The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-08-31
Gbe 9Drstern grmosrat.
CHARLOTTE, N. c..
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE
UNITED STATES.

Tn connection with the laying of the corner
stone of ST. Patrick's Cathedral, We published
very interesting sketch of the rise and progress OF
the Catholic Church in this city. No one can read
that sketch without feeling of wonder and sur
prise And vet the history of the Catholic church
in New York is but counterpart OF It's history In
the United States Fifty years ago there were In
the whole Emitted States one diocese, two bishops,
sxtv-eeht priests eighty churches, two ecciesias-
ticai institutions one college and two female acade-
mics At that time the entire population OF the
country was seven millions. Assuming the present
population of the United States to be twenty-eisht
millions-fve millions than the census OF
1850 showed-it would follow that We had quad
ruped our population in the last half century
Had the progress of the Catholic church barely
kept pace with the progress of population, there
should be at the present day, on the basis OF the
foregoing statement, four dioceses, eight bishops
two hundred and seventy-two priests, three hun
dred and twenty churches, eight ecclesiastical in
stitutons four colleges, and eig Int female acade-
mics belonging to that denomination But how
do the figures actually stand ? Why, in this sim
gle archdiocese they are more than doubled. In
the whole United States, instead of four dloceses
(which a proportonate increase would have gven)
there are forty-one; instead of eight bishops there
are thrty-nnc and two apostolic Wears; instead OF
two hundred and seventy-two priests, there are
oIUEtCon
hundred and twenty churches, there are two thou
sand and ffty-three besides eight hundred and
twenty-nine stations; instead of ght ecclesiastical
institutions there are thirty-fiv instead OF four
colleges, there are twenty-nine; and instead OF
eight female academies there are hundred and
forty-four In other words taking the number OF
priests and Of churches basis OF computation,
the Catholic church has increased within the last
half century seven times fast the population
These are remarkable facts and Statistics and
may we'll challenge the astonishment and consider
alton of all men To what cause is this unparal
leled growth of the Catholic church in this coun
trv to be attributed? The principal cause, OF
course is to be found in the immense immigration
here from the Catholic countries OF Europe; bu1
still the Catholic immigration should bear to that
of all others the proportion of twenty weight to one
to make that the only cause-and statistics VII
show that no such disproportion exists. Still, the
immense influx of Catholics to our shores must bs
set down the preponderating cause OF this won
derful growth of the Catholic church here.
There arc however, other potent causes tha
have operated to the same end. Catholicism ha
been the great conservative religion Of the Cntet
States The Catholic church will not tolerate an.
innovation-it crushes out all hereses, and IS tn
foe to everything in the shape of "isIns.' Aboil
tionism and spritualisu it utterly discountenances
Its confessional system enables 1t to detect ant
weed out the first traces of doubt or inhdehty II
the minds of its Subjects and hence it is not llabi
tn those defections which break all other churche
into such infntessimal parts Thus while tn
Methodist Baptist, and other churches, have brc
ken to pieces on the slavery question, the Cathe
lies have stood aloof and avoided the danger, an
, hence their church presents to-day that wondertt
growth which we have described.-N. I. Hera@