94 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



their agents oftentimes upon the other side, and develop a 

 surprising knowledge of the immigrant, the locality and family 

 when he or she meets one of them. This is a field in which 

 the Church from the practical side might be of the greatest 

 service by preventing the spoliation of the immigrant. 



III. — The Church and the Immigrant 



The immigrant upon arriving in America needs not only 

 care at the time of his arrival, but he needs it for long after- 

 wards. While I use the word "he" as a generic term, the femi- 

 nine immigrant needs care a hundredfold more than the man, 

 but the one word shall stand for both sexes. 



The homes for receiving immigrants have been touched upon 

 as practical institutions by other speakers, and consequently 

 I shall devote but a small amount of space to them. But the 

 immigrant needs a place of reception here in this land, so 

 strange to him, which shall in some measure respond to his 

 national and racial ideas. Imagine the cheerful reception 

 which an Irish immigrant would experience in a home run 

 entirely by well-meaning English Catholics, whose every man- 

 nerism and idea was different from those of the Celt. In the 

 same way the Ruthenian in a Polish receiving home, feels 

 himself alien and out of place. The common basis of a mutual 

 Catholicity cannot altogether bridge the chasm, although it 

 helps wonderfully. Therefore for those who take part in 



I the first reception and care of the newly arrived immigrant, 

 there should be a knowledge of the language, locality, history 

 and customs of the immigrant. They should be able to 

 sympathize with him from the standpoint of his home feel- 

 ing, and to explain America to him from that viewpoint. 

 Above all, they should understand his religious feelings, as 



' developed by the local mannerisms and devotions of his native 

 land. In this way the immigrant will feel that a real interest 

 is being taken in him from the very start. 



But it must not be forgotten that the primary purpose for 

 which the immigrant comes is to obtain work. I maintain that 

 it is here that the church organizations can do the utmost 

 good in putting the immigrant in touch with the persons, 

 localities and opportunities offering work. One Ruthenian 



