l4Jif-^ c^ THE latholic ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS. Famphlet N"o. 1. CONTAININW INTRODUCTION , »y Mr. W. L. Scott. A NEGLECTED FIELD .By Mr. J. A. J. McKenna THE CATHOLIC THDTH SOCIETY— Its Aims and Objbots By Sir John S. D. Thompson, K. C. M. G. The Catholic Truth Society rill T ^ f m\ rrp OFFICERS FOR 1891-92. Patron HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF OITAWA. P->. ident rest The Hon. Sir J. S. D. Thompson, K. C. M. G , Q. C. ht. Vice- Pr est leaf.. ' 2n'l. Vkr- President. Rev'd. M. J. VVhet,an. Finn Barr Hayes. Secretary W. I- Scott, 74 Sparks St. Treasurer J. A. MacCabk, LL. D., 434 Somerset St. Conimittee Rev'd CHDon McCarthy, I'.ev'd. A. Pallier, M. I Rev'd. T. Cole Joseph Pope, J. 13. liYNCH, E.. L. Sandkrb, John Gorman, J. A. J. McKenna, Wm. Kearns, A. Freeland, M. D. Auditors John O'Meara, J A McCann LIST OF PUBLICATIONS. PAMPHLETS AT NOMINAL COST. No. 1 — The Catholic Trdth Society, its aims and objects. No. 2— Traditions — Jos. Pope. 5 Cts. each or $2.50 per 100. The Sooiety's publications and most of those of the Catholic Truth Society of England and of the Catholic Truth Society of America may be had from the secretary or at any of the following dep&ts : — J. DURIE & SON, 31' & 35 Sparks St. W. P. BATTERTON, 82 B«nk St. P. C. GUILLAUME, 495 Sussex St. W. L. SCOTT, 74. Sparks St. SjdCi'etary. ( u^ INTRODUCTION. • The Catholic Truth Society of Ottawa was orga- nized at a meeting called by circular for that pur- pose in the Catholic Lyceum on November 8th, 1891. The objects of the Society are identical with those of the parent Society in England and are thus sum- marised in the constitution : — 1. To disseminate among Catholics small and cheap devotional works. 2. To assist the uneducated poor to a better know- ledge of their religion. 3. To spread among Protestants information about Catholic Truth. 4* To promote the circulation of good, cheap and popular Catholic Books. These objects will be found amplified in the inau- gural address of the President, Sir John Thompson, printed elsewere in this pamphlet. The first step towards the organization of a Branch ot the Catholic Truth Society in Ottawa was the reading of a paper on the subject (printed in this pamphlet) by Mr. J. A. J. McKenna, at the quarterly meeting of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, held on the 12th April, 1891. His Grace the Archbishop of Ottawa, at the conclusion of Mr. McKenna's paper, warmly commended the work of Catholic Truth Societies, and made a very generous offer of finnn- cial assistance to any effort which might be made towards carrying on such a w^ork in Ottawa. As a result of the reading of the paper and of the Archbi- shop's words the subject was taken up by the Par- ticular Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and a committee, consisting of Messrs. John Gorman, E. L Sanders and W. L. Scotf, appointed with ins- tructions to take whatever steps might be necessary to bring about the organization of the proposed Society. The committee after working up the subject in various ways, called the meeting of November 8th already referred to, at which a constitution was adop- ted and officers elected. It was subsequently dtcided by the Committee thus elected to hold a series ol free public entertainments at which, in addition to an attractive musical programme, papers bearing on the work of the Society should be read. The first of these meetings was held in the hall of the Catholic Lyceum on December 17th, 1891, and •was very successful, about four hundred persons — all that the hall could accommodate — being present. The programme was made up of the President's address L ready referred to, a paper by Mr. Joseph Pope, which has since been published as Number 2 of the Society's pamphlets, and five excellent musical num- bers. At the close of the evening the meeting was addressed by His Grace the Archbishop of Ottawa, who eulogised the work of the Society and exhorted all present to become members. The annual subscription to the society is one dollar and ten dollars entitles to life membership. Forms of application for membership can be had from the Secretary on application, but it is not necessary that applications should be on printed forms. Any lady or gentleman sending her or his name and address and one dollar to the Secretary will be elected a member of the Society. The Society is affiliated with both the Catholic Truth Society of