CATHOLIC WORKER
Subscriptions Vol. XV. No.- 4 .June, 1948 2!5c Per Year Price l e Worke(s' Gain All the Way .To The CIO Auto Workers and Gen New Assault On eral Motors Corp. came to a settle ment in the last week of May, ter minating the tw9-week-old strike Heaven is Heaven of the 75,000 Chrysler workers. Civil Liberties The most unusual part of the con- tract was the decision to tie wages to the cost of living. Most of you, Or, Articles On Distributism-· 1 either in your own case, or that of Senate to Vote On Mundt Bill some member of the family, are The Mundt-Nixon Communist control bill, which recently passed the By DOROTHY DAY aware of the illusory quality of House by an overwhelming majority, is now before the Senate. Reac About a month ago, Douglas anni versary issue said that he most raises in pay, because of the tionary senators led by Senator Taft, author of the notorious anti• Hyde, one of the editors of the love d us btSt when we were fight- continual upward spiral of prices. labor Taft-Bartley bill are insisting on an immediate Senate hearing• • London Daily Worker, became a ing for something, so let us begin The aim of the new agreement The bill, which is aimed, it is said, at the Communist party in reality Catholic. In an article in the Cath- this new ·sr;ries of articles, similar is to keep workers' purchasing is the greatest threat in recent years to civil liberty. First of all it olic Herald of England, he wrote: to THE CHURCH AND WORK. power at the 1940 level. Four does away with the secrecy of the ballot by demanding that Commu "In 1943, I libeled, in the course We will probably slash out ·now times a year wages will be checked nist party members, and members of "front" organizations are to regis of my work on The Daily Worker, and again in the fray of battle, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor con ter their membership ·with the Federal government. Justice Holmes a Catholic paper, the Weekly Re- at Fr, Higgins, for instance, who sumer index, and adjusted to it, in a decision years ago set down the principle that if the majority of view, and a number of its con- makes furl of the Distributists, and upward or downward. the American voters preferred a dictatorship of the proletariat that tributors. In preparation for an at the ACTU, the member~ of Beside this adjustment, every was the form of the government which should be legally maintained in anticipated court case, which in which are our very good friends. year employees will be granted an the nation. fact, was never heard, I read (We are just trying to improve additional 3 cents an hour increase Communist organizations, in:. through the paper's files for the their vision. ) And at those who in support of the principle that · N eluding front organizations, are de- ' fs~~~e~:~t ~~~a~:~ . studied each say th~~~!:n~:~ l:ep~;e ';ything ;:s~~~f:g sl~~~:! ~!~:a:dth;r:~:~ nll!fo , . :~~ ~~ ~a°r~~:~~~!i:~t~i~hc~~; tion a~n views of totalitarian governments, "I hacl accused it of provi.ding a c~mplete profit-sharing would nm ~ conformity with Marxist doctrines, platform fl i · Fascists at a moment be a better step still. Most em- . foreign control, or with secrecy of ·when Fascist bombs were raining Mott Street down on Britain. 1 came ir time ployers do not want this, because it Maryfarm, Newburgh. operations. It is not inconceivable would do away •with inordinately Every day the planting goes on. that Catholics generally, or sucb to- realize that not only had I And now the nightmarish sum- high profits, and the high profits Tomato plants, cabbage, celery, as- movements as tlie Jewish Zionist libeled it in law but also in fact. mer is here, which is always that incentive is the carrot before tbe paragus, rhubarb, peppers, carrots, organizations could be classified "For years my cultural interests time of the year when very little horse's nose that runs Big Busi- beets, beans, so much that I can- under this definition. had been in the middle ages. My money comes in and bills continue ness. not think of it all. Today, a not It is obvious from the provisions favorite music was also pre-Pur-. to spiral. It seems impossible to This aim of the workers to share June day, it has been onions. Jane of the bill that freedom of speech cell· in architecture my interest cut down on food since we are profits is in line with the Comdlu- has begged onions from the whole- and thought as we have known it was' in Norman and Gothic; in lit- barely getting enough to eat now, nist objective of more equitable salers and J ohn Filliger and Tom historically in America will be pro er{lture my favorites were Chaucer and we have explored every av~ distributien of material prol.ts and and George and Jim baye been out" hibited. and '•o.J.land. We had a faJDlly nue of cu.rtaili.q expenses. Tile sucb ~Ill !aUile ~ ..·~ ~:ailllCB . luaeh..,P1dHD1f &lWP bl.~ 'the ep~t.ee!!I"• advocated Joke which W6 ~ same numlfer Of-Ohtfiltllt ll'K>r ol dir-iSffan i HI. . 1i were soft ones, which tbey were hi flie bill iS of the same J?atfera when holidays were discussed. tlnue to visit us each day In search just and fair, and a beginning, but unable to sell. We have not been as those employed in Nazi Ger- "Let's go on a trip to the thir- of food, lodging and clothes. it is not enough. able to buy onion sets, the time many and Fascist Italy. They ~· teenth century." Despondent . Profit-sharing would have to be for them is past, the onion grow- the same.weapons that are keepmir: "And these were the interests One elderly m.an came mto the accompanied by management shar- ers around Florida New York, the Spamsh i>eople ep.slaved -today. of the people behind the Weekly office last wee.k 10 sca~ch of help. ing, for, let us repeat, the first step tell us. ' The entire civil liberties of the na- Review. I came to. look forward to He has been m the city here for in the Christianization of the world tion arc imperilled by the bill, and the days when it appeared on my three months, and doesn't ?1°w a of work, is for the worker to regain The cow is giving twenty-four only those neople who conform to desk. A natural development was· soul · And he had left his own control of production. quarts of milk a day and we can the reactionary" ideology of our that I became -increasingly inter- hometown on the. west. coast be . - I was just interrupted in this use every bit of it, with eighteen finance capitalism will feel free to ested in the writings of Chesterton cause most of his. friends had .died article by a fellow-woxker sug- sitting down to table, quite aside express their opinions and convic- and Belloc. . . . · or moved. His room rent m a gesting that it wouid be much bet- from retreats. People come to re- tions. · "A good Communist must never Bowery flophouse was up and he ter if the workers took over Gen- treats and stay awhile. People pass Without freedom of expression permit himself to think outside his asked ui; to tide him ove~ until his eral Motors. This is the same thing by on the road, and come in to more of our rP~ ponsibility as bu- Communism. I had done so and sman monthly check arrived· He in other words. It is a good thing, stay awhile. Several · leave and man beings is being denied us, and the consequences were bound to ~aid , ''you see, I became so lonely given fue pres ~ nt set-up, that the several 'll'rive. the opportunity for free inter- be fatal to my Communism. m m ~ own home .town t?at I could workers have been granted this Last "/eek it was Father Francis change of thought for the work- "That, as it were, is the me- see httle or nothi~g to ~Ive fo~, ~d justice, but it would be a fatal Meenan's retreat that brought the ing out of a more just and Chris chanics of my introduction to frequently co~sidered smcide. thing for Labor Leaders and Chris- crowds, a retreat for men, and they tian society is being denied us. Catholicism." · However, the kind encouragement tian social thinkers to see it ·apart all said it was the best yet. I went There is no suggestion that such • c. • of a Fr anciscan priest kept me from the whole and the whole is to New York to take care of the organizations as the NAM, and Not long ago at a mass meeting going. And now without that man's pretty rotten. ' office so that all at Mott street other secret pressure groups of the of the workers in a Finnish factory advice I find myself rapidly fall- Once the worker was in control could come to the farm, over the dominant economic· class in ·the when the question was asked ing into another state of desp~." of production, he would be in a Memorial Day week end. No one nation be subjected to like restric which they would prefer, Com- What to say to one contemplatmg position to know, as he does not on our block seemed to be going tions .. We ask all of our readers mw1ism or Capitalism, they shout- ~uicide ? And suddenly . we real- now, what production is actually away fo:: the holiday. It was as to register protest now · with their ed. "Neither." ized that there was nothing to do responsible for. And he would be noisy, as crowded as ever. ·On representatives in Congress against • * • but sit and listen. Advise him to in a position to dP something about Sunday morning there was one this new assault 'on the dignity ancl Fr. Parsons in his letter in our (Continued on page 2) ~ol •. XV. No. 4. CATHOLIC rteb WORKER · I -Mott S·treet (Continued from page 1) rent of $30. The husband was out be opened throughout the country. P11blisbed Mon&bly September to J-e, Bi-monthly Jal)'-A..... pray? But that man has been of work, and I went to great efforts I would like to see the Catholic (Member of Catholic Preu Auociation) hounding God. Such advice as get to obtain a job for him as an ele War Veterans start a few. I would ORGAN OF THE CATHOLIC WORKEK MOVEMENT out meet people, find a nice Catho vator operator. , A few days later like to see the Catholic War Vet PETER MAURIN. Founder lic girl friend, or get yourself a I learned that the man did not erans devote themselves towards show up for the position, and con Associate Editors: hobby would sound facetious to a the performing of the Corporal and sequently I made a trip over to Spiritual Works of Mercy, as all JACK ENGLISH, !RENE NAUGHTON, ROB~RT LUDLOW, man at his age and having his in TOM· SULLIVAN troverted personality. As he pre see that couple to discover the Catholics are bound to do. If we Managing Editor and Publisher: OOROT DAV pared to leave we managed to reason. The wife explained that Catholics are going to change the 115 Mott St~ New York City-13 scrape up enough money to pay for they could not live on $65 a month rest of the people in this coun Telephone: CAnal 6-H98 his room until his monthly check and that her husband would have try, we will have to start changing arrived. We ask our readers to to have a position paying at least ourselves first and the Catholic Subscription. UnJted States, 25c Yearly. Canada and Foreign, 30c Year)J> join ·US in remembering this man $80 per month. Can you imagine Church is bulging with a program lubscrlption rate of one cent per copy plus postage applies to bundles of one in prayers. such ingratitude?" I couldn't help of action for Catholics who are sin •undred or more cop!a each month for one year to be directed to one addrea Writeups replying 'that I could imagine such cerely attempting the imitation of Christ and not Hearst. Reentered as second class matter August 10, 1939, at the Post Otftce During the month of May the ot rfew York. N. Y.• Under the Act of March 8, 1879 Catholic Worker and its founders, Lectures Peter Maurin and Dorothy. Day, Our 'Friday night lectures are were given favorable writeups in terminated for the summer. How ~ three magazines, "Today," "Com ever we hope that the crowd who monweal" and "Time." Along with generally showed up for the talks the articles "Time" and "Today'' will frequently visit us. Our last carry some excellent pictures of speaker was Helen Iswolsky, who Articles on Distribu~ism Peter and Dorothy, in fact the best spoke on Dostoyevsky. The talk Wontinued from page 1) lating so that in spite of the noise, we have ever seen. was extremely interesting, and but love, and on the one hand, the fumes, the apathy which the l"aintinc caused several people to start - just read St. John of the Cross city brings, I was impelled this Our dining, room has really been reading his works. Next fall we and seek for perfection; or on morniug to begin this series. My brightened up since Ade Bethune hope to !lave the same speaker to the other· hand just make· your son-in-law, David Hennessy, of came to town a couple of weeks give us further sidelights on that Easter duty and be ordinary good Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, ago. Ade came up from her stu great :q.ussian writer. Catholics. The Pope and the B\sh· who has a toehold on the land, has dios in Newport, R. I., to do over Loan Shark tips say that secularism is th~ curse also been deluging me wit~ pam the faded murals on the walls of A young man stopped in here of our time. We cannot separate phlets. He has one of the best our dining room. Once again we one afternoon and began to com soul and body. We cannot sepa libraries in the country on the are able to recognize the fine plain about his inability to collect rate the v·eek from Sunday. A subject, and deals with the books studies of the Holy Family at work· money owed to his concern by one man's work, whereby he eats, is and pamphlets which discuss Dis· in their carpenter shop, St. Bene of the men who had lived in our important. tributism. He will help with