Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-01
SOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS.
Catholic Church Losses and Gains-A r.
1narhdble Letter Rerie,red.

C0thottc CRHrch Losses and GdinS-A Re-
anarkdble Letter Rerie,ced.
To the Editor of the Globe.
Under the caption of "Catholic Church
Losses and Gains,'' there was published in
the Pioneer Press of the 18th inst, q re-
markable letter, of which the following is q
| copy:
To the Editor of the Pioneer Press:
I send you an item. Bishop Wilmer, of
Louisiana, stated that during his episcopate
over this diocese, he has received more than
four hundred Catholic commandments into the
communion of the Episcopal church. The
Roman organ of this city (Which some one is
kind enough to send to me frequently, post
! free), on the other hand, claims, within q score
/ or two of years, six hundred acquisitions from
! the English church, among whom are enumer-
ated the sister of Gladstone and the sister of
| Dean Stanley.
mat these CONVERSIONS perversions, of
which SO much is said, are very few, in COM
parlson to the great numbers from which the
losses and gains are made, may be we'll illus
trated by my own experience. During min
| lstry OF fourteen years, with aggregate care
| OF 5,OOO souls, but two of my communicates
| nave joined the Roman communion. and but
seven of them have been received from that
communion. The circumstances under which
| these losses and gains are made frequently
argue little for the truth falsehood of the
religious system which is abandoned Taste
| Or circumstance, or wounded pride, or a wifely
desire to harmonic with the religions views of
| a husband, have frequently more to do in the
| change Of ones religious faith than study and
reflection. The high names of England which
| the Chronicle quotes with so much satisfaction
are not exempt from the ordinary frailties of
| humanity.
| Poor Newman, the most brillia conquest,
| or rather capture of Rome! Read the apology
OF his life, and judge whether it was more his
| clear judgment, or his wounded pride and acn-
| ing heart "n en- drove him from the Anglican
| communion. Z. S. THOMAS
| In reviewing this letter do not propose to
c1iticise the ''taste,' y comment upon the "cir-
cumstances," or allude to the ::8ounded
pride, which may or may not have prompt
ed the writer, preferring to address myself
to the task of showing that in publishing it
he was evidently not actuated by clerical
ligious views" Of truth. This letter ia re-
maskabie, not for the insignificant facts
which it states, but for the significant ones
which it wholly omits. The writer of this
letter is Protestant clergyman of this city.
3 gentlemen of intelligence and education
without question fully informed Of move
ments taking place in the religious world.
and a5suredly cognizant Of such Of them as
are now, and for many years have been
matter of notoriety in ecclesiastical
circles, and among the more
intelligent OF the laity, both
Catholic and Protestant. The significant
| fact In regard to the situation in ENGLAND,
which was omitted from this letter, is. that q
movement of no little magnitude is now,
and for a long time has been taking place in
that country, from the church of England,
and other Protestant sects, to the Catholic
| church. That the latter church has been
receiving large accessions from Protestant
Ism III England, is we'll known, and is at
tracing such general attention that last
month, the Whitehall ReU5elo, non Catho-
lie English newspaper, published an article
On the movement, entitled Homes Re-
crults, and, at the same time, a list Of some
SIX hsndred names of representative mon
and women who had become converts since
1885, stating distinctly, (the italics being my
OWN that, as "the Roman church boasts an
especial mission to the poor and cu,a count
ITS concerts among the lower orders by the
thousGnd, 1t was obviously impossible to ex-
tend the roll beyond the confines of tAut
class to ao}tose actions the adgaataqes of
birth or educatiom. lend u certain deqyee of
responsibility and aoeig2t." The list Of
converts referred to, comprises a Duke.
Marqulses, Barons, Lords and Ladies, large
| numbers of Protestant clergymen lG8)
| mostly from the church Of England, officers
| OF the army and navy, artists,
authors, poets, barristers, scholars
and professors. Tho article in the
''Roman organ of this city," the NortAgest-
c'n Chronacle, referred to in the above let
| ter, was an extract from the Whitehall Re
0aeao, which states that its list is compiled
without official aid, and therefore very III,
complete. The reverend gentleman who
wrote this letter judicously refrained from
citing Catholic losses in England. lie evil
IDENTIFY feels moro at home in the United
States, and in that regard, if in no other. we
are III sympathy. The growth of the Catholic
church In this country, and the magnitude
OF its accessions from the ranks of Protes-
tantism are SO well known, that to address
the public on the subject OF Catholic losses
and gains, and ignore this fact is much lik.
presenting the play Of Hamlet, with the
character Of Hamlet omitted. The gains of
the Catholic church in this country, over
and above all losses, are simply overwheln-
ing. find some facts and figures On the
subject OF its growth in recent number
of the Daily Graphic, q non Catholic Nav
York paper, and beg the reader to bear II,
mind that my statements of fact are all
drawn from Protestant sources Tha
Graphic says:
| The Catholic church in the United States is
no longer composed wholly of the poorer
classes, of the simple and unlearned, of ignor-
| ant Irish and hoorish Germans. A single
! Jesuit priest, who is not yet very old mau. is
| known to have received more than 5000 Ameri-
can Professionals INTO the Roman church, ten of
whom were ministers of various sects The
| order OF Paulist Fathers founded in 1853 nv
the kev. Father Hecker, himself convert from
Professionalism, numbers thirty -four members.
nearly all of whom are American gentlemen.
who were born and educated Professionals MANY
| of the Jesuits-who have in the United States
$50 members--are Americans; the same is true
OF the Benedictines and the Christian Brothers
who together count l,OOO members. The late
Archbishop of Baltimore in FIVE years confirmed
2,752 converts of American birth. The average
annual number of adult converts in the city Of
New York IS said to be about 800. The Arch
bishops of Philadelphia and Milwaukee report
that from five to seven per cent. of those they
confirm are converts. The Bishop of Rich
mond says that thirty-fye per cent. of the
Catholics IN North Carolina are converts and
that one parish in the State is composed wholly
| of converts The church which has won from the
| ranks of Professionalism and enlisted in its own
| service which such men rs DR.. Brownson. Dr.
Ives, Archolshop Wood, of Philadelphia; DR..
Bayley, the late Archbishop of Baltimore:
Father Hecker, Father Hewitt Dr. James Kent
Stone, formerly president of Hobart co.,
lege; Father Walworth, Vicar-General Preston.
Father Mcleod, DR.. J. V. Huntingdon, Rev
Virgil Fl. Barber, Rev. Calvin White, and a host
of others not less distinguished, learned and
venerated Americans cannot be regarded with
contempt: it must be reckoned with as force
that may be feared, but that must not be de-
spised. The Catholic population was estimated
in 1850 to number 3,O00,00U souls; to-day it is
known to be not less than 6,4OSOGO, and by
some authorities it is believed to exceed that
figure by one-half. Nineteen Of the prelates