New Britain herald., 1928-01-09
CATHOLIC CHURCH
 REPORT ITS BEST
Membership Increased by 1oo- Financial Standing Sound
BOYS. START GRASS FIRE
Two Departments Called to QuelI Blasc-Health Ontcer Urges Vac cinatioa-Dog Ordinance Violators AFrceted-Legion Meeting,


 cination-Dog Ordinance violators Arrcsted-Legion Meeting. The annual report which Rev. John E. Fay made at the masses yesterday was the best in the his- tory of his parish. the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. Not only was the membership increased by almost 100 persons during the year 1927. but the twelve month was a most 1 successful one financially in that the receipts exceeded the expenses by an amount just short of $3,00o. The church membership is now approximately 900, Father Fay's re- port showed, whereas it was about 800 a year ago. There is a larger attendance at the maSses. he stated and the Sunday school has grown proportionately with the church. During the year IF marriages were performed. fl persons were baptized and there were 13 deaths in the parish.
 : The ordinary revenue for the year was $3,S11.47 and the extraordi- nary S9,102.62. making the total church receipts $1e.e14.o9. The years expenses were 0,000.09. leaving balance of $e.e14. This financial showing ia much better than that of past years.
 The pastor thanked the members of the congregation for their loyal support and cooperation in parish work during 1927 and urged a con- tinuation of church work for the coming year for their spiritual and temporal welfare. The relations be- tween the priests and their congre- gation anf between the members of the church themselves have never been more harmonious than at pres ent and the church has now the brightest outlook which it has ever enjoyed.
 R0ys Start Brush Fire
 X camp fire started by two hoys spread beyond their control on Red stone hill Saturday afternoon and was extinguished only after two fire companies had been called to the scene. According to the story of two Roy Scouts who were hiking in the nearby woods at the time. they heard the pair of careless fire builders shout for help and ran to the fire. The original youngsters took up their heels and left the scouts to fight the flames. but the fire was beyond their control and. after one of them had sacrificed T coat In beating the blaze, they hast ened away and called the Welch fire company Of Forestvillc. The Plain- vile department was also summoned. and Fire Warden Irving Gridley joined the fight with a force of 14 helpers.
 The firemen managed to keep the flames away from several nearby buildings and extirguish them before they reached the high woods. The identity Of the two boys who caused sc much trouble is not known.
 The rains of yesterday and today practically put an end to the grass fire danger which has been caused by the open winter and the resulting dry grass.
 Urges Vaccination.
 Health Officer Dr. George F. Cook today urged the vaccination of all local residents, particularly school children. as safeguard against smallpox. an outbreak of which has occurred in the region surrounding Middletown. Numerous Plainvillc people have visited there during the holidays, Dr. Cook says, and all pos sble precautions to prevent the disease from spreading to this town should be taken. The health officers of the state are unanimous in urging vaccination to check the outbreak. Inocu'ation of school children IS required by state law. but this measure has never been enforced by the local health and school authori- ties. They have preferred to trust to the good sense of the parents and the scheme has worked out