Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-04-18
oArHoLIcs IN rHIs COUNTRY.
Growth OF she church During the
Present Century.

tiOn TO the recent letter or the rope 10
the American bishops in the case OF the
Italian Immigrants, the Right Rev. Mgr.
Preston publishes to-day some records
of what ,hs clsygy here have done for
them. The appearance alHo Of the Cath
olio directory for 1889 gives some inter
eating statistical information. II ia of
special value in view of inc celebration
in November next of the centenary of the
establishment of the bishoprio Of Balu.
more, the first Catholic see in the United
States. In the figures OF the report then
sent to Rome it was stated that the Oath
olic population OF the country WAS about
AZ COO. The report read as follows
There are in New England about 600
New York and New jersey, LOO; PENN
sylvania and Delaware, 1900; Maryland,
(treemen $4,000, slaves s 600, 20, 600; at
the Illinois, at KnskAekia and several
other Establishments, purely French, on
the Mississippi, l2,000." How this num-
Der has Increased in 100 years can be
seen az O glsnos from tina following gen.
eral summary Of the standing of the
church IN the Catholic directory, just ia.
sued: Priests, S,l1S, (of these zoos are
regulars and lilo seculsrs y churches,
tNObt iHtAhA hhNNbN2ttah'
seminaries, 80; theological students,
1870. Tho following fSures are esti-
mated, the returns not being complete :
Stations, 2,770 chapels, | $50; orphsus,
2l,35S; colleges, 1876; academies, $40 I;
psroehial schools, 2,799; children al
tending parochihi schools, 597, 1874. The
estimated Catholic population is 8 1877 Td
Taking the figures OF 1883 the following
detailed comparisons are found; In tue
present archdiocese Of Baltimore, which
is relatively the saine as the Maryland of
100 years age, the present standing of
the church is given as follows: Priests,
$40, OF which 100 nre regular and 140
secular; churches, Ill stations, IS;
cbapels, AZ; theological seninnries, 3 !;
students, (secular,) So; colleges, 8;
academies, 10; psroohiAl schools SO;
children attending paroehial schools,
10000; orphan paVlums, 10; orphans,
$40; baptisma, $3.50, OF thesa {, 277 vera
infants aad $50 Rtultsl; MARRIAGES sos,
burirls, about 900; population, $50, goo.
The New England Gu0 has developed
into sees, with 9i2 priests, 107 regulars
aud S35 ReculaIs, WHO attend G3l
churches, 107 stations and 100 oharelB
OF these the arChdiocese oil Rostor
| counts 325 priests, 100 churches Ii sta
tions ana 81 cbapels. The Catholic pop
ulation OF New England is placed a
1,2il 100 souls, that of each diooest
being recorded as follows: Boston
| AIS, 900; Burlington, 10000; Hartford
900 900; Manchester, 20 600; Portland
7l,0O0; Providence, 1870, geo, and Spring
field, 165, 900. There are 1872 parochia
schools, with ~, 2l2 pupils in New Eng
land. New York and New Jersey, / ,70t
in l7S9. have nov ! archbishop 8 bishops
14s6 priests, / ,419 churches and chapels
and an esiimatsd Catholic population o
1862 551. Pennsylvania and Delaware
archbishop, bishops, ZIG priests, SIS
churches and ohapels, and IN estimated
population of 757 $50. OF the grea
diOceses that now form that part OF To
west ,hen tbs wilderness, IT il hardl
necessary to give more than the figure o
the general summary to indicate wha
the immense proportions Of their in
crease has been. Tho Catholic popula
ton is now almost one.sixth of the on
tire population OF the country; in 1850
was tCo,seyenths; in 1880. n; in 1915
4ai Il 1850. ! 90; u q, l.l07 and j
l7T6 , 100
ERr1pegn immigration has, of oours
played tho most important part In III
great showing, which proves that th
growth of the Catholic church has pr,
p0rtionstely fer ontstripped that of til
! republic. La l09 years the United State
! have increased from Is states to 50 statf
/ aud 10 territories, while the church ~ ]
; years less has increased from OF
: bishoptie TO 81 The population Of Il
I country bias increased from 2,SQ3 GOO |
10000, goo, Whils thu Catholics hay
srcwn from IS QUO to nearly 80 90
; The clergy have Increased from II prizes
G in 1890 TO 8, s TO day. II is estimate
h that st least 1900 900 Catholic INN
grants hays oUiuo during the past
3 years. During tie yeer just close
2 Judging from their nntionalties, abo
. l66 500 ot the total 1884 $50 wore pro
9 a6lr Catholics. II il 20 be regretted tn
Q the dBIres Of the two official CAthol
directories published - Hoifman's a,
i Sadhm's s. coincide only in enc fax
that chair hgUteS ere not reliable for 9
i. tira accuracy, and that this is ale main
d TO toe fault of the different diocesan 81
a c!ala in not supplying the official da'
4 The disadvantages OF this can readily
q sael y hcn on aitampts 10 exactly ri
h tho historical figures and conslusi0
shat s-e 20 ioSe1sstin& and instruct
IT in egert like TIC coming centenary
the ace OF Baltimore in November ne,
GGaeral data and estimates aro all IL
Ie can 10 made GTrilEble.
In connection with these figures {
lust English mail brings the fnlioHi
: statistics irpn tho English Catholic
& 49,, I,4k
~ to and OF VAiua TO the standing OF {
y, church hsrc. line Directory, which
4 published under the auspices of OatdiI
Ne Manning, eatimstes that tho Latho
IS population OF the British empire
ID $3.50 000 T. is distributed as follow
to Ireland 3,9l3000; England and Wal
I'd 800, co; Scotland, 327 600. In the Q
o. ouies and dependencies the Numbers ai
n smsrit /, tgsrads. Newfoundland, W
ut indies, &c 300 0O1; Australasia, "a
u tralssia, New Zealand tSo..) $50 O
Il Asla, British Iiaia, Ceylun, &c y l., G4
10 600; Africa, (S1uth Africa, Gold Goa
10 Mauntins, as. D 1Jl 600 Earopean q
% ouies, (Gibralter, Malta and Coz
ng 1000. There are 70 areh;episco
az sees, 95 episcopal sees, 81 vicariates ap
Id tolio and eight prefectures apostle
u. There are 90 Catholic peers in the up
TX house. In the house of commons th
IL are more Catholic members than III
ds have been at any one time for 9oms VI
Of back. FIVE sit for Epglish and rs
* Irish constituencies. OF these so mt
Try befs. two are supporters of THO goye
on ment Mr.. Matthews and Mr.. De Lis
while no less than 7s are home rul,
There ara in England and Wales
sti- cindina two sufrragans * sanr.Iia,
aa t,Sett,6S. .,o,stas - ~"
ola l " we !nS
ian hleEatony. uuush hol aetualy pisn
ua- 10 OafGlnal Newman. The t.
am Of priests in England and Wales IN 2, =;
lis who serve 3u6 churches, cLapels
yer xaissionery 1'statinps - IN Scotland II
10 Are All nrissta the cInrcbes IL 81,