The Rights of Catholic Women [pp. 844-848]

The Rzghts of Catholic Women
like reducing the abstract to the con crete, sentiment to work, resolution
to definite action.
We venture to suggest something
else, also, to those of our fair readers
who may be awakened to a desire of
claiming their woman's rights by the
appeal of their gifted countrywoman.
It is practical, and yet not so difficult,
as sending checks for one thousand
dollars, or searching the streets for
vagran tchildren. A society exists in
Paris for making and embroidering
vestments and other ornaments for
the altars of poor churches and mis sions. Why not inaugurate the same
work among the ladies of New York,
for the benefit, first, of small country
churches and chapels in our own
diocese, and secondarily of similar
churches elsewhere? We cannot rival Paris by a sudden coup de main
or accomplish everything in a day.
But it is possible to make a beginning with one necessary work of charity after another, and to bring them
gradually to the colossal dimensions
which want and misery and vice have
attained without any effort. - ED.
C. w..]
IN The Atlantic Monthly of April
and May, i868, appeared a generous
and high-toned article, entitled "Our
Roman Catholic Brethren," in which
the author, appreciating the fact that
no one can lose ground bytreatitng
withl justice those who differ from
him in opinion, frankly recognized
the noble struggles of our priesthood
and the success with which they have
been crowned.
One assertion in this article we
shall venture to comment upon, making this the occasion for a few suggestions to the Catholic women of
the United States, whose right to
share the labors of Catholic men is
inalienable and incontestable, being
founded upon the unvarying teaching of the church.
The author, in speaking of a mis sionary bishop whom he had known
and respected as an "absolute gen tleman," an "exquisite human be ing," in whom all the frailties spring ing from self-love had been con sumed, leaving the "whole man kind,
serene, urbane, and utterly sincere,"
concludes thus: " 4 Cathoic priest,
indeed, would be much to blame if he
failed to attain a high degree of se renity, moral refinement, and taternal
dignity;" because, be it understood,
he has neither family cares nor busi ness anxieties to harass him.
Most assuredly true, so far as con cerns priests in a Catholic country,
where the ranks of the priesthood
are full; perhaps true in a purely
missionary country, where the priest,
in his intervals of repose, communes
withl his only companions, God and
nature; absolutely untrue when applied to a parish priest in the United
States, drained of his spiritual riches all day, and often half the night,
and for relaxation thrown sometimes
upon the companionship of his inferiors. It is no uncommon thing to
see a noble priest, at the very centre
and core of life, when powers should
be ripe, strength unbroken, hope and
nerves unshaken, break down, crushed under the weight of work which
should have been divided between
several persons, leaving to each one
work enough to occupy a man of
average capacity, time for study, and
time for the recuperation of his spiritual powers by prayer and meditation.
Now, where is the remedy for this?
Not in a sufficient number of clergymen, because we cannot hope for
such a blessing for many years to
come. Not in a diminution of labor,
thank God, for the domain of the
church is constantly widening, and
souls are clamoring more and more
eagerly for the privileges of religion.
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