The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17
CATHOLICS aND PROTESTINTS.
InteresIlnG Comparative FIsares fer This
Country,
Fron Ms RosarH Ma0asins.

FROM the Rosary Magazine
The aggregate number Of Il. a5S. as COM
municAnts or members 81 all religious
denomin nations in continental United
states Was reported for 1914. according
Ia the Unitel States census Of religious
bodies for the same year a. detaIieI IN
Part Of the United States census
Bureaus special report on the subject.
now in press OF this grand total the
various Protestant bodies reported ~. ISL
10 and the Catholic Church ~ s70.it2
FOR purposes of comparison the cen
sIs authorities divided the principal
cities into four classes. those having IN
Ig0 a population Of 3)O.Oo and over,
constituting the first class. those Of from
lNn go Ia pl.Up forming the second.
those Of from 5000 To 100. IN making the
third and those Of from 25,OOo To JO.OOO
forming the fourth class
% the Protestant Aggregate there were
ISIS. or - per cent In the tirst class
cities. ~ per cent IN the second class
and - per cent in the third and fourth
classes combined. while Sos per cent
~er- outsid. the principal cities.
OF the Catholic Church's total member
ship there were S.S7S. ISS or % 0 per cent
PER cent . IN tn. second, I.S7O. 80. or II
per cent in the third and fourth classes
combined. with S.77I.oIs, or as FER cent.
outside the principal cities
only two Of the Protestant bodies re-
ported a majority 81 their membership
VA ia. principal cities / = the church
% Christ Scientist =? q per cent. and
me Protestant kpIscoJal Church. 81 ? per
la Of h.. Nl,s.Va hl If -
jewish congregations - per cent are IN
the principal cities and Uf the Eastern
orthodox churches 70.I per cent.
~ the total number Of communicates
ar members reported Tor the principal
cities 10y all denominations 6.3J7 SO. or
~ per cent. belonged TO the Catholic
church. aud S.sSj.3ii OF - rrr c"nt 10
Protestant bodies
Comparison with the report for iSSo
shows that IN general there has been an
MGR IN the proportion of ooinmunI-
ctuts or members IN the principal cities
40 compared with thos.' outside Of these
,i'lea In la8 the percentage ~ the
lJtal number % commandments ia these
cities for all denominations was ~ p. az
,umparrd with IS IN 1881.
In thirteen II the cities more than one
half of the communicates or members
reported belonged TO Protestant bodies,
while m twenty-three the majority he
longad tn the Catholic Church
The cities showing the largest proper
ton 81 Protestant communicates are
Memphis. So per cent: Toledo. 20 PER
cent Washington. % . per cent: Kansas
City Mo % per cent and indianapolis.
~ per cent
IN. cities showing the largest per
crntagos Of Catholic Communicates are
Fail RIVER. SIS per cent San Francisco.
NJ per cent, New Orleans, - per cent
New York. Tes per cent Providence.
~ ) per cent; ~ LOUIS. 80 per cent
Boston. - ! per cent Chicago. - per
cent and Philadelphia, 81 \ per cent
In the five leading cities the proper
ton II communicants 20 population was
Philadelphia. IS :: Boeton. g. .. and 81
Louis, ~ q per cent II u stated that In
general cities which have a relatively
large Catholic population show a higher
percentage of church members than cities
in which this body has a compP ra'ively
small representation. In Fall River ~ IS
Ter cent Of the total number Of members
reported were Catholics. and the church
membership represented SIS per cent.
~ the population. while inAiemphIs, where
So per cent OF the communicates re-
ported belonged 10 Protestant bodies, the
church membership was only - per cent.
81 the population.
There were t.os2 .O39. or ~ per cent
more female than male members in the
Continental United States Ia 1879 while
H. the principal cities the excess 81 female
members was propoTtionAtely le~s, being
800 526 or Is per cent comparing the
different classes - cities. it appears that
In those Of the the first class the excess
81 female over male members was only
H. per cent In the second class. ~ Q per
cent. in the third class. 2Ss per cent
h. the fourth class. n per rent. and out
II To- Of tha-e cities 35 o per cent. II ~
STATED that tho greater proportion Of
males in the principal cities In largely due
- the greater proportionAte strength OF
the Catholic Church in these cities