this dict Joseph Labre tramping down house. He just couldn't understand In other words, it is never too series, and send literature to those a road, Blessed Martin DePorres people who refused to pay their late to begin. It is never too late who ask for it. The address is nursing the sick, St. Francis Assisi legitimate debts. We pointed out to turn over a n~w leaf. In spite. given in an ad in this issue. sweeping a floor and St. Benedict, that we didn't consider money or the atom b'omb, the jet plane, He has one of many toeholds St. Marius and St. Placidus gath owed to loan sharks as legitimate t he confl.ic1 with Russia, ten just on the lanu. We could list perhaps ering vegetables in the fields. debts, especially the outrageous in men may still save the city. fifty among our friends and if we Faiiier Meenan's Retreat terest <)Ille on those loans, the prin Maybe ,if we - keep on writing went through our files, we could On the Friday preceding Me cipal, yes we could see that. We and talking, there will be other find many more. These toeholds morial Day a dozen of us left Mott related the story of the Catholic conversions like Mr. Hyde's. It have meant, however, that the Street to make a three-day retreat judge out in Detroit who severely was r eading an article that got young, married couples had a lit under Father Francis Meenan, reprimanded a Catholic for work ·Fr. Damien his helper at Molokai. tle stake to &,tart with. They had, Holy Ghost Father from Norwalk, ing for a concern in that terrible It was reading that converted St. or could torrow a bit · of money Conn.. When we arrived at our re business. But our visitor was non • Augustine. So we will keep on to make a down payment on a treat house in Newburgh, N. Y., all plusSed by the story and said that · writing. farm. Their families could give was in readiness for the retreat, the motto of his firm was to help And talking, too. They always them a start if it was only a few even the work schedule. Right people. And as he was leaving our said in England that the Distribu hundred dollars. (Th.ere was an after the Friday night supper we ofiice he kept repeating "a guy has tists did nothing but talk. But ad in the New York Times yester plunged into silence, and Father to make a living and we are living one needs to talk to convey ideas. day of a farm for sale for $1,200, Meenan gave the first conference. in a world -0f competition." St. Paul U.lked .;o much and so three hundred down and $25 a The next three days ·were devoted TOM SULLIVAN long that in the crowded room month. ) Eyen with the bit of to four conferences a day, prayers, ~- A 6... ,.,.... •o.... w one young lad, sitti,p.t; on the win money, however, faith, vision, some meditations, spiritual reading, si- _, • ·~ ' n .,J dow sill, fell -out of the window knowledge of farming or a craft, lence and about four hours of man- ON are needed. People need to pre ual labor a day. We had· two and was killed, like a woman down incratltude and asked the rent col the street from us, last week. Only pare themselves. Parents r.eed to Masses each morning, one by Fath PILGRIMAGE. prepare their children. lector, a sin&le man, if he could ahe was not listening to the word er Meenan and another by our (Continued from page 1) On the one hand there are al chaplain, Father Faley. Each eve survive today on $65 per month. of God, but washing windows on He said that he couldn't, but con of those tragedies which attracted a Sunday mornlng. And it was sad ready some toeholds on the land; ning after dinner we had choir a still greater crowd. A woman there are those farmers already practice for ·the Mass next morn tinued to remain indignant at the that there was no St. Paul to bring couple he had tried to assist. down the street wh-o had· lost her her to life Her life finished there. there who have the right philoso ing. Father Meenan guided the husband a few months ago, waa :But we are still alive, though we phy; there is still time, since we practice, and he was able to cap Hospitallty washing her windows on a Sunday . live in a city of ten milW>n and have not as yet a socialist govern ture the interest of the twenty-five This morning an Augustinian morning, fell three stories to the , one can scarcely call it life, and ment or nationalization of the land. men making the retreat. Tl;le con- priest from -Holland paid us a visit. ground, and was killed instantly. the papers every day carry news w~ bave some government control, ferences during the retreat were He was- quite interested in this I passed her on my way home from of new weapons of death. but not much yet. Not compared very good and well received by movement, and asked many ques Mass. With the crowd and the am However, we are still here. We to what there may be soon. all. We can't remember having tions. He then told us of the three bulance out in front, I thought it are> still marrying and having chil On the other hand, there are maqe a• better retreat nor having houses of Hospitality that have was someone being brought to the .dren , and having to feed th.em and sucb stories as that in the last contacted· a better retreat master, been started by pastors in Holland . hospital, a routine we had become house them and clothe them. We issue of Commonweal .about the Oft-Scourinp It was good to learn that those used t-o at 115. It was a terrible don't want them to grow up and de Gorgio strike in the long cen One of our neighbors was peer- houses were named Benedict Jo shock as I passed down the mid· aay, "This city is such hell, that tral valley of California, of 58,000 ing out her window into otir court- seph Labre Houses. Peter Maurin dle of the street to see the figure perhaps war will be preferable: acres owned by une family, of 2,000 yard watching·the stray cats on the will be delighted to learn of these of a woman lying in the gutter, This working in a laundry, ·a br.ass employees, of horrible living con prowl for food. Without ·a note of new begining.s. Peter was con amongst all kinds of litter, half factory, the kitchen of a restau ditio.ns, poor wages, forced idle reprimand she commented, "look tinually calling on the Bishops to covere'1 with a piece of brown rant, is hell on earth. At least, ness "times of repose" between even the cats have a shopworn and open houses of hospitality. paper from a nelghbotlni butcher war will teach me new trades, crops, when machines are cared down-at-the-heels look, same . as Visitor . shop. It always seems an intermi which the public school system has for but not men, women and ~hil everyone else around here." With A young man came qi here the nable length of time for police, failed to do. This coming home at dren. "The Grapes of Wrath" pat that she tossed down a few .Pieces other afternoon and introduced ambulance, doctor to arrive. night to a four-room, or a two tern is here, is becoming an ac of meat to the poor cats and himself as a reporter for a vet It was quiet enough around the room tenement 1ia-; and a wife and cepted pattern. Assembly line pro slammed the window. We smiled erans' magazine. Hs asked if I office. A few visitors came in, three children with whooping duction in the factory, and mass at her mild di!ogust, since we were a veteran. I replied that I bringing boxes of clothes. Mnge cough (there are usually not more production on the land are part of learned a .long time ago that we was, then lie asked what was my was house.bound, what with the than three children in tbe city) a socia1 order accepted by the shall always remain poverty strick- attitude on the Catholic War Vet children having measles, Germ.an ls also hell. And what can be done great mass of our Catholics, priests en in this work. Just the other day eran's Organization. I said that I measles and chicken pox right about it? We are taught t9 suf and people. Even when they admit a dear friend donated a 1932 Chev- couldn't see any logical reason for after each other. Women were fer, to embrace the cross. On the it is had, they say, "What can we rolet, and lt was OK except for their use of the name Catholic, sick in the house, and some who other hand, St. Cathenne said, do ?" And the result is palliatives, the dead battery, gear shift out of since their program is almost iden were not sick were disorderly. "All the way to heaven is heaven, taking care of the wrecks of the order and a missing fender. And tical with the American Legion and During the last two months, Jo because He said I am the Way." social order, rather than changing we were truly glad to get it, hav- the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Like hannah and Tommy have been And He was a carpenter and wan it so that there would not be quite ing no.other transportation, and most organizations, they seldom get praying for a station wagon to take dered the roadsides of Palestine so many broken homes, orphaned reminded again that .we must ex- "to the root of major problems. children and their mothers to the and livtC: in the "fields and plucked children, delinquents, industrial pect the off-scourings. And thus far their activities have farm. They had gone up in it to the gra:n to eat on a Sunday as he accident5, so much destitution in Gratitud~ been con.fined to fighting Commu- Newburgh last year, but this year wandered with His disciples. general. I was visiting a priest friend one nists and pinning medals on Hearst the old wagon has fallen apart. So * * • Palliativc;s, when what we need night last week when an acquaint- hirlings for doing the same· thing. they haJ. started to pray. Lo and This morning as I went to Mass i!. a r ·volution, beginning now. ance of his came in. Introductions The Catholic War Veterans have behold, a friend of th~ farm my eyes stung from the fumes of Each one of us can help start it. were made; and we continued the accomplished nothing toward cor turned over his 1932 Chevrolet to the cars on Canal street. I crossed It is no use talking about how conversation.. The subject finally recting the conditions that produce me, and after seventy-five dollars' a vacant lot, a parking •lot filled bored Wl. are with the word. Let veeted to discussing the poor and Communists, such as Jim C:rowism, worth of work on it, I was able to with cinders and broken glass us not be escapists but admit that the great unwashed. The late ar- anti-Semitism, lack of equal rights drive Bridget, Anne and Dave back and longed for an ailanthus tree it is upon us. We are going to rival wasn't too pleased with his for all men regardless of race, to New York in it Ni.th no mishaps. to break the prison-gray walls have it imposed upon us, or we contacts with the poor, since he color or religion, poor housing We came over the new Storm King and ground all around. Last night n·e going to makE: our own. found them to be an ungrateful conditions, lack of living wage, and highway, ricked sweet clover on all"">f us from Mott street were at 'If we don't do something about lot. He related a recent incident, conditions in hospitals and other the way, enjoyed the view of the a· meeting at Friendship House to it, the world may well say, '"Why "in my work of collecting rents, I institutions around the country. river if we did not enjoy the sound hear Leslie Green, Distributist, bring children into the world, the came across -an aged couple who There is a crying need for the in we made between the echoing and the talk was good and stimu- Catholic Action among men• and now the new novel "Stubborn scientious Objector, among the cides with the labor needs of the more worthy he proved himsell of tal subnormals is called for-in • Wood" by Emily Harvin has mentally subnormal patients at institution is apparently an acci- that trust. bringing pressure tQ bear on the brought to my mind that I bad Rosewood State Training School, dent. The school band, which pro- A glaring instance of tbe utter State and the local administratioM long intended to write something Owings Mills, , Marylan<;l, have vides such therapy for a few pa- disregard of these inmates as per to work out some intelligent plan brought to my attention many tients, is then dragged out on days ·sons is shown by the method of of parole. And it is peculiarly the on this subject as sort of a duty problems, a few only of which I can when the institution exhibits to feeding them. Food of poor quality duty of Catholics who could offer I owe to those patients among treat here. But essentially the root the public its "progressive pro- is dumped into large cans and a home and a Christian environ• whom I worked and lived during fault lies with our institutionalized gram." · pushed by inmate labor around to ment to one or more of these boy• the war years as a conscientious charity, our "case history" ap Parole the different cottages where it is to take practical steps towards ob proach, our denial of the real pres objector assigned as an attendant If the authorities at Rosewood dished out and, by he time- "quiet taining a parole for them and tak· ence in the bodies and souls of our were questioned they might .say period" is over and the boys go ing them into ~heir homes. at Rosewood, a hospital for mental brothers in Christ. And because they have a parole styem. and to meals, served cold and messy Individual Treatment deficients. Conditions in such an Christ dwells in every man--even so that it nauseates the high grade institution are quite similar to though He is there- crucified by might even bring up facts and fig- patient. One cannot excuse serving Normal people, taken in a mob, mortal sin-=-we have the obligation ures. Many of these are however