• Vol. XXX, No.2 February, 1948 CON SID ERA TION FOR HANDICAPPED WORKERS William P. McCahill ''YOUR HOUR IS COME" HOLY FATHER PLEADS SPIRITUAL REBIRTH INTERNATIONAL RELIEF THE CATHOLIC WOMAN AND PUBLIC RELATIO S OPTATISSIMA PAX Month by Month with the N.C. W. C. Our Common Catholic Interests A NATIONAL MONTHLY PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE Priee: 30e NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE TABLE OF CONTENTS "Ot1er a manifold actwfl., of tlt.e lait.,, carried on in t1ariova looalitiea accordi•g to the need• of the timea, i• placed the National Oatholic Welfare Oonference, an FEBRUARY, 1948 organization which ••pplie• a read11 and well-ad•pted tnltrvment for rovr epitoopal ,.,,.i,.tru."-Pope Pius XII. The National Catholic Welfare Conference was organized in September, 1919. PAGE The N. C. W. C. is a common agency actinc under the authority of the bishopa to Our Common Catholic Interests. ... 3 promote the welfare of the Catholics of the country. It has for its incorporated purposes •'unifying, coordinating and organizing the The Hol1 Father Speaks to the Catholic people of the United States in works of education, social welfare, immigrant World-February: Catholic Press aid and other activities." Month. It comprises the following departments and bureaus: Consideration for Hand i e • p p e d EXECUTIVE--Bureaus maintained: Immigration, NaHonal Oenter Oontraternit11 of Workers . 4 Ohriltian Doctrine, lnformatifJn, Pvbltcatio,.,, Bvaine,. and Auditing, and CATH­ By William P. McCahill OLIC ACTION, motJthlJI rwbhcation, N. C. W. C. YouTH-Facilitates excbuuge of information recarding the philosophy, organization, and program-content of Catholic youth organizations; promotes the National International Relief: (VI of N.C.W.C. Catholic Youth Council, the federating agenc7 for all existing, approved Catholic Forum Series 1947-48: Crucial youth groups; contacts and evaluates national covernmental and non-govern­ Questions of the Day) . 6 mental youth organizations and youth servicing organizations. EDUCATION-Divisions: Statiltica and Information, Teacher Placement, Re1earola Catholic Education, LibrarJI BertJi.oe, and Inter-American Oollaboration. Calendar of S c he d u I e d Catholic PRESS- enea th~ Catholic press in the United States and abroad with regular neto•, Meetings and Events .......... 8 features, editorial and pictorial 1ervice1. SociAL AcTION-Covers the fields of Industrial Relations, International Affaire, Oivio "Your Hour Is Come" ............. 9 Education, Social Welfare, Famil11 Life, and Rural Life. 1948 Catholic Press Month Message. LI:GAL--Serves as a clearing house of information on federal, state and local legislation. LAY 0RGANIZA1'IONS-Includes the National Council of Catholic Men and the National Council of Catholic Women, which maintain at N. C. W. C. headquarters perma­ National Council of Catholic Women 10 nent representations in the interests of the Catholic laity. These councils function T }Je Catholic Woman and Public Re­ through some 7,000 affiliated societie -national, tate, diocesan, district, local and latiom-Gatholic Women in the parish ; also through units of the couuc1ls in many of the dioce es. News-Woman's Social Role The N. C. C. M. maintains nt it national h€'adquarters a Catholic 1iJt1idenoe Theme of Diocesan Conventions­ Bureau, sponsors three weekly nationwide radio programs-the Catholic Hour With Our Nationals-The Sodality over the National Broadcasting Company's Network, and the Hour of Faith over the Am rican Broadcasting Company's Network and the Catholic program in of Our Lady-Make It a Million! the "Faith in Our 'rime.. series on the Mutual Broadca ting System-and con­ ducts a Catholic Radio Bureau. National Council of Catholic Men . 14 CATHOLIO ACTION TUDY-Devoted to research and reports as to pronouncement•, You Can Hate the N.C.C.M. Pro­ methods, programs and achievements in the work of Catholic Action at home and abroad. grams on Your Stations-Visitor The Conferen<'e is conducted by an administrative board composed of ten arch­ from BBC-Wide Open paces­ bishops and bishops aided by seven assistant bishops. Radio Schedule for February, 1948. Each department of the N. C. W. C. is administered by an episcopal chairman. Through the general ecretary, chief executive officer of the Conference, the re­ Plea of Holy Father for Spiritual ports of the departments and information on the general work of the headquarters Rebirth ..................... 16 staff are sent regularly to the members of the administrative board. The English text of the 1947 Christ­ The administrative bishops of the Conference report annually upon their work mas Ete Message of His Holiness, to the Holy See. Pope Pius XII, broadcast to the Annually at the general meeting of the bishops, detailed reports are submitted by ·world. the administrative bishops of the Conference and authorization secured for the work of the coming year. No official action is taken by any N. C. W. C. department without authorization Encyclical Letter "Optatissima Pax". 