THE CATHOLIC WORLD

New Zealand Tablet, 31 March 1921, Page 30

THE CATHOLIC WORLD

GENERAL. During the 15 years of its existence, the Catholic Church Extension Society has built over 2000 churches in the United States and its dependencies. Through its endeavors a sum of 70,000 dollars was recently collected for the relief of the sufferers in Central Europe. There is an inspiring article in America for January 8 on “Missionary Activity in Holland.” There are 935 Dutch Missionaries laboring in heathen lands and A-h million Catholics depend upon them for spiritual ministration. The area covered by their missionary zeal is very extensive, being 201 times that of Holland. To create enthusiasm and zeal for the spread of the light of the Gospel in pagan lands, articles are published in magazines and in such leading newspapers as Be Tyd , which successfully competes with any secular daily for literary excellence and for commercial, financial, and general news. Every year at a certain period, a regular crusade is organised on behalf of the missions by means of exhibitions, sermons, and lectures, and the people are instructed on the duty of contributing their mite for the propagation of the Faith. CATHOLIC MISSIONS IN INDIA. Sir Michael Sadler, the Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University, and one of the greatest living experts on education, writes to the current issue of East and, West-. “It has been my privilege to serve with six colleagues on the commission which was charged with the duty of inquiring into secondary and higher education in Bengal. Two out of the seven of us were Indians —one a devout and orthodox Brahmin, Judge of the High Court of Calcutta, now acting Chief Justice of Bengal: the_ other a distinguished Mussulman, deeply respectful of the traditions of his own people, himself trained at Cambridge and another European University. They, in common with us, visited, so far as time allowed, all the great centres of missionary education in Bengal during the 18 months of our work. Without a dissentient voice, unanimously and with our whole hearts, we seven signed this statement about the work of missionary education in the Presidency. We said: ‘ It does not fall within our province to refer to the aims which inspire the labors of religious communities and associations in their service of the people, but we shall fail in our duty if we did not record the deep impression made upon us during our visits to colleges and schools in all parts of Bengal by the self-devotion of the men and women who, in obedience to the call of their Faith, are bearing part in the higher education of the Presidency. Their insight and practical experience are of the utmost value to the whole educational system. Their example is a source of much strength. Their aspirations are an enrichment of its ideals. What they and their foregoers have accomplished in the field of education has been an inestimable boon. British influence in India rests, ought to rest, and can only permanently rest, on the moral confidence of the vast majority of the population in the impartiality of the Government, in the personal honor, unselfish devotion, unflagging labors of its servants, on the self-sacrificing love and devotion of those who give themselves to missionary work in India, on the example of all Europeans, and, not least, on our example at home.”— Southern- Cross, South Africa.