The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-21
The Condition OF the Catholic Church In
New York.

The Condition OF the Catholic CHI rsh In
New York.
Prom the Freeman's Journal, Feb. al
On Sunday last. the Archbishop, at the close OF
his sermon in the forenoon invited the congregation
tunity Of addressing them on matters essential to
the progress OF religion in this osy. In the after
noon, the Cathedral was 1ded In every part, and
the congregation must have been gratlhed ana en-.
couraged by the sfposG Of the details which we're
submitted as marking tho progress Of religion in the
city and in the diocese during the last ten or twelve
years. The Archbishop, 1wevsr, confined HE re-
marks principally to the city Of New York, to the
took charge Of the diocese, aud the immense debt
that rested upon them, the struggle to pay or dimi
nish which debt has ever since been heavy drain
upon the resources of the Catholic community. Not
wi hstanding this drawback, however, the number
Of churches has increased from seven to twenty.
two-there being a. this moment three additional
churches in process Of erection. The Archbishop
went on to cay that tho number OF those who made
their jubilee, by approaching Holy Communion
during the last three months oflass year, was as
certalned to have been between seventy and eighty
thousand in the city of New ork alone. He sup
posed that this number is not more than onet third
tion be correct, would make the Catholics Of the
city amount to over two HUNDRED thousand. The
necessity of building additional churches became
apparent to ell, and the Archbishop urged tia.
measures should be ade pied to build eight or ten
more with as little delay as possible. He had pre-
viously thought of commencing new cathedral,
but he bad now made up his mind to postpone tina.
undertaking until church room should be provided
wants of the faithful. These churches are not to
be OF the expensive order. He supposed that
fourteen or fifteen thousand dollars, besides the
gtouId, would be suff ,ient-an instead of allow
ing the altered atholics, in districts where new
churches are wanted, to struggle by the nselves
with the difficulties Of erecting such churches, in
which the want Of ready means to purchase mateti-
ais and to pay for labor has unusually increased
hn ali In aA vNIo IF
raj cooperation among the whole body Of the Cath
olics, by which these new churches can be erected
one after another with great advantage AMI
economy
For this purpose he submitted for their conaid
Grafton the propriety and expedency of uniting al
the cations of the city in effort to create
general fund to be employed in aiding, partly by
donation and partly by temporary loan' IN the
The ground on which the Archbishop rested this
proposal is that all the ecclesiastical property that
now is and that is to be- belongs to all the Catho
lies, to be used and enjoyed by them forever for the
the erection of now churches they are only provid
ing for their own religious wants as an aggregate
community. The rapid and almost incredible ex-
tension of the city makes it their interest often
times to remove from the vicinity long established
churches into new neighborheods and in all such
cases is of the utmost importance that they should
be in the vicinity Of Catholic church But this
desirable result is not likely to be attained unless
prudence and foresight.
The organization by which the Archbishop pro-
posed to accomplish this desirable end is, as we I'M
derstand him. something as follows First, an or
ganization in each church, as branch of central
organization central organization to be itself
composed Of the pastor and one or two OF the mem.
bers Of each church. The object of the psrochial
branch association would be TO receive from the
Catholics within its boundaries such contributions in
smaller monthly or weekly amounts. or such larger
donations as should suffice once for all during year.
as the faithful might be disposed to contribute The
object Of the central committee would be to super
intend and direct, with the approval OF the Arch.
bishop, the expenditure Of the amounts thus col.
looted From the central committee treasury
board Of two or three SHOULD be selected A con.
venient office or place of meeting should be pro-
vided; and although treasurers should thus be ap.
pointed for the guardianship of deposits, money
should be expended for objects not expressly ap.
proved by the Archbishop, who, either by himself
or his secretary, should countersign each order.
Thus each congregation should receive an &C.
knowledgment from the treasurers for the sums de.
posted in its name. The treasurers should pre-
serve the funds thus deposited until, with the APP
proval and under the signature Of the Archbishop,
they should be appropriate to the objects for which
they are designed.
II this organization should be taken up earnestly
by the Catholics of New York, the Archbishop will
feel his duty to and prohibit,
all collections fer purposes out Of the diocese, until
the association shall have accomplished the work
which 1t will have in hard Some extraordinary
calsmity, or uniorseen necessity among our Catho.
lie brethren elsewhere, may warrant ex ,epton
to that prohibition Bat so i'm portant is the a.
tafnment Of the object in view, that besides the
aggregate of contributions from the vast multitude
OF the Catholic pc oulation of New York, who have
ever been proverbial for their lberalty where the
interests OF religion involved, the Arch bishop
would recommend that the surplus revenue, if any,
OF all the Catholic churches, beginning with that
otths Cathedral, should be thrown into the central
fund, until it shall have been found tina. there
churches enough for the spiritual wants OF all the
Catholics of the city. IL is obvious, at the same
time, that clergymen to take charge Of new congre-
cations mutt be provided in corresponding ratio
The theological seminary of ST. Joseph, at Ford
ham, will furnish during the course Of this year
some four or five eccesastics, who shall have com
pleted their theological studies.
But even these will not sufi,e for the wants Of
the city alone. In the meantime, the neg hboring
cities, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, and Jersey City,
not to speak Ct other parts of the diocese demand
an increase both of pastors and Of churches OF
course every effort will be made by the Archbishop
be PROVIDE 'srg'men WIN : '''i' 's's As posi-
We have given above, as nearly a. it is po ,siSls
an outline OF the great Catholic proposition sub
mitted by the Arshbshopin the Cathedral on sun
day afternoon. We omit many incidental re marks
regarding the wonderful process which the Catholic
religion has made in this State, and now in this do
cese during the last twelve or fourteen years--and
all by the zeal and iberality of the Catholics in the
face Of difficulties, and otenimes under the pressure
OF debts, which have all been overcome. For in
stance, it sounded thing almost incredible whom
Ills Grace stated that during the last fourteen
there had been erected before and since the division
OF the diocese by the erection of Episcopal Sees
at Albany and Buffalo, at the rate of one new
church every month, with surplus Of twenty
churches over and above. He alluded also briefly
to the different Institutions of learning or charity
which have sprung up, and to some Of which the
faithful bavc very generously contributed All
these undertakings have been successfully accom-
plished. And nearly all are able to sustain them
selves without tho necessity for further appeal for
aid. The heavy debts of the first churches have
been essentially diminished, and the smaller debts
OF the new churches though still burdonsome are by
no means oppressive on their several congreg lions
In the interim, the Catholic community have in
creased vastly in numbers, in wealth, in respectab.
lty OF their social position, in union among them
selves, in piety, in zeal for tho religious welfare of
their children, who, indeed should be the obje,.s Of
their most tender solicitude. If they have been
able to accomplish 50 much under the embarr ass
me nts and difficulties of former years 1t is lnifcst
that nov there is no object essential for the advance
meLt Of their religious Interests which by general