it in this manner even to t)le low can be quite objectionable, and the those in institutions for the psy casual onlooker into the small to love au, even those who are entirely misleading. For I dare say grade inmate who apparently chotic. naturally repugnant to us, for His "playroom" of Pembroke cottage, in nine out of every ten cas.es the doesn't mind-the injury in that where long winter months about To determine that a person is sake. Sometimes that is the only case is to us who fail to see. in even psychotic presupposes that there way in which we could love some boy who was paroled ran away the lowliest the dignity of life in 95 boys are jammed, might con people. And among the lowliest of Clude that here is a vicious bunch is a cultural norm to which ad first - then came the protective itself as a participation in the the tabernacles of the Holy Ghost coloring. The great tragedy of Creator. These people have a right of ir:reformable rowdies. Even herence to is characteristic of the aside from the fact that these boys are those poor souls whom we lo our respect and a right to eat normal individual 1md deviation choose to call "feebleminded" and Rosewood is that many boys and are forced to stay in this small girls--sent there because there was their meals in dignity. from is accounted abnormal_ In the whom we imagine we have done room for hours on end with abso justice by if only we herd them to no other place to send them, prob,. Catholic Inmate• lutely nothing to do but "get in American culture the individual lems of delinquency, not mental gether in an institution, putting A great deal could be said about mischief"-it remains true that, who accepts a materialistic out subnormals-are doomed for life with all the "therapy" in the world, them from our care and our sight, to this existence and this exploita- what is being done and what could look, who is interested in personal and hoping that the State and the leave the environment as it is, tion with no ·workable system of be done for the Catholic inmates, advancement in these terms, :who doctol"I! will do the rest. But let us leave them as a mob, little else can parole and no encouragement t<><- and the remarks here are neces be expected. But like most people engages in pre and extra marital see how those we so lightly dispose 1 of fare at this particular institu wardS parole on the part of those sarily sketchy and inadequate. It take these boys individually, and relations is accounted normal. The tion. in command. Any protest is re- would be unfair t o complain that you discover new possibilities. psychology of adjustment in Amer Exploitation garded as "interference" and an the local parish priest did not give D-was. regarded as "a pain attempt assume the "role of much time to the inmates-he ob ica is adjustment to standards Among the inmates of the teen to in the neck" at Pembroke cottage psychiatrist." The patients, in prac- viously had not "the uIDe to give. that are unacceptable to the Chris- age high grade cottage at Rose- where he tried to run the place tice, are regarded as the property Nevertheless that meant Mass but and force his will on the other in tian. Therefore the consistent wood is one boy-in his twenties- of the state and one who does not once a month with "Sunday mates.· Like the other boys there Christian will be rated as abnor- who is generally regarded as "head possess a medical degree is con- School" about nine months a year. he was expected to "toe the line" mal or psychotic, at the least as boy." He has never been trans sldered incompetent to as much as The general opinion seems to pre all boys were to be treated alike neurotic. The Christian who com voice an opinion on patients whom vail that these people, being men ferred to the cottage for older boys despite individual difference, capa promises with the world will es he knows, by daily contact, more tal deficients are not worth much bilities or menW capacity. D- cape this "condemnation.'' As a re because he does • great share of thoroughly than the professional bother-most of them are quite who could be trusted outside the sult of narrow departmental think the work at Pembroke. If asked he "case _workers:" There .migh~ be -incapable of committing formal cottage was not to be let out be ing psychologists and psychia would probably say he didn't care, some Justification for this attit~de sins and so they'd attain Beatitude, cause M-- & K-- & S- trists, as a general rule, feel un even though he would enjoy more if an honest attempt were being and that makes everyone quite could not be trusted and so a rule called on to question the validity made in matters' of parole, ri;.c- easy in the mind about the whole privileges at Stump cott.ge. He had to be made that no boy could of the accepted norm and con1ine reatio°:' occupa~onal therapy. e~. problem. Wbil I agree with much go out unattended. Naturally D- themselves to an attempted cure wouldn't care because he has been But with an mcompetent. ~ocial of that, yet it is by no means a becomes. unruly, domineering and of those who do not conform to conditioned not to care and has worker wh~ spends a mmunum satisfactory attitude towards the rebellious. When I had need for a this standard. One of the psychia not the mental capacity to "see amount of time on her feet, and a situation as a whole. It would be a new work boy at the hospital 1 trists at the institution to which through" his exploitation. G- couple dQCtors who largely deco- safe estimate to say that 95% of asked for D--. During th• l'Je were assigned stated as a fiat is also at Pembroke, despite his rate the front offi<;e and a "Dean the inmates commit material mor months he worked there--and was rule that C.O.'s were to be ad overage, due largely to his usefull o_f Boys" who spends ~ost of his tal sins peculiar to institutions of consequently removed from a gan1 judged ipso facto psychotic. In the ness as a servant to employees who tune chauffe:irring, working on the this type. It is my opinion, subject environment and treated as a per social field radicals are regarded live on the third floor-for wh¥:h farm ~r runmng errands •. not a gre~t to correction, that there is very son-he gave no trouble, did hi1 as psychotic. services he receives "favors." deal l~ d?ne: And, as is usual m little formal guilt attached to these work satisfactorily, and was rela Nonn At Fault M-- & B--. girls working at such mstitutions, tl1e doctor who sins--for it would take more than tively happy until some of th• It is obvious that the Christian the hospital · clinic, who cannot is in anyway progressive or in- average heroism to keep from be teachers became aware of hia technically be called feebleminded elined to reform is the unpopular ing contaminated in such an en- working there, and of his transfer contention in this matter will be (l.Q.'s in both cases over 70) are man with the bosses. vironment and most of these boys to Stunip cottage and were bring that the norm of American society discouraged from wanting parole An Experiment have not the mental equipment ing pressure to bear to have him is at fault and therefore it ts ab due, in large part, to their use A great many unnecessary rules for even average heroism. Never removed from the job and sent surd to go on making evaluations fulness to the institution-they re theless we must acknowledge that back to Pembroke. This was in line ceive no pay . J-- helped the and restraints are placed on these of ment;tl disease in terms of con those having a mental age of seven with their failure to utilize his in plumber and was acknowledged to boys. One month, the regular years or over are objectively ca terest in building planes (as cited formity or non-conformity to this be somewhat of an expert at the charge being ill, I was put in pable of positing a free act and above) and insisting, in both in norm. It is the norm that must be job. -On the b'sic of I. Q. he could charge of Pembroke cottage. I took may therefore, theoretically, be stances, that he. must "adjust to not be considered feebleminded. changed. advantage of this to try an experi held responsible for transgressions the environment." God help any Because there was a shortage of Having said this it nevertheless ment without the knowledge of the of the moral code. And the sad boy who "adjusts to the envfron attendants, he, together with a few remains true that · wholesale con front office, who would not have part is that boys who are de.finite ment:'-he is stuck for life at Rose other inmates, were placed on demnation of psychiatry cannot given permission if asked, and who parole material are thrust into an wood. parole and given attendants jobs at environment where it becomes bold water. Good psychiatrists are Reality of Mental Disease few and not too well received. regular pay. J-- would have pre morally impossible for them to live There was one such at!long the ferred the plumbing work but as Christians, and where they are It must be pointed out that con three_ psychiatrists at the place would not be paid a plumber's conditioned to behavior patterns ditions existing in mental institu where I was, but she was eventu. salary because be was an inmate. that will make adjustment to extra tions and the disregard for the personality of the "feebleminded" ally eliminated. She was an Aus~ The same story for C---:-- who institutional life quite difficult. trian Jewish exile and far superior would have preferred to stay at That some few inmates are capable or psychotic should not be used as to the native born doctors on the his carpenter work for which the of better living, given Sacramental an excuse to deny the very real staff, and she was human! So she institution would give him no de aid, is evidenced by the following: problems that confront us or the was eliminated from an institution cent wage. It appears the institu M-- is a borderline boy of Cath reality of mental disease. I l)ave that was run primarily for the com tion will pay only when it is to olic parentage. I singled him out had the uneasy feeling that some fort of the doctors, nurses and at their convenience to do so. D for a "test case," and saw to it crusaders against · psychiatrists tendants. She was a good psychia was quite interested in building that he went to confession and would all but deny the reality o! trist 'lllld she would have changed model airplanes and proceeded to communion regularly in the ·parish mental aberrations. And nothin11 all that if she'd had her way. Per do so during an occupational church. Previous to this he bad constructive will come of this line haps she too was psychotic! therapy class. He was severely rep indulged in objectionable institu ~ of approach. rimanded by the teachei; who com brought an end to it when the tional practices frequently. By For it is axiomatic, as far as my Ghlel plained it interfered with his class head nurse and the busines5 man Sacramental help the incidence of own experience goes, that Freud Quite some time ago, before the work-which usually consisted of ager discovered it. No Pembroke his participation was reduced to and those whose work stems from advent of modern psychiatry, the repairing shoes 1>r some such oc boy was by rule supposed to go zero except for a period of two him, have contributed much valu people of Ghiel in Belgium took cupation useful to the institution. anywhere unless accompanied by mecomes from this standp.oint the they ·were free to do so provided adjusted to life outside Rosewood. will still be those who, in relation centrate for a while on the specific more reluctant are those in au they behaved themselves and came I have no way of knowing, how to it, are psychotic and in neecl problem of the subnormal at Rose thority to parole him. And while back in time for meals. It is sig ever, if he has continued in his of treatment. And it is unsound to wood. many boys are left around the nificant that there was not a single resolutions since-but I feel much proceed with the thesis (as som' Rosewood cottages to rot all day with no runaway that week, no complaints could be done with inmates of that have done) that one is to asswn• Our treatment of the mentally provision for their recreation, of rowdyism ~d everyone came calibre provided they are treated in as a startinl poillt that the i subnormal is but another example leave alone "Occupational ·Ther back at the time requested. I think dividually and with the intention of dividual ii l>i••m ~t t}UI d• of the utter lack of personalism in apy," the teaching staff and the that was about the happiest week removing them frpm an environ For th• Cat.IU> that 1boidj b9 tli American society and our diaboll• rest of the administration (with a the boys had known for a 10111 time ment which, if theY, have no hope of last auumptlo tag~ Pour THE CATHOLIC WORK.ER Jn.ae, 1948 . . Sh·all We S·trike Now~ • • When We Are Sure to Win CULT • • It's January and the snow is home without a mother?" They as now organized has proven to be three feet deep. There is an apple want Aunt Legislate back, but they the best form for our people. From , treu in my Uncle Samuel's back can't come out and say so. Uncle the ·sociological standpoint the J'ard. It is black and bare. MY. is quick \tempered and there is no form of government which is the •• • Uncle Samuel is a very rich man. telling what he might do. Before will of the people is the best_for He has coal mines, factories, farms, Aunty went awi:y she used to keep that people and for us to remove • • trains, planes and ships. He has a talking until Uncle got a bit reason our