Activities Among Negroes
Grateful acknowledgement is extended to Rev. Frances Mueller, who so kindly sent the following interesting news concerning the recent convention of the national Federated Colored Catholics held in Detroit, Mich. The reader will recall some years ago the Negro Catholics throughout the United States, like many other religious groups began to make a survey of their opportunities for advancement. Out of this movement there was organized the National Federated Colored Catholics. They found many prominent men and women in the church who were only too glad to extend a helping hand. Among this number must be considered first the late Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore, who at his death, left a legacy whereby the "Cardinal Gibbons Institute" for the education of colored youth was founded in Ridge, Md. Others who have been cooperating with these colored communicants of the Catholic faith have been Father Leo Walsh and Frances Mueller, of Cincinnati, Rev. Marko {Markoe} of St. Louis, and Rev. John La Farge, associate editor or the weekly magazine "America." Rev. Marko attracted national attention previous to taking the vows for a priest by publishing articles in defense of justice toward negro citizens.
After he became a priest, he was assigned to St. Elizabeth parish church in St. Louis where he immediately launched a drive to raise funds for a larger and better school for colored Catholic children. Later he edited and published a magazine known as "The Chronicle," which deals with the national Negro problems and has done much to create a better understanding between the races in that district.
CATHOLIC CONVENTION
Last year the Colored Federated Catholics held their sixth annual convention in Baltimore, Md. This gave them an opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the "Community of Oblate Sisters" (Colored) which, according to an article appearing in the Colored Harvester weekly for August, 1929, began with four San Dominican colored women, adding: "Today there are 154 sisters and 20 novices in the community, and the good work of the sisters has spread from the archdiocese of Baltimore to that of St. Louis, and the diocese of Charleston, Leavenworth, Richmond, Havana and Cienfuegos, Cuba. Their work runs the gamut of Catholic charities from nurseries to high schools and academies."
The president of the National Federation of Colored Catholics is Dr. Thomas W. Turner. He holds the following degrees: B. A. and M. A. at Howard University; Doctor of Philosophy at Cornell University; awarded scholarship to pursue graduate work in the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C.: member of staff United States department of agriculture as collaborator in plant diseases; member of leading biological societies of United States, and contributor to leading technical and educational journals: professor in biological department Hampton Institute and recently spent a year in study in France and Germany.
One of the outstanding events of the convention was the playing of a band of colored Catholic boys from Holy Trinity Colored Catholic church Cincinnati who were taken to Detroit for the occasion by their pastor Father Leo Walsh. They arrived in time to attend the solemn pontifical mass sung in St. Mary’s Catholic church with Rt. Rev. Michael J. Gallagher, Bishop of Detroit as celebrant.
THE PROGRAM
On Saturday, August 30, there was a conference on "Industrial Problems" sponsored by the Catholic National Welfare conference, jointly with the National Federation of Colored Catholics. There were three sessions. Victor Daniels, principal of Cardinal Gibbons institute presided the morning session, Donald Marshall of the Ford plant at Detroit spoke on “Wages and Unemployment" and John Dancey industrial secretary of the Detroit Urban league spoke on "Living Conditions in Detroit.” William A. Prather, field agent of the Federated Colored Catholics, presided in the afternoon session when the following papers were read: "Working Conditions and the Negro," Dr. Karl F. Phillips, United States commissioner of conciliation, "The Negro and the American Labor Movement." Dr. James E. Hagerty, director of social administration, Ohio State University: and "The Ethical Question Involved in the Employment of the Negro," Rev. Francis J. Gilligan, St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
Rev. John LaFarge, S. J. associate editor of "America" presided at the evening session. Rev. Edwin V. O'Hara, director of the rural life bureau. N. C. W. C. and bishop-elect of Great Falls, also spoke at this session on "Parish Credit Unions." Rev. William A. Bolger, C. S. C. of St. Thomas college, St. Paul, spoke on "What Is Industrial Justice.”
LOCALS
The piano recital given Thursday evening by Miss Mildred E. Jones of San Jose in Cooper A. M. E. Zion church this city, was the best in years rendered in a local church. She is an artist, and her playings clearly demonstrated her fine training, and commanded respectful attention. She is a credit to the race.
Miss Jones is a native daughter, educated in the public schools, and graduated from College of the Pacific in 1924, going immediately to New York where she did post graduate work in music in the LaForge Berumn school of music {Berumen}. In 1926 she accepted the position of Dean music with Bethume Cookman college at Daytona Beach. Fla. After four years she resigned and has accepted a similar position with the Sam Houston college in Austin, Texas, where she will resume her duties after a few days visiting her home, relatives and friends.
Y. W. C. A. NOTES
Miss Vera Jones will serve as part time clerk as an assistant to Miss Julia Chapman, executive secretary at the Linden branch Y. W. C. A. The branch is adding new members rapidly in an effort to acquire a much needed larger plant. The several committees of the branch notably business girls, industrial, social and religious are uniting to hold an echo meeting next Sunday with all former delegates and the recent delegates at the Y. W. C. A. conference held in Asilomar, California. This will take the form of a garden fete, the principal speakers will be recent Mrs. Tarea Pittman and the Misses Zela Morgan and Dorothy Gray, who will relate interesting features of the conference.
GRADUATION EXERCISES
The health school of the Market Street Seventh Day Adventist church will have eight graduates who will receive certificates this Sunday night in hydro-therapy. Music will be one of the added features. The public will be welcome.
RETURNED HOME
Mrs. Carrie Truafant of Oakland with her son and daughter have just returned home after having visited relatives in New Orleans, Cincinnati and Los Angeles.
HARMON PAINTINGS
Word has been received that the recent pictures winning the Harmon award last spring will shortly be exhibited this coast and that arrangements are under way to have the exhibit visit this city. The object of the tour as readers will recall, is a direct result of the Harmon Foundation in cooperation with the commission on church and race relations of the Federal Council of Churches in Christ in America to create a wider interest by the general public in the work of Negro artists to stimulate Negro artists to strive for achievement in the fine arts according to high standards and to encourage the general public in the purchase of productions of Negro artists, thus helping to put them upon a better economic foundation.
Watch this column for more definite particulars as this will mean much, not only to Negro citizens, but to all races as many do not know of the splendid work that has been accepted by the Harmon foundation after a most severe criticism and judgment from white artists of both national and international fame.
