Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-10
CATHOLIC CHURCH STATISTICS.
Interesting Information Furnished in . Cen
sus Bulletin Just Issued.

sus Bulletin just Issued.
A bulletin has been prepared at the census
Office giving statistics Of the Roman Catholic
church and all other Catholic bodies histori'
cally related to 1t which are represented in the
United States, viz, the Greek Catholic church
(Uniates), which acknowledges the sovereignty
Of the pope; the Russian Orthodox church, the
Greek Orthodox church, the Armenian church,
the old Catholic church and the reformed OF
concerted Catholic church.
As the Roman Catholic church always gives
in its published annual statistics the number OF
baptized members or population instead Of
communicates the census appointee IN each
diocese was requested to comply with the
requirements of the census schedules and
furnish the number Of communicates, in order
that the statistics of all the denominations
might be uniform. According to information
received from bishops it is the custom Of the
church for baptized persons to make their first
communion between the ages of nine and eleven
years. Baptized persons below the age Of nine
years are not included. therefore, in the census
returns. Some ecclesiastical authorities esti-
mate that members of this class constitute
about 10 per cent of the population of the
church, which OF course embraces both bap-
tized members and communicates.
The total number of communicates is 6, $50, :
045, who are attached to 10. 221 organizations
Churches. chapels and stations), making an
average of GIL communicates to each congre-
cation. OF the 1921 organizations 1853 OF
about 14.4 per cent, worship in halls. school
houses or private houses, which, exclusive OF
private houses represent seating capacity OF
3,366, 633, making total of 3.435, 1872 for the
whole church. which is somewhat more than
half the number of communicate
The total value of church property. includ-
ing editices, the ground on which they stand
furniture, bells, &c, is S11S, 1871. SIG. The
average value of each edifice is therefore about
413, 500. The metropolitan see of New York
with its 472,SO6 communicates, has church
property valued at nearly 5000, 900, and that
OF Chicago comes second, with property worth
S6,45 ,04 and that of Boston third, with a
total Of s6,379,07S. Brooklyn comes fourth,
with a valuation of S5.75l, 1907. and Newark
fifth, with S4,297, 4S2. These five sees have
more than one-fourth Of the entire valuation OF
the church.
In the distribution of communicates the
archdiocese OF New York comes first with
AZ. sO6. Boston second with 4l9.6G0. Chicago
third with $685. Philadelphia fourth with
25l 1862, Brooklyn fifth with 229, 1856, St. Paul
sixth with 203, 4S4 and Baltimore seventh with
1872, 5S. There are twenty-five sees, which
contain upward of 100000 communicates each.
In the tabulation by states the following facts
appear: There are $50 organizations, with
l.l53, 100 communicates, in the state OF New
York (scven diOceses) and the value of church
property is S25. 769, AIS; in the state of Massa-
chusetts (two dioceses) there are 6l4,627 COM
municants, belonging to S81 organizations, with
church property valued at S9,Sl6.003; in the
state of Pennsylvania Give dioceses). 55l. 577
communicates, 654 organizations and 49, 06S,
no OF church property; in the state of Illinois
fOur dioceses). 473,324 communicates. 6SS Or
CARNATIONS and church property valued at
S9,9l6,Sl9; in the state Of Ohio (three dioceses)
336, ia communicates, $50 organizations and
S7.395,640 of church property. In these five
states there are 12S, 772 commitments, or lit
tie more than one-half Of the total for the whole
church, and there is church property Of tho
value of S62 996, 40, which is considerably more
than one-half of the total valuation.
The church is represented in overy state and
territory in this country, including Alaska and
the District of Columbia. 1t has organiza lions
in every county but one in the six New England
states, also in every county of New York. New
Jersey, Wisconsin and other states and terri
tories.
The number of Catholic church edifces in
the District of Columbia is given as seventeen,
with seating capacity of l2,S00, property
value of lois, 800 and a regular attendance Of
81, 593.