The Irish standard., 1917-01-06

Church Growth in
United States
Catholic Population Over Sixteen Mil
lions, an Increase ct Over
100000 in 80 Years.

Thirty-two years have elapsed since
the third Plenary Council of Balti-
more. The Archbishops and the Bish.
ops of the country, then assembled in
joint pastoral, commented on the re.
markable growth of the church dur
ing the eighteen years since the Sec
ond Plenary Council. They dwelt with
special emphasis on the growth of re-
ligion and civilization in the west
ern states.
In relating the full story of the
church during the past thirty-two
years, many books might be written,
for each diocese and almost every par
ish has story to tell Of sacrifice and
struggle, says the Catholic Columbian
The roll of honor of the Third Pie
nary Council contained the names of
twelve Archbishops and seventy-one
Bishops present, either personally or
by proxy. Only six of those names
are on the role today: Cardinal Glib
bons, who presided as Apostolic Del
egate; Archbishops Ireland and Keane,
Bishops Chatard, Gallagher and Rich
ter. TO these may be added the Alb
bots Of Conception and ST. Benedict.
Seventy-seven Archbishops and Bish-
ops and four Abbots then present have
since been called to their reward.
In 1884 there were twelve Archie
piscopal Sees, to which have since
been added those of St. Paul and Du-
buque. Episcopal Sees, together with
Vicariates Apostolic numbered fifty
nine-in all, seventy-one Sees. At that
time America was represented in the
College of Cardinals by one member,
Cardinal McCloskey. Today the Amer
lean Church has three Cardinals; Ill
dioceses, of which fourteen are Arch
dioceses; 12O Archbishops and Bishops
and two Bishops of the Ruthenian-
Greek rite.
The Apostolic Delegation was estab-
lished in 1898 with Cardinal Satolli as
the first Apostolic Delegate. Four
years later, in 1897, he was succeeded
by the present Cardinal Martinelli,
who, on being raised to the Cardinal
ate, was succeeded by Archbishop Fal-
COMO in 1902. The present Delegate,
Archbishop Bonzano. the fourth in Of
flee, was appointed in 1912.
In 1884 there were 7.763 churches
in the United States. The Catholic
Directory for last year gives the num-
ber of churches at the beginning of
1916 as 14,961 1t may be safely said
that at the present day the number Of
churches is double that of thirty-two
years ago. But the growth in the num-
Der Of the clergy is even more remark
able. Balancing the losses through
death in the ranks of the clergy with
the ordinations during the current
year, the total number today is well
over 10000 secular and regular. In
1884 the total number of both was
6,S35.
Bishop McQuaid, in a sermon at the
Third Plenary Council of Baltimore
estimated the Catholic population OF
the United States at six and one-halt
millions. The Catholic Directory for
this year gives the Catholic popula
tion as 1864 ,409, which, according to
many we'll versed in Catholic affairs
is much too low, for the Catholic pop
ulation approaches very nearly twen.
ty million souls. Either estimate
places our strength at approximately
one-ffth Of the entire population of
the country. If one extreme is too
high, the other is too low; so assnnl,
ing the middle term to be correct, the
Catholic population of the United
States would be about 1S,O0O,0OO, or
half the entire Christian people of all
denominations of the country. 1t is
not difficult matter to account for
this splendid growth, for the same
causes and principles of increase have
been at work almost throughout the
whole history of the church in Amer.
lea.
In 1884 there were in this country
1852 Catholic schools, in which were
taught 1874 children. Today there
are G,397 parochal schools taking care
Of the elementary education of 1,456,.
20G children. Thirty years ago there
were 708 seminaries, colleges and
academies for the education of young
men for the service of the altar and
for the higher and professional cdu
cation of the youth of both sexes.
The million and half pupils un
der Catholic care and training do not
include those who are engaged in the
study of the higher branches. There
are over 1900 other educational in
stitutions, consisting of seminaries
colleges. academies universities ant