some immigrants. Reference is to illiteracy. Certainly illiteracy does not have a direct relation to morality, but it remains true that an immigrant who does not understand the spoken word of the language of his adopted country and is at the same time unable to read the written word of his native language is at least in danger with respect to his faith. This handicap has been present to a surprising degree, especially among our more recent immigrants. That it tends to decrease as the immigrant gradually learns English, and that it is obviated also to a great extent by our foreignlanguage churches is evident. That it must, however, constitute a serious problem is no less evident.

Some idea of the extent of the problem can be gleaned from the following table which presents statistics on illiteracy for certain European populations. It must be noted that these statistics refer to the populations in Europe and are drawn from national sources. In other words, illiteracy is not taken here as synonymous with lack of knowledge of English.

TABLE LXIV 10

Per cent of Illiteracy among the Populations of specified European Countries and of the United States

Thus far, the difficulties of the Church, or the danger for the Church, in connection with the coming of immigrants, has been discussed. There existed for the individual immigrant too a certain peril associated with his advent in a strange land. For all there was often grave danger of falling into the clutches of gangs of human vultures, in many cases of the same nationality as the prospective victim, with the probability of losing the savings of The problem is partially met by the presence of many foreign priests in the country.

10

'Cf. E. C. E., p. 33. Foreign statistics quoted above are practically the same as for our immigrants from these countries Cf. S. R. I., pp. 84 and

years, or being inveigled into evil ways; there was often difficulty in finding work or in selecting a city or town wherein to settle; for girls and women there was the danger, unfortunately only too real, of falling into the hands of procurers; for all there was often, if not always, the need of good, disinterested advice on numerous

matters.

While every parish priest in the United States, at least in those sections whither immigrants make their way, is, or should be, interested in the newcomer and in his welfare, it is apparent that the more specific and efficient channels of aid and protection for the immigrant are those societies which have sprung up with the express purpose of caring for the immigrant in both a religious and a material way. A brief reference to these may suffice here.11 The first American organization for the care of immigrants was the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, Massachusetts, founded in March, 1737. Of an anti-Catholic character at first, its complexion soon changed, and it is today largely in the hands of Catholics. In 1790 the Hibernian Society for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland was organized; in 1812 a similar Hibernian Society was organized at Savannah; and these were followed by the Emigrant Assistance Society in New York in 1825, and the Irish Emigrant Society in 1841 in the same city. In 1881 the Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary was founded in New York for the protection of Irish immigrant girls.

Prominent persons of other nationalities took up the work in the interest of their compatriots, and in 1868 the St. Raphael Society was founded in Germany for the protection of emigrants both at the port of departure and that of arrival, effective cooperation in the United States being given by the Central Verein. Later a branch of the St. Raphael Society was founded in New York, and in this connection the Leo House was established in 1889. In 1898 the Austrian Society of New York was founded; in 1893 St. Joseph's Society was organized for the purpose of aiding persons of Polish nationality; two years later the Jeanne d'Arc Home for the protection of French immigrant women was opened. The chief source of aid for Italians is the St. Raphael Society for Italian Immigrants, founded in 1891, while in 1901 a secular society was established for the same purpose. The Association for the Protection of Belgian and Dutch Immigrants was formed in 1907. Finally the National Catholic Welfare Conference has recently established a special department of immigration. All of these societies have received the co-operation of the Government in their care of the immigrant and have done much to protect the ignorant and the stranger from peril and

"Cf. Thos. F. Meehan, in Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. V, p. 402, art. "Emigrant Aid Societies."

danger.12 In recent years, too, there has been shown a gratifying tendency to resort to such modern methods as welfare work, social organizations, the lay apostolate and even correspondence courses in Christian Doctrine, in the effort to keep in touch with the scattered or backward members of the flock.13

"A summary of the legislation of the Holy See in regard to emigrants, both clerical and lay, is given in Micheletti, Jus Pianum, p. 440, seq. Cf. also Acta Apostolica Sedis, I, 692; IV, 526; 581; Cf. also Le Canoniste, 46th yr., Jan. 1924, p. 41, in regard to regulation of Holy See, of Jan. 26, 1923, requiring letter of identification for Italian emigrants.

