The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-09-06
4 VERY ACTIVE element,
How the italian and Portuguese Cath
olics Of New England Are q
Working. #
THE ECHuRCHEs OF BOTH CLASSES

sul lOilOhVaiL0VS OIJtyOlnOOlS
The Splendid Work Of Bishop soalabrina s
Missionaries And What They Are
Doing For Religion.
Among the different elements Of the
Catholic population Of New England
the Italian and Portuguese speaking
people constitute a class whose opera
tions, principally because they are now
showing greater signs of activity than
heretofore. and beginning to attract
public attention. Here in Boston the
majority of these people abide In the
North end, and up to within few
years ago they worshipped in common
at the same church The need of Sc
parate churches for the congregations
having. however. become apparent.
Archbishop Williams ordered. few
years ago, that the italian Cath
ollcs should hold as their own the
Church of st. Leonard of Port Maurice,
on Prince street, and that the Portu-
guese people should worship in that OF
st. John the Baptist, on North Bennett
street. The foil mer church is now, and
has been for several wears past. in the
charge of the Franciscan fathers, two
of whom, both natives Of Italy. minis
ter to the spiritual needs Of the large
congregation that W0rships in the
edifice. The great increase in the
italian population of late wears has
rendered necessary the creation Of 9
second Italian parish at the North end,
and the supervision of this was intrust.
ed by the Archbishop to those priests
Of the Pious Society of the Mission
lP1acenza), whom Bishop Scalabrlna
sent to this country couple of years
ago, to look after the interests OF the
Italian immigrants. This prelate, who
is the bishop Of fiacenza. Italy. was
recently waited upon by Archbishop
Corrigan, of New York. who is at pre-
sent in Europe, and oomplimeRted by
that metropolitan on the good accom-
plished in this country bv his mission
ares, some of whom are at work in the
New Y ork see, and it is probable that
the Piacenza prelate Will visit this
country two years hence. on the occa-
sion OF the Columbus celebration. in
order to see for himself just what his
missionaries are doing.
Outside of Boston the only other
italian congregation, as far as the
writer is aware, which possesses 9
church of it's own is the one down at
Providence, where the Church OF the
HOLY Ghost was dedicated to their use
the other Sunday by Bishop Harkins.
This congregation, which numbers
some 25O0 souls, mrlnly residents on
Federal Hill. has hitherto lipped
IN the basement of st. Johns, the
church of the English speaking people
of the neiehborhood, and it was not
until Scalabrinl's missionaries came
among them that thep made anV real
progress in procuring an edifice of their
own. Now they have q neat wooden
church, capable of accommodating 600
sitters, situated at the corner Of knight
street and Atwell's avenue. and q resi-
dent pastor In the person Of Rev. Luigi
Paroli, to whose energy and zeal they
are largely indebted tor their CHURCH.
Down in New Haven a lot for the erec-
tion of,an italian church was securedra
few years ago. and the building will;
doubtless be undertaken in due time.
There are, OF course, many other local cal
itles in New England than these where
italian Catholics are to be found, put IN
all such places. while there may be no.
provision for separate services for the
people, there can generally be found
priests who speak the Italian language
fluentlY. and who can, consequ uentlv,
minister to their spiritual needs. All
the New England dioceses count among,
their clergy several graduates OF the
American College at Rome and these
priests all talk italian almost as readily
as their native tongue. and make II 2 2
part Of tneir duty to look after the
spiritual welfare Of the Italian imml- !
grants. as, s149s 9...
There are but hve Portuguese priests
in the eastern states. and of these four
are affiliated with tho diocese Of Pro-
vidence, while the hfth has charge Of
St. John the Baptist church II Boston.
This clergyman. Rev Theodore de |
serpa. succeeded the late Rev. ,. n. l
Hughes. g. q. y. rho. il his day, ac-
q vast amount of good
among the Portueneae0 0atholics8 8cf New
England. Welshman I,y birth and
j afriar IDY profession, IRA Huehes. who
spoke ortuguese NJ hslf tlozen5I
othe lnRnages eqaally wei. M III
MN iIf II yeats
e M 81 8 lats Bishop1