Sill &. • ■ J itf^-ac'tr - • ‘ '"'■S'- '' .! al.- •1- ; V -VIV * ii' ■(-■' ■ '■'■ 'i" ■ ^ ■ - Vi ■ . '^■' ,j.-v.i> ■., i./S'-' '■■ *riiiw??j' ■'■' ■■; '. ' ■' -'.i . ; •Tf Ty- i«,V -i. iT. r"- »'V V v.. • ' •' ■ > *. . < ■' V'l M'iiPI ' .■' Y’; .tp' -ii!' ? I 111 vnr,! ;'r.W’::,:,!;i' xc;i;:,'^, lijri ilt3:i i .... . 1 4 A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW of the Archdiocese of Boston 1907-1923 THE PILOT PUBLISHING COMPANY J09 WASHINGTON STREET BOSTON, MASS. 1925 COPYRIGHT, 1925 THE PILOT PUBIJSHING CO. 213482 PRINTED IN U. S. A. By THE PILOT PUBLISHING COMPANY Foreword It is now eighteen years since by God’s grace we joined hearts and hands in co-operation, determined to give of our best for the renovation of spirit and the moral and material upbuilding of our great Archdiocese. Our spirit of united effort has been most abundantly blessed. We have all worked, and worked hard, for the results which are now patent to all eyes. Debts which had accumulated for years, until their payment grew to be almost hopeless, have been cancelled completely. The institutions of the Archdiocese are models of effi- cient management and the best business methods. This alone required years of unremitting vigilance and patience and work; for in 1907 they were the negation of both. Our Seminary is a model Seminary; and it is con- ducted by our own priests, in a way that serves to illus- trate the wisdom of the Church in entrusting the train- ing of the clerics of the Diocese to those, who, being of the family, feel a family interest in the welfare of the whole Diocese, and not in a coterie of favorites, with their chief preoccupation elsewhere. Now the true Ca- tholic Doctrine is being taught to those, whose life duty will be to impart it to the faithful. Rome is the centre of all that concerns doctrine, tra- dition, law and discipline. The spirit of the Seminary is, and will be, maintained in that spirit of loyalty, undi- vided by the specious claims of other self-constituted [iii] FOREWORD centres, whose influence has always tended toward petti- ness and division. That now is secured for the Semin- ary of this Archdiocese for all time. Those who now teach know the true doctrine, and the spiritual direction of the seminarians is now in the capable and experienced hands of a religious, whose whole life has been the study and application of the lives and doings of saintly priests. So, at last, the Seminary is secure. Materially, the grounds and the buildings have been enlarged and beautified, until today no Seminary any- where has better accommodations or more healthful sur- roundings and atmosphere. The number of churches, schools, parish houses and parish halls has increased with a rapidity almost incredi- ble. And the wonder is that with the speed of accom- plishment has kept pace the excellence of the work. After eighteen years of incessant hard work, we still are neither fatigued nor self-complacent. We are still only eager to go on to further development and finer accomplishment. The Archdiocese is still growing. We cannot yet rest satisfied completely, though we thank God for what His aid in every difficulty has enabled us to perform. A good artist, when he has drawn his perspective and laid the background of his picture, drops for a moment his palette and brush, and stands back at some distance to survey his canvas. That will not only rest his eye but refresh his vision. This book represents just that. We are taking a momentary survey, only to get a true perspective j cer- tainly not to feed our vanity. [iv] FOREWORD Great work has undoubtedly been done by the ear- nest and whole hearted co-operation of all. But still the work must go on, and we shall all be heartened to do it better and feel more keenly the joy of work, by withdrawing for a moment from toil, and taking a glance at what, with God’s help, we have already done. That is the purpose of this book. It is well worth reading. William Cardinal O’Connell, Archbishop of Boston. [v] CONTENTS FOREWORD iii DIOCESAN CHARITIES 1 Institutional Works. Non-Institutional Works — The Diocesan Bureau — St. Vincent De Paul Society — Co-oper- ating Societies. Educational Work. Efforts for the Pub- lic Welfare. Splendid Spirit of Loyalty and Devotion. DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM 23 Growth Through Establishment of New Schools. Growth Through Construction of New Buildings. Growth of Catholic Colleges. Growth Through Increase in En- rollment. Growth Through Increase in Numbers of Teachers. The Development of Catholic Education. The Supervision of Schools — Organization of The Curriculum — Uniform Tests. Teachers’ Institutes. Extension Courses for Religious Teachers. Teachers’ Visiting Day. Summer Schools. Course at Diocesan Seminary. Health Education. The Holy Childhood Association. Conclusion. DIOCESAN PROPERTY 79 Visit I — Lowell and Vicinity. Visit II — Lawrence, Hav- erhill, Amesbury. Visit III — Lynn, Salem, Gloucester. Visit IV — Fellsway and Adjoining Cities. Visit V — Brockton and Plymouth. Visit VI — Natick, Holliston, Franklin, Dedham, Norwood. Visit VII — Wayland, Fram- ingham, Marlboro. Visit VIII — Cambridge. Visit IX — Boston, South Boston, Dorchester. Visit X — Boston Proper. Summary. A SPIRITUAL SURVEY 175 Mass and the Sacraments. Church Societies. Parish Schools and Sunday Schools. Holy Hour — Novenas — Triduums — Retreats. Missions. Houses of Retreat. Convents. Cardinal’s Pronouncements. Catholic Truth Guild and Common Cause Forum. Vocations. St. John’s Seminary. [vii] CONTENTS PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH 205 Banner Branches. The Academia. Vocations. Na- tive Priests and Sisters. Mission Chapels. The Pilot. Holy Childhood. Complete Survey. THE DIOCESAN PRESS 227 The Pilot’s Objective. The Pilot a Religious Influence. The Pilot a Patriotic and Civic Influence. Material Growth of The Pilot. Brief of Pope Pius X. [ viii ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES / A Brief Account of the Regime of His Eminence, Cardinal O^Connell, in the Field of Charitable and Social Work BY Rev. M. J. Scanlan, I. P. P. Any worthwhile statement of the extent and pro- gress of charitable and social work in the Diocese of Boston, during the regime of His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell, must necessarily include some account, how- ever brief under present circumstances, of conditions as they were in this particular field upon His Emin- ence’s accession to office. In the fall of 1907, or shortly after the death of Arch- bishop Williams, steps were taken to discover the exact status of the charitable institutions and agencies within the Diocese. This inquiry took the form of a survey, covering the administrative and economic features of each diocesan institution and agency known to be doing charitable work under Catholic auspices. The survey was made in part by Archbishop O’Connell himself, and in part by others acting as his representa- tives. The method followed in this matter invariably included conferences with trustees and superiors of in- stitutions, an examination of annual reports, and a care- ful analysis of the financial condition of each institution. Briefly stated, the survey, requiring, as it did, not less than a year to make, revealed an urgent need of [ 3 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES certain readjustments and administrative changes affect- ing both personnel and methods. It was decided that these changes would be brought about best by the fol- lowing means: 1st— The adoption by all of the institutions of a rea- sonably uniform standard of auditing accounts: 2d— The reduction, as soon as possible in a number of cases, of long-standing indebtedness: 3d— A more responsible attitude of trustees towards their respective tasks: 4th— The rehabilitation of existing buildings to meet the requirements of health and safety: 5th— The prevention or elimination of needless dupli- cation of effort as well as of expense in the conduct of institutions : 6th— Regular and full reports to the Archbishop, from time to time, of accomplishments and plans of all charitable works within his jurisdiction. These were no arbitrary generalizations promulgated without reason, but rather necessary and urgent deduc- tions which no Bishop could well avoid making in view of the findings. The conditions which required readjustment were obviously due, in a large measure, to a lack of careful, diocesan supervision. This failure to supervise was doubtless inevitable, where the preoccupations of ad- vanced old age had for some years greatly diminished the lately deceased Archbishop’s capacity for active service. What is offered is simply a plain statement of indis- putable facts, a knowledge of which is a necessary [ 4 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES prerequisite for any intelligible account of what has been accomplished during the past sixteen years along charitable lines in the Diocese of Boston. It is a matter of record that few of the charitable institutions of the Diocese had made any appreciable progress, either in the extension of their work or in material construction, for ten years prior to the death of the late Archbishop, while the indebtedness of one institution, at least, had become very great. Given these conditions, the first work was that of readjustment as applied to the administrative and economic features of the institutions. Accordingly, for some two years or more, a silent but definite revamping of the charities of the Diocese went on. Such work to be effective had to be done quietly and with as little irritation as possible. To the unthinking, who are impressed mostly by the spectacular, studying a situation for the purpose of mastering its philosophy as well as its solution seems like lost time. It is thought- lessly referred to at times as indicating a lack of enter- prise or interest. The wisdom of such a proceeding escapes some people, until at a later day they are forced to acknowledge the error of their early impressions. Conventionally, most people familiar with works of benevolence and beneficence divide them into two cat- egories: Institutional and Non-institutional. Under these two headings, we shall set forth briefly the actual story of accomplishment along charitable and social welfare lines during the past sixteen years in the Di- ocese of Boston. [ 5 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Institutional Works Even at the risk of appearing to stress unduly the obvious, it may be said that any Diocese that provides, among other things, for the needs of helpless infants and indigent or wayward mothers ; for homeless children beyond infancy; for wayward juveniles; for the com- fort and protection of wage-earning women, young and old, who are without homes ; for the aged of both sexes, whether without means of subsistence or with enough to support themselves wholly or in part; for the sick of all ages and of both sexes ; for the victims of incur- able and chronic diseases ; any Diocese, we say, that provides at least for all these diverse needs, when judged by the best standards of traditional Catholic charitable effort, as well as by the most progressive features of modern social welfare, may rightly be con- sidered to be meeting in a most commendable way its obligations to the poor and dependent. Now, the Diocese of Boston has at the present time institutions to provide for each of the above named classes of dependents, and to provide for them with a comfort and with an adequacy equalled by no other Diocese of the United States. In support of this state- ment, it is enough to analyze the reports of the institu- tional charities of the dioceses of this country as set forth in the National Directory of Catholic Charities, published by the National Conference of Catholic Charities, as well as by the statistical sections of the Clerical Directory of 1923, dealing with the same matter. [ 6 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Institutions Classified Specifically, there are in the Diocese of Boston today, with its approximate population of one million souls, .fifty-three institutions devoted to charitable work. Categorically listed, they are as follows: Institutions for the Care of Dependent Mothers With Infants St. Mary’s Infant Asylum Catholic Charitable Bureau (Infant Department with hospital affiliations) Day Nurseries for the Daily Care of Working Women’s Children St. Elizabeth’s— Boston Columbus Day— South Boston Columbus Day— Cambridge Columbus Day — Salem Institutions for the Care of Orphans Home for Destitute Children— Boston St. Vincent’s Orphanage— Boston St. Francis— Boston Italian Orphanage— Boston Protectory of Mary Immaculate— Lawrence St. Peter’s Orphanage— Lowell French Orphanage— Lowell Home for Destitute Children— Newburyport Working Boys’ Home— Newton French Orphanage (under way) —Lawrence [ 7 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Industrial Schools for Juveniles Randolph School for Deaf and Dumb St. Joseph’s— Boston House of the Angel Guardian— Boston Daly Industrial— Boston School for Orphan Boys not Entirely Dependent St. Dominic’s Academy— Waverly Institutions for Wage Earners St. Helena’s— Boston St. Clement’s— Boston St. Joseph’s— Boston, West End St. James’— Haverhill St. Clare’s— Lawrence St. Patrick’s — Lowell St. Theresa’s— Lynn Protectory for Wayward Girls House of the Good Shepherd — Boston Institutions for the Homeless Aged of Both Sexes Little Sisters of the Poor— Roxbury Little Sisters of the Poor— Somerville St. Joseph’s, East Brookline St.