Ie • • . A. National Monthly II CATHOLIC ACTION consists not merely of the pursuit of personal Christian perfection, which is however before all others its first and greatest end, but it also consists of a true apostolate in which Catholics of every social class participate, coming thus to be united in thought and action around those centers of sound doctrine and multiple social aC'tivity, legitimately constituted and, as a result, aided and sustained by the authority of the bishops." -Pope Pius XI. National Catholic Welfare Conference Vol. XV, No.4 APRIL, 1933 Price 20c 2 CATHOLIC ACTION A pril, 1933 CATHOLIC ACTION OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE FACTS ABOUT THE N. C. TABLE OF CONTENTS w. c. :-: What It Is What It Does :-: APRIL, 1933 "This organization (the N. C. W. C.) i, not only useful, but necessary . ..• PAGE We praise all tcho in any way cooperate in this great work."-POPE PIUS XI. A Word with Our Readers-"Pro­ gress in Developing Catholic The National Catholic Welfare Conference was organized in September, 1919. Leadership" ..... .......... 3 The N. C. W. C. is a common agency acting under the authority of the bishops to promote the welfare of the Catholics of the country. Pope Lauds Results of Catholic It has for its incorporated purposes "unifying, coordinating and organizing the Action.. .... ... .. ........ 4 Catholic people of the United States in works of education, social welfare, immigrant aid and other activities." New Leadership in the Federal Gov- It comprises the following dep ~ ments and bureaus: ernment ..... .............-... 5 EXEOUTIvE-Bureaus maintained: I mmigration, Publicity and Information, Hi.ttorical By Wm. F. Montavon Records, Publications, Business and Auditing and Latin American. EDUOATION-Divisions: Statistics and Information, Teachers' Registration, Library. Can a Catholic Play be Interesting? 7 PREss-Serves the Catholic press in the United States and abroad with regular news, By W m. M . Lame1's feature, editorial and pictorial services. SOCIAL ACTION-Covers the fields of Industrial Relations, Oitizenship, Social Work, Aiding the Work of Catholic Evidence 9 Family Life and Rural Welfare. By Dr. 'l'homas E. Puroell LEGAL-Serves as a clearing house of information on federal, state and local legislation. LAY ORGANIZATIONs-Includes the National Council of Catholic Men and the National Catholic Action Week in Denver . 11 Council of Catholic Women, which maintain at N. C. W. C. headquarters perma­ By M rs. J. C. Hagus nent representations in the interests of the Catholic laity. These councils function through some 3,000 affiliated societies-national, state, diocesan, district, local Religious Instruction of th~ Public and parish; also through units of the councils in many of the dioceses. School Child .. .. 13 The N. O. C. M. maintains at its national headquarters a Catholic Evidence Bu­ By Most Rev. Thomas K. Gorman reau and sponsors a weekly nationwide radio Catholic Hour over the network of the National Broadcasting Company. Digest of Holy Father's Allocution ... 14 The N. C. C. W. maintains in Washington, D. C., the NationaZ Catholic School oj Social Service. Month by Month with the N.C.W.C. .. 16 The Conference is conducted by an administrative committee composed of seven archbishops and bishops aided by seven assistant bishops. Need of Catholic Leadership ... .... 18 Each department of the N. O. W. C. is administered by an episcopal chaIrman. By Rt. Rev . John W. Sullivan Through the general secretary, chief executive officer of the Conference, the reports of the departments and information on the general work of the headquarter's staff are sent regularly to the members of the administrative committee. April Study Topic-"Evidencing- 0-;;­ The administrative bishops of the Conference report annually upon their work to Catholic Faith and Preventing the Holy See. Leakage" .. ................. 19 Annually at the general meeting of the bishops, detailed reports are submitted by the administrative bishops of the Conference and authorization secured for the work Some Pertinent Facts About the N. C. of the coming year. C. M •. ............. .. ...... 22 No official action is taken by any N. C. W. C. department without authorization of its episcopal chairman. In the Field of Immigration . .. 23 No official action is taken in the name of the whole Conference without authoriza- tion and approval of the administrative committee. Regional Meeting of the C. C. I. P. It is not the policy of the N. O. W. C. to create new organizations. It helps, unifies, and leaves to their own fields those that already exist. at Fort Wayne . ............ ... 25 It aims to defend and to advance the welfare both of the Catholic Church and of our beloved Country. Reports of N. C. C. W. Activities . .. 