13

Cf. "The Cyrenians, a New Association for Immigration Welfare Work," the Catholic Charities Review, vol. VI, Oct., 1922, p. 277; "The Cyrenians," ib., vol. VII, Feb., 1923, p. 60; J. P. Conry, "Social Organization of Italian Catholics," the Catholic World, vol. CXIV, Oct., 1921, p. 35; John E. Wickham, “A Missionary Band of Diocesan Priests," the American Ecclesiastical Review, vol. LXVI, Jan., 1922, p. 1; "The Lay Apostolate in Pittsburgh," America, vol. XXVII, Aug. 26, 1922, p. 455; "The Santa Maria Institute," America, vol. XXVI, Nov. 19, 1921, p. 118; E. J. O'Reilly, "The National Council of Catholic Men," America, vol. XXVI, Nov. 5, 1921, p. 59; Victor Day, "Correspondence Course in Christian Doctrine," American Ecclesiastical Review, vol. LXVII, Oct., 1922, p. 404; O'Hara, "The Lane County, Oregon, Experiment in the Catholic Rural Program," N. C. W. C. Bulletin, vol. II, Dec., 1920, p. 6.

CHAPTER XVII

CONCLUSION

The Catholic Church is truly catholic; she thrives under any environment, in any clime, among any race or nation; language, government, people, all are as one to that divinely appointed bark which Christ Himself launched upon the waters to sail the deep to the end of time, until at the final letting down of the nets they shall be drawn in laden with their draught of souls, ready to appear before the Judge on the last day. One might even justly doubt this note of the Church, one might even question her divinity if it were true that the atmosphere of America was fatal to the spiritual life of her children.

Under the more or less abnormal conditions of a new country, obstacles indeed beset her path, difficulties, both from within and from without the fold, thwarted at times her efforts, vicissitudes of accident and design occasionally retarded her growth. However, when we summarize the history of the Church in America we must accept as solidly proved and well established the fact that she has enjoyed a healthy natural increase, that a goodly number of converts have sought and obtained admission within her fold, and that a remarkably large Catholic immigration has been successfully assimilated and provided for even though at times the immigration of a decade was almost equal to the number of Catholics already in the country, while in one instance it actually exceeded it.1

Accordingly, the Church of the United States stands today a living exponent of the parable of the mustard seed: the weak anemic Church of 1790, apparently doomed to an uneventful dormancy of mere sufferance and toleration, the Church of 1820 for whose survival, even some members of its own hierarchy had grave fears, the Church of the mid-century which for very sustenance had often to call upon Europe for pecuniary aid and priestly volunteers-this mustard seed has developed into a great tree; in the twentieth century it has taken its rightful place in the very first rank among those churches which form the component parts of the Holy Catholic Church. The Church which but a century

1Cf. Table XXII. The Catholic population of the United States was 663,000 in 1840. In the following decade a net immigration of 700,000 Catholics is recorded.

ago was, as it were, the least of all the Churches, is now second only to Italy in the number of its residential sees,' while in membership also it is rightfully entitled to almost the same rank. With its four representatives in the Sacred College it takes a leading place in the councils of the Holy Father, who has thus so signally honored her. The Church which but a few decades ago was calling for charity, now is almost the fountainhead itself of charity in succoring its unfortunate and stricken brethren in Europe.

In truth, the chronicler of the growth of the Catholic Church in the United States must record a fact which history hitherto had never yet witnessed. The captivity of the Jews presents the spectacle of a whole people being transported bodily to a strange country and yet not only retaining but even purifying their religion because their prophets, priests, and Levites had gone with them into exile; because they remained a separate entity even in captivity. St. Peter, by his first sermon converted three thousand to the faith; St. Paul in his journeys won over whole cities to the new religion. Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Patrick, St. Augustine, St. Boniface, gained peoples and nations to the faith. Each of these facts is wonderful; each, in its own circumstances postulated a struggle to retain the converts thus made.

Not one, however, can parallel the phenomenon which occurred only in America. Not another instance in history is recorded, where millions of different races and nationalities, of varied natural prejudices and leanings, made their way to a strange country, not en masse but individually, there to build up what they found practically non-existent, a flourishing, closely knit, firmly welded Church in what was, and even today may be truthfully described as, otherwise a religious wilderness.

Only the miraculous work of a St. Peter, a St. Paul, or a St. Patrick, in ancient history is comparable to this phenomenon, and even this is comparable only in its wonderful character, and not in the particular circumstances. In modern history there is nothing even remotely to be compared with it. Ireland preserved the faith in the face of overwhelming odds; Germany after the onslaught of the Lutheran revolt had spent its force, preserved and built up a flourishing organization; in England when the hand of the religious oppressor had accomplished its ruinous purpose, little more than a remnant of the true Church remained; today little more than a remnant exists. But in each of these countries there was at least a foundation or the ruins thereof upon which to build. Only in America was it necessary to lay the foundation stone

2 The Churches leading in the number of residential sees, rank as follows: Italy, 281; United States, 102 (now 103); France, 87; Spain, 56; Brazil, 54; Canada, 35; Mexico, 33; Ireland, 28. Cf. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique, 1924, p. 449.