— Boston St. Francis— Roxbury Protectory of Mary Immaculate— Lawrence Immaculate Conception— Newburyport Institutions for the Care and Cure of the Sick St. Elizabeth’s Hospital— Boston Carney Hospital— Boston St. Margaret’s Hospital— Boston St. John’s Hospital — Lowell [ 8 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Holy Ghost (for incurables)— Cambridge Archbishop William’s Convalescent Home— Fram- ingham Institutions Non-Parochial for Improvement of Social Conditions Ladies’ Catholic Club Neighborhood House— Boston North End Neighborhood House— Boston West End Neighborhood House— Boston Social Centers League of Catholic Women’s House— Boston League of Catholic Women’s House— Lawrence League of Catholic W’omen’s House — Lowell Institutions for Recreation and Vacation Vacation House for Sickly Children— Hull Marshfield Camps for Boys— Green Harbor Bethany Camp for Girls — Framingham St. Augustine’s Camp for Boys— Plymouth Immaculate Conception Camp for Boys— Lynnfield Vacation House for Girls— Hull The above table of statistics setting forth the names, location, and character of service of charitable institu- tions in the Diocese of Boston reveals the following very interesting facts: 1st— That there are now S3 such institutions in the Diocese as against 23 in 1907 ; 2d— That this represents an increase of about 150*^*^; 3rd— That while the 23 in 1907 served 6 distinct charitable purposes, those of 1923 serve 14; 4th— That of the 23 institutions in existence in 1907, 19 or 90^*^ of them have been supplanted by entirely [9] DIOCESAN CHARITIES new structures or enlarged very considerably to meet present-day requirements ; 5th— That the approximate valuation of diocesan charitable institutions in 1907 was $3,500,000 as against a valuation to-day of about $7,500,000. Of course, the usefulness of these institutions to the people of the Diocese and the community at large has increased correspondingly. But a mere array of statis- tics, however accurate and reliable the statistics them- selves may be, scarcely tells a complete story; indeed, scarcely gives one more than a very general idea of any subject. It would carry us much beyond the limits set for a brief resume of the charitable activities of the Diocese of Boston during the past sixteen years, if we were to attempt a detailed account of each of the institu- tions above mentioned. Their value to the community at large, and to the faithful of the Diocese in particular, has been often enough attested to both by public officials and by grate- ful beneficiaries, those who, in the hour of pain or need, found within them comfort, shelter, solace or direction. They are, indeed, legion who can tell better than any- one else can tell for them what these splendid places have meant, not to themselves alone, but what they have meant to countless others. Almost without exception, these institutions repre- sent structurally a distinct contribution to the architec- tural beauty of our communities. In equipment, like- wise, they are invariably fitted to meet the most exact- ing requirements in connection with the purposes they are intended to serve. [ 10 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES In personnel, they have increased over 20(r^ in the last decade alone ; while in point of service, the different religious communities, to which is committed the ad- ministration of mostly all of these charitable works, represent the highest type of intelligent, devoted, well- trained men and women. So much for the institutional charities. Non-Institutional Works Most people are more easily impressed by the so- called institutional way of doing charitable work than they are by the non-institutional way; and yet, as great as is the service done by institutions, there is a much greater service done outside of institutions in the field of charity; and nowhere is this more fully exemplified, and it may be said more cheerfully, than among the faithful of the Boston Diocese. Non-institutional charitable work, in so far as it represents organized collective effort, is usually done by agencies or by societies. Of these, there are now many well-organized, permanently established, and effectively functioning in the Diocese. The Diocesan Bctreau There is, first of all, the Central Diocesan Charit- able Bureau situated in the heart of Metropolitan Boston, with its large staff of intelligent, well-trained workers responding to countless calls from the dependent and benighted for direction, aid and protection, day in and day out. Closely allied with all the charitable activities of the Diocese and enjoying the confidence and respect of the civil authorities, this Bureau is reo [ 11 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES ognized far and wide as one of the most potent influ- ences for good in the entire State. Together with its eight branch bureaus, located in cities outside of Boston, the Central Bureau, through its several departments, deals in turn with unfortunate mothers and their off-spring; with homeless and orphan children; with wayward juveniles; with helpless and homeless old folks; with newly arrived immigrants, un- familiar with the language and customs of our country, welcoming them upon their arrival from other lands and guiding them, in hundreds of instances, to their des- tinations; with neglected children by means of well- organized neighborhood homes and vacation camps ; with Catholic children living in foster homes under the supervision of public child-placing agencies, by a system of cordial co-operation with the public authorities; and, finally, with the general public, serving as an informa- tion center for the guidance of innumerable persons who, for one reason or other, prefer to invoke the assistance of a Catholic agency in times of trouble and distress. In this connection, it is of some historic value, at least, to note that this Bureau, adopted as a definite center for the charitable activities of the Diocese of Boston by His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell, in 1907 and extended from time to time by the addition of ser- viceable branch bureaus outside of Boston, was the first bureau of its kind to be established in any Diocese of the United States. The wisdom of systematizing diocesan charities in this way finds ample justification, not alone in the acknowledged service which has resulted to the whole [ 12 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Catholic community, but also in the fact that not less than thirty Dioceses of the country have now adopted the self-same system with slight modifications here and there to meet local conditions. St. Vincent De Paul Society But, while the Central Diocesan Charitable Bureau and its many branches serve a veritable multitude of needs, they are admirably assisted by other agencies devoted to the poor and dependent. Chief among them is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, with its Central Office in Boston, extending its valuable services more and more each year to the poor in every corner of the Diocese. While this splendid Society was introduced into the Boston Diocese as early as 1861, the number of its local conferences had reached only forty-eight in 1907. There are now, how- ever, 115 parish conferences in as many parishes operating under one Central Council and five particular Councils, including a membership of 1,378 as against 679 in 1907. According to the most recent reports of the Society, some 2,941 poor families were aided throughout the Diocese in 1922, while the sum of $105,000 was dis- tributed to relieve distress. In addition to its relief work, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has maintained for years past, together with the charitable bureaus of the Diocese, representa- tives at the juvenile sessions of local courts to protect unfortunate violators of the law and to co-operate with the courts in the work of reclamation. [ 13 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES A questionnaire, sent out by the Central Charitable Bureau to the parishes of the Diocese some six years ago, brought out the very definite, as well as consoling, information that in practically every parish there was either a Conference of St. Vincent de Paul or a charit- able guild organized and functioning for the relief of the poor. It is a matter of interest to recall that recent national reports of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, made in annual convention, placed the Diocese of Boston among the very first in completeness of organization and in extent of relief given. Co-operating Societies But organized charitable effort of a non-institutional kind does not end with the service rendered by the diocesan bureaus and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, notwithstanding their admirable, and, one might almost say, adequate response to the call of the poor. There are in the Diocese of Boston to-day a number of well- organized groups of men and women aiding directly or indirectly many most deserving charities. Unlike some other Dioceses where, in lieu of state institutions for charitable purposes, religious groups are subsidized by public funds to care for the poor, the sick and the wayward, the charitable institutions of the Diocese of Boston rely entirely upon the free-will offer- ings of the faithful for their establishment and con- tinuance. This necessary reliance upon friendly interest and voluntary contributions rather than upon governmental [ 14 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES subsidy has been responsible, in a great measure, for the fine co-operation and support which the charities of the Diocese receive annually from a large group of societies. While it would not be possible here to elaborate, to any extent, upon the service of all these societies, any account of our charitable activities, however brief, must pay tribute to the spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion that leads thousands of whole-hearted men and women year after year to give of their hard-earned and meagre holdings a generous portion for the protection and relief of their less fortunate brethren. To-day, without excep- tion, every one of the 53 charitable institutions of the Diocese receives the moral, and in most instances, the financial support of some guild or auxiliary. One society alone, the Guild of the Infant Savior, established some fifteen years ago by His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell, to help the Catholic Charitable Bureau in its work for dependent mothers with infants, has grown from a membership of a few hundred to a permanent organization of over 2,500 members, donat- ing to the work of the Bureau, in addition to quantities of infants’ apparel made by the members, not less than $10,000 a year. The Knights of Columbus, the League of Catholic Women, the Ladies’ Catholic Benevolent Association, the Massachusetts Catholic Women’s Guild, the Pro Parvulis Club, the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters, the Catholic Daughters of America, and many other organizations of a less general membership are also annually generous contributors to diocesan good works. [IS] DIOCESAN CHARITIES A very thorough discussion of ways and means for the support of charities among representatives of a large number of Dioceses at a charitable conference in Washington, a few years ago, revealed the fact that practically no other Diocese in this country has the advantage of such well-organized voluntary support for its charities as obtains in the Diocese of Boston. The advantages of such co-operation are, of course, in a practical way very much on the side of the good works assisted but not wholly so, because it is a matter of every-day experience that those organizations that are not exclusively social in their aims, but charitable as well, exert a finer influence upon their membership, and are less