Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/391

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HOLLAND 375 HOLY CHILD

administered in the name of the ruler of Holland of 1189,596,000; there are co-operative dairy plants

by a Governor-General, who has his headquarters and the co-operative marketing of produce, pur-

in Java. He has both legislative and executive chasixig of seeds, farm implements, cattle-feed,

powers but is subject to the acts of the States breeding stock, and insurance of all kinds. L[i

General and the regulations and instructions of his August, 1921, 4000 delegates from all the active

home Government. In 1916 was created the sodalities of the Bleased Virgin in Holland held

People's Council {Volksraad) of 39 members, of a Congress at Maestricht, celebrating at the same

whom 19 are nominated by the Governor General time the fiftieth anniversary of the Workingmen's

and the others elected by members of local coun- Sodality of Maestricht, which has 1800 members,

cils. For administrative purposes the colonies are There is an effort being made in Holland to develop

divided into 2 sections: Java with Madura and the Catholic missions in her overseas possessions,

outlying islands. Dutch enterprise has for three Though she has 935 missionary priests, 391 Brothers,

centuries benefited enormously from the island em- and 971 Sisters in the foreign mission field, only

pire; the sale of the products of Government indus- about 200 of them are ministering in her own

try yielding a handsome surplus over the expenses colonial possessions, owing to Calvinisitic bigotry on

of administration, but the withdrawal of the Gov- the one hand and Masonic hatred of all things

emment from business, the cost of native wars, and Catholic on the other, which have never ceased to

the necessity of carrying out public works and in- antagonize the Church and in spite of the broad-

troducing refosms have converted a profit into a mindfed spirit animating the home Government

loss which has to be made good by the tax-payer, continue to do so. Prominent among the Catholic

Thb Church in Holland.— On 20 May, 1915, statesmen of Holland is Mgr. Nolens, who, the Premier Cort Van den Linden, realizin^^ the impor- acknowledged leader of a political party, brought tance of the Pope as a political and mtemational together the strongest and best coalition ministry power, presented to Parliament a project for tem- Holland has ever known. He was a delegate to porary representation to the Holv See, which was the International Labor Conference in Washington, approved the following month anci Jonkheer Octave 1919, and brought about the triumph of sane demo- Van Nispen Tot Sevenave, member and former cratic claims when the Conference seemed about to president of the Second Chamber of the States break up without reaching any practical conclusion. General was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Later. he was the preponderant influence as Hoi- Minister Plenipotentiary to the Holy See. Later land's delegate to the Sailors' International Confer- the representation was made permanent and in ence in Genoa. In the death (1922) of Father De May, 1921, Mgr. Roberto Vincentini, titular Arch- Groot, O. P., saintly priest, brilliant orator, director bishop of Eleonopolis, was sent as internuncio to of the Catholic intellectual elite of his country, and Holland. professor of Thomistic philosophy at the University

In the general election of 1918, held for the of Amsterdam, the Church in Holland sustained a first time on the principle of proportional repre- severe loss. From his lecture hall as well as from sentation, the Catholics were numerically the his cell he exercised a fruitful apostolate, especially strongest faction in the Second Chamber and were amongst the youth of his country. One of his most called upon to form a Cabinet, in which five out of recent converts was Dr. Frederic Van Eeden, well- nine members are Catholic. They have proved known phjrsician, novelist, poet, playwright, lec- themselves skilful leaders and statesmen of high turer, and socialist leader. For Catholic statistics purpose and have made many economic reforms, see articles on the Archdiocese of Utrecht and its To-day in Holland those who fifty years ago were suffragans, treated as social and political outcasts are now

counted as the strongest props of law and order Holy Child Jesns, Sogiett op thb (cf. C. E.,

and the most resolute defenders of constituted VII-400c). — ^The work of the Society in the past

authority. decade, both in England and America, has been

The passage of the new Education Law 30 June, more on the line of consolidation than of expan- 1920, marked for Catholics the end of a struggle sion, owing to the changes in educational programs for equality before the law that had lasted tor and the pursuit of studies for the reception of fifty-two years, and that was won by tenacity of degrees. The succession of the general superiors purpose, firm convictions, and prayer. Slight gains since the death of the foundress in 1879 has been had been made in 1905 and 1912, • and by the as follows: Mother Angelica Croft, imder whom the provisions of the new De Visser Law no handicap rules and constitutions were approved and con- of whatever sort exists for private denominational firmed (1893); Mother Gonzaga Snow, who founded schools, which are to receive the same support as the house of Cherwell Edge, Oxford, intended as a the State schools. A day of thanksgiving for the house of studies for Catholic women; and the favorable outcome of this fight for children's soids present superior, Mother Mary Tolhurst. The was appointed by the archbiwop of Utrecht. Three- houses opened since 1910 are as follows: Portland, quarters of the expenses of private high schools are Oregon; Waukegan, III.; Holy Child College, Rose- to be borne by the State, and Catholics are now mont, Penn. (established 1921). The present num- tuming their resources to the founding of a Catho- ber of foundations (1921) is twenty. ()f these eight lie University, for which lar^e sums are already are in England: Masrfield (mother-house), St. pledged and which is to be situated at Nymeeen. Leonards-on-Sea, Mark Cross, London, Oxford, The project has been blessed by the Holy Father. Preston, Blackpool, Harrogate. The twelve houses Anotner evidence of the progress of the Church in in the United States are in Pennsylvania, New Holland is the splendid oreanization of Catholic York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wyoming, and Oregon, laboring men, who instead of falling a prey to Social- There are 300 members of the Society in England ism are carefully organized in exclusively Catholic and 271 in America.

unions, and are thus in the main safeguarded from In addition to the work of education in parochial

radicalism. The Dutch League of Peasants, estab- schools, high schools, and academies, the Sisters

lished to champion the cause of the farmer and have undertaken evening classes for domestic science

owing its prosperity largely to the priests, attends and needlework, and extension courses for those

to every aspect of the peasants' well-being. The otherwise engaged during the day. They also have

League banks number 1147, with deposits in 1918 Sodalities of Children of Mary, AlumnsD Societies,