England, and the American Society d of the same name of St. Paul, and members are enti- tled to all the spiritual advantages enjoyed by mem- bers of either of these societies, including indulgences granted by the Holy See. Members are also entitled to one copy each of all publications of the Society, to any special rates on books or other publications that the Society may secure and to such other advantages as it may be able to offer in the future. A price list of publications kept in Stock will be found at the end of this pamphlet. W. L. SCOTT, 74 Sparks St., Secretary. -»' A NEOLECTED FIELD. By Mr. J. A. J. McKenna. Read before the quarterly iiKetiiig ol llie St. N'incent de I'aui .Society on the 1 2th April 1891. That no good work is foreign to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of its axioms. Its founder never contemplated its becoming a mere doler out of alms — an institution for the relief of only corporal necessities. At the very first meeting of the eight young men whom Ozanani gathered together to begin the work of our Society, Mr. Bailly, their mentor, who acted as President, declared that if the work was to be really efficacious, it would have to be made " a medium of moral assistance." And the circulars of the Presidents-General, which embody the spirit of our institute, teem with references to the desirability, nay the necessity, of distributing sound literature among the poor. " Do we do enough," asked President-General Baudon in 1849, " do we do enough for the religious instruction of the poor." 6 " The poor," said he, " are much more in need of truth, of the words that come from God's mouth, than of bread ai I clothing." The men who sowed and watered th 3 seed from which has sprung the great tree of which we are a branch were so impres- sed with the necessity of putting in the way of the people sound, cheap reading matter that they under- took the publication of a series of llluslraled Short Readings on instructive and amusing secular, as well as religious subjects, which were sold at a very low ligure to those who could buy, and, no doubt, were given gratis to those who could not spare even a penny. Libraries too were established ; and the Brothers were urged to purvey for the minds and the hearts, as well as the stomachs of those whom they visited. Now let me ask, in the words of Mr. Baudon, * Do we do enough for the religious instruction of the poor ? " Looking backward, have we not lapsed in this regard ? For remember, that our charter brethren in addition to making the religious instruction of their proteges a leading feature of their work, devised and successfully carried out a scheme for putting within the reach of the masses an instructive, edifv- ing and low priced literature. Of a surety, the need of liberally supplying wholesome mental food has not vanished with the march of time. Every day the number who can read increases ; every day the taste for reading becomes more general. The pro- ducts of the press enter the homes of the poorest among us. All sorts and conditions ol men read ; and the printed page has become, especially in our own time and country, the most potent of human agencies for good or evil. Yet our conferences expend their energies almost wholly in catering to the mattM'ial rcquiromoits of the vory poor, seemingly l(.rgottin{j' that " man liveih not by bread alone," and oblivious of the example set by Ozanam and his aMSOciates. ' " But what can we do ? ", you will ask. Under- take, I would suggest, the work of disseminating the pul)lication8 of the 'Jatholic Truth Society. Like our own institute, the Catholic Truth Society, which was organized some years ago, was brought into being by a lew men, " who," one of its honorary Secretaries tells us, " were almost entirely unknown outside of their own small ciicle." They saw the crying necessity of bringing within the reach of the masses popular expositions < f (Catholic faith and other works permeated with a true Catholic tone, they determined to make an effort to supply the want, and they have met with marvellous success. They have brought out a host of penny publications — biographies of the saints and others whose lives are a light to the feet of th^ir fellows ; articles on matters of faith which enable those who read to give a reason for their belief to Protestants and sceptics ; short stories for the young; compilations of selected poetry ; short trea- tises on devotional subjects, and brochures on scien- tific topics which show forth the fallacies of some who set themselves up as teachers. Ttiey offer for sale, at prices ranging from a half-penny to a shilling! 