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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
know is anti-Catholic doctrine. But for some un
known reason my blood has boiled at hearing a criti
cism against the Catholics. I would like to get first
hand information from you, and by some means con
nect myself with that grand and unconquerable or
ganization—Roman Catholics. Thank you kindly.
NO CAUSE FOR CATHOLIC SELF-
COMPLACENCY.
(From America, April 3, 1920.)
The number of Catholics in the United States, as
recorded in the latest “Official Catholic Directory,’
published by P. J. Kenedy and Sons, is 17,733,533.
About 10,000,000 more are to be found under the
American Flag in our various possessions. The in
crease during the past year has been 186,229. While
the editor considers this “worthy of notice’’ in so far
as large numbers of Catholics of foreign extraction
have returned to their native countries and few im
migrants have come to us, it is hardly an increase on
which we have particular reason to congratulate our
selves. We have really not begun to carry on an
active apostolate and have been entirely too much
contented with simply holding our own. It is to be
hoped that this spirit will at last be cast off by
American Catholics, as indeed a more energetic at
titude is already being taken in many parts. Our
purpose should be to make of every Catholic an
apostle. The times are ripe for this apostolate. The
number of new parishes erected during the past year,
we are told, was 148, lifting the total to 10,608, and
there is an attendance of 1,701,213 in our parochial
schools. We have done some good work, but we
have decidedly no reason for vanity. We may well
apply to ourselves this little bit of advice given by
The Epworth Herald to its Methodist readers, who
have been far more active in their cause than we in
ours. Says the editor:
But what doth it profit, my brethren, to be
everlastingly bragging about these things? The
success of yesterday gives no guarantee of
achievement today or tomorrow. Indeed, if we
do not move more swiftly than we did yesterday,
we shall fall sadly behind. We live in a new
world. We face new conditions. We grapple
new problems. Even now we are in the pres
ence of appalling obstacles. We are fighting old
enemies in new forms. Glorying ourselves for
past achievements, and burning incense on the
altar of statistics will not help us to get any
where. We must quicken our pace. We must
aim higher, build larger, and strike harder. We
must become more flexible—adaptable. We
must take off every brake. We must turn on
every pound of steam. We must open the throt
tle wide. We must be Christianly in earnest as
we have never been. A Church of 20,000,000
members and adherents has no excuse for put
tering with little enterprises. We must do big
business!
Let us reflect on this for a quarter of an hour, and
then begin to act upon it in all good earnest not
leaving the work to some one else to do. It is our
work.
NEW CHURCH AT MOULTRIE.
The Observer, of June 1 9th, announces that the
Moultrie Catholics have let the contract for their new
Church, to be built on Southern Terrace, in a pine
grove, G. W. Milligan being the contractor. Work
has already begun. The foundation is brick, the
walls hollow tile, with a white stucco finish from the
belt course upwards, rough from the belt course down
to the ground it will be Kellastone granite finish. The
belt course will be white stucco smooth. The roof
is to be of metal shingles. The size of the building
will be 50x30 feet, with a sacristy 1 1x22 feet. The
style of the building will be Spanish Mission, which
is well adapted to small churches. The windows will
be Florentine glass, doors and interior woodwork is
to be of clear white pine finished in walnut.
The altar, given by the Right Reverend Bishop, is
simple, but beautiful, Scagliola, a composition man
ufactured by Daprato & Co., Chicago and New York.
We are working hard to have it free of debt when
dedicated. This means that we must raise about
$1,500 within the next sixty days.
Moultrie has a future full of promise, and this little
building will make the Catholic Church a real factor
in the development of the town.
Rev. Emmet M. Walsh is pastor of the Albany
Missions which include Moultrie and something like
1 5,000 square miles, which is considered a large
parish, even in Georgia.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’ STATISTICS
ISSUED.
Washington, D. C., May 28. Nearly 400 Christian
Brothers died in battle or of disease while serving in
the armies or with Red Cross contingents of the va
rious countries engaged in the world war. More
than 2,000 members of the family of St. De la Salle
were in the conflict. As Germany had excluded the
Brothers from her borders before the war, that coun
try is not represented in their roll of honor.
These and other interesting facts about the Broth
ers are contained in the statistics of the order for
1919, just issued by the motherhouse.
The report shows that the Brothers have 784
houses throughout the world. Of these, 356 are in
the countries, except Germany, which were in the
war. Ninety-seven are in the United States, sixty-two
in Canada, and ninety-six in Central and South
America. The city having the largest number of
establishments is Montreal, with fifteen. New York
and Vienna have each eleven. Constantinople has
as many as Philadelphia seven.
Since the war the new government has permitted
the Christian Brothers to return to Germany. Seven
schools have been opened in different German cities.
Several of these have been established especially for
the benefit of the orphans of the war.