Gifts from 2 Cardinals, Archbishop And 2 Bishops launch the fund
With his own gift of i1,000 Cardinal Criffin launched an appeal far funds to build an Irish residential, advisory and social centre for the London area when he presided last week at a meeting in Westminster Cathedral Hall.
Bishop Cowderoy of Southwark Toda and Bishop Beek ot Brentwood, and skilled Irish immigrants.' he Cardinal D'Alton, Primate of All •
Ireland, and Archbishop McQuaid of Dublin, and Canon Fitzgerald of Commercial Road, East London, are among ether subscribers who have brought the total received so far to £3,250 towards the target of about £50,000.
The Irish Priests' Committee-the authors of the seheme-last, week lost by death their executive's chair mail, Fr. Michael Carey, of The Borough, to whom Cardinal Griffin paid a tribute. Fr. Carey is succeeded as chairman by Fr Ambrose Woods, of Ashford. eeent, who is replaced as hon. Set:icier), by Mr. J. P. Steacy. Cardinal Griffin told last week's meeting that it was not their purpose to discuss the wisdom of Irish emigration but to deal with the actual fact that Irish boys and girls are coming here and that they need help. "The contribution which Irish immigrants have made to the development of the Church in this country is incaloulable." said His Eminence. "The days of talking about English Catholics rind Irish Catholics are over We arc a community united together, working together for God and His Church here." "The beauty of the situation arises from the fact that the Irish who have come here to help us, whilst retaining perfect loyalty to their mother country and its customs and culture, have ... readily entered into the public life of this country and into the life the Church here."
Speaking of the great material benefits which England. and London in particular has derived from immigrants. Canon Fit,geralii said that in the docklands of this country "for
years the exports by which England
lives were carried on Irish Shoulders and stowed by Trish hands."
said. who can many offer much to England, but "even our unskilled workers arc a real boon to many ol the big contractors like MacAlpine. Wimpeys, and so on."
The patnotie Englishman will serve his country by helping new immigrants to become useful and product ive citizens.
"Do not Mink the Irish Centre will be a sort of rescue work. That is lust what it is not. What we wish to do is to prevent the need for rescue work; prevention is better than cure."
On Wednesday of this week Cardinal Griffin officially opened what may well he regarded as a emalier scale prototype Irish CentreMarian House in Homsey Lane Gardens. Highgate which Fr. Thomas McNamara runs for Irish women and girls arriving in London.