Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-04-06
ROMAN CATHOLICS IN THE u.sTArEs.

To many of our readers the condition OF the
Church of Rome in the United States may De
an object of intereSt-to others, oil curiosity
Glancing over the Metropolitan Catholic .4lrnd-
mack of which the twenty-sixth annual volume
was lately published by John Murphy Co.,
of Baltimore, were surprised at finding a
great deal of information carefully compressed
into limited space-information too, which
may be accepted as authentic, for the .finld-
mack is published with the direct sanction OF
the Catholic hierarchy in the United States.
Commencing with these details we perceive
how this hierarchy is itselfconstituted. There
are seven provinces-Baltimore, Cincinnati,
New Orleans, New York, Oregon, San Fran
cisco, and st. Louis These Provinces are
subdivided in dioceses and Vicariates Apos-
tolic. OF the latter there are only two (East
Florida and the Indian Territory East of the
Rocky Mountains,) now occupied by Bishops
in partibus. Over each Province an Arch
Bishop presdes, who is also head OF a diocese
for example, Arch Bishop Kenrick presides
over the diocese of Baltimore. There are
nine Bishops or coadjutors in the Province of
Baltimore; eight in Cincinnati; six in New
Orleans; nine in New Y ork three in Oregon;
two in San Francisco, and nine in St. Louis.
The whole number of Catholic Arch-Bishops
and Bishops in the United States is fifty.
There are three dioceses in Pennsylvania
Erie, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. DIR. Young
is Bishop of Erie, see established in 1858,
comprising Mercer, Venango, Clarion, Jeffer-
son, Clearfeld, Elk, M'Kean and Potter coun-
ties, and all that part of Pennsylvania north
and west of them. DR.. Neumann is Bishop,
and DR.. Wood Coadjutor Bishop, of the see
of Philadelphia, established in 1909, compris-
ing all that part of Pennsylvania lying east OF
the western limit of Tioga, Centre, Miffiin,
Juniata, Franklin and Fulton counties, and
also the State of Delaware. DR.. OConner is
Bishop of Pittsburgh, a see established in 1S43,
comprising Allegheny, Greene, Washington,
Fayctte, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Arm
strong, Indiana, W Westmoreland, Cambria, Blair,
Somerset, Huntingdon and Bedford counties,
in the State of Pennsylvania. The Catholic
population of the diocese of Erie is set down
at l9, ,000 with 900 baptisms in 1858. There
is no note of the Catholic population of the
diocese of Philadelphia, (Which must be very
great but there were IL, ,452 baptlsms in 1851;
and the Catholic population of the see of
Pittsburgh is about so, 600. In the diocese of
Philadelphia there are 265 priests and 153
churches and chapels.
In IVA, there were nineteen priests in the
United States, then British Colonies. In 1870
there was one Bishop and twenty priests in
the United States. In 1900, there were two
bishops and about fifty priests. In lSOS,
when Baltimore was made an Archbishopr1c,
there were only 2 bishops, SO priests, and so
churches. There now are 43 dioceses, 45 bsh-
ops, 2, los priests, and 2 1874 churches.
The Catholic .4lmdnack does not give any in
formation TO the Catholic population of the
United States. The Census Return of 1850,
in its list of Church Accommodation in the
United States, sets down the Catholic number
at only 667 1913, which certainly is much less
than the reality. 1t is very difficult to arrive
even at an approximation to the truth in this
matter. The number of emigrants, (largely
from Ireland who annually swell the Catho-
lie population of the United States, is very
considerable. But 1t is impossible to say what,
or about what, may be the whole number of
Roman Catholics in this country.
The Almanack, speaking of the American
discussion few months ago, says that Pope
Plus TX sshas purchased a large and con-
venient house and church, lately occupied by
to the Bishops of the United States for the
education of ecclesiastical students from A
merica. To defray the expenses of fitting up
this institution, and supplying it with the men
and means of success, contributions are now
solicited from the Catholics of the United
States.'
To the Institution for the Propagation OF
the Faith, (located in Rome the dioceses OF
the United States contributed 164 ,042 francs
in the year 1857. OF this New York gave
II, ,462 francs, Boston ,490f., Louisville and
New Orleans 4,5OOf. each, Charleston 4,064f.,
Baltimore S,SSSf, Pittsburgh 3,s50f., Phila-
delphia 3,036f., and other dioceses smaller a.
mounts But, against 164, ,042f. thus contrib
uted by the United States, is an amount OF 5il-
ferent Missions of the United States. OF this
amount $4,000 francs were confded to DIR.
O'Connor, Bishop Of Pittsburgh.