Advertising Religious Teaching

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1922, Page 31

Advertising Religious Teaching

Two unnamed and unknown Pittsburgh (U.S.A.) Catholic business men, who have prospered because„of their belief that “it pays to advertise,” are testing the merits of- publicity in a religious way (says the Missionary). Having contracted for six inches of “space each day for one year in three daily newpapers with an aggregate circulation of 290,000, they have begun a series of 365 advertisements explaining Catholic belief, faith, and dogma. The first* advertisement was an argument why all Americans should be Catholics and an exposition of the debt they owe to the Church whose sea-going sons were inspired by religious zeal to attempt the great adventure of searching for a new continent on the other side of the world, and whose Spanish missionaries were the first -martyrs and pioneers of North America. An explanation of Catholic belief was given in "the second advertisement, which included the Apostles’ Creed. -A third advertisement appeared the day before the big Holy Name parade and fully explained the purpose of that demonstration. Each advertisement carries the following announcement: “Contributed by two Catholic • business men who believe in their religion.” Manifestly the day is dawning when Catholic laymen will apply more often their business brains to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The time is rapidly approaching when they will try to use part of their wealth to clear up the doubts and prejudices in the minds of millions who have never had the opportunity to hear the truth regarding the Catholic religion. There could be no Ku Klux -Klan in America if a systematic campaign to enlighten all the people -with respect to the Catholic attitude were carried on . by zealous Catholics. Wholesale conversions never can result from

any system that does not preach in the “highways , and byways” where the masses of the people are seeking the right way toward eternal happiness/ ' ,