The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-19
CHANGING THEIR PLANS
CATHOLICS WILL NOW WORK AMONG
THE UNCHURCHED MASSES.
VIII Pay Less Attention to Immi-
grants In the Future and Devote
More Time TO Americans.
snecial 10 the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK Feb. 1S.-The Roman Cath
olic Church in the United States has ar
rived at what may be called the end OF one
of its periods and Is now entering on an
other and different period. Prelates in the
church realize these changes and are alter
ing their methods of work. The past has
been devoted to the reception and assimlla-
tion Of immigrant church men and church
women The task is now ended. The future
must be devoted to a forward movement
that has as its incentive the unchurched
masses The Roman Catholic Church is to
be made In future less foreign than former
" 1t is to become American. And this
from no changed motives on the part Of
those responsible for the conduct of its af-
fairs but because Catholic children are
growing up American children.
"Our church is in a transitory state," says
the Rev. Alexander p. Doyle, member of
the Society Of St. Paul, of New York, gen.
eral secretary Of the Catholic Total Absti-
nence Union and of the American Catholic
Missionary Union. For the last fifty years
Roman Catholic activities have been ex-
pended to a very great extent in receiving
and 'reigionizing' the vast throng of peo-
pie who have come here to create homes for
themselves. 1t has been no small task to
organize these hundreds of thousands of peo-
pie into parishes. to build schools for their
children and to provide all of them with the
necessities of a religious life and worship"
The extent of this task is shown by the fact
that L the end Of this century there are
1,012500 children in parochial schools and
other educational institutions. There are
more than eight hundred high schools.
'This formative work is for the most part
done,' observes Father Doyle, land hence
the church is able now to address itself to
the masses who have drifted away from all
church FORMS"
1t is to inaugurate the new work of
church extension among Americans, apart
from caring for those who come here from
Europe, that the Catholic Missionary
Union exists. It's work is home missions,
and that for the most part in the West and
South. The union was organized three years
ago. For it's fourth year, just begun, it has
double the amount of money and twice as
many workers as it had during it's third
year. Archbishop Corrigan, of New York,
and Archbishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, are
the principal directors of the organization.
The missionaries now number twenty-five,
and they go, not to plant mission stations,
but wherever called by local pastors. They
gather an audience wherever possible,
throwing aside all formalities of church
buildings, etc, if need be, and speak to all
who will listen. Those in whom they
awaken a desire for religious things they
hard over to the nearest parOch1al establish
ment for further care. Already the unions
missionaries have added to the rolls of the
church's membership above one thousand
new adheTents.
These missionaries are supported by vol
untary contributions" says Father Doyle.
The work is in it's infancy. The fact that
twenty-five missionaries have found con-
stant occupation in three years shows that
there was demand for the work, and that
1t has come to be a feature in this new
century development of the Roman Catholic
Church in the United States, a development
which is to be along different lines far
as methods, but along the same lines so far
as teachings 60 than during the second half
of the present century; than, indeed, from
the earliest time until now."
The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis-
sions sounds a note of alarm in the shape of
statement that its receipts are, at the end
of the first nine months of its fiscal year,
$4,000 smaller than during the same period
of the preceding year, in spite of the fact
that i'm the said preceding year they were
$lS2,O00 less than in 1892 While receipts
have increased in a few presbyteries, in 9TH
ers they have fallen off one-half. This state
OF things, the members of the board say,
Ihey are at a loss TO understand with the
philippine and other fields opening up and
Demanding workers: They also point to the
fact that the condition obtains with no other
mission board. A series of meetings of busi-
ness men is being arranged in Chicago, st.
Louis Ptttsburg, Indianapolis and other
cities to consider the grave situation.
The Methodist Episcopal Church South is
raising a twentieth-century fund, but it is
only 81 100000. 1t is to be devoted wholly to
existing institutions. The fund is to be raised
If possible, by Jan. l 1901.
The novel experiment is to be tried this
coming summer of sending theological stu
dents who are in training for service as
foreign missionaries to churches in every
part of the country where arrangements
can be made for them as to summer and
other supplies.
Roman Catholic authorities are just now
busy with the problems of providing priests
for congregations in Cuba and Porto Rico
AS practically all priests in these islands
were Spaniards, they either returned to
Spain when their salaries were stopped or
declared their intention to do so. The estab-
dishments on the islands are extremely short
of ready funds, but an effort is making to
get priests educated in America there as
soon as possible.
The Prohibition Union of Christian Men
is to be made a national organization. Its
purpose is to fight the saloon, not of one
city or of one State, but of the whole coun-
try. 1t is to be so organized as to bring
about, if possible, changes in license laws,
and to affect legislatures. 1t is to be the
same for men that the Women'S Christian
Temperance Union Is for women, but ii will,
IL is promised, avoid some Of the rocks upon
which that organization has at times
dragged. 1t is emphatically church move
ment in that its membership is made up of
active church workers, both clergy and lay,
but it viii not be denominational. Their
principle is declared to be, not complaining
and nght1ng, but TO show the drinking man,
on economic grounds, what a fool he is to
spend his money he does when he might
get things so much more attractive for him.
self and his family. St. Louis has already
been invaded. and Chicago is to be soon.
1t is declared that politics is not to be per-
mitted to enter in il A course of free lee
lures is TO be given in many cities.