While You're Away Booklet

When you're Away published by the Catholic Social Welfare Bureau,

The Bureau was established in 1942 to assist Irish emigrants. This particular booklet was written for Irish emigrants to England. It was affiliated with the International Catholic Migration Commission and its representatives were members of the Legion of Mary in Britain and Wales.

The cover shows two men at work in a field, sea and mountain as backdrop behind them. The men have stopped their work to pray, possibly for the noon Angelus. The Angelus is a prayer, traditionally recited three times a day. The image on back cover is of a street scene in London, possibly Fleet Street with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance.

Patriotic language encourages Irish emigrants to ‘Be proud of your Catholic faith and be proud of your country’, projecting the idea that Irishness and Catholicism are linked. This booklet warns of the dangers of abandoning the Catholic faith and urges emigrants to attend Mass. It also warns emigrants against marrying a non-Catholic and instructs them not to use contraception.
Sections include ‘WHY GO TO MASS?, ‘MARRIAGE’, ‘MIXED MARRIAGE’ and ‘BIRTH PREVENTION-FAMILY PLANNING’.

More Information
Delaney, Enda (2007) The Irish in Post-War Britain (Oxford University Press).
Gilley, Sheridan. (2005). Catholicism, Ireland and the Irish diaspora 10.1017/CHOL9780521814560.017.