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THE JOHN K . MULLEN OF DENVER MEMORIAL LIBRARY 

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY ot AMERICA 

Appeals to the Catholic Clergy for aid in the support and development of its 
beneficent work in favor of higher ecclesiastical education 

vV ASHINGTON, D. c., December 8, 1927. 

~To the Catholic Clergy of the United States: 
- ~-- --=---

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF' AMERI()A has the honor to appeal, a second time, for your co-oper-
ation in the good work it is privileged to carry on at the National Capital for the higher training of our Catholic 
clergy, particularly our younger priesthood, as it issues from the seminaries and novitiates. 

This is, indeed, a request for charity, but for that charity which deals with mind and spirit, for goods 
of the highest order, for the best possible advantages in the way of "bona studia" in favor of our younger 
clergy, as they go forth to take the places of their eldersin the sublime ministry of redemption. 

We priests of Jesus Christ could ask no stronger confirmation of this truth than the words of Pius XI, 
himself a life-long student and favorably known in all the great Universities of the world. In his Apostolic 
Letter of April 25, 1922, he proclaims his ''firm conviction that the Church in America will derive the greatest 
benefit from a house of studies in which Catholic yotlth can be more thoroughly trained in virtue and science.'' 
He praises the great work of the Catholic University of America and blesses the zeal of those who strive by all 
means to further its growth and development. His predecessors Leo XIII, Pius X, and Benedict XV, spoke 
and wrote in the same strain. 

In the hope of securing your practical interest in the support and development of the University, I am 
taking the liberty of laying before you, in a series of interesting and edifying facts, some of the substantial eccle-
siastical services that the University has rendered in the near past to the Catholic Church in the United 
States. While more could easily be said on this score, the following will sufficiently justify the profound inter-
est of the Holy See in the welfare of its own creation: 

PROFESSORIAL TEACHING: In the two Paculties of Theology and Canon Law a staff of eigh-
teen learned priests devotes its entire time to the t ea ching office. There are at present one hundred and 
forty ecclesiastical students under their guidance. The University Library is very rich in works of the 
ecclesiastical sciences, and is at the disposal of the ecclesiastical students, particularly the graduate stu-
dents. The great Library of Congress is also at our disposal and has proven most helpful in the prepa-
ration of the learned Dissertations that issue annually from the two Paculties. The extensive Depart-
mental Libraries of the Government are likewise op~n to our ecclesiastical professors and students and 
often r ender great service . Nowhere in the United States is there such a vast collection of books, reviews, 
and other aids to study and learning as within the shadow of the University. 



· ECCLESIASTICAL STUDENTS: Sixty · priests are this year r esident in Caldwell Hall, pursuing 
studies for University degrees. They represent twenty-five American and two Canadian dioceses, also four 
religious orders. Of these students ten are candidates for Doctor of Theology and fifteen for Doctor of 
Canon Law. The others are candidates for Doctor of Philosophy or for the degrees of Licentiate of Theol-
ogy, Canon Law, or Master of Arts. This is our largest number of matriculated ecclesiastical students, 
mostly priests. They exhaust the accommodations now at hand for the proper reception of our young priests 
at the University. 

ECCLESIASTICAL WRITINGS: (a) Our ecclesiastical professors have written this past year some 
valuable books-Rev. Dr. John A. Ryan, "Declining Liberty and Other Essays," also a n ew edition of his 
"Distributive Justice"; Rev. Dr. John M. Cooper, "Religion Outlines for Colleges, Course II: Motives and 
Means of Catholic Life''; Rev. Dr. James H. Ryan, an English translation of ''The Encyclicals of Pius 
XI"; Rev. Dr. Jos!lph P. Christopher, St. Augustine, "De Catechizandis Rudibus "; Rev. Dr. Peter 
Guilday, a two-volume "Life of Bishop England" and "Church Historians"; Rev. Dr. A. Vaschalde, "The 
(Syriac) Commentary of D . Bar Salibi on the Gospel of St. John. " (b) Fifteen doctoral Dissertations 
by our young priest-students, aspirants to the degrees of Doctor of Theology or Do ctor of Canon Law, 
were printed this year, averaging about two hundred pages each. A gift of eleven valuable Canon Law 
publications, a little canonical library in themselves, was offered this summer to every member of the 
American Hierarchy in addition to six of the same kind sent previously. Many Bishops have found these 
publications most useful for their diocesan administration, and have asked for a continuation of the 
courtesy. The discourses, sermons, books, reviews, Encyclopedia articles, etc., of our ecclesiastical pro-
fessors are far too numerous to mention, not to speak of their active co-operation in the annual meetings 
and conventions of many learned societies. 