apt to disintegrate than purely social groups. In verification of this, one has only to note the un- usually flourishing condition within the Boston Diocese of such organizations as we have in mind. In the matter of membership, they enjoy a consistent and healthy in- crease from year to year, while, in point of loyalty to the Catholic cause in its every aspect, tliey exhibit a spirit that is nothing less than Apostolic. The development of non-institutional charitable work is one of the very distinctive features of Cardinal O’ConnelFs regime. In this we must pay tribute to that fine power of discernment which His Eminence exhibited at the beginning of his regime, in grasping the trend of modern charitable effort. The wisdom of his advocacy and establishment of non-institutional charitable works throughout the Diocese is now obvious to the most casual observer. But it was not so obvious almost a generation ago. [ 16 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES To-day, were our Catholic cause not adequately rep- resented in the field of charity by well equipped agencies supported by permanently organized groups of loyal men and women, we should cut a very sorry figure in the community, because public and private charitable and social work outside the Church to-day is, to a great extent, non-institutional ; that is to say, problems that years ago were settled by committing individuals and families, young and old, to institutions are now rather generally solved through well-regulated relief, and super- vision applied to individuals and families in their homes. Educational Work The thoroughness of the Diocesan program for the development of the Church’s influence as well as her usefulness in the field of charitable work are in no way more strikingly brought out than in what has been done along educational lines and in the promotion of whole- some legislation. Up to 1910, the number of Catholic young men and young women employed by the public departments of charity and social welfare throughout the country was negligible, and yet, here as elsewhere, a goodly number of the individuals and families aided, directed and su- pervised were Catholic, both in and out of the public institutions. While paying tribute to the good work of the non-Catholic agents in these several departments, it seemed to His Eminence that our young people should be advised of the opportunities for service to the poor and unfortunate under public and private auspices, and should be thoroughly trained to enter this service. [ 17 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES Accordingly, in 1912, under the special patronage of His Eminence, a special evening shoool for the train- ing of charitable and social workers was started in con- junction with the Young Men’s Catholic Evening School and under the direction of the Catholic Charitable Bureau. This course, the very first of its kind under Catholic auspices in this country, has become a perman- ent institution in the Diocese. It has had for the past eleven years an annual enroll- ment of over one hundred and fifty pupils, and a large number of its certificated graduates are now holding responsible positions in public and private charities throughout the whole State and beyond its limits. In- deed, in the administrative staff of our state charities to-day, the Catholic trained social worker is in the majority. In the departments of public health and cor- rection, Catholic workers are also now very much to the fore. The last decade in the Diocese has really witnessed a veritable unfolding of numberless opportunities for Catholic young men and young women in a field of service where opportunities without number arise to bring spiritual assistance as well as material relief to their less fortunate co-religionists. In the encourage- ment and training of our young Catholic people for this kind of public service. His Eminence was a pioneer. He sent out the call to our young men and young women of education to take up as a life work, in a practical way, the solution of those social problems that are a stumbling block in the path of modern life. To those of us who are in a position to know how success [ 18 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES fully our Catholic workers throughout the whole country are now meeting and solving in a practical way, under public and private auspices, the trying problems aris- ing out of sickness, waywardness and poverty, there comes a feeling of gratitude to God for what has been accomplished along this line. Efforts for the Public Welfare We might well stop here in the story of what has been accomplished along charitable lines by His Emin- ence during the last sixteen years, but there is at least one more matter of importance which should be men- tioned, and that is the interest of His Eminence in legislation for the relief of the working people and their families. Through his recognized agency, the Catholic Charit- able Bureau, His Eminence gave encouragement and support to many wholesome measures for the better- ment of social conditions among the working people, including the establishment of the Industrial Accident Board and the Mothers’ Aid Department of Massachu- setts, both recognized now throughout the country as the fairest and best form of social legislation. Again, to provide compensation for religious services in public institutions, a measure was introduced by the Catholic Charitable Bureau in 1913 and passed in the same year, which has since that time mafle statutory provision for religious services in every public institu- tion of the state at public expense. In every movement of public concern. His Eminence has taken a prominent part, personally or through his [ 19 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES representative. Throughout the entire period of the late war, he insisted upon the fullest measure of co- operation, on the part of his people, with the Red Cross for the comfort of the enlisted man and his family; while during the epidemic of 1918 he placed the Diocesan Seminary and over nine hundred of the teaching Sisters at the service of the public health authorities to care for the sick and dying of all races and of all denominations. The frequent appearance of the director of the char- ities of the Diocese at legislative hearings and at meet- ings of citizens, held to promote various good causes, furnishes from day to day evidence enough of His Em- inence’s alert and sympathetic interest, not only in the welfare of his own flock, but in the welfare of the entire community. Altogether, the story of the last sixteen years, along charitable lines, in the Diocese of Boston, is a story of real achievement. There has been an absence through- out of unusual or spectacular methods. His Eminence visualized his task in the beginning, settled upon the objective and the manner of reaching it. He knew his people’s generosity and felt confident of their reliance upon his guidance, with results that shall remain for many a generation as evidence of what one may expect in the way of real accomplishment, when Bishop and people are as one in faith and in purpose. Splendid Spirit of Loyalty and Devotion After all, grapes do not grow of thorns nor figs of thistles. If the Boston Diocese is blessed as few, if any other, dioceses the world over are blessed, with a splen- [ 20 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES did array of charitable works, institutional and non- institutional, parochial and diocesan, extending annually to thousands of men, women and children, comfort, consolation, shelter and protection, it is because no- where else in all the world to-day is there a people more devoted to the faith of their fathers, or more responsive to the call of their Spiritual Leader. The responsiveness of the priests and people of the Diocese to the charitable appeals of His Eminence has always been both ready and generous. When occasion required, as in the cases of the Working Boys’ Home and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, the former involving the wiping out of a large indebtedness and the latter calling for the erection of an entirely new plant of splendid dimensions, His Eminence with characteristic frankness placed each proposition in turn before the people and asked them to help him. It is a matter of record that the amounts given in both instances within a few short weeks were greatly in excess of any amount collected in any other Diocese of the country, under similar conditions, up to that time. In the case of the Working Boys’ Home, His Eminence asked for $100,000. and he got considerably more; while, in the campaign for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, he asked for $200,000, and he got not less than 25^*^ in excess of that amount. Again, on a less pretentious scale, but for a cause that has meant much indeed to our Catholic womanhood in the matter of solidarity and intelligent co-operation along social welfare lines. His Eminence appealed for funds to purchase the valuable property now used as a [ 21 ] DIOCESAN CHARITIES social center under the auspices of the League of Catho- lic Women. The response, as usual, was characteris- tically generous. And so it has been without exception during the past sixteen years. Priests and people, full of admiration for the intelligent leadership of His Eminence and hav- ing a deeply rooted confidence in the sincerity of his purpose as well as in the largeness of his vision, have given an example of loyalty, devotion and generosity, unsurpassed anywhere else in the Catholic world. [ 22 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM A Study of the Growth and Development of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Boston, 1907-1923 BY Rev. a. F. Hickey, S. T. L., Diocesan Supervisor of Schools A study of the gratifying progress of Catholic Educa- tion in the Archdiocese of Boston during the period 1907-1923 falls naturally under two general considera- tions. What is the actual state of affairs in terms of quantity, and how has the work attained to such mate- rial proportions ? What is the present condition in terms of quality, and how has quality of effort been main- tained and improved? How much and how well — these are the questions which present themselves in an attempt to review a project so extensive, so far reaching and so vital in its nature as the work of Catholic Education. Growth and development are the aspects of the sub- ject which call for investigation and review. An investi- gation of growth will furnish information on the amount of educational work carried on during the period selected for this study. A review of development will be con- cerned with the policies, principles, aims and purposes which have contributed effectively to the achievement of very satisfactory results. [ 25 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Growth Through the Establishment Of New Schools In a survey of the growth of Catholic Education two important factors must be recognized and distinguished. The first is the leadership of the Bishop, supported by the co-operation of parish priests, who organize the Catholic people and guide them as a working unit in the establishment and maintenance of schools in the parishes of a Diocese. The second factor in the growth of Catholic Educa- tion is the holy enterprise of religious communities which urges them to advance Catholic Education by the establishment of Schools, Academies and Colleges for the purpose of meeting general rather than parish needs. This second factor finds its source of life and strength in the encouragement and approval of the Bishop of the Diocese. At the present time, there are 117 Parochial Schools in operation in the Archdiocese of Boston. There are 17 Academies and Preparatory Schools for boys, girls, young men and young women. There are two Catholic colleges ; one for men, one for women. On October 1, 1923, 86,600 Catholic pupils were en- rolled in these educational institutions of the Arch- diocese. In addition 1574 Catholic children were being cared for in the schools carried on in 10 Charitable Institutions. The total number of Catholics in Catho- lic Schools of all types was 88,174. This consoling number of schools with such grati- fying membership represents consistent effort and self [ 26 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM sacrifice on the part of Bishops, priests, religious and people during a long period of years. In the field of Parochial School work it is worthy of note that in 1875 only 14 parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston were conducting Parochial Schools. Fifteen years later, in 1890, there were 45 Parochial Schools, an increase of 31 in fifteen