The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-21
STEALING THE LAMBS OF THE
FOLD.

Since the publication of the latest
religious statistics, which show that
Professionalism has but 7.3 per cent OF
communicates in large cities, THE
American Missionary" Congrega-
tional organ, asks it's readers: care
we doing our share of work in the
great cities?" Except for the duty
of safeguarding newly arrived Catho-
lie immigrants from proselytizers,
Catholics are not greatly interested
in that question. In the well-organized
parishes and splendid parochial
schools in the big cities our people
have been so we'll equipped with a
knowledge and appreciation of their
Faith as to render them practically
immune to proselytism. But, unfor-
tunately, no such happy conditions ex-
list in the smaller towns and country
districts, which is precisely the terri
tory from which Professionalism draws
it's strength. And in this Protestant
ism is reaping what it sowed. For
the past fifty years the Church Elk
tension Societies of the sects have
been planting churches at country
crossroads and in small but growing
towns and "benevolently assimilating
the children of Catholic settlers who
were without priest or church. That
they ar still following this policy,
which has proved so successful, is in
Dictated by the following article from
the above quoted magazine:
Turning to the urgent, vital ques-
tion of neglected fields, the results of
the Investigations are a surprise even
to those most intimately familiar with
western conditions. One hundred and
thirty-three places, ranging in popula-
ton from $50 to 1000 souls, are with
out Protestant churches of any kind !;
and one hundred of these are also
without a Roman Catholic Church.
Is it not to be assumed that
the communities thus indicated are all
villages. Some of them are rural
communities; some are mining COM
munities scattered up and down mar
row valley, being difficult to care for
because thus scattered. In addition
to these, there are four hundred and
twenty-eight communities of sufficient
Importance to have postoffices, but
without any churches. There are
whole counties without adequate re-
Miguel county, with 5000 people in
LWS1NS p1dCSS, o11u OA1y Lu1SS SAu1 SAC0
in the county; Las Animas county,
with eleven churches in Trinidad
where there are $4,000 people, but
only four churches for the 10000 peo-
pie, largely Mexican in all the rest of
the county; Cheyenne county, rapid.
ly developing dry farming county with
only one church. The condi,
tions thus revealed are a reproach
either to the home mission boards or
their constituencies, or both. Swift and
concerted endeavor should be put
forth to remedy them"
We have helped to build a number
of churches in the territory alluded to-
whose congregations are chiefly Mexi
can and Italian. The generosity and
zeal of the Congregationalists for their
mission societies make it safe to as
sumo that the swift and concerted
endeavor" which they plead for will
result. They will get the Mexican
children, and in a few years will prob.
ably be able to record, as they have
recently done of their work in New
Mexico, that one of their preachers has
''the most Catholic of names, Jesus
Maria" In miles and miles of terri
tory in the western and southern
states the faith of baptized Catholic
children is in jeopardy because of the
proselytizing efforts of the sects.-Ex
Tension