The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-07
CHURCH PROPERTY.
Archbishop Williams
Holds 100000
in Land.
A PRINCELY LAND OWNER.
Bishop Beaver Of This Do
cese holds So, OOO,-
900.
A PRINCELY LAND OWNER

According to the last census, the to-
tai valuation of church property in the
state of Massachusetts was SAC, SS5, OLA.
OF this 81, $50, $50 was held by the Con-
gregationalists, and $9,S16,00S was put
down to the credit of the Roman Cath
olics. The Baptists came next with Sc,
S01, $50, followed by the Methodists, who
hold $5,39S, S25. The Unitarians had 81,
72OO93 to their credit, While the Univer-
salists are given $2,11O,193.
All Roman Catholic church property
is held in the name of the bishop of
the diocese, or, as in the case of the
archdiocese of Boston, it is placed in
the name of the archbishop of Boston.
Most Rev. John Joseph Williams. Be
sides the archdiocese of Boston, in this
state there is the diocese of Springfield,
which includes the counties of Berk-
shire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden
and Worcester. presided over by Bishop
Beaver, the affairs of which are run in
| dependently of the archdiocese Of Bos-
ton. except in certain matters which
are referred to the archbishop of Bos-
ton, whose spiritual jurisdiction ex-
tends over all New England
In making the estimate of the prop
/
| bishop of Boston, due allowance must
be made for the church properties in
the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, a
part of Plymouth together with Mar
| tha'S Vineyard and Nantucket which is
| held by the bishop of Providence,
Mathew Harkins.
| This, then, narrows the estimate
| down to the counties of Essex, Middle
sex, Suffolk, Norfolk and a part of
Plymouth, comprising an area Of 2465
| square miles.
But the archdiocese of Boston com
prises most of the big cities of the state
where the most elaborate churches are
| built on most valuable sites, and a fair
estimate of the property held by the
| head of the church in this diocese is 81
100000. This includes about 200 churches.
| parsonages, seminaries and other land
held for church property. Every real
estate transaction made by the pastors
| of these churches for church purposes
is made in the name of the archbishop
! of Boston.
Many have doubtlessly observed the
name of John ]. Williams in the real
estate columns of the daily papers, but
| few, perhaps have ever stopped tc
think that the John ]. Williams re-
| fefred to was the Roman Catholic
archbishop of Boston. Up to the time
OIL tHe passage OF law IN 1891 the
archbishop of Boston held the title tc
all property as John J. Williams Now
in every title made by or to him is
added his full title. He and his sue
cessors are constituted a corporation
sole; that is, the archbishop is the whole
corporation. The advantage of consti.
tuting the head of the church corpo.
ration sole as explained by its adyo.
Wine a person is liable to die at any
i moment
When property is held as it was by
Archblshop Williams prior to the leg
lsIatlVe act of 1897, there is a chance
Tor disputes over titles which have
actually taken place in some doceses
In some cases the property had even
| oeen diverted to the heirs of the arch.
plshop or bishop instead of to his sue.
cessor in office. Before the passage
OF this law there was chance for lie.
| gal complications in the event of the
| death of the archbishop without hay-
| ing decided all the property or wiIled
| II to his successor in office. No deed
or VIII is now required, as the new law
| provides that it should go to his sue
eessor in Office
Creating Archbishop Williams as q
corporation sole made the Roman Cath
ollc archbishop of this city the largest
individual real estate trustee in New
england. 1t was a precedent, also. for
the great and general, and last wear
Hlshop Beaver of the Springfield do
cese was also created a corporation sole
ne nolds property aggregating in value
N the ne1ghborhood Of 100000.