years. In the fol- lowing fifteen year period to 1906, 26 parishes estab- lished schools, bringing the total up to 71. From 1907 to 1923, 47 parishes have opened Parochial Schools bringing the total number up to 117. During the in- terval 1907-1923 one school was closed. This analysis of the growth of the Parochial School system shows that the increase from 1907 to 1923 has been far greater than the increase during the same period of years at any time in the history of the Arch- diocese. During the fifteen year period next preceding i. e., 1890-1906, only 26 Parochial Schools were estab- lished, while the period 1907-1923 shows a growth of 47, almost double the number established during the fifteen year period immediately preceding. Furthermore, from 1875 to 1923, 48 years, 104 parishes have established schools. Of these 104 schools established during a period of 48 years, 47 or almost one half have come into ex- istence from 1907 to 1923. The effect in Catholic life of this great increase in Parochial Schools since 1907 is brought into clear relief by the fact that these 47 recently instituted schools enroll at the present time, in elementary and high school classes, 23,661 pupils and that these schools require the services of 512 teachers. [ 27 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM The enrollment in Parochial Schools alone in 1907- 1908 was 50,144. In October 1923 the enrollment in Parochial Schools was 81,129 an increase of 30,985. This increase is due in very large measure to the estab- lishment of the 47 new schools which enrolled on Octo- ber 1, 1923, 23,661. This enrollment in the new schools represents 77% of the increase in enrollment during fif- teen years. Growth Through the Construction Of New Buildings The growth of Catholic education in the parishes of the Archdiocese has not been restricted to the openipg of new schools. From 1907-1923 there have been many evidences of growth in parishes where schools had been in operation for several years. In these cases material growth was necessary to meet the demands of larger enrollment and to improve the material condition of buildings and classrooms. From 1907-1923, 65 parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston erected 71 new School Buildings. These new school buildings represent the best modern thought in school house construction. They are imposing monu- ments, for in character and quality they exemplify the spirit and the purpose of the work of the Church in education. These new buildings have given 777 addi- tional classrooms to the school system of the Archdiocese. From 1907-1923, 32 parishes have enlarged school houses or have purchased buildings to be adapted to school purposes. These projects for enlargement of [ 28 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM facilities have added 169 classrooms to the total avail- able. During the school year 1905-1906 there were 941 classrooms in use in the Parochial Schools of the Arch- diocese of Boston. From 1907-1923, 946 new classrooms have been constructed. These new classrooms represent an increase of one hundred percent in classroom ac- commodations available accomplished through new buildings and additions during the period 1907-1923. The support and maintenance of the Parochial School calls for other buildings than the school house. A con- vent must be provided for the teaching religious. The convent is in the nature of things an integral part of the educational equipment of the parish. During the period 1907-1923, 23 parishes erected new convents. During the same period 41 parishes enlarged their convents or they purchased buildings to be remodelled for convent purposes. A very impressive fact is learned from a comparative study of the lists of parishes, building new schools, enlarging school buildings, building new convents or remodelling buildings for convent purposes during the period of this study. From 1907-1923, 99 different parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston were engaged at one time or another in carrying on a building program for the enlargement of opportunities in Catholic educa- tion. This compelling fact is an unusual tribute to the active devotion and self sacrifice of the priests and people of the Archdiocese in the solution of the material problems in the work of Catholic Education. [ 29 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Growth of Academies and Preparatory Schools During the years 1907-1923, the following Acad- emies and Preparatory Schools were established in the Archdiocese of Boston. St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers 1907 Sacred Heart Academy, Watertown 1911 ^Marycliff Academy, Arlington Heights 1913 Loring Villa, Salem 1916 Academy of St. Dominic, Waverly 1917 St. Clement’s School, Canton 1922 Sacred Heart Boarding School, Sharon 1923 St. Agnes School for Girls, Newton 1923 During the school year 1905-1906 there were 9 Cath- olic Schools of the Academy and Preparatory School type conducted by religious communities independent of parish control. Eight new schools of this type have been established from 1907-1923. The Academies and Preparatory Schools have enlarged their school accommodations by the erection of new buildings as follows :St. John’s Preparatory School built two large buildings for school purposes, one in 1912, one in 1915. The Academies of Notre Dame, Boston: Notre Dame, Roxbury: Mt. St. Joseph, Brighton: As- sumption, Wellesley: Loring Villa, Salem: Sacred Heart, Watertown: Sacred Heart Boarding School, Sharon: Academy of St. Dominic, Waverley: have constructed new buildings for academic purposes. The convent of the Sacred Heart, Boston, has enlarged its convent and school by the purchase of adjoining buildings. Mary- [ 30 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM cliff Academy, Arlington Heights, purchased buildings to be adapted to school purposes. Later, the original building was enlarged by an addition of 10 rooms. The years 1907-1923 have witnessed the establish- ment of 8 new academies and preparatory schools and the erection of 10 new buildings to meet the needs of these schools. Growth of Catholic Colleges In the field of Catholic Higher Education the mater- ial growth of our Catholic Colleges has been marked during the past fifteen years. In 1913 Boston College, established in 1863, moved the college department to new buildings erected on an unusually attractive site at Chestnut Hill, Newton. Three magnificent buildings have been erected on the new location of the college. Boston College, in the beauty of its natural surround- ings and in the impressive character of the architecture of its buildings, stands today a monument to the interest and generosity of the Catholics of Boston in behalf of Catholic Higher Education. In May 1922 a great Drive for funds for the new buildings of Boston College was carried on with great success throughout the Diocese. Priests and people working in parish units raised within ten days the sum of $2,000,000 for the support and development of this project. His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell, set the example to his people by giving a large personal con- tribution to this fund. The Drive Fund represented the sum of the contribu- tions of thousands of Catholics who were eager to use [ 31 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM this opportunity to manifest their unselfish interest in a great Catholic cause. The Boston College Drive of 1922 is an outstanding achievement for Catholic educa- tion during the period now under consideration. In September 1919 the first Catholic College for women in New England was opened at the Fenway in Boston. Emmanuel College was established by the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur. The faculty is made up of Sisters of the community and of priests of the faculty of St. John’s Seminary, Brighton. In April 1921, by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature, Emmanuel College was granted a charter with the power to confer collegiate degrees. In June 1923 the first degrees were given to thirty- five members of the first senior class. This new Cath- olic College for Women meets a pressing need. For men and women alike the Archdiocese of Boston now provides opportunities for education under Catholic auspices from elementary school on to the completion of the college course. Growth Through Increase in Enrollment The study of the enrollment of pupils in a school organization is centered about two important facts. The first is the increase in the number of pupils enrolled. The second is the grade of work to which these pupils have attained. The period 1907-1923 is marked by a great increase in actual enrollment. What is equally significant is the evidence that there has been steady progress in the development of high school and college work. [ 32 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM During the school year 1907-1908 the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston, Parochial Schools, Acad- emies, Preparatory Schools and Colleges, enrolled 51,750 pupils. In the present year, 1923-1924, the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese enroll 86,600 pupils, an increase of 34,850 or 67%. There are now practically 35,000 more pupils in the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston than were enrolled 15 years ago. The following tables show the enrollment of pupils in all schools in 1907-1908 and 1923-1924. 1907 PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS ACADEMIES PREPARATORY SCHOOLS COLLEGES TOTAL 1908 1923 50,144 1,436 170 51,750 1924 81,129 4,322 1,149 86,600 1907 Total Hlg-h Enrolled Scnools (percent of) (enrollment) Colleges (percent of) (enroUment) 1908 51,750 1,662 3.2% 170 .0034% 1923 1924 86,600 7,293 8.4% 1,149 1.3% The increase in pupils doing high school and college work in proportion to the increase in total enrollment shows how effectively the Catholic Schools are meeting their responsibilities for a constantly finer quality of service to Catholic children. This increase shows itself not only in the larger enrollment but in the percentage [ 33 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM of high school and college pupils in the total enrollment of the Diocese. The increase in the number of pupils in High Schools is the result of the establishment of 3 Academies for Girls, 1 Preparatory School for Boys and new parish High Schools in 24 parishes of the Archdiocese. In the Parochial Schools in 1907-1908 only 1.5% of the pupils enrolled were doing High School work. In 1923-1924, 5.2% of the pupils in Parochial Schools are following High School courses. The enrollment in this depart- ment has increased practically four times in fifteen years. The value of the elementary school to children is measured likewise by the proportionate number of pupils enrolled in the higher grades. In 1907-1908, 1,108 pupils graduated from elementary Parochial Schools. This group represented 2.3% of 49,352 pupils enrolled in the elementary grades of Parochial Schools. In June 1923, 5,398 out of 73,591 or 7.3% were graduated from the elementary course. No. Enrolled Elementary Grades Graduates Percentage of 1907 Parochial Schools Elementary Grades Enrollment 1908 June 49,352 1,108 2.3% 1923 73,591 5,398 7.3% This fact furnishes a striking indication of the richer and more complete service offered by Parochial Schools after an interval of fifteen years. During these years from 1908 to 1923 the Parochial Schools of the Arch- diocese graduated from elementary schools 52,713 pupils. [ 34 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM The increase in graduates from Academies, Prepara- tory Schools and Colleges is shown in the following table. 