The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-12-21


exultant H0sanuas and Alleluias of tlt
combined cholrs, the great Catholic
centennial celebration was brought tt
a glorious close.
have said it was the most marvel
lOus event of the nineteenth century.
| Yes; for it demonstrates to friend anC
| foe alike the marvellous growth Of the
| Catholic Church in America during the
past century. One hundred years agL
there We're but one bishop and thirty
priests, and no churches in the United
States; now there are one cardinal. IL
archbishops, seyenty.one bishops, S,OOt
priests and lO,50O churches aud chapels,
Tnen there were but 10000 Catholics;
JO.day there are by the smallest estimate
nine millions, supporting twenty seven
ecclesiastical semlnaries, six hundred
and fifty colleges ana academies, three
Thousand ono hundred Ddrochial schools
aud five hundred and twenty hospitals
and orphan a5yiums. The growth and
developement of the Uuited States has
been wonderful indeed; but the growth
and development of the Catholic Church
in America has been still more wonder
ful. While the entire population OF the
United States during the period from
1900 to 1880 increased ninetold, the
Catholic population Increased sixty
three fold, and while from 1850 to 1880
the entire population increased ll6 psi
cent, the Catholic population during
the same time Increased 294 per cent,
| These figures are furnished by our enc
mics.
Again L haye pronounced it the most
! important event of the nineteenth CEN
| tury: because the first Catholic Congress
Of laymen in America Was a luminous
proof, first, of the perfect harmony ex.
listing between priests aud people;
second, it ushered in, to use the words Of
Archbishop Ireland, "a new departure
for Catholic laymen,' and, third, it
showed emphatically that the prosperity
and success Of the Catholic Church III
America during the coming century
were to depend more, il sucn thing be
possible) upon the efforts OF the iaymen
than upon those Of the cler4y. The
clergy aud laity occupy two distinct
spheres of action. The priest cannot
do the work OF the layman; nor can tue
layman do the work of the priest.
While the layman cannot get along
without the spiritual assistance of che
priest, neither Can the priest get along
without the temporal aid Of the layman
and his greater practical knowledge Of
che world, The layman is found in a
hundred places where the priest can be
in only one. The field to De cultivated
by the laymen is almost limitless, and
the recent congress demonstrated how
admirably fitted he is to accom- plish the
work IF the mission that is allotted to
him. There in that vast audience
gathered together in Concordia Hall
was the flower and chivalry of the
Catholic laity of America. Among the
two thousand delegates honesty and
sobriecv, earnestness aud devotion, in-
telligence and faith We're stamped in
every face. TO quote from Archbishop
Ireland: 1--WE, your bishops and
priests, will always be ready to lead
you but for one shall be very GLAD to
see you get ahead of US occasionally. !"
The various papers read by the laymen
breathed earnestness, learning, elo-
quence and ability in every line; and l
earnestly hope that the proceedings Of
The congress may be printed aud scat
tered broadcast through the land, that
thev may be read aud studied by every
man, woman aud child in America.
Finally have called it the most signi-
6cant event Of the nineteenth century.
# was significant in numerous ways
First, it was significant Of the Cath
olicity of the Cnurch, aud Of a new era
for the Indian aud the Negro. There
on. the stage among the most distin-
guished Catholics Of the country sat two
full blooded Indians decked in all the
gorgeous flery Of the primitive Ame-
rican; one, Cnief Joseph. Of the Fiat
head tribe, the other Cuief White Bird.
of the Sioux Iudian Nation; both Cath!
ollcs, ''and good ones too," as the in.
terpreter informs US Then when Rev.
Father Tolton was called up from the
audience to take q seat on the stage.
an ebony black Negro. of 6ne presence
and with a benevolent smiling face. and
Roman collar, walked on to the stage.
aud after shaking hands with ex Gov
ernor Carroll. Of Maryland. on one side
OF him and Mayor Latrobe, Of Bal
timore. on the other.
81 Again it was significant as affording
sasignal proof Of the Church's untiring
zeal in the cause of education. In the
dedication of the Catholic q University at
Was .lngton the climax was reached Ia
the eeducational system of the Catholic
Continued % Fifth Pare. .5Ss 1.