The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-11-18
Let's Get the Facts

The current COPY of Readers Digest continues
the attack on the Sisters who conduct our chill
drens homes, by reprinting Pearl Bucks article
from Womdn'S Home Companion. Although Miss
Buck has been answered by such people as JOS
eph Reid Executive Director of the Child WI
fare League of America, the Readers Digest
continues the attack continues the attack which
is based on prejudice, not on facts. Perhaps
there is one or other institutions where children
are refused adoption because of religious re-
strictions, or kept there only to give employ
ment to the Sisters or to enable them to find
a way to spend funds that can be spent In no
other way but we do not know of any such In
sttutions.
We do know that the Franciscan Sisters who
operate Saint AIMS infant Home and Saint Vim
cents Orphanage in the Diocese of Columbus are
continually being beseeched by Bishops, priests
and laity to take over new schools and to expand
their teaching staffs in the schools which they
now conduct. They do not have enough sisters to
make even small reduction in the long list
OF requests for Sisters.
We know that neither Saint AIMS nor Saint
Vincent's have founded wealth. We know that
except for the economies practiced by the Sis
ters and for the help given by generous people,
these institutions could not continue to meet
their daily expenses We likewise know that chill
dren must be placed in homes of their own re-
ligion according TO the laws of the State OF Ohio
and that ali agencies which place infants Tor
adoption have long lists of people who want the
infants
Unfortunately there are not very many peo-
pie who wish to adopt child who is eight or ten
years old There are not very many people who
will take a crippled or blind child There are
far too few colored families who wish to adopt
colored children,
Since Widespread interest has been stirred up
by recent articles on the children who live in
institutions, it may be of interest to cite the
facts here in the Columbus Diocese. There are
l13 children living at Saint AIMS and Saint Vim
cents
Most of these children have at least one par
ent who is interested in them and visits them.
Thirtyfive of the children are under the care
Of the Sisters because of the sickness or death
Of one parent and the inability of the other
parent to care for the children at the present
time. Thrty-three of the children have been
deserted by one parent but continue to have
the other parent who retains an interest in them.
Eleven of the children have been neglected by
their parents but will eventually return to
them when the family has been rehabilitated,
Four are children placed for training or guid-
ance. Three are physically or mentally handi-
capped children Nine are six to fifteen Years
old children available for adoption but not want
ed by adaptive parents. Four are coored chill
dren for whom no foster parents have been
found. Two are children who have not yet been
released for adoption by the courts because OF
legal difficulties which must be cleared. Five are
infants under the age of six months whose moth
ers have not yet been able to face the decision
of giving them up for adoption but who under
ordinary circumstances will release the children
in the near future Finally there are seven
children, eight to sixteen weeks old, who have
just been released for adoption by their mothers
and who will 20 into their new homes within
the next several weeks.
Obviously these figures give the lie TO any
persons who think that the Sisters are not con-
cerned for the welfare of their little charges
or that they keep them in the institutions un-
duly