CATHOLIC YOUTH OF ENGLAND

SALESIAN WORKERS DISCUSS EDUCATION Psychology no Substitute for Religion
The problem of what to do with the youth of the Catholic Church was discussed at a meeting of the Salesian Cooperators held at the Salesian college at Battersea on Sunday, the feast of St. John Bosco. The Countess of Iddesleigh presided.
Dr. W. J. O'Donovan, 0.B.E., pointed out that although St. John Bosco tried to perform an elementary Christian dutyeducating the children-in a Catholic country, he found it very difficult to get on with the authorities.
" If we in this country, which is not a Catholic country, find the problem of Catholic education is difficult, if we are asked to raise a terrific sum, we can do it cheerfully. We must expect it to be difficult here," he said.
John Bosco sent some of his best boys out to Patagonia. That was a tremendous reproach to the spirit of intense nationalism. Who could do more than live among people who shared nothing of one's interest, who did not think alike or speak one's language?
" Yet they can live a full life there, and do so-a reproach to the nationalistic spirit which, as you may know, is my country right or wrong,' and which considers any regard for those foreigners as a sign of a weakened intellect!" commented Dr. O'Donovan.
That spirit of John Bosco was the only thing which could break down the barriers of the world, the cause of which we could not comprehend, the result of which was death for us on the fields of France or some other country.
The Spirit of Lore
" The spirit of love is the greate:t thing in this world," added Dr. O'Donovan. " If you had to pay my wife for what she does for me the Bank of England would not suffice; if you had to pay a good doctor or priest for his life's work you would be impoverished." Dr. Letitia Fairfield discussed the work of the School Medical Service of the L.C.C., and referred to the problem of the boys who were forced by economic circumstances to leave the industrial towns of the north and come south in search of work. A tremendous leakage took place during this process, many of the boys completely losing touch with the Church.
Organisations were needed to help these boys and girls, and Dr. Fairfield appealed to the Co-operators to interest their friends in the scheme. But if the scheme was to be successful, the boys would have to join voluntarily. " Don't force the boys into something which is not attractive to them," she said. " You must make it worth their while to join your organisation."
Youthful Delinquency
Dealing with the question of young delinquents, Dr. Fairfield commented that it was these boys who first interested John Bosco in education. He employed all the methods now known to juvenile psychologists.
Obituary Canon R. Burke
While on a visit to Wrexham about six weeks ago, Canon Richard Burke, rector of St. Winefride's, Holywell, suffered a sudden collapse. He was removed to the War Memorial Hospital, where he died on April 24, following an operation on the previous Sunday. Canon Burke, who was fifty-eight, has died in his native town. He was educated at Cotton College, at St. Edmund's and at the English College in Rome. After his ordination in 1904 he served at Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, and Fishguard before his appointment to Holywell as the first secular rector; that parish had been previously, during a long period, in the care of the priests of the Society of Jesus.
In 1932 the late Canon was made a member of the Menevia Cathedral Chapter. At Holywell he took an active interest in the local public life, serving on the Flintshire Education Committee and on the committee of the cottage hospital. Monuments to his zeal elsewhere are the schools at Fishguard and at Milford Haven.
The Rev. H. Woods The Rev. Henry Woods of the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh (retired), died on April 23 in St. Anne's Home at Musselburgh. He had reached the age of eighty-two. Father Woods was educated in Scotland at Blair's College, Aberdeen. From there he proceeded to Rome to continue his studies at the Scots College and at the Gregorian University. The parishes associated with his work prior to his retirement, about twenty years ago, on account of illhealth, included, among other places, Fauldhouse, Falkirk and Kirkcaldy. He was also, for a time, chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor at their house in Edinburgh.