Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-18
GOTHAM CHURCHES GAINING
Despite Increases in Population
Churches Keep Up. d.
PEss1M1sTIC IDEA UNFOUNDED
So Great Proportion Ignore sabbath
and So Large IL Population PeO-
pie Feel Disheartened-Re-
Iiaious Condition Good.
RY D. V. FRANC1s.

NEW YORK. Sept. 17.-(special to The
Beehive in New York are inclined to be
pesslmistic regarding the work Of the
church. The city is so great that the num-
Der of those who have no church affili-
atoms is so large, and so much in evidence
the open violation of the American idea OF
the Sabbath is so fragrant, that 1t is not
unnatural to feel that the church is losing
ground.
1t is gratifying, therefore, to know that
this feeling is not based on facts.
comparative study OF the population
figures given out by the census bureau
with the growth Of the churches during the
last ten years shows that great as has
been the increase in population since 1900
in New York, the accession in church MEM
bership has been a little greater.
In all five boroughs Of the city in 1900
there were 1.a23657 members of Christian
churches. This was 25.9 per cent of the
| population While the church membership
| figures for this year are not complete, by
taking those of 1909 and assuming that tho
increase in the last year of the decade has
been the same averaged for the entire dec
ade, the number of church members in
the five boroughs this year will be 1,751 ,2l4.
This number is S72 per cent of the new
census figures, or 1.S per cent ahead OF
population growth.
Increase Evenly Distributed.
This increase is evenly distributed be
tween Protestants and Roman Catholics
In 1890 there were 353,Sl2 Protestants, actua
members, and 99,925 Roman Catholics The
method Of counting in the two divisions o.
Christianity is quite different, the figures
first given not including many who cal
themselves Protestants, but are not regula
attendants and contributors. In 1910 it il
computed that there are 440,7SS Protestant
and l,31O,431 Roman Catholics,
In 1900 the ratio of Protestants was eX
acty 10 per cent; in 1900 the Roman Catho
lie ratio was 26.t per cent and in 1910 it /
269 per cent
g One of the men who assisted in gettin
$ together these statistics said:
$ These figures are for the Christlal
y churches all denominations great in
+ crease in the population figures has bee
I caused by Jews To hold their own in tn
= figures with the Hebrew growth is re
t markable, and surprises even the Christian
. leaders
The Protestant showing, while a YER
is encouraging when Manhattan condition
are taken into account. The Roman Catho
, lie church has been helped by immigration
. which is now almost wholly from Italy an
[ southern Europe"
n sentiment is growing that it is mis-
$ take to close the city churches in the sum
y mer time, and each year as it passes tn
: number of churches closed is growing less
l While II is recognized that the hard workn
city pastors are entitled TO and should hav
a vacation, by the employment of assistar
pastors the seeing of substitutes fror
other cities, the necessity for closing tn
I churches are growing steadily less.
d Catholics in LimeIiEht.
The Catholics have held the center of tn
religious stage for the last week or TIVE
The great EuchAristic congress at Mon
real was perhaps the greatest religion
D.. gathering ever held in the western hemi'
: phere Thousands Of devout Catholics froI