Catholic Problems in Western CanadaDaly, George Thomas
Religion
Catholic Problems in Western Canada
Daly, George Thomas
Catholic Church -- Canada
Floyd Keeler, a neo-convert to the Catholic Faith, made recently this
most instructive statement. "Perhaps the greatest problem which the
convert is the most surprised to find existing in the Catholic Church,
is the problem why the average American Catholic is so supremely
selfsatisfied and seems to have so little thought for the propagation
of the Faith which he professes. Coming from a body which has had for
many years a well-organized system of missionary propaganda and which,
in spite of its many and grave doctrinal difficulties, is fairly well
permeated with missionary spirit, _it is a shock_ to find that within
the Fold so little attention is paid to what really ought to be the
very breath of life to its people, the Extension of the Kingdom of God
on earth, the carrying out of our "Lord's Last Will and Testament." To
find Catholics whose ideals are bound up within their own parishes, who
possess no sort of vision of the world beyond, still lying "in darkness
and in the shadow of death" and no concern over its redemption, is a
phenomenon which is hard to explain."
"It distresses us more than we can tell to find those who are nourished
at the breasts of the Bride of Christ, callous to Her charms, unmindful
of Her privileges, thoughtlessly and grudgingly rendering their minimum
of service, for we realize how Christ is thus being 'wounded in the
house of His friends' and His Bride made to lose Her comeliness in the
sight of men. But the Catholic press and the Catholic pulpit, fired
with the zeal of this new apostolate can, and we believe will solve the
problem."--("America," March 13, 1920.)
Our parishes and dioceses will never suffer from an increased zeal in
the broader interests of the Universal Church.[4] There can be no
conflict of interests in the Church of God, if seen from the proper
point of view,--the glory of God and the salvation of souls. "It is
because we have need of men and means at home that I am convinced we
ought to send both men and means abroad. In exact proportion as we
freely give what we have freely received will our works at home prosper
and the zeal and number of our priests be multiplied. This is the test
and the measure of Catholic life among us. The missionary spirit is
the condition of the growth, and, if Faith is to extend at home it must
be by our aiding to carry it abroad" (Card. Manning). Was it not while
he was building the Cathedral of Westminster, that Card. Vaughn founded
the "Mission Society?"
This missionary spirit has also a bearing on the spiritual welfare of
the flock in which it is fostered. For those who would object that
giving money to our Western Church is "carrying coals to Newcastle," we
would state that the West now needs more the help of the East than at
any other time. The organized parishes are indeed beginning to be
self-supporting; but the work we have outlined in these pages, if it is
to be done, has to be supported by the Catholics of Canada at large.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account