is unfortunately compelled to take charge of a parish, is simple and reasonable: he must assist at the community devotions which have been previously described, and the remainder of his time must be divided between study and the discharge of his parochial duties. In the morning from eight to twelve he is supposed to study, from three to seven he must visit his parishioners, from eight to ten he must occupy himself once more with study or prayer.
Such is the edifying theory, but the fact is that the more agreeable task of attending to their parishioners absorbs most of the priests’ time. There are few friars who, after they have once entered upon parochial duties, give more than a sporadic and careless attention to study. They say that they do not find any advantage for the better performance of their duties in study, and, since most of their ‘duty’ resolves itself into visits to the sick and chattering with ladies over afternoon tea, their contention is plausible enough; although there are many cases in which their unfamiliarity with modern literature and its great problems brings them into contempt. I have been asked by wives or sisters in the confessional to visit men who were understood to be wavering in faith; I referred them to their parish priests, and was answered that they had so low an estimate of their parish priests that they refused to discuss with them. And where they do meet a Catholic who shows an interest in and acquaintance with modern literature,