SEMINARY COURSE OF THEOLOGY: This year our ecclesiastical professors have added to their 
graduate courses a Seminary Course of Theology, two years of philosophy and four years of theology. It is 
meant solely for the students of those religious houses at the University whose superiors wish them to 
profit by the advantages of such a course. One hundred students of the (24) religious communities at 
the University are registered in this course, in addition to the numerous younger religious who follow 
the arts ..courses. This seminar-y cmrrs of _theology -waS-long des~ed-by--{)Y.r~igi ·- h "' ~., ..:~ 
is giving great satisfaction. It will probably be followed still more numerously in coming years. 

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING: Six priests devote their entire time to the Department of Educa-
tion, its history, nature, philosophy, methods, problems, statistics, etc. Many young priests, secular 
and religious, follow these courses in preparation for the school and college work that they will later be 
called on to carry. 

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Four priests are engaged in the teaching of social science, i . e., social theory, 
its order and history, the family, criminology, recreation, delinquency, and other problems and conditions 
of childhood. Several dioceses and religious orders keep constantly a number of young priests at these 
modern and indispensable studies. 

CATHOLIC SISTERS COLLEGE: Twelve priests devote much time to the instruction of our Teach-
ing Sisters (140) in the Catholic Sisters College. It is affiliated to the University, which confers on suc-
cessful candidates the higher academic degrees. For sixteen years it has rendered an incalculable service 
to our Catholic schools. 

LEARNED REVIEWS AND PUBLICATIONS: Ecclesiastical professors of the University carry on 
the following learned reviews : 

The Catholic Historical Review; The Catholic Educational Review; The Catholic Charities Review; 
The New Scholasticism; Studies in Psychology and Psychiatry, and The Ecclesiastical Review, not to 
speak of Salve Regina and the Catholic University Bulletin. In union with Louvain University it carries 
on the "Corpus" of Oriental Christian Writers, and shares the editorial work of the Universal Knowl-
edge Foundation. The technical skill devoted to these publications is very great, and is surely deserving 
of the approval of their brethren in the ministry. 

Deacidified 



OTHER PROFESSORIAL WORK: Our ecclesiastical professors are highly prized teachers m 
Trinity College, a graduate School for (370) Catholic young ladies, and the National Catholic School of 
Social Service ( 37) . 

BISHOPS MEETING: About seventy members of our American Hierarchy met at the University 
and were entertained there during the third week of September. This is the seventh time the Annual Con-
ference of our Bishops h as been held at the University. Nowhere else in our country could so large a 
body of Bishops have be en cared for with so much comfort, convenience, and dignity. The University 
is very proud tha t it can regularly render such a service to American Catholicism. It fe els that Our Holy 
Father in his recent beautiful Apostolic Letter to the American Hierarchy on the National · Catholic 
vVelfar e Conference was not unmindful of the humble share of the Catholic University in the religion~ 
success that so gratifies him. 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES: The National Catholic Charities Con-
fer ence, whose Thirteenth General Meeting was h eld this year at Los Angeles, is entirely a creation of the 
Catholic University of America, and owes its nation wide success to the tireless d evotion and Catholic zeal 
of our professors and students. It is they who have made it such a noble exponent of the vast religious 
possibilities that lie in the realization of all that the Charity of J esus Christ suggests to the hearts of His 
followers in the way of the social and economic betterment of our neighbor, and his reasonable enjoyment 
of those earthly goods which our Heavenly Father has bestowed so· generously on mankind. 