'a series of books and booklets on a variety of subjects. An excellent little life of our patron is sold for a penny ; and Cardinal Newman's classical lectures on " The Present Position of Catholics in England " have been reproduced separately and offered to the public at two-pence a piece. In a penny pamphlet of twejity-eight octavo pages is published Mr B. F. C. Costelloe's presentment of the teaching of the 8 "Church truly Catholic, to whom," as he spys, " no thing of humanity is alien " and ' the universal brotherhood has not been an empty name but a world-reforming fact and law." Mr. Costelloe is in touch with the times ; and the wide circulation of this little work, and of his treatise on " the Mass," which also sells for a penny, could not but be pro- ductive of much good. A six-penny edition in limp cloth of the New Testament — an edition intended rather for use than for ornament — has been issued hy the Society. Would not the spreading abroad of so handy an edition of the New Testament be a most forcible reply to the charge that the Church forbids her children to read the inspired writings ? For we shall be judged rather by what we do than by what we profess. They have published, too, a great number of leaflets of spiritual reading, nou- rishing to faith and piety ; and these are sold at six pence, a shilling, two shillings and three shillings a hundred. I might go on talking to you of the admi- rable publications of the Catholic Truth Society which, it has been my good fortune to have met with, and naming to you others which I have not yet seen, but I have said enough to give you a general idea of the scope of the work which that Society has done and is still doing. There have been two great obstacles to the spread of English Catholic literature : one, the high price generally of the publications ; the other, the difficulty in the way of obtaining them. Of course there is an apathy among Catholics in respect to distincti- vely Catholic literature. High class books have not the sale they should have ; magazines like the " Catholic World " are not as liberally supported as they ought to be by those who have the means ; and there is not a great demand at public libraries for books which deal with questions from a Catholic stand-point. But this apathy is, to my mind, of the nature of a symptom. Remove the obstacles I have mentioned, administer frequent doses of the cheap publications of the Catholic Truth Society and, I venture to say, the apathy will gradually disappear. The first obstacle has been removed by the Catholic Truth Society. The second, however, remains, as far as w^e are concerned ; and some local effort should be made to remove it. We hear a great deal in regard to the need of a lay a postdate. Bishops and priests have called on the laity to help in the warfare which error wages asrainst truth. The example of the early christians has been recalled, and we have been asked to bear a more valiant part. Here is an opportunity of responding to the call, for there is no way in which laymen of good will can more effec- tually co-operate in the w^ork of Holy Church than by disseminating w^holesome literature. Speaking on this subject the Bishop of Sal Ford said : " We are in the age of the Apostolate of th'> Press. It can pene- trate where no Catholic can enter. It can do its work as surely for Grod as for the devil. It is an instrument in our hands. All should take part in this aposto- late ; here at least there is work for every one under the patronage of the Hierarchy and richly indulgenced by the Holy See, the Catholic Truth Society founded by a number of priests and lay- men is already doing good w^ork ; but the good work ought to be multiplied through every town and mission, not in England only, but throughout the British Empire. It instructs, edifies, and amuses > it educates and evangelizes Catholics and non-Catho- lics. It will become an engine of gigantic power 10 ill the service of Grod ; if our men and women have in them only the. hearts and v^ills to become apostles." " Very good," you say, '• but should not such a work be undertaken by a new organization, founded specially for that purpose, and altogether separate and distinct from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul ? " I admit that