The San Francisco call., 1908-11-17
AMERICA SHARES IN
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
First Catholic Missionary Com
gress Marks Passing From
Mission Field
Every Parish in United States
and Canada Represented
at Gathering

CHICAGO. Nov. 16.-In the presence
of archbishops. bishops. mitered abbots
and priests and a multitude of laymen,
the first session of the first Roman
Catholic missionary congress in this
country opened today in the First regi-
ment armory of this city. To the com
municants who thronged. the assembly
room the occasion had an added signifi-
cance from the fact that it marks the
passing of the Roman Catholic church
in America from the position of mis-
sion field to q position of equality with
the nations organized as hierarchial
unities in the Roman Catholic church.
The morning session. presided over
by Archbishop Quigley of Chicago was
devoted to foreign missions and was
preceded by an opening chorus by the
students of the Catholic college.
In his address of welcome to the
visiting delegates, who represent every
parish and church in this country and
Canada, ArchbiSfrep Quigley outlined
the reasons and objects of the mission
marks the change in the church in
America from missionary conditions to
a full share in the activities of the
church and should crystalline the mis-
sionary spirit in the clergy and people.
Tracing the history of the missionary
work of the Roman Catholic church,
Archbishop Quigley told of the count
less ramifications in the congrega tion
of the propaganda. the body under
which the church in America has here
tofore worked, has sent it's mission
aries into all parts of the world and
planted the standard of the Roman
Catholic church in foreign lands as
well as caring for the faithful in coun-
tries 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
the United States and Canada. saying
1T found the present territory of the
United States a hundred years ago a
mere outpost of civilization. 1t cared
for the infant church and breathed new
life into it, never despairing of it's
glorious future through century of
expansion unparalleled in the history
of religious work. Whatever the
Catholic church is in America today
and it is something-it owes, under
God to this sacred congregation of the
propaganda fide.'
In his address of welcome special
emphasis was laid by the archbishop
upon the presence of Most Rev. Dio-
mede Falconio, archbishop of Larissa
anu special lHSdlc Ol rope rus ~
Archbishop Falconio. at the conclusion
of the address of welcome, delivered an
address in which he pronounced 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 Rev. Joseph
Frerie. d. c. l., of New York. director
general for the United States of the
Society for the Propagation of the
Faith: by the Very Rev. John Williams,
c. S. Sp, of Pittsburg, director general
for the United States of the Associa-
tiQn OF the Holy Childhood, and the
Very Rev. A. K. Burke. president of
the Catholic Church Extension Society
of Canada. The presentation of the
papers was followed by general dis
cussion of the subject of foreign mis-
sions.