The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-05-28

That portion lying west OF the Missouri
river having come within the Province
III 1879 when the Nicariate Apostolic
OF Dakota was erected. At the time
of the arrival of Bishop Cretin in 1851
st. Paul was village of twelve hun
dred inhabitants, the white popula-
ton in territory was much less. The
clergy numbered two; one Father
RaNouX in St. Paul. the other, Father
Lacombe in Pembina in the present
state of North Dakota and the diocese
of Fargo-two lonely sentinels Of Rome
on these wild praires Of the west. The
Bishop had brought with him from
France, whittier he had gone from Du-
buque for conservation, Ave clergy
men. Such the seed and the sewers
fifty nine years ago. And now behold
the tree. Within the province ten
bishops, eight hundred and fifty
priests, five hundred and ninety-flve
thousand Catholics: churches, reEi-
gious, educational and charitable in
situations in fair proportion to the
number of faithful, two magnificent
ministers worthy OF the ages OF faith
arising in the Twin cities, Seminary
to crown and perpetuate it all that
any diocese in the world might be
proud of. I challenge the two thou
sand years of Christian history to sur
pass. nay, to equal in the same space
of time the growth of the Church in
Minnesota and the two Dakotas. The
conservation of six bishops this morn
ing gives to the statement, by way of
object lesson, a continuation that can
not be denied Or mnimized.
Growth Of the Church.
However, it behooves us not to be
too boastful and base our challenge
on an imagined similarity between the
expansion of the church here and in
this century and Its expansion in the
old world and the past. The wonder
full growth of the church in this land
has been caused not by conversions
from unbelief or paganism, but by
immigration from Catholic countries
The 'apostolate, of early Christianity
and the early middle ages; the labors
and travels of Peter and Paul and the
other Apostles, of Patrick, Boniface,
Augustine and other national mission
aries; the persecution Of the sword
the prison and the mines; the shedding
of blood and martprdon, to any great
extent, are not sour story. Our story
is of another kind, not however, with
out It's chapters of trial, self sacrifice
and DISTINGUISHED devotedness. This
conservation which is at the same time
the creation of two new and slender
dioceses, Crookst01 and Bismarck, to
which 1 may as well add the diocese
Of Lead, suggests q point in the story
of the American church. Let me put
it this way; our western railways go
into the wilderness ahead of popula-
ton and attract settlers to follow in
their wake and create the business of
transportation. a.
=, Bishops Precede the Flock.
''Shall Faith be less heroic, less, re-
liant on Providence than capital? And
since 1t is through, her bishops that
the church always and everywhere has
taken possession of the world, why
oh 81,
flock and make his diocese?. So did the
Apostles proceed in their work.. Leav-
ing the only existing flock of believ-
ers in Jerusalem to the care Of a local
bishop, they went abroad into the
world, creating Christian commune
ties, establishing over them bishops
who should continue and extend the
work that they had only begun. Sure
ly Titus and Timothy and Mark and |
others may have had extensive. terri
tories under their jurisdiction, but, 1 |
fancy, small focks. So was Catholic |
Europe built up. SO has the church |
moved in the past in North America, |
80 must Sno commune 10 move IN our |
western states il we are to conquer |
them to Christ |
The Past and the Present.
"In 1890 the diocese Of our first |
bishop, John Carroll, contained all the |
territory east of the Mississippi with |
the exception OF Florida and New Or |
leans: it counted 35 priests, 30
churches and 10000 souls, In 1910 4 |
new dioceses were formed, Boston, |
New York, Philadelphia and Bards- |
town. The diocese of Boston had 3 |
churches, 3 priests and about two
thousand souls. The diocese Of New
York had 4 priests and. about fifteen
thousand souls. The diocese of Phila-
delphia had II churches and 10 priests. |
The diocese of Bardstown had 10 log
churches, 6 priests and 5000 Catholics.
When RiShon I;enwick WAS cOnse-