The sun., 1908-04-26


puted the Catholics Of the city at 5000,
and throughout the diocese at 10000.
Churches, clergy and schools were lack
ing for so large a flock. The city itself
had but six priests, and all the rest OF
the diocese but four; the one modest
chapel in Brooklyn, built In 1923, was
visited occasionally by priests from New
York. During the tenancy Of the see by
Bishop DUBOIS there was q violent out
break Of anti-Catholio prejudice In New
York, and early in 1880 appeared vile
attack on Catholic converts by one
MARIA Monk, which did for Know
nothlngism what "Uncle Toms Cabin
was TO do for the Abolition movement.
Age and worry induced Bishop DUBOIS
TO seek the aid of a cOadJutor. The Rev.
JOHN HUGHES was chosen for the post
and his conservation took place In New
York in January, 1887
There now came upon the scene great
and strong churohman, who was TO leave
the impress OF his mind and will on tho
Catholic Church not only Of New York
city and State but OF the whole country.
Within two years he broke, 50 far
as the city was concerned, the connec-
ton between the Catholic religion and
the system OF secular incorporation OF
church property in the names Of lay
trustees, a system which had never
realized ge anticipations Of Archbishop
CARROLL Of Baltimore, whom circum-
stances had compelled to tolerate IL. No
sooner had this battle been won than
Bishop HUGHES undertook a voyage 10
Europe for the purpose Of studying edu-
catiOnal methods. At this time 1880
there we're free schools attached to each
Of the eight Catholic churches in the city
and more than 5000 children attended
them. These Catholic schools Of New
York city, however, received no assist
ance from the school funds, and an agi-
tation for the redress Of the injustice
began, which eliminated In a general
meeting Of Catholics in March, ls4O, at
which memorial to the Legislature was
adopted. On his return from Europe
Bishop HUGHES assumed the headship
of this movement and brought about the
overthrow OF the Public School Society,
a private corporation which had alb
sorbed the city's school fund and which
had been the principal local opponent Of
Catholicism and Of Catholic teaching,
In 1910 the Bishop Of New York brought
about the foundation Of a seminary in
Fordham, and two years later some
thirty students we're there engaged in
pursuing the theological course, Mean
while congregations and churches were
fast increasing throughout the diocese.
In the year last named the diocesan
synod was attended by fifty-four priests.
The burden was becoming too heavy for
Bishop HUGHES TO bear alone, and in the
fifth Provincial Council Of Baltimore he
solicited the aid Of a coadjutor, and for
the position recommended the Rev.
JOHN MCCLosKEY, president Of st. Johns
College at Fordham. The request was
granted by the Holy See and in March,
1874, the appointee was consecrated.
We should here recall that by the firm
ness and boldness Of Bishop HUOHEs the
city Of New York escaped the anti
Catholic riots which caused a reign Of
terror in Philadelphia.
In 1s46 the diocese Of New York had
ia churches, 100 priests, seminary a
college, and in the city itself there were
over 100000 Catholics. In the following
year two new dioceses were erected out
OF the original one, namely the diocese
Of Albany and that Of Buffalo These new
erections reduced the diocese proper in
New York to the counties Of New York
State south Of the forty-seoond degree
Of latitude and to the eastern part Of
New Jersey. Thus reduced it had
eightY-eight priests, a theological semi
nary with twenty-five students, Jesuit
college, an Academy Of the Ladies Of the
Sacred Heart and eleven institutions,
such az schools and asylums, in the care
of the Sisters OF Mercy and Sisters Of
Charity; the city itself had seventeen
churches, which were far from being
enough to accommodate the number Of
Catholics.
Up to ls4e the Archbishop Of Baltimore |
had been the only metropolitan in the
United States; but in that year second
archiepiscopal see was erected in Ore
gon, and a year later a third one at st.
Louis. 1t was not until 1851 that Pope
Plus TX. made New York an archdiocese,
with the Bishops Of Albany, Buffalo,
Hartford and Boston for its suffragans.
On receiving the notification Of his pro-
motion Archbishop-elect HUGHES went
to Europe to receive the pallium from
the hands Of the Sovereign Pontifi, and
there is reason to believe that our Fed
eral Government, which then had a rep
resentative at Rome, suggested TO the
Vatican his elevation b the cardinalate.
With such man as Archbishop HUGHES
at the head Of the archdiocese it is not
surprising that churches and priests
should have been multiplied with amaz-
ing rapidity, In 1853 the dioceses OF
Brooklyn and Newark we're set of from
that of New York, leaving to the parent
see only the city Of New York and the
counties Of Westchester, Putnam, Dutch
ess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan
and Richmond. Within that district
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