Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-03
cATHoLIsM VERMONT.
Progress in the Past Fifty Years

Progress in the Past Fifty Years.
The present year of grace marks an
important epoch in the history of Catho-
lies in Vermont. Exactly half century
ago the Rt Rev. John Bernard Fitzpat-
rick, then the bishop of Boston, had a
census made of his Catholic flock in this
remote part of his diocese, and has thus
furnished us with standard of COM
parison.
Figures are infallible, but like many
infallible utterance they require explain.
alton and without it are often paradoXiC-
al. At the first blush the figures of
Catholicy in Vermont would seem to in
dictate this part of the fold as the Sleepy
H"l'"n # the church; a closer examin-
att 0 Il show that they record a prog
ress aud a prosperity that will compare
favorahly with most, if not all parts of
America, and they give very cheering
prospect for the future. In the light of
these facts and this hope the birth and
growth of Catholicy in Vermont are full
of interest.
During the first quarter of the present
century Catholics in Vermont were few
ard far between, but that the leaven YVES
already working in the mass is evidenced
by the famous convention of Fanny
Allen. She was the daughter of Gen.
Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga.
and in her early youth seems to have
been imbued with much of her fathers
scepticism; but she lived to be the first
nun in New England. She was received
into the church in Montreal and had GER
tanly imbibed Catholic ideas during her
girlhood in Burlington, Westminster
and Swanton.
During the early part of the century,
but missions were given occasionally.
FIR. FittOn, who until comparatively re-
cent years lived in East Boston, was one
of the English speaking missionaries.
FIR. Jeremiah O'Callaghan, priest from
the diocese Of Cork, in 1890 settled in
Burlington, whence his influence and
D lstoral zeal radiated far and wide for
quarter of century.
He founded the new thriving parishes
in CastletOn. Fair Haven and Poultney,
and fine writer well remembers him. He
was also one of the first priests that
conducted services III west Rudand'
The old st. Marys of Burlington was
built by him and blessed by bishop Fen
I . .l.-Ng -
his labOrs FIR O'Callaghan found time to
write some half dozen works. He died
at'Holyoke, Mass, in 1861.
Previous to 1850 Father O'Callaghan
conducted services in the court house in
this town and there are Il few yet living
here who remember him.
Two pastoral visits were made to this
part of his diocese by bishop Fitzpatrick
in 1874 and 1913, and the first census of
the population showed that the number
of Catholics in the State in 1919 was a
little under 5000. In 1910 the corner
stone of the first church IN st, Adams
was blessed by the bishop afterwards
cardinaD MCClOskey.
In 1852 the fathers of Baltimore deCid-
ed that Vermont must have u bishop of
its own, as the tide of immigration was
beginning to flow into the State Bishop
| Fitzpatrick of Boston strongly recon-
mended Fr DE Goesbriand, the energetic
vicar general of Bishop Rape Of Ceve-
land. and history has since more than
justified the choice.
The young bishop (he was only 81 at
the time) was already well known for his
untiring zeal in Cincinnati under bishop
Purcell, ard in Cleveland, where he was
bishop Rappe's vicar general. On the
day of his conservation he found in Yer.
mont five priests, ten churches and be-
tween 1900 and 10000 faithful scattered
throughout his diocese. The motto chos-
en- by him-"Deus providebiU'' -"God will
provde'-had therefore meaning all its
own. LabOrers in the vineyard were the
first and most urgent want, and within
few years we find the new diocesan Wis
iting Ireland and France to supply the
need ireland and France have never
failed when called upon for the work of
the apostolate. The bishops efforts
were rewarded, and help was fOrthcom-
ing from Canada, also after 1864, when
the migratory movement set in from the
Dominion to Vermont. Among DR.. De.
Goesbriand's recruits from ireland was
the lamented FIR. Boylan of Rutland,
who died in 1886, AT er Il thirty years
work, during which he raised several
churches, school houses and convent,