19 of its episcopal chairman. Partial text of His Holiness, Pope No official action is taken in the name of the whole Conference without authoriza- Pius XII's Encyclical of Decem­ tion and approval of the administrative board. ber 18, 1947, prescribing public It is not the policy of the N. C. W. C. to create new organization&. Prayer for social and world peace. It helps, unifies, and leaves to their own fields those that already exist. It aims to defend and advance the welfare both of the Catholic Church and of Month by Month with the N.C.W.C. 20 our beloved Country. It seeks to inform the life of America of right fundamental principles of religion and morality. It is a central clearin~t house of information regarding activities of Oatholic men and women. The contents of CATHOLIC AcTioN are All that are helped may play their part in promoting the good work and in main­ taining the common agency, the National Catholic Welfare Conference. fully indexed in the Catholic Periodic•l CATHOLIC ACTION records monthly the work of the Conference and ita affili­ Index. ated organizations. It presents our common needs and opportunities. Its special articles are helpful to every Catholic organization and individual. CATHOLIC ACTION publi bed monthly by the National Catholic Welfare Confer nee. Entered as eeond-cla ·s matt r at the po t office nt Washington, D. C., under the Act of March 3, 1879. All changes of addres , renewal and RUb crip­ tions hould be ent direct to CATH LI ACTION, 1312 Massnchu ·ett Ave., N. W., Washington 5, . C. Publication, Editorial and E:Decutive Offices Subsc1'iption Rates 1312 Ma achu etts Av ., N.W. $3.00 per year; . 3.25 outsi(le the United States. Make che k or postal money orders W ASHI~GTON 5, D. payable to ATHOLIC ACTION r 2 1 CATHOLIC ACTION CATHOLIC ACTION Vol. XXX, No. 2 February, 1948 N DECEMBER 24, 1947, as on Christmas marks, released through the N.C.W.C. News Serv­ Eve of the past several years, His Holiness, ice and reprinted here on page 9, will be echoed 0 Pope Pius XII, made a magnificant address in Catholic papers throughout the country. over the radio to the peoples throughout the world. In a message to Bishop Ready, Monsignor Gio­ His plea this year was for a sound vanni B. Montini, substitute Papal Secretary of The Holy Father spiritual rebirth for the good of Again Speaks State, says: To the World the world and as a necessary foun- uThe Holy Father, on the occasion of Catholic dation for any worthwhile peace. Press Month, extends paternal encouragement to The text of this message appears on pages 16-19. efforts to increase diffusion among the faithful and Just prior to Christmas His Holiness issued an create thereby an informed laity interested in all Encyclical Letter, Optatissima Pax, on ((Prescrib­ problems affecting the Church, and cordially ing Public Prayer for Social and World Peace." imparts to publishers and subscribers His Apos­ His plea for the prayers of the world, especially tolic Blessing." those of little children, at Christmas time is equally A telling comparison of the Catholic Family pertinent at this later date. For that reason an with and without its Catholic newspaper and excerpted copy of the Encyclical is printed on magazines has been drawn by the President of page 19 for our readers. the Catholic Press Association, Humphrey E. It is regretted that the Holy Father's Encyclical Desmond, in his public Press Month Statement. of November 20, 1947, Mediator Dei, on the In this comparison Mr. Desmond says that the Liturgy, is too long to handle in the limited pages Catholic family without Catholic newspapers and of CATHOLIC AcTION. It will, however, be avail­ magazines is like a mariner sailing uncharted seas able in pamphlet form from the N.C.W.C. Publi­ without a compass, while the Catholic family that cations office as soon as the English translation of reads Catholic newspapers and magazines is able the 30,000-word document is completed. The to distinguish between truth and falsehood in the pamphlet will include a discussion club outline. endless flow of good and bad propaganda to which everyone is exposed today. A GAIN it's February-month dedicated by the On page 10, CATHOLIC AcTION offers its read­ .r-1_ Bishops of the United States to the interests ers an article on uThe Catholic Woman and Pub­ of the Catholic Press. Again, throughout lic Relations," which will prove interesting and the nation, activities are focused on publicizing helpful to all sincere workers in the Catholic Press Catholic news. Episcopal letters call cause though written by Alice Therese Diehl, February- h li Catholic attention to the value of the Cat o ·c women's editor of The Michigan Catholic, for Press Month Press and bespeak the interest of all.