27 It seeks to inform the life of America of right fundamental principles of religion and morality. Study Club Program, Omaha Dio- It is a central clearing house of information regarding activities of Catholic men cesan Council, N. C. C. W ....... 29 and women. 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. The contents of CATHOLIC ACTION CATHOLI C ACTION records monthly the work of the Conference and its affiliated are fully indexed in the Cat holio Periodical organizations. It presents our common needs and opportunities. Its special articles Inde(J1. are helpful to every Catholic organization and in<Uvidual. CATHOLIO ACTION published monthly by the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Entered as second-class matter at the post-office at Washington, D. C., under the Act of March 3, 1879. All changes of address, re~ewals and subscrip­ tions should be sent direct to CATHOLIC ACTION, 1312 Massachusetts Ave., N. W.~ Washmgton, D. C. Subscription Rates Publioation, Editorial and ElDecutive Ofjicu $2.00 per year; outside the United States, $2.25. 1312 Massachusetts Ave., N. W. Make checks or postal money orders payable to WASHINGTON, D. O. CATHOLIC ACTION. April, 1933 CATHOLIC ACTION 3 By the A 'WORD WITH OUR READERS EDITOR +--------------~--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Progress tn Developing Catholic Leadership SPECIALLY gratifying to all who have been working for a CATHOLIC ACTION is glad to follow up the report of this con­ more enlightened and active laity are the reports coming ference, published in its March issue, with additional articles E to N. C. W. C. headquarters of the increased activity and which we are certain will be found of general interest. These usefulness of our Catholic lay organizations and their members articles are: That by Bishop Gorman dealing with one of the and of their growing appreciation of the meaning and needs of most pressing problems confronting the Church in this country Catholic Action and of the desire to take part in it. , today, namely, teaching religion to Catholic children who do not Convincing proof of this comes from San Francisco, where attend the Catholic schools; and the other by Monsignor John a few weeks ago, more than 500 women from the dioceses within W. Sullivan, who further develops the need of Catholic leader­ the ecclesiastical provinces of San Francisco and Portland par­ ,ship and emphasizes the study method as the most obvious way ticipated in a conference fruitful of excellent results regionally of preparing for it. and of great benefit to the Catholic body generally. Writing editorially of this conference, and especially of the type of N THIS connection we believe this month's study club topic leadership which it evidenced, the Morn.itor, official organ of the I will be found extremely pertinent. It deals with "Evidencing Archdiocese of San Francisco, stated: Our Catholic Faith and Preventing Leakage," discussing this general topic from three different angles--"What it means to "It speaks well for the vitality of the Church in the evidence our faith;" "The field of evidencing our faith;" and West that out of 50 diocesan cQuncils of the National "Practical ways of evidencing our faith." We recommend too, Council of Catholic Women 12 flourish in the territory the reading of the article on "Aiding the Work of Catholic comprised by the ecclesiastical provinces of Portland and Evidence" by Dr. Purcell, recently elected president of the San Francisco. A further proof of vitality is afforded by National Council of Catholic Men. Dr. Purcell relates some the holding here of the first regional conference, that is a interesting facts concerning the activities of the N. C. C. M.'s conference comprised of two archdioceses. Not ,only is this Catholic Evidence Bureau and notable accomplishments by local evidence of the cooperative spirit of the archbishops and groups of Catholic laymen operating in the field of apologetics. bishops of the Pacific Coast, but it is even more a demon­ On page 22 will be found a restatement of the additional inter­ stration of real self-sacrifice on the part of the leading ests of the National Council of Catholic Men. We trust that Catholic women of the western communities represented at our readers will help make these interests and activities known the council. For, it should be recognized that the women to organizations that may not as yet be fully cognizant of the who come are paying their own train and hotel fare, a work of the National Council of Catholic Men and of its services great outlay in this western country of great distances at to organizations that affiliate with it. all times, but especially so in this year. Something should Two other articles in this issue are likewise .particularly be said for whatever husbands are digging up the carfare. revealing as to the growth of Catholic leadership. They "The National Council of Catholic Women is not another, are the report by Mrs. Joseph C.