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 SOCIETY

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SOCIETY

and its possessions. A similiar Brief was issued to the Churcli Extension Society in Canada.

Since the organization of the church extension movement, the American society has expended over half a million dollars in missionary work. It has made about seven hundred gifts and loans to poor mis- sions, and has had about five hundred and fifty chapels built in places where no Catholic Church or chapel existed previously and the scattered people could attend Mass only with great difficulty. Both societies have been educating many students for the missions, and both have circulated much good Catho- lic hterature. The American society operates a "chapel car" (donated by one of its members, Am- brose Petry, K. C. S. G.), which carries a missionary into the remote districts along railroad lines, preach- ing missions and encouraging scattered CathoUcs to form centres with their own little chapels as beginnings of future parishes. The Holy Father has particularly blessed this chapel car work, and has given a gold medal to the donor of the car and to the society in recognition of its usefulness. Another chapel car, much larger and better equipped, is now about to be built. The society has interested itself very greatly in the missionary work of Porto Rico and the Philip- pine Islands, and has achieved substantial results. The Canadian society has been very active in saving the Ruthenian Catholics of the Canadian North-West to the Faith, against which an active war has been waged, especially by the Presbyterians. It was prin- cipally through "the publicity given to this activity by the Canadian Society that the situation was brought to the attention of the bishops in Canada, who at the first Plenar>' Council decided to raise $100,000 for this work. The American society's first quinquennial re- port shows splenchd progress, and the present situa- tion of both societies gives promise of great things to come. A remarkable thing about the church exten- sion movement is the ready response of the wealthier class of Catholics in the United States to its appeals. Some very large donations have been given. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is raising a fund of 850,000 for chapel building, and the Women's CathoUc Order of Foresters .?25,000. The directors intend to erect a college for the American mission.

The church extension movement, as it exists in the United States and Canada, has no close parallels in other countries, but is not unlike the Boniface Associa- tion in Germany or the CEuvre of St. Francis de Sales in France. Membership is divided into founders ($5000), hfe members ($1000), fifteen-year members ($100), and Annual Members ($10). There is a Women's Auxihary in both societies which now begins to flourish. The American society has also a branch for children called the "Child .-Vpostles". From the penniesof the children, chapels are to be built and each one called the "Holy Innocents"; the children have just completed (1911) the amount needed for their first chapel. The present officers of the .\merican society are: His Eminence, Sebastian Cardinal Martinelli, Cardinal Protector; Most Rev. James E. Quigley, D.D., Chancellor; Most Rev. S. G. Messmer, D.D., Vice-Chancellor; Very Rev. Francis C. Kelley, D.D., LL.D., Presi- dent; Rev. E. B.Ledvina, Vice-President and General Secretary; Rev. E. L. Roe, Director of the Women's AuxiHarj' and Vice-President; Rev. W. D. O'Brien, Director of the Child Apostles and Vice-President; Mr. Leo Doyle, General Counsel and Vice-President; Mr. John A." Lynch, Treasurer. The members of the executive committee are: Most Rev. James E. Quig- ley, D.D.; Very Rev. Francis C. Kelley, D.D., LL.D., Rev. Edward .\. Kelly, LL.D.; Messrs. Ambrose Petry, K. C. S. G., Richmond Dean, Warren A. Cart- ier, and Edward F. Carry. On the board of govern- ors are the Archbishops of Chicago, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Boston, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Oregon City, with the bishops of Covington, Detroit, Wichita,

Duluth, Brooklyn, Trenton, Mobile, Rockford, Kan- sas City, Pittsburgh and Helena, and distinguished priests and laymen.

In Canada. — The church extension movement was organized in Canada as an independent society (bear- ing the name of "The Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada") by the Most Reverend Donatus Sbarretti, Delegate Apostolic of that country, Most Rev. Fergus Patrick McEvay, D.D., Archbishop of Toronto, Rev. Dr. A. E. Burke of the Diocese of Charlottetown, Very Rev. Monsignor A. A. Sinnott, secretaiy of the Apostolic Delegation, the Rev. Dr. J. T. Kidd, chancellor of Toronto, the Right Honour- able Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, K. C. M. G., Chief Jus- tice of Canada, and the present writer. The Cana^ dian society at once purchased the "Catholic Regis- ter", a weekly paper, enlarged it, and turned it into the official organ of the work. The circulation of this paper has increased marvellously. The new society in Canada received a Brief, similar to that granted the American society, establishing it canonically. The same cardinal protector was appointed for both organ- izations. The Archbishop of Toronto was made chancellor of the Canadian society, and Very Rev. Dr. A. E. Burke was appointed president for the full term of five years. The officers of the Canadian society are: His Eminence Cardinal Martinelli, Pro- tector; The Archbishop of Toronto (see vacant). Chancellor; Very Rev. A. E. Burke, D.D., LL.D., President; Rev. J. T. Kidd, D.D., Secretary; Rev. Hugh J. Canning, Diocesan Director; The Archbishop of Toronto; Right Hon. Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, K. C. M. G., and the President, Executive Com- mittee.

Francis C. Kelley.

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

See Christian Knowledge, Society for Promot- ing.

Society of Foreign Missions of Paris. — The So- ciety of Foreign Missions was estabhshed 1(558-63, its chief founders being Mgr Pallu, Bishop of Heliopohs, Vicar Apostolic of Tonking, and Mgr Lambert de la Motte, Bishop of Bertyus, Vicar Apostolic of Cochin- China. Both bishops left France (1660-62) to go to their respective missions and as true travellers of Christ they crossed Persia and India on foot. The object of the new society was and still is the evangeli- zation of infidel countries, by founding churches and training up a native clergy under the jurisdiction of the bishops. In order that the society might recruit members and administer its property, a house was es- tabhshed in 166.3 by the priests whom the vicara Apostohc had appointed their agents. This house, whose directors were to form young priests to the apostolic life and transmit to the bishops the offer- ings made by charity, was and is still situated at Paris in the Rue du Bac. Known from the beginning as the Seminary of Foreign Missions, it secured the approval of Alexander VII, and the legal recognition, still in force, of the French Government.

The nature and organization of the society deserve special mention. It is not a religious order but a con- gregation, a society of secular priests, united as members of the same body, not by vows but by the rule approved by the Holy See, by community of object, and the Seminary of Foreign Missions, which is the centre of the society and the common basis which sustains the other parts. On enter- ing the society the missionaries promise to devote themselves until death to the service of the missions, while the society assures them in return, besides the means of sanetification and perseverance, all neces- sary temporal support and a-ssistance. There is no superior general; the bishops, vicars Apostolic, su- periors of missions, and board of directors of the sem- inary are the superiors of the society. The directors