, 1889-02-03
CATHOLIC WYOMING.
A Review of the Condition OF the
Church in Wyoming.
1t Is Prosperous and Covers an
Ever Widening Field.
Something About the Churches on
the Union Pacific.

been opened. There are already more
than seventy pupils in attendance. Great
praise is due to Rev. Father Kuppins for
his untiring efforts to procure for his be-
loved Indians the blessings of a good
Christian education.
The progress which the Catholic church
Tor as the society correspondent of the
Sun charitably and politely calls it, the
Romish church, has made in this territory
during the last few years is nowhere more
apparent than in Laramie City. Ever
since Father Cummisky's appointment to
the pastoral charge Of that parish i'm
pIovement and advance have been the
order of the day. Quietly and unostcn-
~tatiouslY, but none the less earnestly and
strenuously, Father Cummisky has labored
to advance the interests, temporal and
spiritual, of the church. How successful
his efforts have been is amply proven by
the excellent standing of the church to-
day in that city. The Catholic congrega-
ton of LarauiIe is now second to none in
the territory and in numbers n respect
ability and in social standing is not sur
passed by that of any other religious body
in that community. Father Cummisky
and his flock have every reason to be
proud of their fine parochial school so ably
conducted by the devoted daughters. Of
st. Vincent de Paul. They can also
boast of one of the most beautiful churches
in Wyoming. Brilliantly lighted up with
the most improved electric system and
admirably heIhed by a perfect steam APP
paratus, it stands a lasting to
the generosity of the people and to the
untiring labors of the beloved pastor.
No less gratifying and encouraging is
the growth of the church in Rawlins.
There the congregation is smaller, no
doubt. than at Laramie or Cheyenne, but
what it lacks in numbers is amply com
pensated for by the religious spirit and
generosity Of the people. The large ma
jority OF the Catholic people at Rawlins
are either natives of the dear ''old land"
or descendants of her exiled sons, and true
to the traditions of their race they are
ever ready to share their hard earned
dollar with the church of their fathers.
Their esteemed pastor Rev. Father
Ryan although but a short time in Raw
Inns has already won the esteem and
veneration of all classes in that city.
The many improvements which he has
been able to carry out during the last
year are a strong testimony to his own
zeal and to the generous assistance of his
people.
Further west still we come to the rising
communities of Rock Springs and Green
River. Here too the star of the chruch
is in the ascendant. Little more than a
year ago from that beautiful corner of
old ireland where the SUR and the More
go down to the sea, came out to this
country another of the thousands of mis-
sionaries of the gospel whom Ireland has
given to the church, in the person of
Rev. j. Delahunty, young in years but
filled with that zeal for the Holy Faith
which has ever marked the Irish ''sog-
garth-aroon." Father Delahunty was but
a few months assistant at Laramie City
when his ecclesiastical superiors shewd
their high opinion of his priestly quail
ties by appointing him to the pastoral
charge of the extensive parishes of Rock
Springs and Green River. How well and
amply their confidence in him has been
justified is best told by the history of
that section since he took charge of it.
Without going into particulars the re-
cital of which would extend this letter be-
yond all reasonable limits, it may be sad
that progress and Improvement and re-
form have been the watchwords of this
noble young priest. Under his able
guidance religion has ~prospered and
the material interests of the church have
been advanced even beyond the most
sanguine expectations. Ihave Just learned
to-day that Father Delahunty will have a
fair at Rock Springs on the 25th of this
month to aid in the building of a parson-
age and the writer sincerely hopes that
the generous people of that prosperous
town will rally round their good priest SO
that he may be enabled to erect a build
ing which will be a worthy temple for the
"Lares and Penates" of the present and
future pastors.
And now we come to the Ultima
Thule" of Catholic Wyoming. Evanston.
Here in the corner of the territory nearest
to the setting SUP is a growing and pros