of cer- tain standard of reading, Father Kennedy said if book is calculated to induce evil thoughts which might lead to occasions of sin, it is matter of conscience, and 8 mortal sin in the eyes of the church. Seldom has so valuable an ex- position of what to read a:d how to read been presented to local audiences.