Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-30
THE COLORED CATHOLICS.
A Talk with Father Walsh About the
Coming Congress.

TEN THOUSAND coLoRED CATHOLICS IN THIS
crrf-How THE pxLxGArxs WILL BIZ CARED
Fon-FHR ORIGIN OF THE CONGRESS
Father Walsh, the pastor Of st. Augustine
church, and his parishioners, are looking for
ward 10 the first part Of January, when the
colored Catholic Congress, the call for which
was recently published in The STAR will meet
IN the hall of the church. 1t Is the first meet
ing of the kind ever held, and to this extent
Is experimental in its nature. But the people
of St Augustine parish have determined that
their welcome will not be experimental. They
propose 10 display genuine Washington hospi-
tslity, and give cordial reception to the dele
gates from the colored churches and visitors
al through the country. There are connected
with st. Augustine parish such societies "a the
knights Of st. Augustine. the Catholic Bene-
ncial Society, and the conference Of the So
ciety OF ST vincent de Paul. From the men,
bers viii be chosen the reception committee,
10 have charge of many of the details of the
meeting. The arrangement of the program
and other similar matters will be made by the
committee that issued the call for the congress
Enough IA known Of the program TO say that
the congress Will be opened with the celebra-
tion Of grand high mass, at the conclusion of
which the sermon viii be delivered by the car
dinaI. The sermon at the closing service will
De delivered by Archbishop Elder, of Cincin-
natl During each evening the congress re-
remains in session a sermon will be de-
hvered Father Augustin Tolton, the only col
ored Catholic priest in the United States il
expected 10 ofhciate at one of the vesper ser
vices.
TALK WITH FATHER WALSH.
The purpose Of the congress-" remarked
Father Walsh, lis to bring the representatives
of the various colored churches and societies
together to hold a conference That is as much
as know CT the objects of this meeting. The
holding Of the congress was a suggestion that
originated among the members of the colored
churches, and it has received the approval of
the clergy.
Washington was selected as the place of
meeting" he continued, in response to a ques-
ton, because il is the capital Of the nation,
and everybody wants to come here. And then,
IN the second place, because st. Augustine is
the largest and finest church building occu-
pied by the colored Catholics in this country.
st. Augustine, as you may be aware, was
ganized February IL, 1866. There was a small
brick structure on the site of the present build
ing which was occupied by the congregation.
The church was built and the parish was formed,
not because colored Catholics had no church to
attend, but because they had become numer-
Gus enough and rich enough TO have church
building Of their own. There are, should
judge, between eight and ten thousand colored
Catholics in this city. But not more than half
n.
Sunday schools for the colored people at
tached TO st. Aloysius, st. Dominics, Sc. Peters
and Trinity, West Washington. All the priyi-
leges Of the church are free alike to the colored
and the white, and the colored people attend
these churches. This parish includes all col
ored people In the city, except those within the
bounds Of the parishes named There is a
large colored contingent at St. Peters and
there is some talk about starting a separate
church in that locality.
In addition to our large church building
here and our societies." continued Father
Walsh, who Is deeply interested in this work,
we have in this parish a parochiaI school
with between three and four hundred pupils
IL Is located on l. street, between 18th and 10th
streets, and is conducted by the Sisters of the
Holy Cross. The colored people become good
Catholics, and take great interest in all forms of
church activity. Yet il has only been within
she past twenty years that separate churches
have been established for them. When st.
Augustine was started twenty years ago there
were SIX colored Catholic churches in this coun-
try. Now, of course, they are more, and the
number would be greater if there was any diff
ference shown between white and colored in
the Catholic churches. As soon as colored
Catholics became numerous enough and rich
enough to support church Of their own the
policy has been to establish such churches"
Father Walsh Is young man. but he has
been in charge of st. Augustine parish for the
past eight years.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CoRGREss
The plan of holding congress was suggested
By Daniel A. Rudd, of Cincinnati, the editor of
paper devoted to the interests Of color ed
Catholics, and owned and controlled by a COL
ored man In conversation with the cores
pondent Of the New York sun recently Mr.
Rudd said: "Of the number Of practical Cath
olics We have no exact data. but the best esti-
mates place the number at 200. 900. There are.
however, many who, at one time or another,
were members Of the Catholic Church, but
who, because OF many things-such as social
ostracism, lack of proper information, luke
warmness, and the spirit of indiference-have
fallen away. These, / am confident, would
swell the number to a half million.
The third plenary council Of Baltimore,
held In 1856, gave great impetus to the mis-
sionary work among the colored people of the
country by passing decree that special effort
should be made to educate and convert the
negroes Of the United States, and ordered that
q collection be taken up annually in all the
churches of this country for that purpose The
council further implored young men studying
Tor the priesthood to give themselves to the
work As result, many institutions have
been established all over the country"
hat effort Is now being put forth by the
Cathohc Church among colored people?''
schools, orphanages, converts and semi
naries are being established ali over the coun-
Try. Many of the old schools are making spe-
cial EFFORTS TO secure colored students. There
are In DaitlmOre three churches, three day
schools, one seminary, two converts, and sew
eral other institutions exclusively for colored
people. There are one church. one school. and
one orphanage in New York city; one church.
one school, and one convent in Richmond; one
church and two schools in Washington: one
church and one school at Keswick; one church
and one school each at Petersburg and Lexine-
ton; one church and school in Louisville: one
IN Bsrdstown; one church, two converts and
one school In 81. Louis; one church, one or
phanage. and one school in Cincinnati: one
church and school in San Antonio; one convent
and orphanage in Kansas City; one church and
school in Savannah; two churches and schools
In Charleston; one school in Memphis; one
near Jackson; one church, several schools, and
one convent In New Orleans; a church and
school In Quincy; one church and one school
IN 81. Paul, and many others that have not vet
been reported There are two orders of nuns
In this country composed entirely of noble
minded colored women, one Of which. the
Oolate Sisters Of Providence, with mother
house at Baltimore, has brsnces in different
parts Of the country.
MUCH LEARNING REOITJREn