Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1922, Page 39

Catholic World

GENERAL. The Maryknoll (U.S.A.) Foreign Mission Sisters, already past the 100 mark, have lately received as a postulant Miss Barnadette Tam, a Chinese girl, born in Honolulu. With a Japanese novice lately admitted, and three Korean aspirants on the way, the personnel of the Maryknoll Sisterhood is beginning to reflect its foreign mission purpose. The Most Rev. Archbishop Curley, on the occasion of his elevation on November 30 to the See of Baltimore, was presented with a beautiful pectoral cross, the gift of John McCormack, the famous Irish tenor. It is the work ,of Miss Mia Cranwell, of Dublin, and follows the design of the ancient cross of Cong, thereby recalling memories of Clonmacnoise Abbey, near Athlone, where Archbishop Curley and Mr. McCormack were born and were schoolmates. Clonmacnoise was a great school of Celtic art, literature, sculpture, and metal work in the twelfth century, and it is to this period that the stone crosses of Tuam and Cong,, the processional cross of Cong, and perhaps the Tara Brooch and the Chalice of Ardagh belong. The cross is of fine gold, with 32 stones, all of which are found in Ireland, including crystal, green and yellow marble, jasper, amethyst, and agate. The celebration of the diamond jubilee of the coming of the Brothers of the Christian Schools to America is a notable event in the New York archdiocese. A sermon on the work of the Christian Brothers in the United States was delivered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral'on the occasion of the religious exercises for the celebration of the diamond jubilee, by Monsignor Lavelle. “It was in 1846, ! in Baltimore, the cradle of religious liberty, that the Christian Brothers first established themselves in the United States,” declared Monsignor Lavelle. “Two years later, on July 6, 1818, as a result of the urgent pleading of Bishop Hughes of New York, another band of Brothers reached the port of New York from France to undertake the work of the religious education of the boys of the archdiocese. The Catholic Church .of the United States owes a. tremendous debt to these humble followers of de la Salle. They have given themselves unsparingly to the work of building up the vast system of education in this diocese, they have labored unceasingly in the work of Americanisation in this city and to-day they can point with pride to hundreds of thousands of their graduates in every walk of life.” CATHOLIC SOCIAL WORK IN PORTUGAL,* The anti-clerical sentiments revealed by the leaders of the revolution in Portugal created a very unfavorable impression on Catholics throughout the world, who concluded at the time that the Portuguese needed evangelisation as a preparation for. a return to fidelity towards the Church (says an exchange). For some years there have been signs of an improvement in the Portuguese religious situation, but the coming of women to the front in public life seems to be the prelude to a general reformation of the people. The women of Portugal, who are earnest Catholics, have taken the work in hand with remarkable zeal. With the approval and blessing of the Holy Father and the Bishops they have established a society called “The League of Christian Social Action,” and in connection with it publish a monthly review, in which they deal, with social and religious questions affecting the welfare of the Portuguese masses. They interest themselves in education, provide Catholic schools, and promote movements for the betterment ,of the working classes. Catholic practices are adopted and explained at their meetings and conferences, and thanks to their efforts, the respect for, religion has increased amongst the toilers. The activities of women in public life have been a blessing to Portugal and it is probable that in the course of some years the country will be most devoted in its allegiance to the Holy See.

NOT THE ONLY BIGOTS. It has been shown that the Ku Klux Klan has a definite bias against Catholics, Jews, and Negroes; that these three large classes of American citizens have the misfortune of being excluded from membership; and that the propaganda* of the society is mainly directed against them (says - the New York Freeman). Again one is tempted to inquire: why all this fury of indignation over one particular manifestation of what seems to us to be a very prevalent spirit of racial and religious bigotry? As a matter of fact, the newspapers which have displayed the greatest concern about the intolerance of the Klan have never shown the slightest practical interest in the principles which are at issue in this case. The head of the British Empire, as everybody knows, can never be a Catholic, although the most ignorant Methodist could not be rejected for theological reasons. Yet none of the critics of the militant Protestantism of the “Invisible Empire” has been associated, as far as our knowledge goes, with any protest against the same prejudice in other places, not excluding this country, where opposition to a Catholic president is by no means confined to Kleagles. CATHOLIC READING GUILD IN ENGLAND. “The Conversion of England by Books” is the motto under' which the Catholic Reading Guild carries on its a postdate. With Cardinal Bourn© as its president, and such well-known Catholics as Mr. Edward Eyre and Mr. V. Wareing, the publisher, on its committee, this guild, from its central office and reading room of Holborn, close to where the Knights of Columbus had their club during the war, acts as a. kind of spiritual nerve centre, reaching out through its ,50 branches. The number of readers who make use of the reading room and library runs into thousands, many of them nonCatholics ; others being Catholics who first made their acquaintance with Catholicism through the medium of the book room, which the guild calls its “Propaganda Shop.” Although the work of the Catholic Reading Guild is carried on very quietly and unostentatiously, its influence is none the less far-reaching. Boasting only one paid official, the library of the guild, with its 15,000 or more volumes, is open every day and all day for the benefit not only of inquiring non-Catholics, but , also to Catholic students who may wish to consult the more scholarly works that are to be found on the shelves alongside the simple legends and stories for children. Nor are the activities of the guild confined merely to. those who come to read in the library. There is also a lending department which sends books through the mail while through the 50 provincial branches an increasingly large number of readers is being served with literature. The eleventh anniversary of the foundation of the Catholic Reading Room and Reference Library on Victoria Street, this year was marked by the reception, into the Church of the one hundredth non-Catholic reader. This was a record which made an outstanding feature of the observance of the occasion. The celebration of the anniversary was arranged for November 19. It was on that day in 1910 that his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, who at that time had not received his appointment as Cardinal, opened the library. Owing to conditions brought on by the great war, the la i gei looms that the institution could well use have not been acquired. Its progress during the years since its foundation has been rapid. The library is situated within about a minute’s walk from Westminster Cathedral, the Catholic Evidence Guild Hut, and the new offices of the Catholic Truth Society.' The institution contains books required by Catholics for an intelligent knowledge of the faith.