legislative and judicial de~ 'big family, too. There- is Aunt Leg able and if it so happened that partments and place the making, . islate. She is a bit long-winded at Uncle and Aunty didn't agree, then judging and enforcing of all law in times, but she is the one who lays the old Judge would say a word or one hand would have an atomic down the law there. Then there is two and everything would be line bomb effect not only on our politi She Didn't Like Unions his father, he is a wise old fellow. again. But with Aunty and the cal but on our social and religious E very one calls him "the Judge." Judge gone, Uncle fost snaps his life as well. With such a set-up our The woman who had bought two their husbands have to pay so He really seems to have the final fingers and everyboay has to jump. "mercy" killing would be just as papers came back across 34th much, · and what do they get for say. Even Aunt Legislate stops Aunty Legislate and the Judge devastating, although less spectac Street an hour later. No hat, no it? I tell you they are turned talking when he speaks. Their are gone, but he still has his apple ular than the atomic bomb. It is jacket-looked as though she bad against the unions, and if some children are just about the finest in tree., A couple of Uncle's boys were just another wolf in sheep's cloth just stepped out of some office for .body would only tell them · what town. A couple of the big boys get hurt in the last difference he had ing prowling about seeking whom a moment. Careful makeup erased to do they would rise up by the a bit unruly at times, but Aunty with some of his neighbors and it may devour. It is too bad they a few of her may be thirty-five millions in this country. This is just shakes her finger and that there i$ a girl, Pulmonary, who is didn't leave the "mercy" out of years, but not her worried expres SU.Qposed to be a country of free brings them to time. All in all kind of sickly, and Uncle has been that phrase so people would recog sion; not the strain •of deep con dom, but the unions and the tax ·they seem to be as happy and com- mumbling around about non-pro nize the ugly thing for what it is. cern reflected in ·her eyes. She offices and State license boards fortable as any family can be. ducers, burdens an.d social para Killing doesn't sound nice. It isn't stopped at my fireplug office, have take(l. ·away all the freedom. sites, so they are afraid their father nice, so why try to dress it up in northwest corner of 34th Street People want to stand with their Uncle Samuel is the most power will decide to just jab them with and Broadway. feet on free soil, like it used to ful man in town. All the neighbors something nice? It's killing, pure his "mercy" needle. They would "Does the Catholic Worker favor be. They need a leader to get up agree to that. He is even more and simple and when man appoints like to run to mother, but that unioµs?" she wanted lo know. on a soap box and tell them how. powerful that Mr. Stalinski, who himself the judge of life and death, wollld ·make Uncle mad, and they "It certainly does," I told her. You have a beautiful voice, why lives across the street. His in he takes unto himself a boomerang are afraid to "hurt" uncle, so they that as surely as it goes forth from "I don't understand how tbat can don't you get up on a soap box? terests ar e about the same as be," her words tumbled out as The people would get behind you Uncle's and he does lots of busi him will come back only to ruin him. Who are the incurables? How thoµgh she had been holding them so much you would be surprised." ness with Uncle. Sometimes· some back by main force up to this mo "I'm afraid you don't under e>f Uncle's boys· stick their tongues do we know they are incurable until every science and every art ment. "I bought those two copies stand. I believe in unions. I know e>ut at some of Mr. Stalinski's boys to put on the table in the beauty they are necessary, and--" and call them ·names, but Uncle has been used to effect. a cure? If they are "mercy" killed science parlor-that's where I am in "Just who are you, anyway?" she says, "No, don't do that. That's bad_ Sak's, where those awful pi~kets asked. for business." Uncle is just a bit and the healing arts are deprived of their laboratory field and these are--" !The pickets I knew "Oh, I'm just one of the Catho jealous of Mr. Stalinski. He is about; they had been on the job lic Worker group. We are laymen, afraid he will get bigger and richer sciences will die. Who are the de for days.) "-they keep telling the have a House of Hospitality at 115 than Uncle. fectives? One who is minus two teeth is surely not perfect and it is people 'pass them by, pass them Mott Street--" Just now the neighbors are whis certainly reasonable to suppose by.' One of my customers under "When I pought the papers, I pering to Uncle that Mr. Stalinski that in the not too distant future if the dryer said, 'I thought you thought you were a priest in dis has it- all planned out that when "mercy" killing has its way, that didn't like unions,' and when I guise, the way you look and the his· sons come home from school such a one is defective if some one said of course I don't, she said why sound of your voice, and I thought where they are learning how to wants him out of the way. did- I put the Catholic Worker on it was a very good idea if you make some new-fangled bombs the table with the magazines it's could get away with it, but if The atomic bomb is terrifying in they are going to come over some in favor of unions. So I b;d to you're in favor of unions I guess nigbt in July or August and take its awfulness, but this "mercy" come back here and ask you about you're not a priest--" killing is probably one of the most all the apples off Uncle Samuel's it, because I don't understand how "I'm not, I assure you, but many· insidious evils of all time. Only apple tree. It's just January now, a Catholic paper can Da.c.k up priests are union supporters. Have Satan would have inspired the and the tree is still black and bare, unions." you ever heard of the Association joining of these two words so op but that old Stalinski isn't going to "You would understand it if you of Catholic Trade Unionists? posite in their meaning. In the vo fool Uncle. No sir! had read the Papal Encyclicals on Father Monaghan is--" cabulary of the average man "kill labor," I undertook to explain. "I don't understand how any First he is going to pack Aunt ing" is synonymous with hating, "The Encyclical Rerum Novarum Legislate and the Judge off to the body who is Catholic can be in murder and suicide, and who can " favor of unions, the way they push country along with a couple of his reconcile "mercy" with hate, mur "They club the people," she people around and club peO}lle, children he just can't quite trust to der and suicide? rushed on, "and nobody does any- follow his plans, that's the daugh just like the tax offices and the Nations • thing about it. The people don't ter Golden Rul~. the one all the State License Board office.'' neighliors love so, and the son they Nations are just a huge group of have a chance, between labor "Well, I can't explain much to unions and tax offices and State you here, but you will learn a lot call the Bishop because he is al individuals and fJ)r the United license boards. They're all alike, ways reminding Uncle of moral ob you haven't heard about if you will States to perform as "Uncle Sam- dictating to peop_le trying to make read the Papal Encyclicals on labor ligations. With these members of his uel" did would leave the same a living, what chance have we got, f11mil y out of the way, he will have just shiver in their boots. and come to our Friday night dis nasty taste in our mouths, the same the way we have to knuckle to no trouble. His crippled and sick children fear cussion meetings- at 115 · Mott him, but·he still has his apple tree. horrible odor in our nostrils and them? You go to the State license Street." My Uncle board, you have to waste hours- you "I thought I would get a bunch Not Happy the same tragic sight for our eyes. He is snrart-my Uncle is. He ii should be tending to business. of Catholic Worker papers and go soing to take ·a couple of his big And that is not all of Uncle's Just because at spme future date They treat you Ilke dirt under over and heckle those pickets, sell boys a'nd go over and do some busi trouble. Those._ boys of his who after Russia has crawled out of the their feet. Everything has to go ing them,'' she proposed, " Could ness with Mr. Stalinski. He will helped him with the little bombing debris of the last war she may start their way, no matter what you tell you let me have some so I could job are not veyy happy. They keep the old gent talking and the war with us and we may lose our th.em. They want to run your do that?" boys will drop a couple of those would like to try it on somebody business, and the tax office takes "No, I wouldn't want you to· do power and even our national nice shiny bombs he has hidden else (maybe on Uncle Himself) so your money. Then the union steps that. I hope you will be able to existence is no justification for our away now, and then they will say, Uncle has to_keep his eye on those in. Gangsters. Tell you who you come down to our house some doing the same thing to her, just "'Good bye. Thank you for the busi fellows all the time. can hire, how many hours people time. So long." two steps ahead of her. Our start ne s~ · Then they will wait for the His sons will probably. betray can work, how much to pay them. DAVID MASON ing an offensive war on Russia bomb to go off. Of course the bomb him, but he still has his apple tree. You don't agree with them, they • would be the greatest boost com blow up the house and kill or It was toq bad, but on the day send pickets. Try to keep custo ·wm. munism has had since its incep injme Mrs. Stalinski and her little they blew Mr. Stalinski up several mers out of your store. 'Pass them tion. Lenin always claimed that Appeals children, but Uncle bas that figured of Uncle's children were playing in by-pass t.l):em by!' Interfering the best way to spread communism «mt too. He wants to be merciful to Mr. Stalinski's y.ard and Uncle what right do they have, interfer- Herrn Hubert Marx, was a war-the bigger the war, the the disabled men, women and thought Mr. Stalinski might get ing like that?" Hauptstr. 57, bigger the spread. We have seen it. children, so he will wait until the suspicious if he called them home "But workers must h<1ve unions,'' Wassenberg, Bez. Aachen, Were it not fo-,: tlie last two world llmoke dies down and just give all so he just left them stay and get I insist, "o,therwise they--" Germany, Brit. Zone the,.. survivors a little prick with a blown up with the others. "What's wars with their world-wide break dowh of family, social and religious "You sl1ould hear the women Herrn August Hardick, needle and they will just sleep two or three kids when t have so ideals, communism would be a talk in the beauty shop,'' her tor- Bahnhofstr. 25, a way. And n~xt summer Uncle's many?" Of course some of Uncle's boys and girls don't think the i;ame toddling infant instead of the giant rent rushes on. "Under the driers Kirchen-Sieg Rheinland apple ti-ee will ' be safe and sound 'they talk about the unions, how_ Germany, Fr~nch Zone·" and he will not have to worry about way and they are afraid that it may sized terror it is. today. anybody taking his apples. be their turn next, and they don't You don't kill the spirit with a trust Uncle any more and they bomb, a~ontic or otherwise, so what Oh yes! Uncle will have his keep crying for their mother and would it profit us to beat Russia to . The Com monweal apple tree and he will have a lot of that makes Uncle inadder still. a pulp? We might defeat her but . A Cetliollc w ..kl y 11ta9n1.. which deals 41rectly wltk tko ls111os of tllo other things he didn't have before. He needlessly sacrificed his own we would not conquer her until the He was considered a good neigh day .... •tt-ph positive, co• crote 1ag901tioM. c - potn t ...... ,; .. . children, but he still bas his apple last man, woman and child were of c11rrHt liloolls, plays and MOYies. · bor. All the neighbors came to him tree. dead and then what would ·we have in their troubles. They borrowed Oh yes! It's January and the -an eml>ty land and the knowledge this and that and if they couldn't snow is three feet deep and Uncle that we the greatest and most God ------o-=- 12 Issues for S1 ~---- pay, uncle would often just cross it still has his apple tree, black and favored land violated every prin For Hew Subscribers off the bo.oks. But now, the neigh bare, but h_e has his hands fitll of ciple that has guided' men and na THE CO]l[l\[ONWEAL wllH bors don't seem to like him and if red hot applt>f, apples so hot•they tions in harmonious relations with SH Fourth AYe. they see him coming, they walk are not only going to burn Uncle's each other; defiled· every virtue New York 19, N. Y. afound the· block. They don't want hands, but his arms and his that P.ad raised us to our high For (he en<'lo•ed U HDd m• to have to talk to him. In truth body and his very soul. ·The tree standing in the family of nations. the nu:t Jll Issue& of ' they are· afrai.d that maybe they will be there but there will be no Like Uncle Samuel, ·we would be THE COMMONWEAL will be Mr. Stalinski No. 2. His Uncle. hated and despised, we would hate neighbors all mistrust him, but he You don't like my Uncle. I don't and despise ourselves, but we Na.me ··········· ······ ·· ········ ························· ······ ···· ··· ···· atill has his apple tree. like my Uncle and nobody else would still have our apple ' tree- Street •••••• • • , • • • •••••••••••.