TheCatholicWomen'sSocialGuild
OnWednesdaynext,Septemberith,therewillbeameetingofalltheCatholicwomenofthemetropoli,anareaat8pm.,intheCathedral,FatherLockingtonwill addressthemonthesubjectofWoman'sWorkintheWorld,andintendstoinaugurateabranchoftheCatholicWomen'sSocialGuild.HeisthefounderofthisAustralian organisation,whichisnowinaflourishingconditionintheEasternStites.
Theonepowerto-daythatcan surelysavesoulsawnruinand pointoutwithcertaintytoournationthepathsitmustfollowto cureexistingevilsistheCatholic Church. Vsomen,numerically,are inurethanhalfthetotalnumberof thefaithful,andfromthatfact alonehaveanimmensepowerin 'theirhandswhichtheyareunder theobligationofusing.Tuenourwomentoworktothat cud,tomovethemtousetheir mightypowertoaidandbenefit Australia'swomanhood,wasthe reasonthattheCatholicWomen's SocialGuildwasformed.
ACentralCommitteewaselected fromamongstMelbourne'sleading charitableworkers,andtheorganisiagsecretarychosenwasonewho foryearshadfoughtagainstheavy oddsfortherightsofwomenwork. ern.Attheinauguralmeetingdetailsweregivenofvariousactivitieswhichcouldbeimmediately undertaken.Thesuggestionsset fn:thmetwithwhole-heartedresponsefromtheenthusiasticaudience.hundredsofwomenenrolling asmembersbeforeleavingthehall.
Atthatfirstmeetingwasformed theUnionofPrayer.Itconsisted ofthepromisetoofferrosaries, Massesandotherdevotionsforvictoryandpeaceandforthespiritual aadtemporalwelfareofoursoldiersandsailors.ThiswasfollowedlaterbyaWomen'sNovenaconductedonalargescaleandoffered forthesameintention.ThankGod thatresultatleasthasnowbeen achieved.
"SantaCasa."
50wardutiI11wCirtatwattoeinistaatectcauarenwoualprobablyprove tatal.Aseries01eineitanunents
Droughtinsurncientfinancialreturn tolauncntheenterprise.AsuitablebuildingwasfoundintheunusednailofthelargeConventof mercyatVueenschtte,afavourite seasideresort,4,)milesfromMelbourne.andtheSistersofMercy willinglyundertookthechargeof thechildren.Atthstonlysix weresenteveryfortnight;butthat numberhaslongsincebeentrebled andwhennecessarytheholiday lenghtencd.Duringoneyearover 300ailingchildrenwerethusrestoredtohealthandvigour.
Childrenofall.denominationsare taken,andnochargewhateveris made.Beforetheyleavetown out,andon theirreturnfromQueensclitfare sentbacktotheirhomescomfortablyclad.Thispartofthework isseentobytheGuildSewingCircles,whichareestablishedeverywhereabranchoftheGuildis formed,andafterprovidingfor theirownpoorsendsurplusmaterialandgarmentstotheCentral Branch,whichmeetstwiceaweek. Itcosts10s.perweektokeepeach childattheRestHome,sothe committeeiskeptconstantlybusy devisingfreshsourcesofrevenue. Itisintendedthateventuallythe Children'sBranchoftheGuildwill finance"SantaCasa,"thewholeof. thechildren'smembershipfeesor sixpenceeachperannumtobedevotedtothispurpose.
HostelforWorkingsGirls.
whocomeasstrangerstothecity; toprotectthemfromthetemptationsmetwithinnon-Catholic boardinghousesandtoprovide themwithacomfortablehomeat thelowestpossibleratewithout undulyrestrictingtheirliberty.The establishmentoftheHostelwasacceleratedbythedonationof£100 from"AWorkingWoman,"who alsoundertooktheonerousposition ofmatron.Attheendofsixmonths itwasfoundnecessarytoremove toalargerbuilding,andthereis suchademandforaccommodation thatstilllargerpremisesareurgentlyneeded.Theprofitsfromthe Hostelaredevotedtoprovidingadditionalcomfortsfortheinmates.
Week-EndRetreats.
