Financial Support for the Clmrch in Texas
ambitious task contemplated by the two groups, was firmly convinced that a mission society should be not specific or individualistic in its outlook or purpose, but catholic, that is, universal--embracing all missions of the Church, irrespective of where they were to be found or who founded them. His views, fortunately, prevailed. Catholics throughout Europe had come to realize, after the Congress of Vienna, the necessity of supporting foreign missions in order that the light of the true Faith might be carried to all the people of the world. Protestant sects had been spending large sums and much energy to "promote the cause of their outlying posts." The Catholics would have to do likewise, these benevolent souls believed, for the European governments had long befor.e ceased sponsoring the spread of Christianity, and the Holy Father was no longer able to extend the generous aid of former days because of conditions in the Papal States. 5 The twelve delegates, fully aware of the circumstances and spurred on by the broad views of Benoit Coste, earnestly set themselves to the task of finding the broadest base possible, on which all staunch Catholics could cooperate for the spread of their Faith. The very simplicity of the organization, perfected before the end of the month, and the universality of its goal immediately made an irresistible appeal to all. Marie Pauline J aricot declared that the organizational idea had come to her like a flash from above to enlighten her mind on even the minutest detail: The organization was to consist of basic units or groups of ten members, each under a leader, ten groups to form a century under its own leader, and ten centuries under a commander to form a division. Since the purpose of the Society was to help the missions of the Church throughout the world, membership was to be unrestricted. Each member was to say a Pater and an Ave to St. Francis Xavier, the patron of the Society, and each associate was to contribute a sou a week, paid to the ten-member- group leader, who, in turn, paid the total to the leader of the century, and he, to the commander of the division. The organization was to publish reports from time to time to acquaint the membership with the fruits of their charity, thus to inspire greater generosity in promoting the work that remained to be done. These reports developed into the Antz.aus u l'Association de la Propagati01i de la F oi, indispensable today to anyone who wishes to obtain an intimate picture of the trials, tribulations, tri- umphs, and heoric sacrifices of the missionaries throughout the world 5Roemer, op. cit., I 6-r 7.
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