The Basilica Recreation Centre - Before and After
CHAPTER 3: LEAGUE OF THE CROSS
Bishop Peter Maclntyre (1818-1891) was born at Cable Head near St. Peters Bay. He attended St. Andrews College, St. Hyacinthe College and the Seminary of Quebec, and was ordained in Quebec City in 1843. He was immediately assigned to the western mission of P.E.I., making his residence in Tignish and serving the people of that wide area for 17 years. In May of 1860, he was appointed the third bishop of Charlottetown.
Ever aware of the dangers of alcohol, he was influential in the establishment of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, which spread throughout the Diocese in the 18705, and the League Of The Cross in 1888.
The League of the Cross was a total abstinence confraternity founded in 1873 by Cardinal Manning of England to unite Catholics, both clergy and laity, in the war against intemperance, and thus improve religious, social, and domestic conditions, especially among the working class. The original and chief centers of the league are London and Liverpool, and branches have been organized in the various cities across Great Britain, Ireland and Australia.
According to the local newspaper of February 3, 1913, the League, or the Society, as it was sometimes called, was very active and successful on Prince
Edward Island:
“The membership of the Society is this year greater than ever. It is expected that the debt on the Queen Street Property will be paid off this year and then a large and well-equipped building will be erected.
“The League is doing a noble work. It takes hold of the young men in their youth and helps them to keep on the right path. A number of social gatherings of late have brought the members together and on such occasions everybody expressed their highest appreciation of the efforts of the Society.
“The League Of The Cross is an excellent place too for healthful recreation and in patronizing the Hall, one of the noblest of causes is helped, that of bringing our young men up to be strictly temperate and useful citizens.