The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-11-08
Catholic Way to Unity Europe
Three-Fac Program Aids
Progress in Free Europe

In these years European unity is being born not
only the legal and economic way. the growing unl1y OF
the Old World finds a more spiritual expression and
since Free Europe is overwhelmingly Catholc, IL Is no
wonder that the Catholics make great efforts in that d-
rection.
To achieve this end three things have proved to be
necessary: to meet, to work, and to pray together.
Today ! will mention two practical examples OF
such Catholic action: the christian" action for the
establishment and care of war graves with. the Cath
olics shouldering the major responsibility and the pure
ly Catholic Building Order" Of the Belgian Father Van
der Straten, nicknamed the Bacon Padre"
The first mentioned is an all male affair which
dates back to 1852, when the German League Tor the
Care of War Graves appealed for Catholic and Lutheran
volunteers to help putting the War Cemetery OF Lom-
mel Belgium) in order.
The response was generous and soon this action was
widened into a youth campaign open to all nationals
ties and endeavoring to restore and maintain war graves
of all soldiers.
The Germans predominant even today, but the
share of non-Germans is growing. In Normandy, IN the
camp of La Gamble, more than 500 young men gathered
in the summer months, Last year they worked In the
Vastogne region2
The railroads have been helpful in reducing the
fares; only a lump sum Of S dollars SO cents has to be
paid. For the time they spend in the camp participants
pay Is dollars and offer their Drawn and their brains.
The spiritual and moral advantages they derive
from this work and their togetherness with other ma
tons (many of them belonging to former "enerny ma
tions') are priceless. And so is the example they give
to the people of the region who see so many young
Germans caring not only for their own dead but also
for French, American, and British war heroes
The Jesuits are ardent hackers Of this enterprise
and younger members of the Society Of Jesus have been
actually working on the graves. Two weeks is the time
limit in order to give others the same chance. We find
here not only young men of different nationalitieS, diff
ferent Christian faiths, but also of different social back.
grounds and educational levels. An amazing mixture OF
German, French, English, Spanish, and Italian is spoken.
At least as important as the work itself and the
morning devotions are the meetings held in the evening.
Above the tents one can see the little flags "Wim-
pei" is the German word of the various youth organi.
cations: the Catholic sodalities, the Kolping League of
young Catholic artisans, the KA.J. (which is the same
as the J.O.C. - Catholic Workers YOUTH, the Y.M.C.A.
Ample opportunity is also given to the participants OF
the work Camp" to make human contacts with the vii
lagos around, where they are most popular.
The farmers with their families often come to visit
the camp and then the guitars and %accordians get into
action, the young people sing, dance, and drink to-
Many of the young Frenchmen spending the sum-
mer on the nearby beaches drop in - not only for the
fun of the evening but also to do some voluntary work.
A tangible reward is offered for all the labor: two
days sightseeing in Paris on the way home.
The Building Order of Father van der Straten is
something more closely and efficiently organized. The
members are mostly, though not exclusively young men
who sacrifice part of their time - their vacation or
even much more - to build gratuitously houses and
churches.
They give a temporary promise of obedience, go to
common devotions and live a fully dedicated life for
some time. Their main aim is to build houses for the
INDECENT, especially for families, a burning problem in
Europe where the old (frozen) rents are SO low, but the
new ones so terribly high.
overalls of a certain cut and they can be directed like
a fast moving army from one end OF Europe to the
other.
The "Bacon PADRES first field of action was to
get food to the starving Germans land AustriansG hence
his nickname. AS soon as the food problem was solved
he saw that the housing problem was far from being
licked. So he switched his plans.
The "Bau Orden," needless to say, does not only
wonderful work, it also helps to unite the hearts and
minds of young Europeans upon a common denomina-
tor. This denominator is the Cross.