Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-09
CHURCH GROWING
Shown by Official Catholic Direc.
tory Just Off the
Press.
IN YEAR WAS 100000
Extensive Reorganization Effected
in Cuba and the Phil
ippines.

The official Catholic directory, pub
Iished by the VI. II. Wiltzius company.
has just been issued. 1t contains COM
plete reports and statistical data re-
garding the Catholic church in the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Great
Britain. Ireland. the West Indies, a
synopsis of statistics from some Euro
pean countries and considerable infor-
nation regarding the church in our
new possessions.
The statistical information is given
in a condensed form below. The direc-
tory gives the Catholic population as
11,SS7,317, an increase over last year of
about 100000. The total number of
Catholic children attending the paro-
chiaI schools, according to the direc-
tory. verges on one million, being in
round numbers 9S6,OsS, an increase of
over twenty thousand over last year.
From this may be gathered an idea
of the great work being done by the
church in the cause of education in
this country.
In the matter of the number of
churches the Milwaukee diocese makes
an exceptional showing. In this re-
gard Chicago stands in first place with
316 churches. Milwaukee being second
with 293. surprising such big sees as
New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
Again Milwaukee diocese makes
strong showing in the number of pa
rochial schools, standing in third
place with l59 schools. being surpassed
only by New York and Chicago. In
the statistics regarding children at
tending parOchfal schools Milwaukee
stands in fifth place with 32,O24.
Wisconsin One-Fourth Catholic.
The total Catholic population of the
Milwaukee diocese is given as 29O,S61.
The Green Bay diocese has d Catholic
population of $4,000; Lacrosse 1I2,-
600. making a total Catholic popu-
Iation of the state of Wisconsin 527 .961.
The total population of the state of
Wisconsin is 2.OG9.O42. indicating that
the Catholics numEer Cne-quarter of
the total population of the state.
y particular feature Of the volume
of 1904 j. the reports from the new
possessions. a. all the churches in the
Sandwich island. Cuba and Porto
Rico are shown. In the Sandwich ISL
ands there are reported one bishop,
20 priests. - churches. 90 chapels. l
college. academies and 10 parochiaI
schools with an attendance of 1.S65
pupils. The Catholic population of the
Sandwich Islands is given at $4,000.
In 1903 there were three new do
ceses formed in Cuba. The island now
contains one archdiocese and three
dioceses. The names of three of the
new Cuban bishops are: Rt. Rev. Pc
drO Gonzales Estrada, bishop of Ha
vana diocese, and Rt. Rev. Bonaven-
tura +. Frederick, auxiliary bishop.
who formerly was a priest of the
Hartford diocese, and Rt. Rev. Braulio
Orne Y NiyaneO. bishop Of Pinar del
Rio. Portraits of the three prelates
who were consecrated Oct. -. 1908.
are given. There are 252 priests and
116 churches in Cuba.
In Porto Rico.
For Porto Rico diocese RI. Rev.
James ii. Blenck. an American. has
Jurisdictions He was cOnsecrated July
%, 1899. in New Orleans. and has under
him 100 priests. These attend to the IS
churches and 81 chapels in the diocese.
There are 5 hospitals, asylums for
the aged. one asylum for children. and
numerous schools and academies. The
Catholic population of the island is
.OOO.OOO. This directory contains for
the first time complete statistics of
Cuba and Porto Rico. which have been
compiled from authoritative sources.
A. TO the Philippines. the directory
shows the history of the dioceseS since
their formation i'm 1851. when they