Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1953-06-19

The recent disturbance Newton Grove c., when the
Roman Catholic Bishop Vincent Waters ordered two small
churches Negro and the other white to merge their parishes
into church attracted nationwide attention
The merger has proceeded despite threatened mObbng
Of the bishop by angry whites past performances OF the
Catholic church pattern the will succeed
The In which the Catholic church in the u. g. is
going about gaining converts for among the
Negro population seldom discussed In secular print but II h
Of the mnrves Of the religious world In the early part Of
the century the number of Negro Catholics did not number
than few thousand In the IT, AZ late 1880 there
only two Negro Catholic priests in America and Of
them stephen Theobd served ST. Peter Caver Catholic
church in ST. Paul.
To-day in 1863 there are 10000 Negro Catholics
tending A2s Catholic Negro churches plus several hundred
others In the northern tier Of states where Negroes attend
Catholic churches with mixed memberships predominanty
white congregations.
In the Twin Cities st. Peter Caver in st. Paul n pre-,
dominany Negro church In Minneapolis the Catholic
churches with large Negro memberships St Leonards
the souhde and ST Martins the Northsde In each of
churches white membership large and perhaps furnishes the
largest part of the financial support which these
churches number Of the Catholic parishes In the Twin
have Negro commandments
According to the Catholic Interraca Review there
265 Negro students attending a67 Catholic Negro schools
There GAO priests most Of them white engaged In work
Coored Missions In the US and 1894 working in Negro
missions.
Above and beyond the statistics which show u dramatic
increase IN the number of Negro Catholics Is the courage with
which the Catholic hierarchy In the South has tackled the
problem
Most readers will remember how Archbishop Joseph II
Ritter OF ST. Louis several years ordered Negro children ad
mitted 10 paochal schools along with white children His
Spouse TO organized opposition white Catholics
threat of accommodation any individual who tried 10 halt
the program Archbishop Ritter took the high Christian prin
cpc that God made ALL and that persons who would deny
the equality aud brotherhood of fit Catholics
RteS stand only electrified America but put the seq
regated public school system of ST. Louis spot that they
have not yet been able get off.
Only few months ago another Archbishop. the Most
Reverend Joseph Frances Rumme Of New Orleans upset the
additionally Catholic stronghold of the South by ordering
priests his archdiocese TO discontinue tho practice segr
eating Negroes at communion services
There Of course n rumble from white Catholics
but the bishops edct obyed and the eyes the Negro
The church gained place in their esteem.
This revolution in US religious circles has going on
in full force for the 90 years with the Catholics apparently
determined TO win substantial portion Of the estimated mil
lion Negroes claiming church Affiiaon
The white Protestants In concerned but
none appear concerned enough TO take stand similar
one the Catholics are taking in the south
Negroes other groups easy to convert 20
religion they To-day they apt inves
gate how churchs announcements actions In this
area the Catholic church has taken the initiative by simply TAX
ing courageous position against in number Of
instances like the North Carolina case ST. Louis and New
Orleans
This Is not to that everything perfect on incrracin
lines in the Catholic church That church share hVotS
lay and clergy but the refreshing thing that some Of its
leaders have the 10 challenge them wherever they are
found.
From this newspapers observation Catholics will con
tnue TO in Negro membership and growth may be
accelerated by such examples Bishop Vincent Waters
ArchbshopS Ritter aud Rummel.