THAT YOUTH MEETING

SIR,-That admirably progres sive Catholic " Milford Junior," whose articles 1 am always reading with pleasure, seems to he rather annoyed with me for stealing his thunder -to judge by the many accusations he levels against me. I'm neither anonymous-my letter was signed, though I suppose you didn't think it would have served any useful purpose to publish my name, with which policy I agree. Nor am 1 trying to disparage Fr. Fitzgerald's efforts. I just don't agree with his ideas as to how and for what ends Catholic youth should be organised. Surely it is one thing to attack certain manifest trends of thought in their public expression and quite another personally to disparage a worthy man. However, since " Milford Junior" thinks I've hurt Fr. Fitegerald's feelings, I'd like to offer him publicly my sincere apology, in case he shored be under the same impression.
Lastly, it is not brighter youth congresses I want, nor any other congresses. I don't believe in mass meetings at all. except for propaganda purposes. The really useful work can only be done by a thoroughly wellgrounded leader with a small team (not more than 12) meeting regularly three times a week for not less than a year. But that brings me to Fr. Leigh's letter, Because before we train leaders, we must know what we're after. Do we just want to have " decent citizens," like any other well-meaning Christian body of people, with only that very vague prefix " Catholic "? If so, the spirit of the Stoll meeting and charter will do fine. But if we want young amens!! of Christ, living and fighting as a conscious part of His Church, then we must surely think again-and start on different lines. I rather thought that was one of the great prerogatives of the Apostolic Church, to form the character of Christ's twentieth-century apostles, as He Himself moulded the characters of those of the first.
Fr. Leigh thinks 1 have missed the point completely. If the Catholic youth " movement " as it stands at present survives the war by six months I shall concede him that I have.
My thanks to " Catholic Scouter," though I'm not by far as competent as he seems to imagine. It is helpful to know that there is more than one voice crying in the young Catholic wilderfleas.
WRITER OF OarG1NAt LETTER.