The Irish standard., 1908-05-02
THE CATHOLIC CENTENNIAL.

and bishops of the United States as
Was witnessed during the last week in
New York on the occasion of the cele-
bration of the centennial of the Cath
Ollie diocese of New York. On April
cath. 1908, Richard Luke Concanen was
consecrated in Rome, first bishop of the
diocese or New York. Prior to 1908
Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore was
the head of the Church in America.
That year Baltimore was elevated to
an episcopatc and four suffragan sees
were formed. New York, Boston, Phil
adelphia and Bardstown. At that time
the diocese Of New York covered the
whole state and part of New Jersey.
In New York city there was but one
diocese there were less than 10000
Catholics. Tho Catholic Church had
not been much favored in New York
during colonial days. BY law of 100
"popsh priests and Jesuits" found in
the colony of New York were con-
dcmncd to perpetual Imprisonment,
and it was not until 1884 that this law
was repealed. BY the constitution of
New York in 1777, Catholics from for
cign countries were excluded from the
rights or citizenship. The part taken
by Catholics in the Revolutionary War
had much to do with bringing about a
change in attitude toward them, but
the difficulties to overcome were so
great that in 1908. at the time of the
formation of the diocese of New York
the Church had made little headway.
The first bishop of New York never
occupied his seat, having died in Ma
pies in 1910. AS late as 1926 there
were less than $4,000 Catholics in the
city of New York and not more than
100000 in the whole diocese. Tho
whole diocese had ten priests. In 1887
Bishop Hughes, afterwards Archbishop
Hughes, became the head of the dio-
cese. Under him the Catholic Church
in New York began to grow by leaps
and bounds. His service to the Church
and nation is we'll remembered. It is
perhaps true that no private citizen
rendered greater aid to the Union than
Archbishop Hughes. He laid the COR
nerstone of the present magnificent st.
Patricks cathedral in the year 1858.
He laid the foundation for the present
parochial school system. which now
furnishes educational facilities for TO-
600 children. He started the system
of hospitals and other charitable insti-
tuttons. which are now the pride of the
great Catholic arch diocese of New
York.
Tho Catholics of New York in par
ticular. and OF the whole country in
general, have reason to be proud of the
progress of the Church in New York.
Three million Catholics. instead of 2O,-
900: one archbishop nine bishops, $500
priests. $500 churches, in the place OF
one church and a half a dozen priests;
the whole territory covered by colleges,
academies, schools. asylums, and hos
pitfalls. where there were none, is the
record Of one hundred years of pro.
gress in the diocese of New York To-
day easily one third of the population
of the great city of New York is Cath
olc. Ono hundred years ago the privil-
csc OF citizenship was grudgingly ex-
tended to the few Catholics who then
existed
The material progress Of the Church
is not the most important part of it's
success. The New York Herald. COM
menting cditorially upon the celcbra-
tion says:
Setting aside all this and looking
only at the growth of the Catholic
Church here in the past hundred years.
and the great practical work it has
accomplished. it Is matter to arrest
the attention and incitc the reflection
VI llSu VI oil ClccuS anu I'll no CrCCO.
The material S,owth from solitary
church and the one little school of a
century ago is made Visible in the
hundreds Of churches Of today and the
voluntary support OF parochial schools,
in which moro than 10000 children are
being educated. and the institutions of
higher learning. orphan asylums. hos
pitfalls and various charitable institu-
tions. In drawing attention to this
visible work of the Church. the CEN
tcnnial celebration also suggests to
thoughtful persons the invisible work,
Of which all this is the outward symbol.
The old days of prejudice and intolei'-
ance have passed and now that the
world is resounding with the blows of
those who are trying to knock the
props from all revealed religion, men
oc other creeds. while they reject her
dogma. give warm and sympathetic
recognition to the Churchs service in