The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-02-23
THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.
Organization and Number of the Demon
instion in the United States.

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.
Organization and Number of the Demon
instion in the United States.
[From the New York SUM-
From the latest statistics, it appears
that out of the 10000, 600 inhabitants
in the United States there are 5000, ,00C
of Roman Catholics. Opening "Sad-
lier's Catholic Directory and Almanac
for this year-a work approved by &C.
clesiastical authority and in common
use among the Catholic clergy and laity
II find that the whole territory of this
country is divided into seven provinces,
containing eleven archdioceses, forty-six
dioceses. and eight vicariates apostolic.
The provinces are Baltimore, with eight
dioceses and one vicariate apostolic; Bes-
ton, with six dioceses, ali in New En-
gland; Cincinnati, eight dioceses, en-
braced in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and
Kentucky; Milwaukee, five dioceses and
one vicariate, included in the States of
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and
Dakota Territory; New Orleans, seven
dioceses and one vicariate, and embrac-
ing five Southern States; New York, in
cluding the States of New York and
New Jersey with their seven dioceses;
Oregon, three dioceses and one vicariate;
Philadelphia, five dioceses; st. Louis,
seven dioceses and two vicariates; San
Francisco, three dioceses; and the prov
ince of Santa Fe, with its one diocese
and two vicariates. These dioceses,
archdioceses and vicariates are under
the ecclesiastical rule of as many arch
bishops, bishops and bishop coadjutors,
and at the head of these and the HER
archy is now the first appointed
American Cardinal or Prince of the
Church, His Eminence Cardinal
John McCloskey, Archbishop of the
Archdiocese of New York. In add =
ton to these higher clergy are five mi
tered Abbots, whose rank is almost
equal to the Bishops. Under these
prelates there are about 5000 priests,
including both seculars and those living
in monasteries or religious houses.
These last belong to that vast army of
celebrates in the Roman Catholic Church
who are formed into orders or commu-
mites, living under a rule. These Or
ders are composed of both men and
women, known as monks, friars, or
brothers, and nuns and sisters, such as
the Sisters of Charity, who are religious
vestals, but not nuns or cloistered re-
lgious. Again, the large corps of
workers known as the Christian Broth
ers. the Franciscan Brothers, and 9th
ers are celebrates, but not priests. They
devote themselves mainly to the work
of education they do not preach, or
celebrate mass, or perform any of those
offices relating to the sacraments, which
pertain strictly to the priesthood. The
"Catholic Directory" gives US also a
list of the names of about 5000 Roman
Catholic clergymen in the United
States, and from Thomas O'Kane Muir
rays /" History of the Catholic Church
in the United States" we gather these
figures Total number of monks or men
living in religious houses, under the
rule of twenty-seven different religious
orders in the United States, 1854 re-
hgious houses for men (termed various
ly monasteries, retreats, abbeys, pri-
orIes, and convents), 228; colleges
and seminaries presided over and in
structed by these celebrates and some
secular priests, 75; number of students
attending the same, 13, 943. These col
leges and seminaries are authorized to
confer degrees, and are generously and
amply provided with libraries, appara-
tus and all the appliances and aids nec-
essary to enable them to bestow lib
eral education. Besides this part of the
work of education, these religious
and priests do part of the work of
teaching in various pay schools and
academies, and also in the 1,700 free
Catholic common schools of this repub-
lie, with their attendance of over half
million of children. In these common
schools are engaged also large numbers
of the Sisters of Charity and other
women belonging to other religious or
ders. There are forty-four regular or
ders for women in this country, with q
membership of about 10000 professed
nuns or sisters, besides novices and post
ulants or candidates for membership.
These ladies' own and live in 600 con-
vents or religious houses, conduct over
400 academies, about $50 pay schools,
Ill asylums, and manage and nurse the
patients in &c hospitals. This is be-
ieved, however, to be very small esti-
mate. They form, moreover, by far the
largest number OF teachers in the free
parochial or Catholic common schools
mentioned above. These, it will be re-
membered, draw no part of the common
school fund in any of the States, but
are supported by the voluntary contrib
utions of Roman Catholics themselves.