Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-02
THE NEGRO AND THE CATHOLIC
CUTRCH-

Pastoral Letter of Bishop GrOss-WOrk
Among the CoIored People or Georgia
Active steps TO be Taken by the
Catholics.
Bishop Gross. Of the Catholic diocese Of
Savannah. has issued a pastoral which
indicates the beginning Of active steps in
the Catholic Church for carrying on the
propaganda among the colored people.
TIE letter contains a great deal Of inter-
est % the people Of the Catholic faith ard
70 the public. The Bishop says that the
church alone can purify the licentious
phases Of col0red life and make the col
ored man a worthy citizen. In calling
attention 20 the great subject the bisnop
says:
.According 70 the --latest census otGeoTgla
our coloTed population is al present about
- n11 s--.IS- Statistics show US that the
c0l0-ed population in the southern states
has increased az the rate OF - per cent
every zen wears. while the white p0Dula-
rf-u in the Southern States has only H.
creased II the rate Of % per cent These
facts show Us that there Is in OF midst
vast population rapidly increasing, but
which. most unfortunately. takes only
low place in the scale Of education aud
morality. Their influence on society IN
the entire state must be very great for
veal or WOE. They have also the right Of
tie ballot 10 elect and be elected 10 all
the Offices in the commonwealth. and 70
take 4 large share in the TulInZ and law
making power in the state. These col
I ored people have immortal souls. created
{ by the same God whO called our being
from ncthiuEuess into existence: souls
/ eouliiv redeemed by the precious blood
/
ike Us. o. the highest possible end
I the possession Of God for ali eternity.
4 Now therefore Il is clearly our most
( crave duty as the pastor Of this diocese
I ~ make every eff0ft for the salvation OF
/ their souls. Il i the duty Of tue priests
4 81r fellow Ia80rers in the vast neln 81 this
. diocese. u labor aSsiduously for their sal
/ walton. And YOU. also. dearly beloved
I brethren Of the laItT- il is also your duty
10 DO iu your sphere what you can for
T those souls for whom Christ died on the
Z -5htet Of the cross. And surely 10 Is our
! common dutv and interest a. citizens ~
the Empire state Of the south % DO al
( Iu our power 10 elevate this large portion
4 oT the u1rul arieI. Ile voice oi religion
I and patriotism. - Well a. inc "1i9i'e4-
/ in.-S Of our own Interests. should prompt
75- t- 1-rzveu- this vast cOi1red population
from sinking lower in RIGHTEOUSNESS L.
I n--l1ce AMI irreligi0n. There IS only
. rr-a -ruTv correct way % lift the cOl0reu
ueeule q the high plane which we most
f. earnest 3 desire. and that way L the
work Or the Catholic church.
I Wealth cannot do II. Nor can the mere
training in science the EnoWLeQEe OF
I arithmetic. geography. geometry astrOq-
0mv. and the other branches Of mere
7 secular education suffice >ucn an edu-
cation only too often initiates with pride
I and vanity. often renders men and women
unwilling 10 work for a livelihood: gives
them tastes above their poslu0n IN he;
makes them attempt gaining money by
dishonest means Of which the Uneducated
would scarcely think. much less be able
Z II resort to-"
me Bishop then goes on 10 inquire
E whether this vast and constantly 1ncreas-
in. number 81 cOl5red people shall become
q dire burden to the community. or "a
blessings We can well ask ourselves are
. tlev advancing in chastity. honesty. IN
. dustrT. and morality in the same rate as
they increase numerically: IL
NAV. perhaps. be asked why
t6are has been done 50 little in
/ Georgia for them by the holy church. The
. reason j. evident. In the very settlement
. a. Georgia. under a charter from the
I British Government. Catholics were ex-
T cIuded. The tide 81 Catholic immigration
was therefore turned away. The settle
7 ment OF Ge1ryia was made exclusively by
I ProtestaEts. and few were the Catholics
I that came 10 Georgia after the establish
mHut Of our independence. Even at the
present day the number Of Catholics seat
? tered over this territory Is but 1900. The
3 vast slave population before the war was.
4 therefore. owned Uy Protestant masters.
. TBe Catholic priest could not reach the
slave. Our Catholics ere. with few eX-
f. ceptions. B9or. Inc revenues
have been quite insignificant. Our CathO-
/ lies claimed our attention before We could
I turn our care 70 those Of the outside
+ world. Churches. asvlums. schools and
( other establi IUents mad 10 be provided
7 for our own caurcl. and all this was IN 81
+ difficult with our limited means; Hut IN
. spite % elese disadvantages the clergy OF
this diocese have Lot forgotten the col
f oret people. Savannah. Atlanta and
Augusta have Sunday schools for them
The Rt. Rev. DR.. NerOt opened here q
day school under the charge Of the piOus
Sisters Of St Joseph. and society fOT
c0lOred men was founded under the pa
tr0uage Of the African st. Benedict. Their
success. in spite Of great difficulties, has
been p source OF consolation.
The work Of the Benedictine Fathers is
growing in value. 4 branch Of the CathO-
lie Knights OF America. to be composed
exclusively Of cOl0red men, has been very
I successfully established in the Cathedral
parish and the sOddIities for the women are
truly great ediicatiOn 10 all. The Sis
tiers Of Mercy in Savannah have always
been most Jealous and seif-sacrificing in
giving their support TO every work
undertaken by the clergy. The two col
Ored schools in Savannah contain about
300 scholars. The Sisters OF st. Joseph
have a successful school in Washington
Wilkes county, and expect soon TO open
che in Sharon.
The Bishop concludes by enjoining con-
tinued and increased work in behalf 81
the cOlOred race. and cOmmends to the
earnest attention Of the church the neces
sity for the founding of Sunday schools
sodalities. and other Catholic societies fol
tho cGlnrel ueDnle.