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Show i GROWTH OF CHURCH I 1 IN BUTTE CITY, MONT. 1. j Twenty years ago St. Patrick's ! , Catholic church was organized in this j ; city, the first regular pastor being j I Father Dols, who died three years ago i 5 nt Great Falls. The first services j .; were held in a small frame building on I the site of the present church, it being j . a mission work when Butte was a very ! insignificant camp, the mission being J served occasionally from Deer Lodge j : j,y the venerable Father De Ryckere, j -riho is sti11 in active service at Deer j.dge. Five years ago the brick church j vas greatly enlarged at a cost of $150,- ' wn. There is now a debt of about ! t 315,000. The seating capacity of the j ' building is 950,' and the membership of : the rarish about S.000. The Sunday 1 school of the church has an average attendance of 400. The official board of St. Patrick's A parish corporation is composed as fol lows: Right Rev. Bishop Brondel, J. . . J. O'Meara. J. Ferns, O. Chevrier and ' Rev. P. De Siere. ; i The assistants of the pastor of the ! S church, Rev. Peter De Siere. are Rev. I ., jnmes English, Rev. Cornelius Har- , rington and Rev. Charles McGlynn. ; During the past 'ear tne church has i I Vorn improved and beautified with ad- editions at a cost of about $6,000, as fol- I lows: New bell, the gift of S. Marches- nau and William Scallon; a fine new .- organ, the gift of Miles Finlen and .. Mrs. Finlen; a baptismal font, that ' vas presented by D. J. Hennessy, and linv confessionals that were presented to the parish by Henry Mueller, O. Grady, Daniel Tewey and T. H. Hinds. The growth of the church is shown j In a striking manner by the records nf the number of baptisms and marriages. mar-riages. In 1900 there were 700 baptisms and 200 marriages in the parish, as compared with 500 baptisms and 150 marriages in 1897. Twenty-three years figo, when the work was only a small ' I mission, there was an average of only j about four baptisms a year, i St. Patrick's Parochial school is con- ducted in the imposing brick structure ' fit the southwest corner of Washing- i ton and Park streets. There are nine teen teachers and over 1,000 pupils In ti i tendance. The school is under the -! direction of Rev. Peter De Siere, and S-'istPr Emilda is superioress. St. Joseph's Jo-seph's Parochial school at Walkervllle 5s under the direction of Rev. Francis ; J'.ntr-ns. the pastor of St. Lawrence i Catholic church. Sister Mary Ignatia i leing the superioress. There are four I teachers in this school and an atten- ) dance of 375 pupils. Sacred Heart, Catholic. Sacred Heart church was organized j en Feb. 20 last, and in the short period rf its existence the parish has been built up wonderfully through the abls ' ind untiring efforts of the pastor. Rev. J. J. Callahan. The fine stone church at 460-464 East Park street is being erected at a cost of $75,000. The lot is valued at $20,000. Recently the base-' base-' jnent portion of the structure was com- pleted so that services might be held, and imposing dedicatory exercises were conducted by Bishop Brondel. The .1 church will have a seating capacity of j 1,000 and a membership of 4,000. The ; average attendance at the Sunday j school is 600. During the coming year it is proposed to complete the super structure of the church. It is also in contemplation to organize a young men's club and secure fittings and fur- ? niture for the same, i St. Lawrence, Catholic. St. Lawrence Catholic church was erected at a cost of $11,000, and there is '. no indebtedness upon the structure. The seating capacity of the building is i P60. The church has a membership of 4.000. A new parochial school was t erected during the coming year to build ,j a residence for the sisters who are teaching in the Parochial school. The ; grounds for the church and school were i donated by the Butte & Boston Min- t ing company. The parochial residence was erected in 1S99. Rev. Francis X. Batens is the pastor of the church; as- j distant. Rev. Patrick Ryan. I Largey Chapel. ' Largey chapel was erected in 1S99 5n connection with St. James' hospital for the use of the sisters and patients. I The elegant interior decorations and littings were provided by Mrs. Largey. 1 The chapel work is under the direction of Father Peter De Siere, and is sup- 1 plied from St. Patrick's parish. Miner. |