Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09
A CATHOLIC CENSUS.
The Church in This Country Now
Has 6,250,045 Communicates.
PENNSYLVANIA FAR IN THE LEAD
OF ALI the Other States, With the Exception
of New York.
FIGURES ON THE PITTSBURG DIOCESE
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-One of the most
interesting of the census bulletins issued is
that of to-day, containing statistics in re-
gard to the Catholic Church in the United
States. Pennsylvania is far in the lead OF
all other States except New York in regard
to the number of churches, seating capacity,
value of property, etc, having 654 organlza-
tions, 610 church ediices, a seating capacity
of 305, 900, church property valued at Slo,
O6S, no and a membership of 551, ,517.
Ohio has $50 organizations, 515 church
edifces, a seating capacity of 197, ,s13, church
property valued at 81 1876, $40 and member
ship of 1886, ,116. West Virginia has 70 or
CARNATIONS, n edifices, q seating capacity
of 81, 101, church property valued at $685.
400 and membership of A., $40.
MEAGER CHURCH ATTENDANCE.
velopment is that the membership exceeds
the seating capacity of the church ediices
by from a third to half, and this, with the
fact that the churches are rarely full, sug-
gest quite as meager an attendance COM
pared with total membership as in most
other organizations.
In Pennsylvania the Philadelphia do
cese returns 153 organizations, 157 edifices,
church property valued at S3, 1888, 900, or
abont one-third of that of the whole State,
and communicants to the number of 251 262,
nearly one-half of the communicates of the
entire State The Pittsburg diocese shows
up with 1913 organizations, IS5 ediices,
church property valued at So, 307, ,025, rub
bing Philadelphia very closely, except in
the matter of membership, having but 134,
976. The Erie diocese has 120 organiza-
tions 103 edifces, property valued at $S73,
burg diocese has 81 organizations, 55 edifices,
property valued at Ss77, 1850, and 26,262
communicates.
IN OTHER DIOCESES.
The Scranton diocese has 122 organiza-
tions, 110 edifoes, property valued at
81, ,622, ,6S5, and 68, 160 communicates. The
Wheeling, W. Va, diocese has II organiza-
tions, SO edifces, value of property
5000, ,455, and 1883 communicants. The
counties leading in strength in Western
Pennsylvania are as follows:
Allegheny, So edifices; property value,
81, 2S5, 400, and ,919 communicants. Cam
bria, % edifces; property value, S264, 800,
church property in Armstrong county is
$50, 200; Beaver, SOS, 200; Bedford, $1,000;
Blair, S153, 900; Bradford, 81, ,475; Butler,
$4,000; Clarion, S1O4,OOO Clearfeld,
$50, 200; Crawford, S1Os, 400; Erie, S1S2, 800,
with 13 edifces and Il, $50 communicates;
Fayette, 81 800; Huntingdon, $4,000;
Indiana, S3O,075; Jefferson, $50, 100; Law
renee, $50, 700; Mercer, S4S, 700; Somerset,
$19, 500; Venango, S64, 100; Washington,
S23, 900; and Westmoreland, $17S,600.
THE COUNTRY AT LARGE.
The statistics given include the Greek
Catholic Church (Niates), which acknowl-
edges the sovereignty of the Pope; the Rus
Church, the Armenian Church, the
Old Catholic Church and the Reformed or
Converted Catholic Church. The total
numbes of communicates in the country is
$3.50, 045, who are attached to 10, 221 organi-
cations (churches), chapels and stations,
making an average of GIL communicates to
each congregation. .-. .-si
The total value of church property, in
cluding edifces, the ground on which they
stand, furniture, bells, etc., is Sis, ,38l, ,516.
The average value of each edifce is there
fore about S13, 500 The Metropolitan See
of New York, with its Az, ,806 communi-
cants, has church property valued at nearly
s., 600, 900; that of Chicago comes second
with property worth Sc, 457 ,004 and that of
Boston third, with a total of S6,379, ,O7S.
Brooklyn comes fourth, with valuation of
S5,457, ,1s7, and Newark fifth, with $4,-
297, ,4S2.
In the distribution of communicates, the
archdiocese of New York comes first, with
49,, ,4S0; Boston second, with 419, $50; Chi
cago third, 526, $40; Philadelphia fourth,
$50, 1852; Brooklyn fifth, 23O, ,7S7; Saint Paul
sixth, 2O3, 4S4; Baltimore seventh, 49,, ,5S7.