••• . , • • •• _..•• , ••• , ••• • •• • ••• : ••••...... •• • • Uncle's family, too, are giving likes my Uncle. - maybe.• him a bit of a headache. They go Sister ~: Canisius 'ri'!i.1i1' '' ' ...... ·...... , ...... around the house singing, "What is The United States Government Murray, S.S.L. Jun~ 1948 THE CATHOLIC WORKER Page f iN Pe~sonalism aild the Apostolate · "And each man sliaU know that lives, to the extent that they give lie is part of the greater body; each tone to tlie apostolate in which Father George Briand _ of nian shall submit tliat his own soul we are engaged, to that extent we Paris each year takes needy ULTURE is not supreme even to himself. will truly be personalists. Unity children from the Parisian 'To be o'I' not to be' is no longer first of all with · ourselves and slums to the country for a short the question. The question _now is God, and then with our fellowmen. while. The number runs into how shall we fulfill our dec1ara- This whole notion of unity with the hundreds, and each year • • ti on, " God is." For all our life is God and with our fellowmen is Catholic Worker readers have now based on the assumption that the crux of the contemporary prob be~n generous in helping Father A TION • • God is not-or except on rare occa- lem of disorder. The common life in this work. May we beg of your sions. We must go ver y, very care- of grace which we all share has charity once again? fully at fir st . The great serpent to been perverted by a disportionate Money orders and checks for destroy is the will to power : t he emphasis on the individual with Father Briand will be for desire for one man to hav e som e resultant disastrous eff!!cts on the warded to him when sent to: ·Pentecost an~ dominion over hi s f ellows. spiritual and temporal orders. And Rev. WeQ.ceslas Giasson, D. H . Lawrence. it is in an examination of our- Blessed Sacrament Fathers An attempt to stratify t he notion selves in the light of this perver 186 East 76th Street, · ,The Law of Grace of personalism in such a way· that sion that we are going to find solu- New York 21; N. Y. lExcerpts from a talk given on Pentecost Sunday) in all of its nuances and at all tions 3.I}d modes of action for a Are we not very much like the them in particular. This grace is times and places it will remain world blinded by its own egojsm. will be a special thing for that per Apostles before that first Pen- present in all of those _who are in clear.ly and sharply the same would ·Bad Conscience con; it will constitute a rapport tecost? Timid, afraid, uncer- the state of grace, it is pr~sent in at the outset defeat the peculiar Our first step that will be one of which only he can establish in the tain, anxious. Far from wishing you, the strength and the love of functions this concept is to achieve. e aluation of ourselves. "The community of activity. And the t o bring the faith to others, do we God is in you; God himself is with Saint James speaks of the man awakening of the bad conscience" personalist will not only recognize not even find it hard to keep our- you, strengthening you and guiding "who has looked into the perfect it has been called. We must ask the dignity of other humans but he will make of his environment, of selves, a kind of special burden yJ)u. Like the Apostles you too law of liberty and has continued ourselves to what extent the in his work, of his political order in whose weight we have to carry have received the Holy Ghost in therein not becoming a forgetful dividual dominates our lives. How which he lives will be primar ily around while the rest of the world baptism , 'and in the Sacrament of hearer but d-oer of the word-this conditioned are our likes and dis in the light of the assaults that goes free. Truly we need that Confumation you too have been man shall be called blessed." And likes, our loves and hates, our en environment, work or politics power from on high which filled or dained like the Apostles to it is in this sense that we must first thusiasms and reluctancies by our makes on the dignity of man. At t he Apostles. And we need it very preach the word of God, to bring look at personalism. It is not a material selves? Does self interest the same moment he will begin to badly. we have all experienced souls to eternal salvation, secw·e system pf thought which can be determine where we stand on the work ·towards changing that order, that there is no joy, no strength, no and everlasting happiness. divorced from action. Many tim~s question of race (both Negro and and the -change he will agitate for vision in just going through an ex- "But,.. you will say, "Why does it has been said that hell is popu- white) on the problem of anti will be one in which the freedom t ernal routine, in looking upon the that grace not work? Why do I lated by theologians. It could not Semitism, on the poor, the laborer, of the human personality will be Ten Commandments somewhat as not feel strong and unafraid? Why be populated by personalists, for in on patriotism? What sort of clubs assured. It will be a freedom which signs saying "Keep Off The Grass." do I not feel the need to bring its most basic concepts per.sonalism and groups and commjttees do we will be utilized in ~aining the- Ulti This is all very- negative, very re- others to Christ?" It is not because demands that intellectual convic- belong to? In the apostolate itself mate Unity. pressing, very stultifying. It makes we do not have the grace; it is tions proceed side by side with are we concerned only with our us feel like wanting to curl up in because we smother it. For that execution. own little function? Has disunity And so in recapitulation the per a corner , as the Apostles once bud- grace to work, we must clear away The person has been described and disparity clouded the vision sonalist apostolate will be an all dled together in an upper room. the ob£tacles to its path. We do not as the intrinsic presence of a man that grace and unity should give embracing thing. It will have a And the reason is very simple. It have to 'go out looking for some- to himself or, as Maritain puts it, us? What are the subtle motiva special function as the abilities and is that our r eligion is no longer a thing new, we do not have to be- as the "subsistence of the spiritual tions behind our actions? Are we weaknesses of its members provide; code, no longer a rule book as was come a different person. The grace soul communicated to the human seeking gain, aggrandizement or but it will also have vision; the the religion of the Jews, it is not a is there within us but we must give composite." But again it is Saint are we spending ourselves for our vision which only a spiritual en list of !don'ts'. From that point of it a chance. To do this we must James who gives us an easily grasp- brothers because we recognize the tity can give U. It will demand view, it can only be a hollow shell. clear away the obstacles, and when ed notion of what truly constitutes fact that he too is essentially a cooperation and receive -it from No, the new Law is not a list of we do God himself will enlighten the " human personality. He is spiritual being, that no matter all men of goodwill who recognize - commandments, it is a living spirit us and strengthen us; he will make speaking of a man who has looked what slump he is in spiritually or the dignity of the human person It is the living spirit, the Holy us see clearly what we ought to do, in a mirror and viewed his coun- materially that he has the same ality, and it may well be that we Ghost, which tr~nsformed the and he will give us the strength tenance and then walks away for- potentialities as ourselves, that for will have to go far afield to fipd Apostles and which also transform'! to perform it and to perform it getting what manner of man he is. him the life of the spirit is as much these men; for if we attempt to us. joyfully; he will make us love life The Latin word nativitatis has a a reality as it is for each of us? build this grace-visioned society This is not a pious exhortation, it not less but more; he will make us much ii_reater wealth of meaning Are we apt to consider ourselves with those members of the house is a fact. "That which is most pow- love those we have not loved be- than mel-e physical countenance. It the elect, a new chosen people, and hold of the faith who ascribe to all erful in U1e law of the New Testa- fore, and those we already love refers to those things we were born then does our concern with nil.es the ten·ents of our religion and ment and in which its whole with an even greater love. with, what our spiritual makeup is, and the rest of the paraphernalia deny this cornerstone upon which strength consists is the grace of the How then to clear away these just what there is about us that of the letter of law blind us to the they rest, then we will build in Aoly Spirit, ..vhich is given by faith obstacles to this very joyful love, makes us a person and at the same realization that the life of the spirit vain. It will be primarily among -in Chri t. Therefore the new law this love which makes us grow, time an individual. It also suggests is not something that can be blue these men of goodwill who ascribe is principally the grace of the Holy wN.ch makes us reach out to the that that man in going away from printed-that we can't predict the t o the revolutionary fact of the life Spirit, which is given to the faith- whole world? It is by weeding the the mirror and forgetting the in- workings of the Holy Spirit either of grace, of the common brother ful of Christ. · Two things pertain garden of our souls, by eliminating sight of himself he saw fashioned in ourselves or in others, that the hood under God, of the primacy of to the law of t;4e Gospel: one of those things which we know are there was commjtting a wrong; not most we can do ls leave ourselves the person or whatever else they them principally, namely the grace inimical to the love of God. With that he is sinning absolutely but disposed to the file of grace which will to call it that we shall begin of the Holy Spirit within us, which each weed that we pull up the love that instead of accentuating the will vitalize and dynamize all our the long and arduous task of the justifi es us .. . and secondarily the grows greater and the vision be- manner of man he actually is (that activities. In our spiritual apathy personalist revolution. And with articles of faith and the command- comes clearer. If you sfop your- is his spiritual self) he is con- and paucity do we fall back on Lacordaire we will say of the in ments which do not justify us." self from saying an unkind word, cemed preeminently with the ma- . systems, and diagrams and infalli tegrated man that he "loves and These are the words of the Angelic you .!;lave left a space in your soul terial part in which rests his in- ble social solutions which pr ovide is loved and what more does he poctor, St. Thomas Aquinas. that the love of God will fill. If dividuality. all for. the material man and negate need?" If we begin the -task of · These words explain why 1t is you force yow·self to be patient Sicnificance and deny his personality? revolution at this moment in the that if we look at our religion only when somebody speaks harshly to It is in the distinction between * * * light of the law 6'f lov~ , what more from its e>.1:ernals, · it is empty, you, you have knocked down the individual and the personality And very similar questions can can we ask, for we too will have sterile, and seems to lead nowhere. another barrier and the love of that \ve find the significance of be asked , about our generosity: begun to make straight the_p ath of It is because our religion is pri- God 1lows in. If you make yourself personalism for members of the piving is the mark of the lover, Him Who sent us. marily and essentially the grace of fulfill a duty towards another: apostolate. Here I am not trying and are we truly lovers of God "JACK ENGLISH the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy writing a letter, listening to some- to suggest a divorce between the and our brothers? We will be will ' Spirit which musf teach us and one who wantS to talk to you; or if two; I do not propose that the in- ing enough to administer what guide us and strengthen w;, that you go out of your way to help dividual because it is grounded in others have given us to disperse, must make us joyful, that must someone you do not have to help the material aspect of our person- but are willing to give of our own C. 0. DisconUnues make us strong, that must give us by doing a favor; if you forget ality is evil; as a matter of fact it and, more important, are we willing We wish to announce the dis vision and daring and the desire yourself, God will find you. Above is good because it is part of our to do the more difficult and give continuance of the Catholic C. O. to bring our faith to others. all, _if you fall from the state of being but at the same moment it of ourselves? Serving is the mark We are taking this step because And what is the Holy Spirit? It grace, do not allow yourself to stay, takes its goodness in relation to of the lover, and ·are we really with the increased cost of pub is nothing else than the love of God in this state of death, regain the the spiritual aspect of our nature. servants of God and our brothers? lication, we have been unable to within you. When you love some- state of grace as quickly as you can, It remains good a·s long as it re- Are we truly ministers of the gos meet expenses· for the past two is one. you know tha~ that person and with it the happiness and mains subservient to the spiritual. pels? Ministering is not primarily sues. We feel also that the mat becomes a part of you, the love of serenity of lifl;! on the side of God. It · is when the material tends to preaching or writing or talking, but ter concerned in the Catholic C. 0. that person within you makes you Strengthen yourself by the Sacra- supersede or dominate the spk.itual of doing. Are we doing the gospels is also generallY' available in the work for that person, µiakes you ments. And pray: Our Blessed that instead of having the unity each day in our lives or have we Catholic Worker.