The Catholic Evidence Guild is a loose international association of

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

lay volunteers which seeks to research and present clear and compelling explanations of the

doctrine Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief syste ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Their objective is to address incorrect impressions about the Church and its teachings. Individual groups are subject to the respective diocesan bishop.

History

The organisation was founded in the

Diocese of Westminster Diocese of Westminster may refer to: * Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, since 1850, with seat at Westminster Cathedral * Diocese of Westminster (Church of England) The Diocese of Westminster was a short-lived diocese of the Church of Engl ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

towards the end of 1918. By 1925 there were 20 to 30 branches throughout England. That year Maisie Ward published a practical training outline. The Westminster branch has spoken regularly at

Speakers' Corner A Speakers' Corner is an area where open-air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed. The original and best known is in the northeast corner of Hyde Park in London, England. Historically there were a number of other areas desig ...

since its inception. Prospective speakers were put through a strict training system by the Guild, with the goal of enabling "the ordinary Catholic to explain the truths of his religion in such a way as to reach the understanding of the crowd." A branch was formed in New York City by students of Fordham University, which in 1931 undertook radio broadcasts published pamphlets, and wrote magazine articles. Their first outdoor meeting was held in 1936 at Columbus Circle. Guild member Paul Bearing, who worked for the

National Catholic Welfare Council The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC) was the annual meeting of the American Catholic hierarchy and its standing secretariat; it was established in 1919 as the successor to the emergency organization, the National Catholic War Council. It co ...

War Relief was one of fourteen people killed July 28, 1945 when a B-25 crashed into the Council's offices in the Empire State Building. Bearing had given a talk only the evening before.Hurley S.J., Neil P., "The Catholic Evidence guild of New York City", ''Woodstock Letters'', Volume LXXXII, Number 4, 1 November 1953
/ref> There is also currently a branch in

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

(est. 2003).

Notable members

Vincent McNabb Vincent McNabb, O.P. (8 July 1868 – 17 June 1943) was an Irish Catholic scholar and Dominican priest based in London, active in evangelisation and apologetics. Early life McNabb was born in Portaferry, County Down, Ireland, the ...

O.P. *

Frank Sheed Francis Joseph Sheed (20 March 1897 in Sydney – 20 November 1981 in Jersey City) was an Australian-born lawyer, Catholic writer, publisher, speaker, and lay theologian. He and his wife Maisie Ward were famous in their day as the names be ...

(c. 1922–1981) * Maisie Ward *

Catherine Cecily O'Brien Catherine Cecily O'Brien OP (1893–1945) was an Australian Dominican sister and educationist who was known for her innovative teaching methods and for being an advocate of quality education for girls. Biography Catherine was born near Merriw ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

The Catholic Evidence Guild, New York ChapterThe Catholic Evidence Guild of Guam"Soapbox Catholics: The Lay Witness of Sheed and Ward"
Catholic advocacy groups Christian organizations established in 1918