The special object of the Catholic Church Extension Society is to awaken the collective consciousness of the Catholic population and to give to Catholics that vision of their social responsibility and religious solidarity and to keep it, by its organization, in a healthy condition.  It realizes that co-operation from the Church at large will exist and maintain itself only if preceded, accompanied and upheld by a strong and vigilant Catholic public opinion.  In return public opinion, once created in the ranks of our Catholic laity, will make the Extension Society a live-wire, a dynamic force of the Church in Canada.  Let us not forget, vision—­and public opinion is the vision of the multitude—­is the first and primary of constructive forces.

To have Catholic action we must first create a Catholic mind.

A publicity campaign, followed by a dominion-wide drive for funds, would be now in order.  The spirit of giving and of giving for great causes is in the air.  A campaign of that nature—­we have seen it often during the war,—­is in itself an education.  It spreads information and arouses the sense of duty.

From the clearness, breadth and depth of that vision will spring the conquering spirit of united action.  Forgetting then our lingual and racial differences that have created in the past among us so many unfortunate misunderstandings and have weakened our forces before the enemy, we will rise to the level of our faith, to the creative powers of true Catholicity.

The “Call of the West” has been heard.  It comes to you with the burning problems of the present . . . praesentia tangens . . . and the vision of brilliant promises and heavy responsibilities of the future . . . furtra prospiciens.

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

[1] This Chapter formed the matter of a series of articles published in the “Catholic Register” of Toronto.  The Catholic Church Extension Society republished them in pamphlet form with the following introduction by Archbishop McNeil.

“The author of this pamphlet has lived in the West and has felt—­I was going to say—­the need of Catholic co-operation, but that falls short of the reality.  Co-operation among Catholics is more than a means to a missionary end.  It is an essential part of Catholic life.  Boundaries of jurisdiction are conveniences and means to an end.  In the first centuries of the Christian era it was centres rather than circumferences that marked divisions of work and of jurisdiction; but, in any case, administrative divisions were never intended to be divisions of brotherhood.  In places where we are well established we are inclined to look upon Christian brotherhood in an abstract way.  In the West they feel it as a necessity of Catholic life, not only as a source of financial help, but as brotherhood in sympathy, interest, and mutual helpfulness.  The West can help the East by its growing influence, and Catholics in the West can do their part in defence of Catholic ideals and Catholic institutions.  The more we do for them the more they can do for us.  Father Daly describes the Call of the West, and it is fittingly through Catholic Extension that the call is now made and will be answered.”