1907 Academies Preparatory Schools College 1908 June 115 28 1923 529 180 Growth Through Increase in Number of Teachers The growth of Catholic Education depends in large measure on the increase in vocations to the religious life, for the teaching force of the Catholic School is made up of generous self-sacrificing souls who conse- crate themselves in religion to this holy work. The religious communities working in the Archdiocese of Boston have been able to meet the unusual increase in schools and in enrollment during fifteen years in a very satisfactory manner. A great increase in vocations to these teaching communities made it possible to supply almost adequately the great demand for more teachers. The need is always urgent but the accomplishment of fifteen years gives hope and confidence for the future. The following tables present the results of a compara- tive study of the teaching force in Catholic Schools in 1907-1908 and in 1923-1924. { a ) Parochial Schools 1907 Religious Communities Teaching Sisters Teaching Brothers Lay Teachers Total 1908 1923 25 906 77 45 1,028 1924 29 1,683 65 74 1,822 [ 35 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM (b) Academies and Colleges 1907 Numlier Teachers All Academies Faculties Colleg'es 1908 108 17 1923 1924 264 66 It is important to note that the great demand for teachers has not made necessary the employment of many lay teachers. The vigor and strength of the faith and love of Catholic men and women of the Diocese have inspired them to offer their lives to religious education during these years when the need was urgent. The example and the influence of the religious teacher is the soul of Catholic Education. In the Archdiocese of Boston the increase in the number of religious teachers is the fruit of vocations developed in large measure with- in the limits of the Diocese. All the religious communi- ties conducting Parochial Schools receive each year many postulants from the parishes where these schools are located. From 1907-1923 the number of teaching Brothers in elementary schools has decreased slightly. This decrease means that the work of the Brothers has been taken over by Sisters of religious communities of women. In school work with younger children the Sister is for ob- vious reasons more effective than the Brother. It is fast becoming the policy of teaching communities of men to concentrate their activities in the education of older boys in elementary schools and high schools. [ 36 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Three religious communities have been introduced into the Archdiocese for Parochial School work in the past fifteen years as follows:— The Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus at Melrose 1909 The Sisters of Christian Education at Waltham 1911 The Sisters of St. Joan D’Arc at Shirley 1921 The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, formerly known as Grey Nuns of the Cross, began their autonomous existence as a religious community in 1921. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart made their first foundation in the Diocese in 1922 when they initiated their project of a resident school for boys at Sharon. This school was opened in September 1923. The work of the novitiate training of young religious has moved forward apace with the general growth in the field of Catholic education. The Novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph was trans- ferred in 1921 from Canton to a magnificent new build- ing in Framingham. At the present time the number of candidates in this novitiate is the largest in the history of this community during its fifty years of service in Boston. The Novitiate of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur in Waltham was enlarged by the erection of a modern well equipped building in 1921 to meet the needs created by the large increase in the number of candidates aspir- ing to membership in this teaching community, which has conducted schools in Boston since 1849. These two novitiates of Framingham and Waltham train the future religious teachers for practically one half of the educational work done in the Archdiocese of [ 37 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Boston. The growth and development of these strong religious bodies is convincing proof of the devotion and the religious spirit characteristic of the Catholic people of the Diocese. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception built and opened a new novitiate in Newton in 1914. The purpose was to make convenient the training of future religious teachers by the location of a Novitiate in a Diocese where a great number of religious voca- tions have been nurtured and developed. In September 1923 the Xaverian Brothers opened a Juniorate at Oak Hill, Peabody, Mass, for aspirants to their community. This Juniorate is located in a per- fect situation where the beauties of nature and the healthfulness of the environment will make a large con- tribution to the development of efficient religious teach- ers. Fifty-two aspirants were enrolled at the new Jun- iorate during the first month of its existence. Each religious novitiate in the Diocese is giving praise- worthy attention to the formation of the true religious character in postulants and novices. The religious char- acter is the foundation of successful work for Catholic Education. With the proper emphasis on religious train- ing and discipline, the community normal schools are making constant progress in the preparation of teachers skilled and eager to give efficient service in Catholic Schools. The Development of Catholic Education The facts presented above show the great proportions to which Catholic Education has grown in the past fif- [ 38 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM teen years in the Archdiocese of Boston. 117 Parochial Schools, 1822 teachers and 82,000 children form a power- ful Parochial School organization. This organization has never failed to appreciate the responsibility of ad- vancing and improving constantly the quality of Cath- olic education for the direct personal benefit of pupils, for the consolation of the Church, and for the strength of the state and the nation. The increase in schools, pupils and teachers from 1907 to 1923 created many new and serious problems. It was the obvious task of the diocesan authorities to meet the new situations in a rapidly growing system and to devise effective policies for guidance and direction. The plans formulated and carried out from 1907 to 1923 under the direction of the Archbishop of Boston for the development of Catholic Education, particularly in Parochial Schools, can best be described in the state- ment that the quality of the work done has kept steady pace with the great material growth. If there are more schools now, there are now better schools. If there are more teachers, there are better -trained teachers. If there are more pupils, these pupils are receiving a superior quality of educational training. The development of Catholic Education in the Arch- diocese of Boston during fifteen years has proceeded in an orderly way. Each new policy has had a definite objective. The coordination of the various plans of action has produced a strong diocesan school organiza- tion, united, efficient, and devoted to the high purposes of Catholic Education. [ 39 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM The Supervision of Schools The first responsibility of diocesan leadership and direction in the field of education is to present an at- titude and a policy of helpfulness towards the Superiors and Schools and teachers who make up the working force of the school organization. To this end a method of constructive supervision was developed and carried through. With the great increase in number of schools and teachers it became necessary in 1914 to plan a more effective method of supervising classroom procedure than was possible with the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools working alone. In October 1914 the Archbishop of Boston appointed a Board of Community Supervisors of Schools. Each community teaching 2,000 children in the schools of the Archdiocese w^as given a representative on this Board. The Board was composed of twelve members, repre- senting ten religious communities. The function of these Community Supervisors is a most important one. The schools conducted by their respective communities are visited at regular intervals, local school problems are studied and assistance and guidance are given to the teacher in the classroom. It is also the duty of these Supervisors to act in an advisory capacity to the Diocesan Supervisor of School? in matters of general educational policy. These Community Supervisors have carried on their work with great effectiveness. At the present time the results of their efforts are manifest. The schools of each [ 40 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM religious community work as a unit participating act- ively in the larger life of the diocesan organization. The Community Supervisor strengthens and solidifies the work of the teachers under her supervision. Each religious community makes its vital contribution to the educational work of the Diocese. The Diocesan Supervisor supplements the results of his own experience and observation by conference and study with the Community Supervisors. An excellent spirit of cooperation thus engendered has developed a very effective professional leadership for the classroom work in Parochial Schools. In January 1915 a special Supervisor for the study of Music was appointed by the Archbishop. This sup- ervisor was in charge of all the work in Music through- out the Archdiocese. His directions were executed by Community Supervisors of Music who represented in the field of Music the same policies and attitudes as the Community Supervisors mentioned above in the general field of education. The work of the Community Supervisors in Music has been productive of excellent results. Pupils in Parochial Schools to-day receive a very satisfactory training in the theory and practice of music. Much of the improvement in results has been due to the impetus given by a more thorough and constant supervision of this important subject. The Organization of the Curriculum In September 1915 the first attempt was made to unify the work in the elementary grades of Parochial [ 41 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Schools of the Archdiocese. To develop a spirit of unity of action, to lessen the difficulties caused by lack of general uniformity, an Outline of Requirements in Religion, English, History, Geography, Arithmetic and Physiology, was placed in the hands of every teacher. This Outline set dowm briefly certain work to be ac- complished in each Grade from the first to the eighth in the subjects mentioned above. The Outline was drawn up with the assistance of the Community Supervisors of Schools. The immediate result was a new consciousness in every teacher of the Diocese of a work-together spirit and of a new life in the school organization through this clearly defined unity of purpose in the important subjects of every- day classroom life. The experience of eight years with the original Out- line of Requirements has established its value and im- portance. With this experience in the use of the Out- line new needs began to reveal themselves. During the school year 1921-1922 suggestions were asked from Com- munity Supervisors, Superiors of Schools and teachers of the grades for the improvement of the original Out- line. With these suggestions in hand the Community Supervisors began the preparation of a new Course of Study for use in Parochial elementary schools. With the approval of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston this course was ready for distribution from the office of the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools in Novem- ber 1923. It presents ample evidence of development. It is more complete in detail and in references for teachers and pupils. It sets forth requirements in every [ 42 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM subject ordinarily taught in elementary schools. The Course treats of the curriculum in Religion, English, Arithmetic, History, Civics, Patriotism, Geography, Music, Drawing, Physical Training and Physiology and Hygiene. There is no doubt that this course of study in the hands of the teachers of Parochial Schools will accomp- lish a great good in the improvement of the service of the school in the lives of its pupils. The work in Religion has been developed for the benefit of teachers and pupils. In English a new emphasis has been placed on Literature. Particular attention has been given to the proper teaching of American History, Civics and Patriotism to meet the duties and responsibilities which life in the United States places on every individual. The Course of Study serves a purpose quite independ- ent of its value to teacher and pupil. If there are those who would learn from an authoritative source of the principles, the spirit and the aims of Catholic Educa- tion, the Course of Study is an open book for reference and consultation. A cursory reading of this Course used in Parochial Schools forces one to the conclusion that the Parochial School is making a distinctive contribution to the work of Holy Mother Church and to the life of our American Democracy. Uniform Tests With the diocesan school organization unified by the cooperative effort of Community Supervisors and the Diocesan Supervisor in carrying into operation the pro- gram of the Outline of Requirements, the next step [ 43 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM forward w^as the checking up of results. While