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Show Boston, Mass.. is now noted for the great number of Catholic inhabitants it possesses, although formerly it was noted for its opposition to religious liberty lib-erty for Catholics, though the Massachusetts Massa-chusetts metropolis owes its name to a Catholic sfiint. says the Davenport, la.,-Catholic la.,-Catholic Messenger. Early in the seventh sev-enth century, a monk named Botolph founded a church in what is now Lin-colshipe, Lin-colshipe, England, and the towns which grew up around the church was called Botolphstown. As happened in so many other cases, the British tendency to contracted forms of speech, changed the name successively into Botolph-ston, Botolph-ston, Bostoton and finally Boston. When John Cotton came to the New World from that town, he named the New England village after his native town. Boston. The good monk would be assured now of a hearty reception if he were allowed to revisit the New World city- whose name recalls his piety and zeal in a century long gone by. |