The sun., 1908-04-26
CATHOLIC CENTENARY BEGINS
4 WEEK or SPECIAL SERVICES
TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY.


Great street Procession Of LAymen
The Catholics OF New York begin to-day
the most Important celebration ever held
BY the Church In America, the observance
Of the one hundredth anniversary Of the
founding Of the New York diocese,
The motive Of these festivities being
our Catholic faith said Archbishop Farley
In a circular letter which was read last
Sunday In the churches, Athe chief feature
should be Of q spiritual character, namely,
to give glory 10 Almighty God In thanks
giving for the marvellous development,
the vigorous strength and abiding power
Of the Church in New York.
Therefore when centenary week dawnS,
said the Archbishop further, this diocese
will send up to Heaven in deepest 10y and
gratitude united song OF praise, ohanted
by priest and people, the church and the
home, convent and school, parent and
child, old and young"
So the celebration which begins to-day
will be largely Of . religious character.
Tho most impressive service will be the
ponuhcal mass In the Cathedral on Tues
day morning; tho most spectacular the
parade Of Catholic laymsn on Saturday
afternoon, which will be the final affair Of
the centenary. II is respected that nearly
5000 persons will be In the procession.
Preparations 10 make the centenary q
notable occasion have been In progress
for months. Hundreds OF distinguished
ohurohmen are already here or will arrive
early this week. The most notable visitor
h Cardinal Logus, Archbishop OF Armagh
and Primate Of All Ireland. The clergy
and lsity Of this diocese have labored long
and inoessantly, and to-day they will begin
to see the result OF their work.
The diocese Of New York was founded
on April q. 1903, and the festival is therefore
being held as soon as possible after the
conclueion OF Lent and the observance OF
Easter. The diocese then consisted Of the
entire State OF New York and part Of New
Jersey.
Since then the diooeses OF Brooklyn,
Newark, Albany. 0gdensburg, Syracuse,
Rochester and Buffalo have been created
out Of this territory. The arohdiooes, Of
NtW lOIk was o8NuDIanoQ IN lbols
Some Of the things for which the Catholics
will give thanks In this festiva week are
the increase In the number OF Catholic
communicates from 1900 In 1903 10 I, 800, 900
in this diocese and s.O00,0 900 In the territory
Of the old diocese; the growth Of church
property from one church. 81 Peters In
Barclay street, 10 about 1000 In the arch
diocese Eow. and the increase In the Clergy
from 8 handful Of priests to 1000, With an
Archbishop. eight Bishops and q host Of
lesser dignitarieS.
Catholicism found II difficult TO gain a
foothold In New York before the Revoh- |
tion because Of the antagonism Of England
toward Rome. st. Peters Church was
started In Barclay street in l7ss on prop |
erty acquired from Trinity Church.
II was a matter for great rejoicing when
the Pope established the diocese by the /
Of the Rev. Lake Conoanen,
then head Of the Dominican Order Of 81.
Clements In Rome, as the hrst Bishop
Bishop concansn never got to this country.
He died In 1900 in Leghon.
The Pope was then prisoner Of Napoleon.
and no new appointment was made until
1915. when the Rev John Connolly, also Of
the Order Of st. Clements. was made Bishop.
He had In his See when he arrived only
three churches, with four priests as assist
ants, but he labored energetically, and when
he died, In ls7O. there were more than 10000
Catholics and more than twenty churches
In the diocese.
The Rev. John Dubois. who founded st..
Mary's College at Emmitsburg, Nd, sue
ceeded Bishop Connolly, and under him
rapid progress was made This progress
became more marked under Bishop John
Hughes, who became Archbishop in 1850
The administrations Of ArchbiShops McClos-
key and Corrigan builded more firmly on
the solid foundation laid by their prede-
ressors, until to-day the Catholics Of New
York have good reason to celebrate.
On this the first day OF the festival week
ihe people viii worship in their accustomed
places. A special mass Of Thanksgiving will ;
le ssid In all the churches and chapels Of =
he diocese
II will be distinctly a home celebration,
'aoh pastor officiating in his own church.
The sermons will review the historical and
spiritual growth Of the Church in the last
hundred years. Special music win be sung.
Farley will preach at the II
,'clock mass In 81. Patrick's Cathedral.
The home celebrations will be continued '
W Monday, which will be devoted TO the
chool children. There will be general !
masses in the parochial schools and colleges
n the archdiocese.
Most Of the distinguished guests win '
rive on Monday, and the reception COM I
nittee will be kept busy welcoming them.
igr. LAyelle, rector Of the cathedral, is
hartman Of the committee.
special reception committee. headed by .
he Archbishop, went down the bay yester-
ay 10 meet the Lucsnia. which brought \
ardtnai Logue and Bishop Brown OF Ire G
Ind. The reception 10 the Cardinal iS told
: out elsewhere In The Sun. 4
Mgr. Diomsde FGlconio, the Apostolic
'elegats. and Cardinal Gibbons will arrive c
'-morrow. BY Monday night there will I
2 in New York the most notable array OF {
stholic clergy ever gathered together in !
bic country.
There will be at least twelve ArohbiShops,
fty Bishops, twelve vicars-general. fifty
lonsignor, with many clergymen OF lesser
Ink. Among thoss who have accepted
vtations and are expected TO be present
re Arohbishops Henry Moeller OF Cn- n
u h