Supe- riors of Schools, teachers and parents may differ in appreciation of the educational value of examinations, a large diocesan school organization finds the uniform test of considerable value. From 1908 to the present time every pupil graduating from the elementary grades of Parochial Schools has been obliged to take a uniform test issued from the office of the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools. In 1919 a system of uniform diocesan tests for all pupils. Grades III to VIII inclusive, became part of the diocesan program for development. These uniform tests are prepared with the assistance of the Community Supervisors of Schools. They cover the major subjects in the elementary school curriculum. Each year in June every pupil in Grades III to VIII in every Parochial School takes this uniform written test arranged for his grade in Religion, English, Spelling, History, Geography and Arithmetic. The test in ^lusic is prepared for each school by the Community Super- visor of Music. In Grade III the test in Religion and Geography is oral and therefore not uniform. These tests go each year to practically 50,000 children enrolled Grades III to VIII. 200,000 test question papers are printed and distributed from the office of the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools in carrying out this diocesan policy. Teachers’ Institutes The Diocesan Supervisor, the Community Supervisor, the Course of Study, the Uniform Tests may in a limited sense be considered to constitute the frame work of [ 44 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM the diocesan school organization of Boston. Of them- selves they do not always reach the great soul of educa- tion which is the spirit and the enthusiasm of the teach- ing force. In a great Archdiocese with hundreds of religious teachers representing a great variety of religious com- munities, it is not enough to declare authoritatively that certain things must be done. No school organization can flourish unless teachers are shown how and in what spirit the great work is to be carried on. Furthermore, the unity of organization must be more than a unity of rules and regulations. For life and success in a large system of education, there must be unity in spirit, harmony in purpose and cheerful cooperation in every policy. In the development of the school work of the Arch- diocese of Boston, the necessity of keeping alive and active the true Christian spirit in education has been constantly kept in view. The progress of educational effort is assured only when the spirit is right, and the right spirit is shared by every contributor to the com- mon cause. In 1910 the Annual Teachers’ Institute was established in the school organization of the Archdiocese of Boston for the development and maintenance of a proper spirit of diocesan cooperation. In August of that year His Eminence, Cardinal O’Con- nell invited Rev. Thomas F. Shields of the Catholic University to give a course of lectures on Educational Psychology. The lectures were open to all the teachers of the Archdiocese and representatives from all the re- ligious communities were present. His Eminence, [4S] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Cardinal O’Connell addressed the assembled teachers. The Cardinal emphasized the necessity for cordial co- operation on the part of all the contributing forces in the advancement and development of the educational interests of the Archdiocese. The attendance at this first Institute which was carried on for six days averaged 450 teachers. Since 1910 one week in August of each year has been given to the Annual Teachers’ Institute. To the In- stitute are invited leading Catholic educators of the country who present for study and discussion principles of action and methods of procedure. Participation and partnership in such a large project awaken in teachers a fresh enthusiasm in the face of the difficulties and problems of a new school year. The Institute usually has on its program a lecture by a Superintendent of Parochial Schools of some other Diocese with an enlightening and encouraging message. The outstanding advantage is the direct personal mes- sage from the Cardinal Archbishop who honors the In- stitute every year with a highly appreciated visit and an inspiring conference. The Institute brings to the religious teacher what she as an individual cannot go out and seek for herself. It keeps the religious teacher in touch with the best in educational thought and brings to her the achieve- ments of the leading Catholic educators of the country. All the twenty nine religious communities teaching in the Parochial Schools of the Archdiocese are rep- resented at the Institute. They unite on the common platform of Catholic educational interest. They become [ 46 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM better acquainted with one another and the great re- sultant is a new determination and compelling inspira- tion to work together for the development and improve- ment of the diocesan school organization. Fourteen Annual Teachers’ Institutes have been held in the Archdiocese of Boston. In 1910 the average daily attendance was 450. In August 1923 the average daily attendance was 900. The attendance at the insti- tute has increased 100% in thirteen years while the teaching force has increased only 60%. These facts show how eagerly our religious teachers avail them- selves of this opportunity and how convinced they are of its profit and value. Extension Courses for Religious Teachers In 1919 plans were formulated and approved by the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston to carry on during the school year the spirit and purposes of the Annual In- stitute by offering to religious teachers further opportu- nities for professional study and improvement under Catholic auspices and direction. In December of that year at the Cathedral, Boston, a course of thirty lectures in Primary Methodology was given under the directions of the office of the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools by a Catholic teacher to a group of 500 religious teachers of the first three elementary grades. In 1920 with the cooperation of the School of Educa- tion at Boston College there was inaugurated an An- nual Course of Lectures on subjects educational given at the Cathedral, Boston, and attended by large num- bers of teachers working in Parochial Schools. In 1921 [ 47 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM and 1922 this extension course was repeated in Lawrence for the convenience of teachers living at a distance from Boston. During these years, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 five courses were conducted on the following subjects: Principles of Education, 1920: Psychology of Education, 1920: Methods in History and Geography, 1921: Methods in Literature, 1922 : Principles of Catholic Education, 1923. Boston College School of Education has granted 2654 certificates to religious teachers for satisfactory attend- ance at these lectures. These certificates were granted 1920-1922 inclusive. The Course of 1923 is not yet finished. In addition during the same years 1920-1922 Boston College granted 449 certificates of college credit for attendance and satisfactory thesis submitted to the col- lege authorities. Since the inauguration of this program for professional study under Catholic direction, 3103 certificates have been given to teachers in the Parochial Schools of Boston by the School of Education of Boston College for satisfactory work accomplished. The Annual Institute and the Extension Courses have made a noteworthy contribution to the development of the educational work of the Archdiocese of Boston. The Catholicity of the educational effort of the Diocese stands out when all the religious commnuities unite for a study of their common problems. Contact with one another is a special inspiration, for they recognize the great consecration and holy purpose common to all, though they live under a different rule and different tradition. [ 48 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Teachers’ Visiting Day The religious spirit and the professional spirit of the teaching force of the Archdiocese have been developed through companionship and conference at Institutes and Lecture Courses. To these has been added the ad van tage of contact in the actual work of the classroom. The practice of giving to teachers an opportunity to visit one another in the classroom and there to observe and to study methods of procedure has become another important feature of their professional improvement. In 1917, at the direction of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, the Annual Teachers’ Visiting Day was estab- lished in the Archdiocese. Each Parochial School is closed one day in the year to allow the teachers to visit other Parochial Schools in session. This practice has brought the teachers into very close and friendly pro- fessional contact. The religious of one community go to visit the teachers of another. A teacher with her problems has on Visiting Day an opportunity to observe how another teacher meets the same situation. The Visiting Day helps teachers to learn from one another. It stirs within all a new realization of a great common purpose and creates a real desire for mutual assistance. In these ways it promotes exceedingly the spirit of organization through which Catholic Edu- cation strives to attain its high aims and purposes. Summer Schools The Annual Teachers’ Institute and Extension Courses of Boston College are operated under the direction of the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools. In addition to these 149] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM opportunities offered by the diocesan organization, Sum- mer Schools for teachers are conducted by a number of religious communities. At Emmanuel College, Mt. St. Joseph Academy, Sacred Heart Academy, Watertown, St. Raphael’s Hyde Park, during the summer of 1923 courses of college and normal school grade were given to the teachers of the communities under whose direc- tion these schools are conducted. In the summer of 1924 Boston College organized a Summer School offering college and professional courses to the religious teachers of the Archdiocese of Boston. This Summer School was inaugurated through the joint cooperation of the authorities of Boston College and the diocesan school organization. The establishment of these Summer courses will com- plete the program developed gradually during the past ten years in the interest of the professional study and improvement of the religious teachers of the Archdiocese of Boston. All indications, strengthened by the ex- perience of the past, point to a very successful outcome of this latest but very important step forward in the furtherance of the educational work of the Archdiocese of Boston. Course at Diocesan Seminary In 1920 a course in Principles of Education was in- troduced at St. John’s Ecclesiastical Seminary, Brighton, the diocesan seminary of the Archdiocese of Boston. The Diocesan Supervisor of Schools was appointed to take up this work with the deacon class of the seminary. It is a commonly acknowledged fact that the zeal of the diocesan clergy, under whose direction and sup- [SO] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM port Parochial Schools are established and maintained, is responsible in no small measure for the growth and progress of Catholic education. In any program of development it is natural to consider the preparation of seminarians for this important part of their lives as priests. In this spirit the work in Education at the Seminary was undertaken. In the work of thirty lecture hours an effort is made (a) to develop a clear understanding of the nature of true education and to indicate the opportunities and responsibilities of the Priesthood in the field of educa- tion: (b) to present the psychological principles under- lying successful teaching: (c) to exemplify in the life of the parish school the principles developed above. This addition to the curriculum of the Diocesan Sem- inary of the Archdiocese of Boston is of tried and proven worth in the mind of the Seminary authorities and is a great step forward in the development of the work of Catholic education. The priests of the present genera- tion must carry on with enthusiasm and skill the educa- tional traditions handed down to them from the past. To be taught these traditions, their value and their capacity for improvement, is the aim and purpose of the Course in Education given at the Seminary of Boston. This course takes a large place in the constructive program of constant development in the field of Catholic education. With