Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-07-27
CATHOLICISM.
It's Progress in flne United States III
Ninety-tWO Years.

The Catholic World draws the following
cOntrased picture of the Catholic church in
the United States in 1874 and in 1876, which
is we'll worthy perusal:
1884.
At the close Of the war which secured our
national independence and created the repub-
lie. the Catholic church found itself, for all
pra1ical purposes, unlettered and tree to en-
ter upon field which, to her, we may say
was new. At that time there were, in the
whole country, not more than 40, 100 Catho-
lies and twenty five priests. In all the land
there was not convent nor q religious COM
muni,y There was not d Catholic school
there was not a bishop; the sacraments OF
confirmation and Of holy orders had never
been administered. The church was without
organization. having tor several years had no
intercourse with its immediate head, the VI
car apostolic Of London: it was without
property, with the exception OF some land in
Maryland, which, though variety OF con-
trivances, had been saved from the rapaclty
of the colonial prosecutors; and surrounded
by bigoteu Protestant population, Ignorant
of all the Catholic glories OF the past, 1t was
also without honor. But faith and hope,
which with liberty ought to make all things
possible, had not fed, and soon the budding
promise OF the future harvest lifted its timid
head beneath the genial sun, or brighter
heaven. The priests Of Maryland and Penn
sylvania addressed letter to Plus VI, pray
ing him to appoint pretect-apostollc to pre-
side over the church in the United States !;
and as the Holy See was already deliberating
upon u step of this kind, Father Carroll was
made superior of the American clergy, with
power to administer the sacrament of cOntir-
matian. This was in 1884.
The priests, who at this time, for fear of
wounding Protestant susceptibilities, thought
it nexpedient to ask for Il bishop, were now,
after longer deliberation, persuaded that in
them, they had erred, and they therefore
named a committee to present petition to
Rome, praying for the erection of an Episco-
pal see in the United States. The holy
father having signified his willingness to ac-
cede to this proposition, and it having been
ascertained, too, that the government of this
country would make no objection, they at
once fixed upon Baltimore as the most suita-
BILE location for the new see, and presented
the name OF Father Carroll as the most
worthy to bc it's first occupant. The paple
bulls were dated November 6, 17S9, and upon
their reception Father Carroll sailed for Eng
land. where he was consecrated on the 18th
Of August the Feast of Assumption, 1890
1876.
The 18th of next August cighty-six years
will have passed since the conservation OF
Bishop Carroll, and to this period the organ
lied efforts of the church to secure position
in this country are confined. The work then
begun has not for moment been intermit-
ted In the midst of losses, defeats, persecu-
tions, anxieties, doubts, revilings, calumnies,
the struggle has still been carried on.
With the more thoroug b organization OF do
ceses and congregations, parOchlal schools
became practicable, and the progress made
in Catholic elementary education is one OF
the most significant and reassuring facts
connected with the history OF the church in
the United States. The number OF pupils IN
our parochial schools was, in 1878, O,OOO,
and to-day it is probably not much short OF
half a million, which, however. is even less
than half the Catholic school population or
the entire country. But the work OF building
schools is still progressing, and the convlc-
ton of the indispensable necessity OF rellg-
iOus education is growing with both priests
and people; so that we may confidently nope
that the time is not very remote when IN THIS
country Catholic children will be brought up
only in Catholic schools. BY establishing
protectories, industrial schools and asylums
we are growing year after year better able
to provide for orphan children.
The want of priests, which has hitherto
been one of the chief obstacles to the progress
of the church, is now felt only in exceptlonal
cases or in new or thinly settled dloceses. "A
hundred years ago there were not more IMAM
% priests in the United States; in 1oOO there
were supposed to be 40; in 1880 the NUMBER
had risen to 232; and in 184S to S9O. In ten
wears, from 1862 tc 1872, the number OF
priests was more than double, having grown
from 2,317 to 300. The lack OF vocatlons
to the priesthood among native Americans
was formerly subject of anxiety and also OF
frequent discussion among Catholics IN this
country; but now it is generally admitted, we
think, that if proper care be taken on tne
education and training of our youths, su11'
cient number of them will be found Wiling
to devote themselves to the holy ministry
In 1875 there were, according to the ON.
cial statistics of the various dioceses, 5,O74
priests, 1878 ecclesiastical students, and
6.52S churches and chapels in the United
States There were also at the same time 55
theological seminaries, 63 colleges, 5ol acaoe-
emies and select schools, and W hospitals
under the authority and control OF the Cath
olic hierarchy of this country.
One nuuuIeu years ago tAoio W."
Catholic ecclesiastical student, or theological
seminary, or college, or academy. or parochl'
al school, or asylum, or hospital from Maine
to Georgia.
Father Badin, the first person who ever re-
ceived holy orders in the United States, Was
ordained in the old cathedral of Baltimore
on the 25th of May, 1893, just eIghty-three
years ago. 1t is now eighty-six years since
R;chnn (1arrnll was concocrated and down to
1903 he remained the only Catholic Bishop
in the American church, whose hierarchy is
composed at present of one cardinal, ten
archbishops, forty-six bishops and eight
vicars-apostOlic.