- desire the happiness of that per- Mother at Fatima told us to try to toward which the spiritual tends become sidetracked on the liturgy The Catholic Worker reaches a son. The grace of the Holy Spirit say the Rosary evl!ry day. Take the we are the possessors of the dis- (and not practising it) or the com public of 70,000 each rponth while is nothing other than that. It is Rosary in your hand as you go to unity or dispersion whkh is the munity (and refusing to become a the circulation of the C. 0. re the love of God within us, fi..lling us bed and say it as you go to sleep. natural pull or characteristic of m~mber of one) or pacifism (mean-, mained under 1,000. We believe up, making us lrappy, spurring us Say the Hail Mary when you are the material. · while intensifying the "little wars" that with the discontinuance of on. Even ni.ore, it is God himself in need- of help, when you are in Mouni!!r would give three char- of personal relationships which we the C. 0 . and the increased effort within us, ;for wherever the love of temptation. Devotion to the Bles- acteristics as being especially valid' could control)? Generosity cann,ot that will be ;made available for the God is, God himself is present, as sed Mother is practically an infaJ- for the personality and three which take its refuge in an ivory tow(}r Worker on the part of the edi Our Lord told the Apostles in the lible sign of salvation. · are consonant with individuality. to grind an axe, but must find its tors and writers of the C. 0 ., the Gospel .oday : " If any . one lov e~ Do not worry first about what The individual tends toward dis- way into action; and this action quantity and the quality of paci me, he will keep my w ords, and my you are going to do, what your life persion, avarice and inaction. The is to be primarily a function of th,e fist news will be increased. Father will l ov e him, and w e will is going to be. T~ to master your- person on the contrary tends to- person, it is to be a result of our The spring issue of the C. O. ~as com e to him, and will make our selves first, try to keep your souls wards unity, generosity and action. spiritual life. printed by Llbertarian Press, 50 abode wi th him." receptive to the grace of God by The relation between the -tenden- Vocation New St., Newark 2; N. J . Tl}ey, did This is the grace of the Holy staying in the state of grace and cies of the life of the person and It is in the living of the interior an· excellent printing joh and we Spirit, the strength and the verY by receiving the sacraments. If you the life of grace, whicb is the prime life exteriorlr that we find voca recommend them to anyone who p.resence of God in all who love work at these things first, if you characteristic of the New Dispen- tion which is nothing more than has work they wish done. Him; not of the Holy Ghost alone: work on yourself first, you will ser sation, is immediately perceived, the call to perform some special Those who subscribed to ·the C.O. but all three persons of the Blessed that God himself will show you and · its value to the work of the activity. Since each soul differs, and are not getting the Worker Trinity, since wherever God is ever more clearly wbat to do, and apostolate easily apparent. since each individual has been en- will be placed on the Catholic pre!jent, all three persons ar~ will give you ever more strength Unity; generosity and action. To dowed · with its special abilities, Worker subscription list. We trust equally present, although the ac- and desire to. do-it. the extent that these characteristics qualities, strengths an..d weaknesses this will be satisfactory:. tion may be attqputed to one of FATHER PIERRE CONWAY, O. P . .ar e the dom11!ating factors In our ,each vocation will be different, it Page "Six THE CATHOLIC WORKER June, 1948
/ Fr. McSorley .Needs DEATH The .Ideal Apostolate St. Anthony Statue 1. Its object will be the santifica- 14. Humility · must especially News of the death of Claude McKay came to as.too late for a tion of its members by prayer and be inculcated, because · it is both Any reader who is able to do proper obituary. He was our dear friend. He visited us at Easton apostolic work. the instrument and cradle of apos- at one of our midwinter retreats, got sick during it and had to nate a five-foot statue of St. An 2. It must be subject to proper tolic action. have Fr. Roy c ontinu~ giving him the retreat as he lay in his bed. thony is invited to write to Father ecclesiastical authority. 15. Each member should be al- He went west for his health, was the guest of Fr. Garcia and · Francis McSorley, O.M.I., 4116 Bal 3. It must be based on a sound lotted a definite work obligation AIDmon Hennacy for a long time, went on to San Diego· and then timore avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. devotional foundation, embracing a every week, and be expected to went back to Chicago to die. He used to be a Communist and profound faith in the Holy Trinity report the following week on how he used to work on the Masses, where I also worked years ag-o. Father Mcsorley needs the _;>tatue for a new chapel erected in the -in God the Father and the love he has carried it out. He was a good friend of Max Eastman and I am sure Max did He bears His children, in God the 16. -The spirit of kindliness and everything he could to .dissuade him from entering the Church. Philippines by his brother, Father Son, the Redeemer, ;md in God the harmony between members must His conversion came about throui:-h his contact with Friendship James. If you are in a position to Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier-. prevail. House. Wben Time magazine printed the notice of his death, fill this need, your gift will be most the implication was that he had stopped writin&" on becoming a appropriately offered during this 4. It must be truly Christocen- 17. The Holy Eucharist, both as Catholic. Next month we hope to reprint some of his" sonnets, also month, as the 13th of June is the tric, that is, based on the doctrine a Sacrifice. and Sacrament, should a poem by James Rogan. At Chicago an ' our friends went to feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. of the Mystical Body of' Christ . occupy a central position in any his funeral l\fass and Bishop Sheil preached the funeral sermon. 5. It should embrace a devotion apostolic system, because it is the May be rest in peace. to Mary proportionate to the place source of graces required for action she occupies in the scheme of and a powerful instrument of con News also of the tragic death of Tom Delaney, who spent some Appeals Redemption as the channel of all version. time with us on the farm at Newburgh, came to us last wee~. We Geschwister Czerlitzka, graces. beg prayers for his soul. 18. Study should always be re Hofstederstr. 80, 6. It must insist on regular garded as a means to apostolic ac Bochum, Westfalen, prayer as an essential part of the tion, and not as the end in itself. Ge·rmany, Brit. Zone meetings and of the daily lives of 19. The ideal of · the movement the members. should be to establish personal Herrn Eduard Scherbeck; 7. It must give· the priest his contact with as many people as The .State, War Wielandsstr. 104, rightful place as t.eacher, counsellor possible, good and bad, with the Bochum, Westfalen, and guide of the members, and purpose of benefitting all. Germany, Brit Zone while it remains a lay movement, 20. All work should be allocated its laicism must not become ag and controlled by the movement. And the Popes Frl. Klara Mohr, gressive. 21. Politics and class distinctions W.interbach bei, 8. It must carry on an apostolate should be non-existent within the R as capitalism contributed to peace? St. Wendel, Saar, based on personal contact in a movement. Germany, French Zone manner that is at once enterprising, 22. Vagueness of every kind "The whole economic regime bas become hard, cruel and relentless should be avoided especially in the in a ghastly measure . . . this concentration of power bas, in its effortful and self-sacrificing. turn, allocation a n d performance of 9. It must be open to all practis led to a threefold struggle. First there is the struggle for economic Rev. J. F erretti, Catholic Mis work. supremacy itself; then the fierce battle to acquire control of the State, s ion , KRISHNAGAR, W est Ben ing Catholics wbo are sincere and 23. The work done each week 50 that its resources and authority may be abused in economic struggles, gal-India (corr ect ad Catholic Church. that they are always on duty for (From Souls at Stake, by Ritter "It is not from outward pressure, it is not from the sword that souls, a leaven in the community. and Mitchell.) deliverance comes to nations; the sword cannot breed peace, it can only impose terms of peace . .. experience shows it is but an empty dream to expect a real settlement to emerge at the moment when the conflagration of war has died down." istributism. down. I myself was much pleased It is here that Peter Maurin'• great disservice to her. They are ideas of a village economy are o ~ the value of life, the gift of The principles of Distributism with the car. B 1t the children life. It is a fundamental thing. have been more or less implicit in were delighted, and insisted on in some measure responsible for particularly relevant. Helene Isvolsky in a lecture on much that we have written for a calling it their station wagon. I the loss of faith in those who I have not always held these Dostoievsky at the Catholic Work lvng time. We have advised our had no sooner arrived boastingly accept their presentation, who em views, it is only in the past few er house, last month, said that he readers to begin with four books, in my new conveyance, when Tom years that I have accepted The was marked by that love for life. brace the F'alth on that basis, and Chesterton's What's Wrong Witli Sullivan informed me that another Catholic Worker views on pacifism. He had almost been shot orice. who then are disillusioned. Keep the World, The . Outline of Sanity, friend had given a 1924 Columbia I registered in the last war as a He had been lined up with other ing in mind thetefore Augustine's and Belloc's The Servile State and which was ii). much better shape C. 0. and was in the camps and at prisoners and all but lost his life. Tlie Restoration of Propert11. all arouna, upholstery, engine, admonition to adhere to the truth, Rosewood. But I came gradually to From then on he had such a love tires, general appeatance, etc. To even though it is unpleasant, even see that registration was the first . for life that it glowed forth in all These are the books which Doug think of it, a car for the farm and las Hyde must have read which though it seems to be bad propa act whereby you placed yourself his writings. It is what marks the a car to pick up stuff around New under the conscription system and writings of Thomas Wolfe, whose gave him the third point of view, ganda, it is as well that I state York! Both small cars that do not consequently th.e point at which life was torrential, whose writing neither industrial capitalist or use too much gas. The men in the some of the facts that led up to my communist. to refuse cooperation. And I saw was a Niagara. office talk of exchanging the two suggestion that the Catholic C. 0 . In a brie:i pamphlet by S. Sagar, also that Civilian Public Service • • • for a truck, but I am dead against had established a {lrecedent of made up of a coUection of articles be discontinued. But how ~an one have a zest for it. These will get us there. slave labor ·and concentration which ran in the Weekly Review, There has never been such a life under such conditions as those When I 1"eturned to the farm camps for those who did not con Distribu•ism is described as fol we live in at 115 Mott street? How last Tuesday, I brought Johanna thing as an Association of Catholic form to the prevailing mores of can that laundry worker down the lows: with mP. tc recover from her mea Conscientious Objectors in the the community. street, working in his steamy hell To live, man needs land (on s1es, German measles and chicken sense that' there was any group Nor, to keep the picture accu of a basement all day, wake each which to have shelter, to cultivate pox. Since she arrived she has of like minded people who banded rate, is· it to be supposed that all morning to a zest for life? food, to have a shop for his tools) fallen on her nose, blµ"ked her 'together. and whose views were who actively cooperate in · the In the city very often one lives and capital, which may be those shins, had a skirmish with the represented in The Catholic C. 0. work here are in agreement on in one's writing. Writing is not tools, or seeds, or materials. We agreed on but one thing-op- the pacifist issue. It is the official an overflow of life, a result of liv "Further, he must have some_ ar position to a particular war. And policy of the paper. It is the posi ing intensely. To live in New rangement about the control of of course on our common faith in tion whic}\ Miss Day has held from burgh, on the farm, to be arrang these two things. Some arrange Catholicism. From then on there the beginning of the Movement. ing retreats, to be making bread ment there must obviously be, arid were as many opinions as there For those who are with us and who and butter, taking care of and to make such an arrangement is were Catholic O.'s. At the most do not accept the pacifist stand I feeding some children ·there, wash c.