The Irish standard., 1914-04-25
CENSUS OF CATHOLICS
IN UNITED / STATES
The Official Catholic Directory for
1914 Shows Increase of Nearly
One Million for 1913
Complete Census of Ruthenian Cath.
olics Included in Report for
First Time
339 Churches Built in 1913---Over
Twenty-four Million Catholics
Under Protection of Stars
and Stripes

Un0er trotectlOn OF stars
and Stripes
There are 16.O67,9s5 Catholics in the
United States, according to the ad-
vance sheets of the 1914 edition of
"The Official Catholic Directory" pub
lished and copyrighted by p. ]. Kennedy
& Sons of Barclay street, New York.
The 1914 edition will be ready in
few days. The publishers assert that
the late appearance of the volume was
caused by the unusual delay in the re-
ports of twenty-four archdioceses and
dioceses. The publishers also say that
this delay will not occur again, as
new policy will be adopted as to the
closing of the forms. Hereafter GER
tain closing date will be announced,
and after that date mo reports will be
accepted. Statistics of the preceding
year will be reprinted in cases where
the reports are not on hand.
The most important feature of the
1914 volume is the new population
figure, showing as Il does an increase
of 913,S27 Catholics'for the year 1918.
This increase, which amounts to
nearly a million souls, is. according
to the Directory editor, no exaggera-
ton, and is accounted for principally
by the complete reports Of the Ruth
enian-Greek Bisho1'5 For thg first time
all of the Ruthenian Catholics are in
cluded in the census.
This remarkable increase of 913,-
1927 souls is shown despite the fact
that thirty-one dioceses made no
changes in the population figures, and
despite the fact that eight dioceses
show a decrease in the number Of
Catholics over the 1912 reports.
According to Joseph H. Meier, the
editor of the Kennedy Directory, who
has been studying the population fig
ures for ten years, the total-16, ,067,-
9S5-is very low and very conserv-
ative figure. According to Mr.. Meier
at least 10 per cent should be added
for floating population"
"The Official Catholic Directory" for
1914 is replete with interesting figures.
According to its summary there are
1868 Catholic Priests in the United
States; an increase of 623 for the year.
Among these 1868 Clergymen there
are 1864 Priests of Religious Orders.
The new Directory further shows
that 339 Churches were established in
1918, the total number of Catholic
Churches in this country being 1861.
OF these 9,74O have resident pastors,
and 4,911 are Churches attended from
neighboring parishes.
The Directory gives list of 80
seminaries; 1862 seminarians; 230
Colleges for Boys; $50 Academies for
Girls and 5,4O3 Parochial Schools. In
these 5,403 Parochial Schools 1,429,-
859 children are receiving an educa-
tion which will At them for the world
and give them the religious instruc-
tion which is so necessary under pres.
ent day conditions.
1t must not be overlooked that in
addition to these 1,429,S59 parochial
school children there are also young
men in colleges, academies and uni.
versities, young ladies' in boarding
schools and academies. girls and boys
in orphan asylums. Adding all these
1t will be found that 1,669,391 young
people are receiving Catholic instruc.
tion from competent teachers.
The 1914 edition Of this Directory
also shows that there are Papa 900
Catholics under the protection of the
Stars and Stripes. This figure is de.
rived by adding the Catholics in Alas.
ka, the Canal Zone Guam. the Hawai-.
ian Islands. Porto Rico, and the Phil
ippines to the total number Of Catho.
lies in the United States proper.
As the population figures are the
most interesting the Directory editor
has prepared for the Catholic Press
list Of the twenty-five States having
the largest number Of Catholics. The
banner States are as follows:
/. New York .2,884,723
2. Pennsylvania .1,6S4,220
8. Illinois .................1, ,461 ,634
4. Massachusetts, ..........1,395,8 1892
S. Ohio. Observation-Disclosures. .7S1, ,179
6. Louisiana ................ 1856, 900
Z. Michigan .................58 .582 500
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