SIR,—Gonciuding a Jetter published in your lust issue of THE CATHOLIC HERALD, Lieut. Cyril Clancy calls for "some Modern adaptation of the Catholic Evidence. Guild " which shall " by means of prayer. retreats, the study of apologetics (to give everyone
n reason for the Faith that is in them), and by a reawakened love for the 13ible, come M. rival and eventually surpass in strength and vigour the Proestant Christian movements. . ."
Ile and other of your readers may be Interested to learn that prayer, retreats and the study of Christian doe'rinse (which necessarily includes a study of the Old and New Testaments), ereeisely the means adopted by the Birmingham Archrlicicesan Guild of Catechists to form its members and
to further their apostolic work. Its main object is to enetee Catholic men and women to qualify for the licence catechise within the Archdiocese of Birmingham granted by His Grace the Archbishop to those who have been mcommended by their own parish priests as likely to prove suitable for this work, and who further satisfy the examiner apoointed by His Grace as to their knowledge of Christian doctrine and their competence to instruct. Actually the examiner appointed by the Archbishop, who is himself the Pres:dent of this Guild of Catechists, is the Archdiocesan Director of the Catholic Evidence Guild. And in his Pastoral letter for Lent, 1944, His Grace praised the work of both these Guilds as being particularly needed in Eneland to-day. In addition to the training of licence! Catechists. the Guild. by throwing open its courses of lectures in Christian doctrine and also by its days of recollection, provides opportunities for any Catholics who wish to deepen or .rxtend their knowledge of the Faith, and to re-vitalise their sense of the apostolic mission conferred on diem in the Sacrament of Conflrmation, On this last subject, Confirmation In the rtfodern World. by Matthias Leros (Sheed and Woof) may be particularly recommended to your readers. It is a book which might persuade many willing but diffident aposeles that if only they will seriously try to prepare themselves to teed the spiritually hungry so often encountered, apparently acciitentally, in the course of daily life, the Holy Spirit may bless their goodwill in ways they would never have dreamt possible.
Atioait 13concie. Chairman of the Council.
Birmingham Archtliocefon Guild of Catechists.