The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-07-17
DR.. EDWIN O'HARA PRESENTS
FACTS AND STATISTICS ON
CONDITIONS IN COUNTRY
RURAL LIFE PROBLEM DEcLAR-
ED GREATEST CONFRONTING
CHURCH.

american rural life, cries out for
modern Benedict Of Nursia," declar-
ed DR.. Edwin d. O'Hara in a paper
which he read before the Catholic Edu-
cational Association at it's recent ses-
sion in New York.
Having given extensive study to the
religious needs of the rural United
of rural pastors all over the country,
DR.. O'Hara advances the OpinOin that
the rural problem is the greatest and
most important with which the Church
in America has to deal-a work of
necessary organization as vast as that
wrought by the Benedictines in Chris
tanning Western Europe. DR.. O'Haras
convictions will command additional
respect from the fact that he is not
the kind that points out a needed
task and leaves it to some one else
to perform. Profoundly impressed
with the danger to the future Of the
Catholic Church in the United States
if existing conditions of rural religious
life are not benefcially changed, DR..
O'Hara has decided to consecrate his
own energies to the work which he
believes most imperative to the
Churchs welfare and progress. He
has resigned his place in the Cathe-
dral at Portland and has accepted a
| country parish in Eugene, Oregon,
which he will endeavOr to make a
model of Catholic living by which
other Catholic rural parishes in the
United States may pattern.
Analysis of Census Returns.
DR.. OHara points out that the re-
ligious census Of 1918 shows that of
the 15,721,S15 Catholics in the United
States 3,081,930, or approximately
one-third, lives in cities of more than
900 population and 8,S8S,8O2 live
in cities of over $4,000 population.
While definite figures are not avail
able showing the Catholic population
of cities and towns under $4,000, a
| reasonable estimate based upon census
| figures would indicate that such cities
and towns contain at least % per
cent of Catholic people, DR.. OHara
said. On this basis it would appear
that 80 per cent of the Catholic popu,
lation must be classified as urban and
20 per cent, or less, as rural. In the
decade 1906 to 1916 the Catholic
Church showed a decreased popuia
ton in each of fifteen states in which
| the Catholic Church was not the lead
| ing denomination, thus indicating a
decreased population in the Catholic
rural population during the decade
In these figures DR.. O'Hara sees a
great menace to the future welfare
of the Catholic Church in America
| The menace arises in the fact that
cities do not tend to reproduce them
selves and would be faced with a de-
clining population were it not for i'm
migration.
"Conditions of life among the city
population" DR.. O'Hara said, mo mat
ter what salutary. influence may be
brought to bear, tend to extinction
as is shown by the fact that relative.
ly few city families have representa-
tives to the fifth generation. In the
country, on the contrary, is found the
fertile and prolific population, and any
influence set to work there grows with
the passage of time like the tiny noun
tain stream which swells into mighty
river as it is joined by the waters
from other springs in its course
through the plains below. A religious
center, consequently, is fountain
bubbling up like Jacobs WELL bless
ing for future generations. If we take
a far-sighted view if the religious prob
lem, we must be impressed with the