The Topeka state journal., 1908-11-16
Catholic Missionary Congress
Opens in Chicago
With a Multitude of Priests and
Laymen Present.
1T MARKS AN EPOCH
Passing of American Body From
the Mission Field
To an Equality With Other Ma
tiOns Of the Earth.

Chicago. Nov. 16.-In the presence
of archbishops, bishops. mitred abbots
and priests and a multitude of lay
men the first session of the first Ro-
man Catholic missionary congress in
this country opened this forenoon in
the Regiment armory of this city. To
the communicates who thronged the
assembly room the occasion had an
added significance from the fact that
it marks the passing of the Roman
Catholic church in America from the
position of a mission field to equality
with the nations organized as h1er-
archical unities in the Roman Catholic
church. The morning session, pre-
sided over by Archbishop Quigley of
Chicago, was devoted to foreign mis-
sions and fas preceded by an opening
chorus by the students of the cathe-
dral college.
In his address of welcome to the
visiting delegates who represent prac-
tically every parish and church in the
country and Canada, Archbishop Quig-
ley outlined the reasons and object or
the missionary congress, declaring that
the event marks the change in the
church in America from missionary
conditions to a full share in the activi-
ties of the church and should crystal
Iize the missionary spirit in the clergy
and people.
Tracing the history of the mission
ary work of the Roman Catholic
countless ramifications by which the
congregation of the propaganda, the
body under which the church in
America has heretofore worked, has
sent its missionaries into all parts of
the world and planted the standard of
the Roman Catholic church in strange
lands as well as caring for the faithful
in countries which had lapsed from
the rule of the Roman Catholic
church.
In his closing paragraphs the arch
bishop paid a tribute to the work of
the congregation of the propaganda in
'It found the present territory of
the United States a hunderd years ago
a mere outpost of civilization.
''It cared for the infant church and
breathed new life into it. never de-
spairing of its glorious future. through
a century of expansion until unparaI-
leled in the history of the religious
world. Whatever the Catholic church
is in America today-and it is some
thing-it owes. under God, to this
sacred congregation propaganda fide."
In his address of welcome special
emphasis was laid by the archbishop
on the presence of Most Rev. Diomede
Falconio, archbishop of Larissa, and
special legatee of Pope Plus X.
Archbishop Falconio at the conclu-
sion of the address of welcome deliv-
cred an address in which he pro-
nounced the blessing of Pope Plus X
on all taking part in the congress and
predicted a glorious growth for the
church under the new conditions.
Papers were read by Right Rev.
Joseph Freri, D. c. L., of New York,
director general for the United States
for the society for the propagation of
the faith; by the Very Rev. John Will
1iams, c. S. Sp.. of Pittsburg. director
general for the United States of the
association of the Holy Childhood, and
the Very Rev. A. E. Burke, president
of the Catholic church extension So
city of Canada. The presentation of
the papers was followed by a general
discussion of the subject of foreign
missions.