priests of zeal and intelligence, ready and eager to meet the problems of the future, the out- look for Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston is brilliant in its possibilities for greater accomplishment. [SI] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Health Education No attempt has been made to comment in this study on progress in special lines of school work. Policies have been outlined, facts have been presented which in themselves prove that the children now in attendance at Parochial Schools are receiving a very efficient educa- tional service. Religion, English, History, Civics, Geog- raphy, Mathematics are taught better, and therefore are making a more effective contribution to the mental and moral power in the individual which is his char- acter. A new emphasis has come on Music and Drawing. The system of Penmanship is uniform in every classroom. These details in education show the results of coopera- tion and harmony developed in the diocesan program during the past sixteen years. In one special department a definite reference to pro- gress is merited. The health of school children is a common centre of interest for all educators. The sound mind in the sound body is an accepted principle in Catholic education. In the Parochial School organiza- tion of Boston there has been clear and definite appre- ciation of the responsibility of the school in safeguard- ing and developing the physical life of growing children. The following facts are presented to substantiate this statement. (1) In the fall of 1915 the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston directed the parish priests of the Archdiocese to provide a medical inspector for each Parochial School, wherever the local public health authorities did not undertake this service for children in Catholic Schools. [ 52 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM At the present time the children in attendance at Paro- chial Schools have the services of the school doctor to assist the teacher in the solution of the health problems which arise from day to day. (2) The new Course of Study presents in detail physical exercises which are to be part of the school program. For many years these exercises have been carried on in Parochial Schools. At the present time 44 schools engage specialists in physical education to direct teachers and pupils in this work. One can see in the near future every Parochial School with a special physical training teacher caring for the physical develop- ment of pupils. (3) In September, 1920, the St. Apollonia Guild of Catholic dentists was organized in Boston. The great objective of this group of representative dentists was to give their services voluntarily for the benefit of pupils in attendance at Parochial Schools. The Forsyth Dental Infirmary for children in Boston offered all the necessary assistance in clinic opportunities. The doctors of the Guild visit the Parochial Schools once a year to examine the mouth conditions of every pupil. After the examination the cases are classified. The Guild sends a motor bus to the school to convey the children safely to the Infirmary and to return them to the school. In the three years of the existence of this Guild 32,949 treatments including fillings, prophy- laxis, extractions and nose and throat cases have been given to Parochial School children through the kindly and efficient offices of this organization. [ 53 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM No other diocese or school organization in the country offers such a thorough attention to the dental care of school children. The Parochial Schools of Boston are proud indeed of the doctors of the Guild of St. Apollonia. Teachers and children are grateful beyond expression for the interest and generosity of these Catholic members of the dental profession. (4) During the school year 1923-1924 the Parochial Schools of the Archdiocese cooperated in the public health boards in cities and towns in bringing the ad- vantages of the Schick Test for Diphtheria to the chil- dren in attendance. With the permission of parents 20,695 children were tested and immunized against this scourge of childhood. ( 5 ) In every Parochial School the work in physiology and hygiene is carried on with great care. The emphasis is on the formation of health habits in every day life. The Catholic child knows that his body is the temple of his soul. He is taught to care for this body intelli- gently and to safeguard it scrupulously against the in- road of disease. The Holy Childhood Association In September 1914, at the direction of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, the work of the Holy Childhood Association was introduced in the Parochial Schools of the Archdiocese. The task of placing properly this new missionary activity in the lives of young children was taken up enthusiastically by the religious teachers. For the past seven years in the annual reports of the Holy Childhood Association from its national office in [ 54 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM the United States, the children of the Archdiocese of Boston have led every other diocese in the country in the amount of their contributions to our mission cause. Each year these pupils in Parochial Schools contribute thousands of dollars to help the unfortunate little ones who live in pagan lands. A study of growth and development of Catholic Education reveals no more consoling source of encour- agement and satisfaction than the interest and devotion of thousands of school children in the foreign mission cause. Because the children in the Parochial Schools of Boston have proven their willingness to make sacri- fices, have shown their desire in faith and love to deny themselves that others may receive blessings, the spirit- ual value and the power of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese are established beyond all question. Conclusion The facts brought out in a study of the growth and development of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Boston for the period 1907-1923 are most stimulat- ing and encouraging . They are clearly indicative of the strength and vigor of Catholic educational life in Boston and a source of great consolation to all advocates of the Christian training of the young. * To say that the enrollment has increased by 35,000 pupils, that 47 new Parochial Schools, 7 Academies, 1 Preparatory School for Boys and a Catholic College for Women have come into existence, that 107 new schools and convent buildings have been erected, that 982 teachers have been added to the system, may convey [SSI DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM some idea of what has been accomplished in the measure that statistics can present the story. But the work of bringing the truth of God to the hearts of the children of the Archdiocese, that they may have life and have it more abundantly, is the achieve- ment for religion which statistics can never express. Let suffice to say that Catholic Education has been carried on in the Archdiocese of Boston from 1907-1923 with surpassing zeal and acknowledged success. The lives of the children of the Catholic Church have been shaped according to the ideals of Her Divine Founder, and thus has been laid a strong and enduring founda- tion for the growth and development of future years. [S61 DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table I. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS School Year 1907-1908 and School Year 1923-1924 Year Year Increase 1907-1908 1923-1924 1907-1923 Number of Parishes with Parochial Schools Number of Parishes with Parochial High Schools. . . . Number Boys in Parochial Elementary Schools Number Boys in Parochial High Schools Total Boys in Parochial Schools Number Girls in Parochial Elementary Schools Number Girls in Parochial High Schools Total Number of Girls in Parochial Schools Total Number Pupils in Parochial Schools Number of Teaching Com- munities Number of Teaching Sisters. . Number of Teaching Brothers Number of Lay Teachers. . . . Total Number of Teachers in Parochial Schools Number Graduates from Paro- chial Elementary Schools Percent of Pupils Enrolled Graduating from Elemen- tary Schools Percent of Total Enrollment in High Schools 74(a) 117 47(a) 22(b) 44 24 21,646 36,351 14,705 139 652 513 21,785 37,003 15,218 27,706 40,516 12,810 653 3,610 2,957 28,359 44,126 15.767 50,144 81,129 30,985 25 29 4 906 1,683 777 77 65 12(c) 45 74 29 1,028 1,822 794 1,108 5,398 4,290 2.3 7.3 5 1.2 5.2 (a) Three schools were opened in 1907. One school was closed since 1907 (St. Stephen’s School, Boston, 1912). Number of Parishes istablishing schools 1907-1923 is 47. (b) Two Parish High Schools closed since 1907 (St. Mary, Stougn- ;on; St. Patrick, Lowell). Number of High Schools established 1907- 1923 is 24. (c) A decrease in number of Teaching Brothers. [ 57 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table II. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PREPARATORY SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Name of School Est. 1907-1923 Graduates of Enrolled High School 1907 1923 1907 June 1908 1924 1908 1923 Teachers 1907 1923 1908 1924 Boston College High School . . 1862 389 1,435 28 238 16 45 St. John Pre- paratory School 1907 70 420 0 50 6 19 Notre Dame, Lowell 1852 145 253 16 28 14 22 Notre Dame, Boston 1853 152 225 20 30 12 17 Notre Dame, Roxbury 1854 190 292 24 46 14 24 Convent Sacred Heart, Boston. 1880 60 89 5 9 12 13 Mt. St. Joseph Academy .... 1885 92 410 5 75 12 22 St. Ann’s Acad- emy 1888 198 251 12 12 8 14 Academy of As- sumption 1893 70 127 5 12 8 17 Sacred Heart Academy .... 1911 0 137 0 15 0 17 Marycliff Acad- emy 1913 0 100 0 9 0 13 Loring Villa. . . . 1916 0 89 0 5 0 9 Totals (a)l,366 (b)3,828 115 529 102 232 (a) This total enrollment was distributed as follows: Ele- mentary 496, High School 870. (b) This total enrollment is distributed as follows: Ele- mentary 797, High School 3,03i. Increase in number of Academies and Preparatory Schools, 4. * Increase in number of pupils, 2,462. Increase in Graduating Classes, 414. Increase in number of Teachers, 130. [S8] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table III. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. ACADEMIES OFFERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WORK— GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 1907-1923 Enrollment Graduates Teachers Name of School Est 1907 1908 1923 1924 1907 1908 June 1923 1907 1908 1923 1924 St. Joseph Acad- emy 1895 70 120 5 18 6 9 St. Dominic Acad- emy 1917 0 102 0 6 0 9 St. Clement School 1922 0 55 0 4 0 3 St. Agnes School for Girls 1923 0 65 0 0 0 5 Sacred Heart Boarding School 1923 0 152 0 0 0 6 Totals . 70 494 5 28 6 32 Increase in number of Academies, 4. Increase in number of Pupils, 424. Increase in number of Teachers, 26. Table IV. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. CATHOLIC COLLEGES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 1907-1923 Students Graduates Faculty 1907 1923 1907 June 1907 1923 Name of College Est. 1908 1924 1908 1923 1908 1924 Boston College .... 1863 170 978 28 145 17 42 Emmanuel College 1919 0 171 0 35 0 24 Totals 170 1,149 28 180 17 66 Increase in Colleges, 1. Increase in number of Students of Catholic Colleges, 979. Increase in number of Graduates, 162. Increase in number of Faculty Members, 49. [ 59 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table V. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS PARISHES ESTABLISHING SCHOOLS 1907-1923 Year of Enrollment September, 1923 Establish- Elementary High Teachers Name of Parish ment Boys Girls Boys Girls Relig. Boston Cathedral 1911 182 213 9 St. Joseph 1908 244 250 . . 12 St. John 1911 175 252 8 Roxbury St. Francis de Sales 1914 293 346 13 South Boston St. Eulalia 1912 401 333 144 18 Charlestown St. Catherine . . . 1911 303 358 14 Dorchester St. Ann 1910 217 230 9 St. Margaret. . . 1910 564 625 90 28 St. Gregory. . . . 1916 339 368 39 17 St. Mark 1923 56 51 . . 2 Jamaica Plain Our Lady of Lourdes .... 1916 180 213 8 Roslindale Sacred Heart... 1916 183 213 8 Allston St. Anthony. . . . 1921 163 151 .. 6 Brighton Lady of Presen- tation 1923 26 20 2 Readville St. Ann 1919 170 180 7 Andover St. Augustine . . 1914 140 137 10 Cambridge St. John 1913 485 509 68 103 26 St. Hedwig 1914 358 349 11 Blessed Sacra- ment 1921 88 92 . . 3 [ 60 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table V — Continued Year of Enrollment September, 1923 Establish- Elementary High Teachers Name of Parish ment Boys Girls Boys Girls Relig. Lay Chelsea Assumption . . . Everett Immaculate Con- 1912 93 105 * • 7 ception Hudson 1921 172 187 9 St. Michael Lawrence 1918 181 180 • • 9 Holy Rosary. . . 