NATIO NAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: It is to the priests of the Catholic 
University that is owing the steady growth of this greatest of our religious monuments, the splendid 
response of love and devotion that goes up from the American Catholic heart to Mary Immaculate, patron-
ess of our country and of our University. Its great Crypt, that can seat nearly two thousand, has 
arisen as if by magic in the last five or six years, and is already enshrined in the hearts of over one 

·hundred thousand annual visitors from all the States of the Union. Its architecture and artistic decora-
tion are unequalled in our country. Every year religiou s services of a national character are held in it 
by our principal Catholic associations. It is a source of much honest pride and spiritual joy to the thou-
sands of Catholics who visit the National Capital for business or pleasure. 

o mucn excel en ecclesiastical serv1ce naturat!yenc ears e Catliohc Umversity ofA merica to every priest 
who loves Holy Church, particularly in view of the grave r eligious responsibilities that now fall so heavily on 
our cl ergy amid the increasing decay of Christian faith and the growing moral disorders of the time. 

HOWEVER, THE EXPENSES OF THE UNIVERSITY KEEP PACE WITH ITS SERVICE TO THE 
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. Salaries, books, libraries,academic equipment of several kinds, the proper custody 
of so many buildings, the entire upkeep and administration of such a great educational estate, call for an ever-
increasing outlay. In default of large private donations we can look only to the immemorial treasury of Holy 
Church, the unfailing generosity of our Catholic clergy and their faithful people. 

Will you not generously come to our aid by a small donation of 
TEN DOLLARS ANNUALLY 

FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS 
We feel that you will consider it a privilege to contribute this modest sum in aid of a great educational work · 
that deserves so well of our Catholic clergy . 

.... To those sacerdotal brethren who have already met this request, in full or in part, we are deeply grateful. 
We ask tlte further alms of their prayers, their good-will, and their personal influence . 

.... From my letter of last year I make bold to repeat that there are two other ways in which every Catholic 
priest can help the University. He can inform well-disposed Catholic men and women of its place in our 
Catholic system of education, of its merits, and of its claim to some reasonable share in their generosity. He 
can also remember the University in his will, and thus imitate the Catholic priests of old whose affectionate 
forethought built the halls of Oxford and Cambridge, and endowed them with no small share of the funds by 
which they yet live and prosper. · 

Hoping that you will consider favorably this appeal to your priestly heart, and wishing you all the 
blessings of the approaching Christmastide, I remain · 

Very sincerely yours in Christ, 

+~~~ 
Rector of the Catholic University of America. 



1. Bishop Lenihan 9. Bishop Gannon 
2. Bishop MacG in ley 1 0 . Bishop Shahan 
3. Bishop Van de Ven 11. Bishop Noll 
4 . Bishop Gibbons 12. Bishop R everman 
5. Cardinal Mundelein 13. Bishop F eeh a n 
6. Cardina l Hayes 14. Bishop Althoff 
7. Archbishop Hanna 15 . Bishop Mitty 
8. Archbishop Da eger 16. Bishop Hafey 

17. Bishop Heelan 25. Bishop Rohlmann 'I 33. Bishop Griffin 41. Bishop Toolen 
1 8. Bishop White 26. Bishop Drumm 34. Bishop J eanmard 42. Bishop Schrembs 
19. Bishop Kelly (Winona) 2 7. Bishop Schwertner 35. Archbishop Dowling 43. Bishop Gallagher 
20. Bishop Byrne (Ponce) 28. Bishop Busch 36. Bishop Welch 44. Bishop McGrath 
21. Bishop Gercke 29. Bishop Gerken 3 7. Bishop Brenna n 45. Bishop Lawler 
22. Bishop Mahoney 3 0. Bishop Swint 38. Bishop B eckmann 46. Bishop McGovern 
23. Bishop Bohachevsky 31. Bishop Lynch 39. Bishop Schuler 47. Bishop Tihen 
24. Bishop Tief 32. Bishop Walsh (Trenton,) 40 . Bishop Conroy 48. Bishop Floersh 

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN HIE~ARCHY 
HELD AT THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA 

r 

WASHINGTON, D. C. , SEPTEMBER 14-15, 1927, 

49. Bishop Finnigan 57 . Bishop Hoban 
50 . Bishop McAuliffe 58. Bishop Boyle 
5 1. Bishop Gerow 59 . Bishop Hickey 
52. Bishop Turner (Providen ce) 
53. Bishop Morris 60. Abbot Taylor 
54. Archbishop Shaw 61. Bishop K elley 
55. Bishop Pinten (Oklahoma) 
56 . Bishop Lillis 62. Rev. Dr. McKenna 


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