Semi-weekly herald., 1909-02-22
Catholic Population

th'te hTe li.zJb,i5l Catholics iu tha
United States, according 10 advance
sheets OF the 1909 wilzlus Catholic
directory. These figures show an ip.
crease OF 35s.O25 over last year As
the statistics are furnished the direc.
tory publishers by the archbishops and
bishops OF the various archdioceses
and dioceses. and as the census has
been taken In all dioceses. the figures
are as reliable and up to date as can
be secured.
Adding TO the l4.235. .45i the number
of Catholics In our foreign posaessions
Porto Rico, Philippine islands and
Hawaiian islands-the grand total of
Catholics under the United States flag
amounts TO 22,474,4fO. as compared to
l2,o5S.OOO under the British flag.
glance at the directory tables show
that in the United States there are
| ic.0O3 Catholic priests. II 1886 secular
clergy and 4.20s members OF rellg-
| ious orders. such as Jesuits, Benedle.
| tines. Domlnicans. Capuchlnes. Paul.
| lists. Franciscans, and fortytwo 9th
ers. The directory further shows that
there are 1928 Catholic churches In
the various dloceses. OF these church.
% S,640 have resident pastors. There
are 80 ecclesiastical seminaries with
| J,GS7 students In attendance. There
are 2l3 universities and colleges for
| boys and 70S academies for girls. Pa
rochial schools are established in all
parts OF the country, and the general
summary OF the directory shows that
The total number OF Catholic parochiil
schools Is i703. In these schools +
| 1898 children receive their educa-
tlon. Adding to this number the Young
| persons attending higher educational
| Institutions and the number OF chil.
| dren In orphan asylums aud other
Catholic institutions, It win be found
that there are l.397.34s young persons
| being educated by Catholics. All told.
there are 1.09i charitable Institutions
IN the various dIoceses.
The above clipping from the Cathc,
lie School Journal Is handed the Her
aid by Father Callahan, pastor OF ST.
Columba's church. Father Callahan
also furnishes The Herald with add
| tional information that Will be OF In
terest He says that
Cardinal Gibbons In n recent state.
| ment claims that the .200.0 Catho.
| lie children educated In the parochiai
schools Of America save to the GOV
| eminent annually the sum OF $780,
| 100000. In other words they save
| the government each year a sum large
| enough to build hve battle ships OF the
Dreadnought type. This estimate IL
made from the average cost per pupil
In New York state. Furthermore,
the census OF 1899 estimates the value
Of school property at an average OF
| $117 per scholar 30 that should all
children attending parochial schools
| desire admission to the public schools
next September the government would
find It necessary TO spend over $40
100000 for necessary school buildings
alone. Recently the superintendent
OF Denver public schools has stated
that the average cost of educating
each pupil Is s3I3l annually. Figur'
ing on this basis" Father Callahan
says, the 2i0 children educated IN
the two parochinl schools OF Durango
save over $4,000 year to the tax
payers OF this city. The Catholics
cheerfully undertake the burden OF
supporting their parochial schools lie.
cause they have learned from expert
ence that a Catholic who is so merely
IN name and who is not guided In his
conduct by religious principles be.
comes a dangerous citizen and u men
lives Nearly all the corrupt poltti-
clans who during election times are
so anxious TO parade their counter
felt catholicity before the public for
the sake OF attracting Catholic votes
} belong to this class. They boast af
such timer OF standing up for thar
church. but they never kneel down for
! Il and are the bane and disgrace
of the Catholic name. Most OF he
children who graduate from the pa
Z rochiai school afterwards pass
through the different high school
grades and thus enjoy to the full
the combined advantages OF = relisl
GUS and secular education. Religion
and patriotism become their watch
words through life. Catholics have
!. always maintained the necessity OF rc
| ligion in connection with education
, and In this view they are Joined b,
many other religious bodies as vel
+ as by number Of the mos
prominent Protestant churchn,eI
e. OF America. The recent educa
ID tional struggle In England proves con
n, clusiyeIy that the EnElish people q
8. every denomination insist on religion
m instruction in some form or other a
rs an essential requisite Of primary ed
cation"