Recent years have seen the birth and astonishing growth of a movement whose title, marking the place of its first organization, is the somewhat valuable one of the “Oxford Groups.” Although the movement has almost ceased to be a factor in undergraduate life, the name remains: an annual meeting at Oxford—a distinction enjoyed by many other bodies—fosters the connection.

Catholics are not likely to be encouraged to take part in a religious movement outside the visible Church, “undenominational,” and exhibiting many of the features of revivalism; that much may be said at the start. Often in the past treated by Catholics as a joke, the Groups at least merit attention; moreover, at certain points, they touch upon Catholic life. Part of their main programme of “winning the world for Christ” is, avowedly, the “awakening of the historic churches,” with consequent overtures to Catholics: individuals, perhaps unwittingly, have found their way into its ranks. All the more reason then for Catholics to examine the nature of the movement, and form an estimate of its true worth: further, we ought all, priests and laity alike, to be on the look-out for any lesson that may prove of value when translated into Catholic Action.