the establishment in our midst of a Catholic Truth Society — either independent or as a branch of the parent Society in P]ngland — is much to be desired, and I sincerely trust that the day is not distant when we shall have in Ottawa a society of men and v\'omen, the sole object oi which will be the dissemination of Catholic truth ; but I hold that, even if such an organization did exist, our Conferences would not thereby be dispensed from the duty — the duty, mark you — of taking a leading part in the work. Conferences in other places have taken a hand in the work ; and in an article entitled " How to help the Catholic Truth Society " it is stated that for the distribution of the publications " the Society of St Vincent de Paul has exceptional oppor- 1 unities in the various branches of its work, especially in the ' patronage ' work among boys. Something, I know, has been done already in this line in Ottawa ; but the movement had nothing of permanency in it, and was abandoned after the first step had been taken. A system, I submit, should be devised for making the distribution of wholesome mental food a prominent and permanent feature of our work, as it certainly should be. In a Lenten pastoral on " The Love and Service of Christ in His Poor," the Bishop of Sal ford wrote : " Encourage reading among the young, spread the cheap publications of the Catholic Truth Society , take them in and lend them one by one, and exchange 11 those lent for others. Give cheap pictures of a religious character for the decoration of rooms, discourage the readinsT of anti-Catholic puhlications." Now I will make bold to suggest that, by way of making a beginning, the Particular Council expend, say, $25.00 of its funds in the purchase of a selected lot ot the publications ol the Catholic Truth Society and divide them among the Conferences, some to be sold at cost price to those who can buy, and others distributed gratis to the poor visited by our Brothers. In its very babyhood our Society went so far as to undertake the publication, as well as the sale, of cheap reading matter. In the summer months there is little or nothing to be done in the way of exten- ding material relief to the poor. Why should we stand idle when there is so much to be done in ano- ther direction ? Let a plan be devised and the work be begun, so that the excellent publications of the Catholic Truth Society may be put, not only within the reach, but in the way of the people. " Say not," writes Mr. James Britten, one of the Honorary Secre- taries of that Society, " Say not that to scatter books, pamphlets, tracts, and leallets is waste and loss, il you have but a grain of faith in the gospel parable of the sower." The soil is ready and much " good ground " awaits the seed. Let us hasten to scatter abroad good books, and they will bring " forth fruit, some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold and some thirtv-l'old." (S. Matt. XIII— 8) THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS. Addrkss hy ruK Hon. Sik J. S. I). TmnirsoN, K. C. M. (!., (^). ('., \A,. I). I'KKSIDKN I fee is fixed at one dollar a year. I beg you will not consider that a subscription. There are many, perhaps, who will join the Society who could give us as an annual subscription many times that amount, but we want your names — your co-ope- ration — your sympathy and patronage. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS KEPT IN STOCK. OTTAWA SEKIES. Sold at Sets, each or f$2f)0 per 100. No. 1. The Catholic Truth Society, its aimn and objoctH. No. 2. Traditions— Jos. Pope. PUBLICATIONS OF THE ENGLISH SOCIETY. Pamphlets. Sets, each or 2 for Sets. The Conversion of England. By the Bishop of Salford. The Blessed Sacrament the Centre of Immutable truth, by Cardinal Manning. What is the Bible ? By the Kev. W. H. Andcrdon, S. J. Confession to a Priest. By the same. Before and after the Reformation. Was Burlow a Bishop? By the late Serjeant Bellasis. 