· one of the reasons why man forms two or three would agree on why have only admiration in that they ing and carding wool, gathering commu.Jities.". Men being what a Catholic should be a pacifist or have in l].owise sabotaged or hin b.erbs and salads and flowers-all they are, every society must make a C. O. And that is hardly a basis dered the spread of these ideas but these things are so good and beau laws to govern the control of land on· which to continue something have on · the contrary been co tiful that one does not want to take and capital. called. an "Association" - which operative and in their own lives time to write except that one has The principle from which the must to outsidePS convey the im- have been men of peace. At the to share them, and not just the law can start is "that an its sub pression that all Catholics who are basis of their difficulty over the knowledge of them, but how to jects should exercise control of C. O.'s agree >vith the outlook of pacifist question lies a deep hu start to achieve them. Land and Capital by means of di this "Association." More Catholics mility that can well edify. The whole retreat movement is rect family ownt:rship of these to teach people to "meditate in who are C. O.'s have disagreed And in all this question of things. This, of course, is the prin with the policy of the paper these pacifism it is necessary that we their hearts," to start to think of ciple from which, until yesterday, these' things, to make a beginning, last two years than have agreed. .stress again the ideal of the village our ow.1 law started. It was the There are Coughlinites, believers economy. Of decentralization. Of to go out and start to love God in theory of capitalism under which all the little things of every day, to in the possibility of a just war, the farm. It should not be just all were free to own, none com perfectionists, and those who ac- a back to the land movement. so make one's life and one's chil pelled by law to labor." (Popular dren's life a sample of heaven, a cept the Catholic Worker view- Rather it should leave room (as magazines like Time and the Sat point. And since we have put Peter does) in . the village center beginning of heaven urday Evening Post are filled with ' . The retreats are to build up a the paper out from the Catholic for those with other vocations. illustrations of these principles, Worker and since we have con- That is the ideal we should look desire, a knowledge of .what to de which all men admit are good., ·but sire. "Make me desire to walk in sidered absolute pacifism as an in- towardS for it provides the setting unfortunately the stories told are . tegral part of the Catholic Worker which !flakes possible a more the way of Thy commandments." not true. It is the reason why great Daniel was a man of "desires." Our dog, made friends with the bull, ;>rogram and finally since we are Christian environment, an en trusts like the Standard Oil and radicals and not liberals we have vironment which encourages the Lord is called ''the desire of the General Motors have public rela and helped milk the cow. Now everlasting hills." we learn from New York that Tom felt that our primill"Y aim should realization of. human dignity which tions men, why there is a propa b~ to ~resent the Catholic '!orker discourages centralized and bureau Yes, . we must write of these ganda machine for big business, my has mumps, so she just won't things, of the love of God and go horn:- until this awful siege ls viewpomt. '!'ho~h we ~a~e ID f~ct - cratic authority. to convert the public to the belief presented dissenting oplDlons from the love of His creatures, man and past. The only thing left. is whoop that capitalism really is based on time to time. Land and Peace beast, and plant and stone. good principles, distributists' prin ing cough. "You make it sound too nice," Nevertheless it seems best that The land an4 peace! They are ciples, ··eally is working out for As I write, supper time ap my daughter once said to me, we make no further attempt to somehow related. And yet we are the benefit of all, so that men proaches. Helen has gone down sometimes tempted to extol! the "when I was writing of life on the the road to collect some promised keep up a .fictitious Association of land, and voluntary and involun have homes and farms and tools Catholic Conscientious Objectors peasants love for peace as thoulh and pride in the ·job.) "Urifortu rhubarb, Florence is mending here tary poverty which means in spe and confine ourselves to a .Pre it were -a conscious dedication to nately, in practice, under capital on the porch where I write, Peter cific instances the doing without sentation of the Catholic Worker it. Whereas only too often it pro ism the many had not opportunity is reading, and Charlie is tearing ceeds from an individual selfish water, heat, washing machines, around inside, concocting one of vie\vpoint and to make the pre cars, electricity and many other of obtaining land and capital in sentation in the Catholic Worker ness that is too attached to the any useful amount and were com his wonderful desserts. He has goods of this world, which does . things, even for a time the com been serving us tender milkweed itself. Always welcoming those pany of our fellows, in order to pel.fed by physical necessity to la who can go at least part of the not wish any disturbance that bor for the fortunate few who pos tops which taste like asparagus, might threaten security. Which is make a start. and we have also had lambs quar way with us and hoping that old sessed these things. But the theory wounds will be closed and that we penny pinching and provincial and And others have said the same ters, dock weed and dandelion thing, who are making a on was all right. Distributists want has small love for "foreigners" and start greens aplenty. · can agree to our differences and the land. And I know well what to save the theory by bringing the observe that mutual charity which little concern for the miseries of they mean. One- must keep on try practice in c.omformity with it. ... Last night we put up a shrine we have only too ofte.n failed to the proletariat. We must guard ing to do it oneself, and on.e must "Distributists wi_nt to distribute to St. Joseph behind the aban- maintain and yet which is enjoined against this spirit too. For it must keep on trying to help others to get control as widely as possible by doned school house down the road, on us by our common Lord and not be that spirit that would inform these ideas respected. means of a dire~t family owner using the seven-foot statue that had Saviour. the village economy. We must also At Grailville, Ohio, there is not ship of Land and Capital. This, been given us some time ago. Our Position be citizens of the world. We must only the big school where there i.S of cou-·se, means coo:Peration Hans Tunnesen is busy working , also utilize whatever there may be electricity, modern plumbing, acer among these personal owners and on a new floor in the unuseci barn, As to our position in regard to war 1\1 what is vaguely termed "prog.,. tain amount of machinery that involves modifi.cations, complexi which will be a dormitory for it is simply that under the super ress" that will aid in the ameliora makes the work go easier and gi:ves ties and rompromises which will mothers and Children (the barn- natural ethics of Christ war is not tion of man's suffering. For while time for studies; but there is ilso be taken up later, yard will be made into the bull admissible for the Christian. That it is true that the Christian way a sample farm~ twelve acres, with "THE AIM OF DISTRIBUTISM pen for the youngsters that Tim we are called to go beyond natural is the way of the Cross, while we no electricity, no modern plumb IS FAMILY OWNERSHIP OF O'Brien wrote about some years ethics ~d the Old Dispensa~ion should accept with resignation ing, no hot water, where the wash LAND, WORKSHOPS, STORES, ago). We got the ~umber for $275 and sti:1ve .t~ conform. our a~bo~s those sufferings that will always ing is done outside over tubs and TRANSPORT, TRADES, PROFES and we haven't a .:ent to pay for . to that. spu~t of Christ which is be our lot in this world, yet it i1 an open fire, and yet there, too, SIONS, AND SO ON. it. Brescia, the lumber man in exemplified .m the Sermon on ~e not true to say that God takes de the life is most beautiful, and a "Family ownership in the means Montgo'llery, is trusting us and ~fount and m the example of ~s light in the suffering of man, that foretaste of heaven. There one can of production so widely distributed we told him we would have to pay life. That the love taught by Christ He would want no wounds to be gee how all things show forth the as to be the mark of the economic in dribs and drabs, just as we exclude~ war, that the .brotherhood bound, no pain to be alleviated, glory of God, and how "All the way life of the community-this is the could beg it. So those of you who of .man taught by Him exclu_des ·no ills to be cured. To assert other to heaven is heaven." Distribu tist's ·desire. It is also the are interested in family retreats national States as we have known wise would be to o(Jend against the Artists and writers, as I have world's desire. . . . The vast ma are inv;ted to chip in. There are them ~d. that the conceI_>t. of hu concept of His justice. He did not often said, go in for voluntary pov jority of men who argue against six retreats scheduled for the sum- man ~igni~y. '~hereby He JOlDed us delight in the sufferings of His erty 'in order to "live their own Distributism do so not on the mer months, and there will be to .ms. D1vlDlty excludes all ex Son. He did not send Him into the lives and do the work they want to grounds that it is undesirable but weekends in the fall. We have al- ploitation of man by man,. all World for punisnment. It was ·His do." I know many a Holywood on the grounds that it is impos ready had three retreat:> this forms of s~avery: That these t~mgs Son who freely chose this course, writer who thought they were go sible. We say that it must be at Spring. Of course it will be dur- ar~ contained m th~ de~s1t . of who became man that He might ing out there to earn enough to tempted, and we must continue to ing . the summer months that the Fa.ith even. though their realization Sl~er also. It is a great mystery. leave to buy a little farm and· set emphasize the results of not at families will wish to come, so we has been a gradual process .~d has It · is the mystery of all life and tle down and do some really good tempting it." could not wait for the lumber. not as yet been made explicit. all suffering and the final mystery writing. But the fleshpots of Egypt In the next issue of the paper St. Jose >h was so prompt in send- As for the practical situation of death. We know the answer lies held them. And I knew many a 'we will fontinue with a number of ing the cars, we are sure he will The Catholic Worker will urge all with the Ressurrection. But now Communist who had his little place articles dealing with these prob take care of the barn floor and who are convinced of the im we do not fully comprehend. in the country, private ownership lems. staircase and chimney for llS. morality of war and -conscription to Robert C. Ludlow. •.
