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Show j444t4444444-44-f-f t4.ttttft44-rt4ttt f I:- tW'Misshmif. : !:. : j A Record of the Progress of Christian Unity. By tho Paulist Fathers. 4. 1 ! j (Writt. rr for the Intermountain Garholic.) j New York. Feb. 23. There is a n ove-j ove-j ment on foot among the converts of the country to organize into an ass iciation , for the purpose of ;ni agating the 1 Catholic faith by personal example by j social intercom se. by te establishment establish-ment of Catholic 'libraries, by the circulation cir-culation and distribution of Catholic i literature and by the financial mainte- nance of missions to non-Catholics. ' Whih- this movement is largely made I up of converts to the church who fpel a i bond of sympathy among themselves. , still there are associated with them :t j very large number of Catholics who were born in the faith, and whose hearts are tilled with an Apostolic desire de-sire of sharing with the many outside the church the certainties and realities reali-ties that they themselves enjoy. This movement has crystallized leagues in j Chicago and Philadelphia. In Philadelphia Phila-delphia the leading spirit of Miss Klearno C. Donnelly. In Chicago there is quit' a coterie of bright converts who have already met and adopted a constitution under the secretaryship of Stetson Merrill. The plan is to have the league a national one in the form of a federation of local leagues. Kach one of the center of Missionary effort in the town or city in which it is locat-! locat-! ed. The movement is entirely spontaneous spon-taneous in its growth and more than anything else it indicates the depth and extent of the missionary feeling. In the articles of incorporation of the Catholic Missionary Union provision is made to affiliate to itself just an organization. organ-ization. The certificate of incorporation incorpora-tion reads that "the particular object for which the corporation is to be formed is to procure the services of clergymen and laymen of the Roman Catholic church to teach and preach as missionaries of their faith." and the bylaws by-laws adopted at one of the earlier meetings provides that "besides the directors di-rectors there shall be associated members. mem-bers. "The directors of the Catholic Missionary Union are Archbishop Cor-rigan, Cor-rigan, Archbishop Ryan, Father De-shon, De-shon, Father Dyer. Father Taylor, Father Elliott and Father Doyle." A most successful mission for non-Catholics non-Catholics has just been ended in Jacksonville, Jack-sonville, Ills., at which an inquiry class of 150 was started. Thirty-three converts con-verts Were received into the church. At Pittsburg, Pa., a mission for non-Catholics non-Catholics was recently given in the Church of St. Paul, and a large amount of literature was distributed. An original orig-inal idea was embodied in the establishment estab-lishment here of a perpetual mission for non-Catholics, which will consist of specially appropriate services, with sermon ser-mon or instruction every Sunday afternoon after-noon at 3 o'clock. This is in addition to the inquiry class, which ought thus to be materially recruited. The Paulist Fathers have just completed com-pleted a mission, in Nashville. Tenn., where they completely captured the town, in spite of a counter attraction in the shape of a course of lectures by the Rev. Dr. Rainsford of New York. Eight converts were received into the church, and the leading papers accorded ac-corded the unprecedented tribute of over two columns of its spoce daily to report the mission exercises. Word is brought that the only talk heard on I the streets and in the stores is concerning concern-ing the doctrines of the Catholic church. The fair-mindedness of those with whom we are called to share our faith is well exemplified in the following letter let-ter of inquiry received from Maine: "Gentlemen I am anxious to learn more about Catholicism. Will you recommend rec-ommend some book from which I can learn the true belief of the Catholics, what they have done and are doing towards to-wards making the world better, what powers are given to the priests, what instructions to the laity and whether or not they are prohibited to read por-l por-l tions of the Bible? In fact. I wish to get at their whole system of belief and work. Although I am favorably inclined in-clined toward Catholicism, I wish to get at the true inwardness on the matter, mat-ter, so that in a talk which I intend to give late in summer or early in the fall to a local society I can state matters mat-ters correctly and on the best author- ' ity. I weih to cc: my information as ; quickly as possibl- ami have it accurate." accu-rate." Nor i. N'ew Erm1.mil alone in its anxiety anx-iety to receive the truth. The following follow-ing sentence from a. Tennessee frirnl or" the Missionary Union shows the : same interest : "I have greatly wished -while reading ' of your great mission in New York that J we might have tie- like in this s-oiitivrTi 1 city (university town, so full of Meth- odi.-ts and Presbyterians." ' To show how willingly non-Catholir ' today may be reconciled to the church, ' and how the broad soirit of toleration which has grown s encouniging'y ; among us may prepare their hearts for ; the devotion and practices of the faith. 1 the following incident reported from I Haltimore will prove interesting: A I boy of 12 was sent to the Catholic par- i-h school, for his parents, who wer- I refined and well-to-do people and nmi-j nmi-j Catholics, preferred that their son should have the advantages of a religious relig-ious atmosphere during his most impressionable im-pressionable years. Accordingly th. child studied the Catechism with hi.- cinnpftn ions, and within a --ar both ho j and his parents were baptized and are now earnest Catholics. ! At a non-Catholic. mission in Dan-caster. Dan-caster. Pa., the subject of "Marriage and Divorce" was ably handled and elicited warm sentiments of appreciation apprecia-tion and sympathy from local resi- j dents outside the church. The Cat ho- '. lie position on this subject is a wel- ; come surprise to many who have hitherto hith-erto associated her views with the calumnies ca-lumnies and innuendos "f traveling lecturers. lec-turers. Those who overlook the logical sequence of foul living upon false belief be-lief will often gladly accept the truth when recommended by an earnest plo t, for what they know to be noble and pure in daily actions. |