OCR Text |
Show CHURCH IN THE WEST, Whenever a mistatement is made there is no telling how far it will travel. trav-el. Home newspapers already have commented on Archbishop Quigley's alleged address a few weeks ago to a woman's society In this city, and foreign for-eign journals have reproduced it in print. Quite naturally the language put into his mouth by the reporter of a local journal has moved many to speak on the same subject. That which is surprising is, few have thought proper to condemn the utterance utter-ance as overdrawn. It Is generally accepted as a fact that the Catholic church is a tremendous force here in' the West and soon will be throughout the country. In its issue of last Saturday Sat-urday (May 23) Harper's Weekly says editorially: "If Archbishop Quigley was an officer of-ficer of the army we might possibly have read that the War Department had inquired whether he was correctly correct-ly reported as saying at Chicago, on May 4, that since looking over the western parochial schools he had come suddenly to the unexpected conclusion conclu-sion that in fifty years, if things go on as they are going, 'the Catholic church will actually own the West.' 'And within twenty years,' he is reported re-ported to have added, 'this country is going to rule the world. . . The West will dominate the country . . and when the United States rules the world the Catholic church will rule the world. Since the archbishop has not disavowed these prognostications it is possible that he also said, as reported, re-ported, that in fifty years Chicago will be exclusively Catholic and that the same may be said of Greater New York and the chain of big cities stretching across the continent to Chicago. Chi-cago. These views are too remarkable remarka-ble to be credited to an archbishop without fuller assurance than a newspaper news-paper paragraph can give, but if Dr. Quigley's inspection of his parochial schools seems to him to warrant conclusions con-clusions at all like these, the parochj ial schools in his district must be marvelously efficient. The World Almanac Al-manac says there are about 9,200,000 Roman Catholic communicants now in the country; about 4,500,000 Baptists; 5,900,000 Methodists, 1,700,000 Lutherans; Luther-ans; 1,600,000 Presbyterians; 600,000 Congregationalists; 750,000 Episcopalians; Episcopa-lians; 350,000 Reformed Dutch (including (in-cluding the president); 1,200,000 Disciples Dis-ciples of Christ, and 1,500,000 other assorted as-sorted Protestants. At present, therefore, there-fore, the estimated strength of the Protestants in the United States is jus' about double that of the Roman Catholics. But no odds need daunt the zeal of an earnest prelate, and the odds stated are not necessarily too great to be overcome in fifty years by a single organization of supreme efficiency, effi-ciency, working in competition with a dozen organizations much less efficient effi-cient individually, and the rivals of each other besides. "Moreover, our present enormous immigration is very largely Roman Catholic, and our gain in population by immigration in the next half century cen-tury will be largely a Roman Catholic Catho-lic sin. Consider too that the Roman Ro-man Catholic Church almost ' invariably invaria-bly gains a family when a Catholic marries a Protestant, and that it is much more effectual than any Protestant Protest-ant church in its discouragement ' of the phenomenon which we have come to know as a race suicide. After all, Archbishop Quigley may have said what he is said to have said. It is not so unreasonable when one comes to think it all over. But if the western narochial schools insnire such fore casts, how long will it be before the Protestant sects will think it expedient expedi-ent to undertake such a degree of consolidation con-solidation as shall enable them to maintain a great system of Protestant Protest-ant schools, in which religion, as well as other things, shall be taught? Unquestionably Un-questionably a church that teaches its children seven days a week will beat the churches that make no effort to teach their children more than once a week. But the field is a fair fieldt and open, to all comers who value the stakes. Certainly "if things go on as they are going' the Roman Catholic Church, will deserve all the predominance predomi-nance it may win In America, even if it does so almost incredibly well as Archbishop Quigley expects." Since His Grace did very distinctly and emphatically disavow the "prognostications" "prog-nostications" attributed to him, it is of course unjust to assume that they were uttered. It is probable, however, that the editor of Harper's Weekly did not see the denial. Evidently several sev-eral Catholic journals failed to do so also. This fact aside, the Harper's Weekly editorial is chiefly remarkable remarka-ble in that It accepts .the forecast as quite possible of fulfillment. The editor ed-itor even ' sees good reasons why it may come true, and incidentaly pays a tribute to the Church. It admits point blank, and with justice, that the Catholic church "is much more effectual ef-fectual than any Protestant church in its " discouragement of the phenome non which we have come to know as race suicide." Indirectly it commends the Catholic parochial school system when saying that "a church that teaches its children seven days a week will beat the churches that make no effort to teach - their children more than once a week." That which the archbishop did say wa3 that, at the present rate of progress, within fifty years the Christianity of the West will be almost exclusively Catholic; Cath-olic; nevertheless it is pleasant to observe ob-serve that even so careful a journal- j ist as the editor of Harper's Weekly is willing to concede more and backs up his prophecy with satisfying statistics. sta-tistics. o PUEBLO, COLO. Miss Alice M. Henderson, une of Sa-lida's Sa-lida's popular school teachers, visited her aunt, Mrs. A. A. McDonald, Saturday Satur-day evening. Miss Stella McDonald is visiting In Denver. o IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO. Services were held on Pentecost by Father Mooney. The church was well , filled. New families have moved into this rustling city. A handsome porch was erected to the pastor's residence, and the lawn grounds laid out last week. The Ladies' Altar society will meet next Sunday at Mrs. Mae Mullen's residence. res-idence. Business Is very brisk in this town. The sugar factory has attracted quite a number of settlers to the Snake river valley. During the week Father Mooney will proceed to Dubois to hold services for the scattered Catholics. Frank Reno of Birch Creek captured a bald eagle, which he presented to Father Mooney. There is a great demand in this town for carpenters;, masonsj and bricklayers. Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Pat-rick's church, Rexburg, on the second Sunday in June by Father Mooney of Idaho Falls. Colorado farmers are writing to Father Mooney about coming out to Fremont county. Improved . land can be had at $25 an acre. o On Decoration day the St. Anthony team crossed bats with Idaho Falls. It was an exciting game, but ended In favor of the local team. o Mr. and Mrs. Grey, Mr. Winn and the Misses Femes, al of St. Anthony, were the guests .of Father Mooney on Decoration day. . N o Miss Lynch, late school principal at Shelley, has been engaged to teach here next year. Mr. William Sweeney paid a bUMir ness visit to Mackay last week. o Mr. William Sweeney paid a business busi-ness vicit to Mackay last week. Butte Catholics are investing heavily heav-ily in real estate around here. .' o BLACKFOOT, IDAHO. Services were held at the court house by Father Mooney on Sunday. """. The congregation is on the increase, and the final steps will soon be taken for the erection of the new church next September. Butte Catholics are looking up the Blackfoot Valley, with a view to purchasing pur-chasing farms. "' T '" ' ? '' The first communion class will be ready for the third Sunday in July. The abundant rains lately have rejoiced re-joiced the Catholic settlers, who are well pleased with their new location. Mrs. Ella Laughlin went up to Butte ; 1 for Decoration day. Conductor Denis Moore returned to I Pocatello, accompanied by Father I Mooney. I o CATHEDRAL NOTES. The children who have been preparing prepar-ing for the last two months will make J their First Communion at the eight r o'clock mas3 next Sunday and will be confirmed at the eleven o'clock ) mass. t ; . r |