r•1• Eigha THE CATHOLIC WORKER June, 1948 From The Mail B ag + of things on the failures of Chris him, M. Ostins said: "This is a plative one, we are al ways in tianity-on those of Christian little Vis1tandine who wants to go touch with the people around Marshall Plan A Benedictine Writes rulers and other responsible Chris to America but has not got a penny and thef love us very much. St. Procopius Abbey, tian bodies! How long shall we to her name. Couldn't you buy her We are now organizing· t he Washington, D. C. Lisle, Illinois. ourselves identify ·our Christian antiques?" With a surprised glance Legion of Mary, which will help Dear Editors: Dear Friends: cause, or rather Christ's Church at me Dr. Lcscene exclaimed: "A us greatly to esta blish a true General Marshal.l's proposals of · Many thanks for1 THE CATHO and interests, with this ·world, with Visitandine in the streets of Paris! Christian friendship in t he whore November 10 r ecognize and accept LIC WORKER. Your paper is a its material interests, its rulers and That is something unusual, since region, to bring everywhere the the division of Europe into east true Chr isti3J.1 publication. No~ice potentates? No one can tell, but the Visitation is a cloistered order." joy an d the consolation of God, and west, and aim to back West the rest of "Christian" publica one thing is certain wbich is this: "True," replied M. Ostins, "but she with t he material supplies which Europe against East Europe. In tions! During the war they propa As long as we do this, we are driv travels 1mder the obedience' of her are needed. .. Marshall's words: "We wish to see gat~d one form of "Christianity" ing the masses of the people away Superim-, her Bishop, and the Excuse my poor English . . . If this community restored as one of and now in the aftermath of the from Christ and His Church and Papal Nuncio." you want, write this again in the pillars of world security; in a terrible 5laughter they are propa bringing ever greater ruin on "Oh," said Dr. Lescene, "that is good English and print in your position to renew its contribution gating another kind of C~ristianity. Christianity. We stand in need of quite different!" Then with a paper. - to the advancement of mankind In the previous instance 1t was the complete Christian regeneration in broad smile he turned to me and We appeal for more American and in the development of a world fear of Hitler that dominated and Christ, with Christ and for Christ. said: "Dbn't worry abour your vocation, in or der to make other order based on law and respect for subdued their spir~t ; and now it ~s Unless wE: do this, no power will passage money. You will get it foundations in the United States, the iridividual." the dread of Stalin that predorru save us from the wrath of the under one condition; that is, that centers of · prayer and doctri11.e nates in them. Hence it is not people! you keep your baggage." By "bag in the middle of the Negr0es. Precisely what has the contribu- Christ that lives and moves in I believe your CATHOLIC gage" of c ourse he meant the sil Yours very t r uly and grateful, tion of West Europe been? them and shapes their policy and WORKER stands for all these ver candt labras. ·Father CRENIER, O.S.B. !- General Marshall state that speaks through their pages . . . Christian ideals, fights for them by The next morning his son St-PierrE: the sixteen European Marshall Their policy and their spirit is that prayer and fasting, and lives ac brought me a check for 50,000 Martiniq ue Plan countries plus West Germany, of the "Iron Curtain." "The Iron cord.fugly. even as Christ Himself francs which was the equivalent of French West Indies. "before the war accounted for Curtain; ' . soon to be released all lived. May the Holy Spirit abide $500, the entire amount I needed .. nearly one-half of the .world's trade. over the United States. BE SURE with you and comfort and Quite reas onably I felt that my They owned nearly t wo-thirds of TO SEE IT-AND GET OTHERS strengthen you in the midst of ad- confidence in God was answered Father Born the world's shipping. Their in TO SEE IT! ... It deals in a versities. · in a marvelous way. dustrial production was slightly Dear Friends: graphic rr.anner with. the Canadi~n Very sincerely yours in Christ, But Jet me tell you why my greater than that of the United spy ring throug}\ which the Soviet superiors in France desired me to With regret I have to tell you State." In a word, the one-eighth Fr. Chrysostom Tarasevitch, that by order o! the Military government attempted to steal O.S.B. undertake the journey to the of the human race living in West ATOMIC ENERGY SECRETS." United States. Their whole pur Government of Dec. 18th Ger Europe had about four times its One can only weep at this kind pose was the welfare of 'our desti mans are fQ.rbidden to receive pro rata share of the world's busi of Christianity and say with the tute monastery and the poor sis letters or parcels over the Amer ness. ican Military mail. Disobedience Crucified Lord: "Father, forgive From France ters who live there. In brief, this 2-The free or sovereign nations will be punished militarily. Thus them, for they know not what they Ne\ York City. monastery, established in Grasse of West Europe, unable to agree are doing." When we identify our Dear Editors: in 1660, is falling to pieces. More- you are not allowed to use the APO-address f or me furthetly, among themselves as to how Christian cause with Hollywood, Contemplatives fe~l a peculiar over, many of the community are but you must send all letters and their disproportionate share of the politicians, adventurers, money diffidence in presenting their per- suffering from want and infirmity. world's business was to be divided, investors, oil - magnates, war sonal problems. Yet I am sure that Of our twenty-nine nuns, four sis parcels to my personel address in future. My address is as follows: have fought two ruinous wars in mongers, big corporation-lords, your readers will not take it amiss · ters have tuberculosis .of the lungs one generation "to prevent the fortune-seekers, traitors, all sorts if the spiritual daughters of St. and one has tuberculosis of the P. LUDGER BORN, S.J. (16) Frankfurt/Main-Sud 10, "St. forcible domination of their com of propagandists, then it is all over Francis de Sales use your coluinns bones; one is blind and onfi has munity by a single great power." to inform them of the really been suffering from a spinal dis Gt:orgen," U. S. A. Zone, Ger with us, for there ls no truth in us, 3-Marshall did not say 'this but even as there is no truth in them! desperate plight of our Visitation order for thirty-eight years and many. I hope you will help me fur we note in passing thal British It is not the Communists who are Monastery in Grasse, France. needs to be cared for like a baby. All during the war and there- The health of many other sisters therly in spite of this difficulty. policy, backed by the U. S. A .. has destroying Christianity and driving aimed consistently, not only to Christ from the masses of the peo after we were trying to imitate the is seriously affected from years of I will try to find another way. I don't know if I shall succeed; if prevent one power from dominat ple! No; it is we ourselves who heroic ~ ilence of our renowned malnutrition. ing the continent, but to keep have .brought ruin on it. We have sister, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The yearly income of the mon it will be possible, I will let you grown accustomed to identify whose favorite maxim was astery ;s $150, which is scantily know it immediately. Europe divided, competitive and Christ's Church with material in "souffrir ·et se tai.re" (suffer and be augmentt:d by the mites we derive With kind regards, weak in order to strengthen tl1e silent). But now if I, a French- from our work. In the meantime Yours sincerely, and relative British (and American) terests. big possessions and big respectfully. buildings . . . and have forgotten woman, have come to America the nuns go hungry. But they keep position. P . LUDGER BORN, S.J. that He Himself had ·nowhere to from France and am not silent but up their mission of praying for tbe 4-This western state system of lay His head. Was His Mission begging, it is because there is no world and for thch· benefactors, competing sovereign nations, each • less effective? Was the mission of other wa) out. ' askii:ig ~ heir patrons and founders representing the interests of profit the first Christian Communities I think it might interest .your St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Father Mahn hungry adventurers, has _brough-t which didn't set such value on readers to know how I managed Francis de Chantal to intercede New York City untold misery upon mankind and things material as we do also less to get to the United States .of with the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Dear Friends: brought itself to the verge of effective? The trouble with us is America. blessing and mercy for all. Tired, Just a note concerning send collapse by following the principle that matter dominates over the Wh en I left qur monastery in. hungry, hidden and alone, their ing money to Father Mahn. I of its individualistic, anti-social be spirit: we set greater value on ma Grasse, 1 h11d no money at all. I intercession for their Catholic quote his instructions: ing: "Every one for himself." terial interests than spiritual ones. had only a pair of antique silver Brethren and for the salvation of "Regarding the remittance of 5-lnstead of taking the next We side with the rich and power candelabras, which were originally souls is the central element in the alms, you may buy a bank draft obvious step and, in the interest of ful of this world, and therefore intended to adorn our chapel. But Providential design for them. or a check (a draft is better) mankind, proposing a generous against the poor and downtrodden besides ~hese I had unshaken con- We know that Americans are from the National City Bank of appropriation to expedite th e masses, rendering the Son of Man fidence in Providence. As soon as always asked for everything by New York; The Chase Bank of burial of this corpse of an out and His Church hateful to them, I got to Paris I went to an antique everybody who is in want; yet all New York or from The Chartered moded social order, General Mar for they mistake Him and His dealer's shop at' 11 Quai Voltaire. obtain help of one kind or another. Bank of India, Australia & China shall wants to spend six or seven Church for ourselves, calling re The proprietor, · M. Ostins, is a That is why we also are asking for in New York. Because the first billion in the next year or so to ligion "the· opiate of the people." well-known Catholic businessman. help from charitable Catholics in two banks are the only American restore it to life. Again, we place greater con I asked him to buy my silver, ex- America. There would be some banks that have branch-office &-If plainin~ that I needed the money thing wrong with our humility did the social institutions of fidence in atomic bombs, in wars, in Hong Kong, while the last West Europe, twice in one genera in fire and sword, in killing our to get a ticket for ~ew York. He we not turn for help where we named bank is one of the most listened to my story with sympathy, know there is some chance for our tion, have bled the continent white adversaries than in converting powerful British banks in the and upset the life of the planet, them by fasting and prayer and 'althoug:1 he was not interested in appeal to be heard. Far East where any kinds of the imitation of Christ's own life. my candelabras. While I was talk- Very sincere ly yours, why iet the mad-men who support drafts or checks are cashed." the system, and to a decreasing And yet we. expect to conquer the ing to him and praying to the Sister Marie-Christin1?, The difficulty is that t h e s e extent gain by and from it, con world for Christ and to establish Sacred Heart of our Lord, Dr. of the Visitation of Mary. young p e o p l e in ban.ks don't His kingdom on earth! Thus far Lescene, a close friend of M. P.S. : Contributions and other tinue to make public policy in the know much about China. The future? Have the blood-baths of . we failed in our mission most Ostins, quite unexpectedly walked communications may be sent to: young lady was going to make l 914-18 ,and 1936-45 taught no miserably! The Communists in in. After. warmly greeting the SR. MARIE-CHRISTINE, the draft out to ~hanghai-im lessons'? Will it take another orgy Russia established their own order newcomer and introducing me to c/ o Mr. Robert L. Hoguet, agine what a distance away. I 15 William St., s p o k e up and said -no, Hong f destruction and murder to <;on New York 5, N. Y. Kong which was wrong not in vince the human family that· it is distance ·but in percentage for wicked 'folly to continue the sup Peter Maurin's Ten manipulation charges. I have to port of men and measures which Martinique take my letter with me next have demonstrated their impotence Commandments of Social Justice time-the banks don't know. He to bring order and ,peace to the Pa.'\'.. St-Pierre, earth? January 15th, 1948. wants it made payable to him, 1. Thou shalt love God-the Creator of Heaven and not the bank. He adds t hat a Sincerely Earth. The Catholic Worker Scott Nearing New York lined envelope for small amounts . 2. Thou. shalt love man - the masterpiece of God's Dear Friends: by air reaches him. Make check creation. Enclose my subscription. or draft payable to Father Lalt 3. Thou ·shalt honor the Pope God's spokesman to I am ver y grateful for .your rence Mahn, 65 Rua Do Campo, Appeals good propaganda. Many readers Macao, South China. Antonia Baum-Appelhofen Via . man. Regina Brady 4. Thou shalt live on the sweat of thy brow. of the Catholic Worker have Manzonl 13, Gorizia, Venezia helped us. Giulia, It aly. 5. Thou shalt distribute thy superfluous wealth among Tell them that our little foun :he poor. dation is going well, though Booklist Sister Klara, Misszioshaz, Tis zaszalk.a, Bereg Megye, Hungary. 6. Thou shalt consider the poor as the Ambassadors slowly and painfully. The Un.finished. Universe; Greg ,f God. Our monastic life is getting ory, T. S. (Faber & Faber. Eberhard Rehsenberg, 21 a more and more normal and the 7. Thou shalt offer' thy services as a gift. London, 1935) Gelsenkirchen i. Westfalen, Aug Christian friendship is improving Discourse on U$ury Wilson, ustastrasse 50. Germany-Brit 8. Thou shalt consider property as a trust. in the monastery and all around. Thomas (Harcourt Brace. NYC, ish Zone. 9. Thou shalt consider voluntary poverty as a worthy We a:re now ten in number. 1925) Rev. Father Joseph Hamm, ideal. Two of us are American: one Our Lady of Wisdom; Zundel, White and one Negro. We are Maurice (Sheed & Ward. NYC, Schauren be i Idar-Oberstein, 10. Thou shalt detach thyself from the things of this waiting for more three American 1940) Post Kempfeld a.d. Nahe, French world. Negroes, for priesthood. Work &r. Leisure; Gill, Er i c Zone, Germany (This priest Although our life is a contem- (Faber & Faber. London, 1935) needs candles and incense).