"Thecryofthechildren"was thefirsttobeheededbythenewlyformerorganisation,Andactive measuresweretakenfortheestablishmentofaseasideresthomefor delicatechildren.Thiswasintendedtoprovideacoupleofweeks' changeofairandnourishingdiet forpoorandailinglittleones,and
Whilstonebandofworkerswas engagedinlaunching"Santa.:ass," anotherwasoccupiedwithirepertantworkofadifferentnature,and onSt.Patrick'sDay,1917,the Guildopeneditsfirsthostel-the firstCatholicinstitutionofthekind inVictoria.Thiswasestablished tohelptosafeguardthefaithand moralsofCatholicworkinggirls
AstheGuildisprimarilyareligiousorganisation,thespiritualside ofitiswellprovidedfor.TheexampleofCatholicBelgiuminits greatworkofspiritualregenerationaccomplishedmainlybymeansof retreats,hasbeenfollowed,andthe C.W.S.G.inAustraliahasinauguratedasystemofweek-endretreats forworkingwomen.Six_ofthese havesofarbeengiven,oneatWarburton,apicturesquemountainresort,theothersattheSacredHeart Convent.Malvern.Thenumberof retreatantshassteadilyincreased, untilononeoccasionoverninety womenparticipated.Itistheearnestdesiretoextendthismovement untilaRetreatHouseforCatholic womenbecomesanaccomplished fact.Onewriterhasdescribed theseretreatsas"daysofrestto thewholebeing-abbodyandmind andsoul,anopportunitytoseelife steadilyandseeitwhole:' StudyCircles.
AsthegreataimoftheGuildis toenableitsmemberstobringthe lightofsoundprinciplestobear uponthegigantictaskofsocialre. form,itisessentialthatthey shouldhaveathoroughknowledge oftheseprinciples,andofthe
causestowhichpresentevilsare due.Catholicwomenaredaily calleduponinfacuzies,work-rooms, shops,officesandattheUniversity torefutethefalsedoctrinesofsocialismandmaterialismsoassiduouslyputforthTheymustbe readytodefinetheat,itudeofthe Churchuponthevitalquestionsof theday.Henceoneofthefirst worksoftheGuildwastoorganise StudyCirclesconductedbyJesuit Fathers.Suchinstructionisalso intendedtoenablemembersto makethebestusecftheirgreatest weapon-thefranchise.ThemajorityofAustralianwomentakea keeninterestinpoliticsandnever failtorecordtheirvote.Theyregardthelatterdutyasaserious responsibility,andthelending statesmenoftheCommonwealth haveneverhadcausetoregretthe grantingofwomansuffrage.
Speakers'Class.
NosoonerweretheStudyCircles establishedthanFatherLockington himselfbegantoconductaclass furthepurposeoftrainingaband ofwomenaslecturersandwriters. Whetherowingtoacuteself-consciousness,diffidence,orinnateprejudiceagainstpublicspeakingfor women,ithasprovedadifficult mattertoinducewomentofacean audience,andoutofalargeclass onlyhalf-a-dozenspeakerswere, evolved.Theyhavesetafineexample,havinggivenseverallectures andopenedmanybranches.andas theirabilityisofnumeanorder. theyhavedonemuchtofurtherthe organisation.
TheGuildNewspaper. Withregardto"writers,"the classwasmuchmoresuccessful,and asaresultofthevaluableinstructiongivenseveralmembershave becomeconstantcontributorsto "Woman'sSocialWork,"theGuild's monthlynewspaper.Thismadeits firstappearanceattheinaugural meeting,andsincethattimeits
sizehasbeendoubled.Itisedited andmanagedentirelybywomen. ItspurposeistomaketheorganisationknownthroughouttheCommonwealth,andasitalreadynumberssubscribersinthreeStates,its ambitionshouldeventuallyberealised.
TheBranchofMercy.
SidebysidewiththeParishCoinmitteeswhichconductthenewer GuildactivitiesworktheBrpnch ofMercyCommitteesinchargeof thecharitablework,whichisasold astheChurchitself.TheBranch ofMercyissimilartotheSt.VincentdePaul'sSociety,anditisresponsiblefortheadministrationof relieftothesickpoor.Inthis matterpersonalserviceisregarded asofevenmoreimportancethan financialhelp,forithasagreater powertostrengthenthebondbetweenwomenandbreakdownthe barriersofaloofnesswhichtoooften exist.Thispersonalserviceisbeinggiveninallthebranches,and inmanycasesithasbeenthe meansofcarelessCatholicsbeconiingreconciledtotheChurch:of children,beingbaptisedandofnonCatholicmothersbecomingciaRverts.
Conclusion.
Briefly,theaimsoftheC.W.S.G. aretosystematisework,toorganisepower,andtoapplyCi.tholic, principlesofsocialreformtothe problemsofournationallife,particularlythoseproblemswhichaffectthespiritualandtemporalwelfareofwomenandchildren.Such highidealsarenotachievedrapidly.Therearemanyobstaclesto beovercome;manydisappointmentstocontendagainst;buteach memberhastakenfurherexample thevaliantwomanoftheGospel and"hasputoutherhandstostrong things."Inthefearandloveof Godshelabourshopingthather workstoomayoneday1-raiseher inthegates."
"ByaMemberoftheGuild."