Appeal For Helpers

" The Young Christian Workers exist to resolve the conflict between the social and economic environment of the Industrial Revolution and the destiny offered to each individual soul through membership of the Mystical Body of Christ.
"Consideration of 'conditions in this country and of the appalling leakage figures, makes it quite obvious that Canon Cardijn had observed something more than a merely continenfal application."
These statements occurred in the course of a stirring selmon delivered at Farm Street, .Church of the Jesuit Embers London, Iasi Sunday, by Fr. Joseph Christie, SJ., appealing for friends of the Young Christian Worker Movement.
Fr. Christie told the story of the famous Belgian priest, Canon Cardijn. founder or the movment. who Set 11 Ell self the task of remedy ng the scandal of the nineteenth csntury—the loss of the working c:asses to the Church.
A method wh ch. a mad at the solution of this critical problem through the provis on for Catho'ic youth of oases .into wh.ch they could retire by way of refuge from the paganism of their daily surroundings coufid not be considered adequate. The attitude which Canon Cardijn sought to inspire in. the Young Workers had nothing negative about it. For them the daily environment in -which they lived and earned their: bread was to become a field of conquest. Through formation as apostles they learned so to influence every department of their society that they transformed it ; what had previously been an obstacle to the
Chr sttan life, now, through their efforts, became kg support.
OUR LORD--HIS LEADER By the specialised method of formation elaborated by Canon Care ijn, the young apost es were trained to bring the doctrines of flier fa th to bear upon the problems of daily tie Such a format on led to the organisation of services for the young workers by the young workers themselves, and to a development from individua to collective action, under the aegis of the whole movement, which spoke and acted as the representative of the entire mass of young wo.kers.
Two points are special y worth emphasising. The young worker is trained to use the Gospels as a special subject of study in ordei the mole closely to model his lee on that of Our Lord, who is h's leader in the difficult life of -the apostolate, and a special sense of responsibility is derived from the fact that the whols movement is organised by the workers themselves.
DEVOTION AND SACRIFICE Klowly but surely, through the devotion of p oneer ptiests and the outstand ng personal sacrifice of a nucleus of young workers, the movemen ha:
spread in England and Scotland. It is in the nature of things that such s movement should stand in need not only of friencLIfp but of practical financial support. An cver-growing organisation is called for by the increasing number of those devoted to the cause. As members of the Myst:cal Body of Christ, these young apo des have a definte claim upon us. Their cause is our cause, their victcey is our victory.