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Resurrecting a Powerful Movement
The Catholic Students’ Mission Crusade of 1918-1970 had a profound impact in raising awareness of missionary work in the world. It inspired many young people and helped them practice their spiritual life.
At a time when rapid change in the world has contributed to an age of much apostolic activity, many good qualities of this former crusade have been brought up from the ashes.
As the CSMC did with the former missionaries of days past, it is now important to unite creators, to provide them spiritual formation specific to their gifts, encourage mentorship, good practice, and most of all: keep the active life within firm boundaries of the interior life, that is, a life focused on Jesus Christ.
These Photos Bring the Past to Life
With joyous note let earth resound, o’er hill and dale let it rebound; A new Crusade do we proclaim with rapturous hearts in this refrain. Our banner to the winds unfurl, our battle-cry to all we hurl;
Like knights of old there’s no reprieve until all men this truth receive.
—Excerpt from An Old Song of the Crusade
The Catholic Students' Mission Crusade had over one million members by the 1950s.
Members of this movement were called Knights and Ladies. While it started out for college students, it also expanded to include high schoolers. The most recent Eucharistic Congress in 2024 had about 20,000 attendees. One CSMC rally had about 50,000.
Growing up alongside the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, they were led by the same zeal of “Evangelization of the world in this generation.” Their motto was “The Sacred Heart for the World! The world for the Sacred Heart! Another cry was Deus Vult or “God wills it”!
It was founded in 1918 by seminarians, Clifford King and Robert Clark directly inspired by the Student Volunteer Movement. With a similar first gathering numbering about 100, they even had a few bishops attend. One, Bishop Francis Thill edited the very popular magazine, appropriately named The Shield and spread the message across America. Later they would receive Papal approval and an associated indulgence for their daily prayer. Pope Pius XI, acclaimed as “The Pope of Missions” declared: As our predecessors, the Popes of old, blessed the arms of Crusade warriors who defended the sacred places against the impious infidel, so do We bless the prayers, the works, the sacrifices of the new student crusaders in their spiritual warfare to win the world for Christ.”
At the height of the Great War, militarism was in the air, and the CSMC used similar themes to appeal to its audience. Returning to the heroic ages of Christendom, their Cincinnati headquarters was even called a “castle” and had the looks to qualify.
With an exciting initiation ritual (the likes of which a Knight would undergo), massive gatherings on college campuses, including outdoor Masses, pageants and plays attended by thousands, they immersed their members in the ethos of mission.
For instance, one song played at rallies was called For Christ the King (Fr. Daniel A. Lord)
An army of youth
Flying the standards of truth,
We're fighting for Christ, the Lord.
Heads lifted high,
Catholic Action our cry,
And the Cross our only sword.
On earth's battlefield
Never a vantage we'll yield.
As dauntlessly on we swing
Comrades true, dare and do
'Neath the Queen's white and blue,
For our flag, for our faith,
For Christ the King.
It wasn’t all fun and games, however. Today around 40% of people live in areas where there are less than 2% of Christians making up the total population, meaning many will never meet a Christian and some will never hear the name of Jesus if we do not go to them. It was the same story then. This placed an urgent sense of duty for the Salvation of Souls in the hearts of these young people and striking awareness of the dire situation of the world around them. With the tenets of Prayer, Study, and Sacrifice, they surely made a difference with their desire to “win the world for Christ.”
Tragically, up until 1972, the Mission Crusade told countless stories of missionaries in the field, becoming their national voice, informed young people how they could support them or become involved in missionary fields themselves, sustained chapters all across America, and certainly helped thousands deepen their Catholic faith.
Around the turn of the 1950s, the missionaries in the field began to be shot at from their own trenches. Some became fascinated by the idea of spreading the Gospel in a more secular fashion. Caught up in the tides of the Cold War and claims of American Imperialism, missionaries began to face attrition.
Though still having over a million members nationwide, at the 1970 convention held at Notre Dame, which was ghostly compared to years past, it was planned by leadership to be the stage for a final phasing out. Fr. Endres who wrote the pinnacle research piece on the movement called American Crusade said that this final vote deciding the end was “anything but democratic.” The chair asked “will all in favor of the adoption of the resolution signify in the usual way by saying “Aye’?” After waiting a few seconds for the “ayes,” the notes he was reading commanded the chairmen “DO NOT ask for nays.”
And thus, the Catholic Students' Mission Crusade faded from memory.
To be continued...
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