ABSTRACT
Catholic commitment to temperance is often overlooked. Father Mathew, the Irish temperance advocate, had a srong impact during his tour of America in the 1840s. In the 1890s Father Walter Elliott (1842-1928), active in missionary work in the United States, (still then designated a missionary zone by the Vatican) argued that sobriety was necessary for a Christian family life and that, unless widespread Catholic intemperance was overcome, a large obstacle to successful missionary work amongst Americans would remain.