189 : or the Church of Old England protests. By the Kev. J. D. Breen, O. S. B. Henry VIII and the English Monasteries. By Cardinal Manning. Total Abstinence from a Catholic Point of View. By the Eev. W. H. Cologan. The Church Catholic. By B. F. C. Costello. The Mass. By the same. Temperance and Thrift, By the Very Eev. Canon Murnane and the Rev, E. Nolan. The Great Truths. By the Rev. R. F. Clarke, S, J. The Holy Infancy. By the same. The Hidden Life. By the same. The Sacred Passion. By the same. The Precious Blood. By the same. Resurrexit. By the same. Veni Sancte Spiritus. By the same. St. Joseph. By the same. Maria Magnificata. By the same. The Sacred Heart of Jesus. By the same. The Holy Angeis. By the same. Requiescant in Pace. By the same. The Ministry of Jesus. By the same. ii List of Publications kept in Stock. CoiuisoIh ot) Holy Communion. Bj* Mgc do Segui*. Advico on ConfoNHioti. Jiy tlio wnme. Advice on Prayer. By the Hume. The Ceremonies of Holy Week explained. Father Mathew. By Kov. W. H Colo^rjin. Cardinal Newman, By the Rev. Dr. Barry. St. Vincent de Paul. By the Rev. F. Ci<)ld"ie, S. J. Cannot: or which Religion really believes in the Bible? By Rev. fi. Bam|)tield. Mixed Marriages. By the Rev C VV. Wood. Lay Help. By James liritten. A Few reasons for submitting to the Clinreh of our Fathers. Bv H. Morden Bennett, M A. Marks of the Church. By the same. The Scapular explained. By the Bishoj) of Salford. Who is St. Joseph ? By the same. A Profitable way of Hearing Mass. liy the same. The Seal of Confession. By the Rev. J. Mclntyre, D D. octs. each or ti for 25cts. The Love and Passion of Our Lord. By the Bishop of Salford. A Manual of Catholic Politics. By the same. The Veneration of Sacred Relics. By the same. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By the same. 5cts, each. The Work of the Laity. By James Britten. Leaflets. Ic. each.^ 5cts. per dozen or 20ct8. per 100, 40. Mary the Mother of God. 45. The disappearance of the Papacy. 46. Questions for one whom it concerns. 66. Does an Anglican Forsake the Church of His Baptism by becoming a Roman Catholic ? Ic. each.^ 5cts. per dozen or SOcts. per 100, 3. What does the Bible say ? 4. Come and see. 5. Friendly advico. 7. Why am I a Roman Catholic ? 8. How can I find God's one True Church ? 9. " I'll kneel if the others will." 10. The Confessional 13. Why are you a Protestant ? 1*7. Was the British Church Roman Catholic. List of Publications kej)t in Stork. iii ll>. Plain TrutliH in nnsswor to TranHparoiit FuIhoIiooJ. 21. Shall our Childron ho Christians ? 2;i. Tho Kofoj'rnalion iindof (^iicon Elizaholh. 24. Wock-ilay Mas-s 25. '■ C.itholic — not K-tinaii Catholic." 27. '' fray AlwavH " 28. '• Tako care of tiio little ones." 81. Devotion to tho Blofs.sed Virgin. ;J6. Who in your l*iilron Saint. 37. WoiU out your Salvation, 42 Why do Catlolics heliovo ? 44. A Loafiot on the English Martys. 41) " I Believe i«> tho Holy Catholic Cliurch." 55. Fasting. 71. Tho Divine CommiHsion of tho Church. A Quarlor of an Hour hefore tho Hlossel Sacraniont. 2ct8. each, JOcts. per dozen or HOctn. per 100. 11. Can both Churches be True. 12. Why should we remember the fifth of November, lb". The Engli.sh Church alwa}'^ Roman Catholic. 18. How Henry VUI robbed England of tho Faith. 20. Evoluti(Mi run wild. 80. Popery in the first (Jentury. 32. The Four Doctors. 38. The Real Presence. 39. Piirgatoi'y. 41. Modern Socialists on the History of the Church. 47. St. Joseph Patron of a Happy Death. 50. What are thoy doing at tho Altar ? 52. " Out of the Church there is no Salvation." 53. Does the Catholic Church suppress the Second Com- mandment. , 54. King Henry VII I and the Royal Supremacy. 63. Tho Scottish Reformation. (J4. Why and how should wo hear Mass every Sunday. 72. The Three Claims. PUBLICATIONS OP THE AMERICAN SOCIETY. No. 3. How Catholics come to be misunderstood — Rev. Thos. O Gorman, D. D. 5cts. each ; $2 50 per 100. No 4. Who can Forgive Sins? — Rev. Patrick Danehy. octs. each ; i$2.50 per 100. iv List of Ptihlications kept in Stock. No. 6. Church or Biblo— Kev. Arnold Damon, S. J. octs. eachf $2 50 per 100. No. 7. SacriHciul VVorrthip KHsontiol to ^Religion — Rov. P. R llottVon, D. J>., -ic/a. mch, ii;^ 1.7 ft per 100. No. 10. AgnosticiHm — lit. Uov. J. L. SpuUlin^, D, D., Bi.'^hop of Peoria. oets, each, $2.')0 per 100. No. 11. On the Condition of Labour — Encyclical Lottor of Pope Leo XIII. Jc<#. each, $8.7 '> per 100. No. 12. Purgatory— Rov. Heniy A. Brann, D. 1)., octs each, $1.7o per 100. No. 13. MiracloH — What are they and what is their ute ? Rev. John Cimeiner. 5cts. each, '$1.7') per 100. No. 14. The ConHorvative Power of Catholicity — Conde B. Pallen. 6ct8. each^ $1.75 per 100. Any of the above may bo had at the pricen quoted (which are merely nominal) from the Secretary or at any of the following depots. J. DUKIE & SON., :J3 & 35 Sparks St. W. P. BATTERTON, 82 Bank St. P. C. GUILLAUME, 495 Sussex St. W. L. SCOTT, 74 Sparks St. Secretary.