1909 311 363 « • • • 9 Holy Trinity. . . Lowell 1915 326 337 • • ♦ • 10 St. Louis Notre Dame de 1907 504 576 • • 29 21 Lourdes 1908 188 224 • • • • 9 St. Peter 1913 428 441 • • • • 17 St. Jeanne d'Arc 1922 152 320 • • • • 8 St. Stanislaus. . Lynn 1907 213 284 • • • • 8 St. Michael. . . . Marlboro Immaculate Con- 1918 174 160 4 ception Malden 1911 226 199 • • • • 9 Sacred Heart. . . Melrose 1908 402 449 • • 105 20 St. Mary Newton 1909 225 266 • • 54 11 Sacred Heart... Quincy 1923 56 74 • • • • 4 St. John Revere Immaculate Con- 1910 221 209 10 ception Salem 1913 232 238 42 60 15 St. John Baptist 1908 292 346 . . • • 9 St. Ann Shirley 1908 203 227 • • • • 8 St. Anthony. . . . Somerville 1907 74 94 • • • • 4 St. Ann West Somerville 1914 258 306 • • • 13 St. Clement. . . . 1919 346 [ 61 ] 377 ■■ 16 DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table V — Concluded Year of Enrollment September, 1923 Establish- Elementary High Teachers Name of Parish ment Boys Girls Boys Girls Relig. Lay Stoneham St Patrick 1910 198 203 45 10 Swampscott St. John 1922 75 93 6 Waltham St. Charles 1911 235 271 15 71 11 1 Weymouth Immaculate Con- ception 1923 12 9 2 Sacred Heart . . . 1915 127 139 4 16 8 . • Winchester St. Mary 1914 181 183 49 12 Totals .10,778 11,749 129 805 499 13 Total number of Parishes, 47. Total Pupils Enrolled September, 1923, 23,661. Total Teachers September, 1923, 512. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PARISHES WITH SCHOOLS By Years 1907- 1908 3 1915-1916 2 1908- 1909 5 1916-1917 1909- 1910 2 1917-1918 1910- 1911 4 1918-1919 1911- 1912 5 1919-1920 2 1912- 1913 2 1920-1921 0 1913- 1914 ' 3 1921-1922 3 1914- 1915 5 1922-1923 2 1923-1924 4 [ 62 ] CO © (N DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table VI. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS PARISHES ERECTING NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS 1907-1923 Year Number Name of Parish of Building of Rooms Boston Cathedral 1911 10 Roxbury Holy Trinity 1913 8 St. Francis de Sales 1913 12 South Boston Gate of Heaven 1923 24 St. Augustine 1921 9 Our Lady of Czenstochowa . . 1911 11 St. Eulalia 12 Charlestown St. Francis de Sales 1912 2 St. Catherine 1911 9 Dorchester St. Peter 5 St. Ann 1910 8 St. Margaret 1910 18 St. Margaret 1923 12 St. Gregory 1916 16 St. Mark 1922 19 Jamaica Plain St. Thomas 8 Our Lady of Lourdes 1916 12 Roslindale Sacred Heart 1916 8 Allston St. Anthony 12 Amesbury Sacred Heart 1910 10 Andover St. Augustine 1917 8 Brockton St. Patrick 1922 14 Brookline St. Mary 1907 12 [ 63 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table VI — Continued Year Name of Parish of Building Cambridge St. Mary 1915 St. John 1917 St. John 1921 Chelsea St. Rose 1910 Assumption 1918 St. Stanislaus 1919 Everett Immaculate Conception 1921 Gloucester St. Ann 1914 Haverhill St. Joseph 1912 Hudson St. Michael 1918 Lawrence St. Mary 1910 St. Mary 1922 Holy Rosary 1919 St. Lawrence 1923 St. Ann 1910 St. Ann (School at Methuen) .... 1913 St. Patrick 1912 Holy Trinity 1915 Lowell St. Michael 1923 Sacred Heart 1909 St. Louis 1907 St. Louis 1916 St. Peter 1912 Lynn St. Mary 1923 St. Michael 1923 Malden Immaculate Conception 1923 Sacred Heart 1911 Marlboro Immaculate Conception 1911 West Somerville St. Clement 1919 St. Clement 1923 Melrose St. Mary 1908 [ 64 ] Number of Rooms 18 12 8 14 2 10 16 6 10 8 16 3 13 4 18 4 8 10 16 9 9 9 15 8 4 10 20 8 14 12 11 DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Name of Parish Newton Table VI — Concluded Year Number of Building- of Rooms Our Lady 1923 12 Sacred Heart Peabody 1923 12 St. John Quincy 1916 18 St. John Revere 1910 10 Immaculate Conception Salem 1913 12 St. James 1907 18 St. Joseph Somerville 1921 10 St. Joseph 1909 9 St. Ann Stoneham 1915 12 St. Patrick Swampscott 1910 8 St. John Waltham 1922 12 St. Mary 1922 15 St. Charles 1910 12 St. Joseph Winchester 1910 7 St. Mary Woburn 1914 8 St. Charles Weymouth 1921 10 Immaculate Conception 1923 Total Parishes erecting New School Buildings, 65. Total number New Buildings, 71. Total Classrooms in New Buildings, 777. 8 [ 65 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table VII. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS Parishes Increasing School Accommodations by Addi- tions to Buildings or Purchase of Buildings Adapted for School Purposes 1907-1923 Year of Number Name of Parish Improvement of Rooms Boston St. Joseph 1908 S St. Joseph (bought building) 1923 2 St. Anthony (addition) 1923 3 Roxbury St. Patrick 1909 4 St. Patrick 1917 4 St. Joseph 1920 4 South Boston St. Eulalia 1918 9 East Boston Assumption 1921 2 Charlestown St. Mary 1912-1922 8 St. Catherine 1914 2 Brighton St. Columbkille 1912 3 St. Columbkille 1914 1 Our Lady of Presentation . . . 1923 2 Hyde Park Most Precious Blood 1909 6 Most Precious Blood 1921 1 Arlington St. Agnes 1920 3 Brookline St. Mary 1921 7 Cambridge St. Paul 1915 2 Sacred Heart 1911 5 St. Hedwig 1914 8 Blessed Sacrament 1921 3 Canton St. John 1917 3 [ 66 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table VII- -Concluded Year of Number Name of Parish Improvement of Rooms Chelsea Assumption 1912 3 Lawrence St. Mary (St. Rita School). 1908 6 Lowell Immaculate Conception . . . 1916 6 Immaculate Conception . . . 1922 4 St. John Baptist 1919 2 Our Lady of Lourdes 1908 4 Our Lady of Lourdes 4 Our Lady of Lourdes. . . . . 1923 1 St. Stanislaus 1907 8 St. Jeanne d’Arc 1922 8 Lynn Sacred Heart 1917 4 St. John Baptist 1911 6 Salem St. John Baptist 1908 7 St. Ann 1920 3 Somerville St. Joseph 1922 2 Shirley St. Anthony 1907 3 Weymouth Sacred Heart 8 Number of Parishes increasing School Accommodations, 32. Number of Classrooms added. 169. [ 67 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table VIII. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS Parishes Building New Convents for Religious Teachers in Parochial Schools. 1907-1923 Year of Name of Parish Location Building Cathedral Boston 1913 St. Patrick Roxbury 1917 St. Joseph Roxbury 1917 Sts. Peter & Paul South Boston 1909 Sacred Heart East Boston 1912 St, Catherine Charlestown 1911 St. Margaret Dorchester 1914 St. Gregory Dorchester 1921 St. Columbkille Brighton 1923 St. Patrick Brockton 1916 St. Mary Cambridge 1908 St. Peter Cambridge 1907 St. John Canton 1922 St. Stanislaus Chelsea 1917 Sacred Heart Lawrence 1920 St, Patrick Lawrence 1908 St. John Baptist Lowell 1911 St. Louis Lowell 1909 Sacred Heart Malden 1917 St. Joseph Salem 1910 St. Ann Salem 1921 St. Ann Somerville 1923 St. Mary Waltham 1923 Twenty-three new Convent Buildings. [ 68 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table IX. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS Parishes Improving Convents for Teachers by Enlarging Buildings or by Purchase of Buildings to Be Adapted to Convent Purposes. 1907-1923 Year of Name of Parish Location Improvement Holy Trinity Boston 1923 St. Francis de Sales Roxbury 1917 St. Eulalia South Boston 1918 St. Mary Charlestown 1910 St. Ann Dorchester 1911 Sacred Heart Roslindale 1910 St. Ann Readville 1922 Sacred Heart Amesbury 1923 St. Augustine Andover 1914 St. Agnes Arlington 1920 St. Paul Cambridge 1915 St. John Cambridge 1913 St. John Cambridge 1915 St. John Cambridge 1921 St. Hedwig Cambridge 1916 St. Rose Chelsea 1917 Immaculate Conception Everett 1921 St. Michael Hudson 1918 St. Lawrence Lawrence 1923 Holy Trinity Lawrence 1919 St. Ann (Convent at Methuen) Lawrence 1928 St. Patrick Lowell 1922 Notre Dame de Lourdes Lowell 1923 St. Peter Lowell 1913 St. Stanislaus Lowell 1910 St. John Baptist Lynn 1907 St. Michael Lynn 1920 Immaculate Conception Marlboro 1911 St. Clement West Somerville 1919 St. Mary Melrose 1909 St. Louis Newburyport 1923 Sacred Heart Newton 1923 St. John Quincy 1910 [ 69 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table IX— -Concluded Year of Name of Parish Location Improvement Immaculate Conception Revere 191S St. John Baptist Salem 1910 St. Joseph Somerville 1921 St. Patrick Stoneham 1911 St. John Swampscott 1922 St. Charles Waltham 1911 St. Patrick Watertown 1909 Immaculate Conception Weymouth 1923 Sacred Heart Weymouth 1913 St. Mary Winchester 1914 Number of Parishes, 41. DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table X. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS PARISHES ESTABLISHING HIGH SCHOOLS 1907-1923 Year of Name of Parish Establishment Roxbury Holy Trinity 1918 South Boston St. Eulalia 1917 Dorchester St. Peter 1910 St. Margaret 1918 St. Gregory 1923 Brighton St. Columbkille 1912 Amesbury Sacred Heart 1921 Brookline St. Mary 1920 Cambridge St. Paul 1923 St. John 1921 Canton St. John 1917 Lawrence St. Ann 1910-1920 Lowell Immaculate Conception 1922 St. John Baptist 1920 St. Louis 1918 Lynn St. John Baptist 1919 Malden Immaculate Conception 1908 Sacred Heart 1912 Melrose St. Mary 1913 Revere Immaculate Conception 1921 Pupils Enrolled 1923 32 144 94 90 39 35 12 97 45 103 42 61 69 47 29 35 153 105 54 102 [ 71 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table X — Concluded Name of Parish Year of Establishment Pupils Enrolled 1923 Stoneham St. Patrick 1916 45 Waltham St. CHajrles 1916 86 Weymouth Sacred Heart 1923 20 Winchester St. Mary 1921 49 Parishes establishing High Schools, 1907-1923, 24. Pupils enrolled September, 1923, 1578. Table XI. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS Number of Graduates From Elementary Schools Number Graduates Parochial School Year Elementary Schools 1907- 1908 1,108 1908- 1909 1,806 1909- 1910 2,017 1910- 1911 2,232 1911- 1912 2,498 1912- 1913 2,783 1913- 1914 2,829 1914- 1915 3,170 1915- 1916 3,630 1916- 1917 3,758 1917- 1918 3,795 1918- 1919 3,887 1919- 1920 4,298 1920- 1921 4,196 1921- 1922 5,308 1922- 1923 5,398 Total 52,713 [ 72 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table XII. ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. Parishes With Schools — Date of Establishment of Parochial Schools 1844-1906 YEARS 1844-1875 Date of Name of Parish Location Establishment Cathedral Sanctuary Choir* Boston 1870 Holy Trinity Boston 1844' St. Mary Boston 1847 ’ St. Stephen Boston 1872 Sts. Peter & Paul South Boston 1860 Gate of Heaven South Boston 1875 Holy Redeemer East Boston 1859 Assumption East Boston 1872 St. Thomas Jamaica Plain 1873 St. Rose Chelsea 1872 St. Mary Cambridge 1875 St. Mary Lawrence 1849 St. Patrick Lowell 1852 St. Mary Salem 1855 St. James Salem 1852 ♦Not a Parochial School. School for Choir Boys only. Fourteen Parochial Schools. YEARS 1876-1890 St. James Boston 1880 St. Patrick Roxbury 1887 St. Joseph Roxbury 1889 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roxbury 1889 Sacred Heart East Boston 1884 St. Mary East Boston 1885 Most Precious Blood Hyde Park 1888 St. Joseph Amesbury 1885 St. Agnes Arlington 1888 . St. Patrick Brockton 1887 St. Paul Cambridge 1889 St. John Canton 1884 St. Ann Gloucester 1885 St. James Haverhill 1887 St. Joseph Haverhill 1888 St. Lawrence Lawrence 1890 St. Ann Lawrence 1886 Immaculate Conception Lowell 1880 [ 73 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM TABLE XII. YEARS 1876-1890 — Concluded Date of Name of Parish Location Establishment St. John Baptist Lowell 1883 ' St. Michael Lowell 1889 St. Mary Lynn 1881 - Immaculate Conception Malden 1881'^ St. Anthony Marlboro 1887 Immaculate Conception Newburyport 1882- Our Lady Newton 1892 St. Joseph Salem 1886 St. Joseph Somerville 1880 St. Mary Stoughton 1885 St. Joseph Waltham 1888 St. Patrick Watertown 1888 St. Charles Woburn 1884 - Thirty-one Parochial Schools. YEARS 1891-1906 St. Anthony Boston 1902 St. John Roxbury 1891 Blessed Sacrament Roxbury 1893 St. Augustine South Boston 1895 St. Mary South Boston 1906 St. Francis de Sales Charlestown 1891 St. Mary Charlestown 1902 St. Peter Dorchester 1898 St. Columbkille Brighton 1901 Sacred Heart Amesbury 1903 Sacred Heart Brockton 1902 St. Mary Brockton 1899 Our Lady of Pity Cambridge 1900 St. Peter Cambridge 1901 Sacred Heart Cambridge 1902 St. Stanislaus Chelsea 1905 Sacred Heart Lawrence 1899 St. Patrick Lawrence 1906 Sacred Heart Lowell 1892 St. Joseph Lynn 1899 Sacred Heart Lynn 1902 St. Patrick Lynn 1906 St. John Baptist Lynn 1900 St. Aloysius Newburyport 1906 St. John Peabody 1893 St. Joseph Waltham 1895 Twenty-six Parochial Schools. Total Parochial Schools, 1844-1906, 71. [ 74 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table XIII ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS Number of Classrooms in Parochial Schools School Year 1905-1906 Number of Classrooms School Year Name of Parish 1905-1906 Boston Cathedral Sancturay Choir School* 2 Holy Trinity, Boston 5, South Boston 3, Roxbury 5. 13 St. Mary 15 St. James 5 St. Anthony 8 St. Stephen 5 Roxbury St. Patrick 15 St. Joseph 11 Our Lady of Perpetual Help 31 St. John 10 Blessed Sacrament 16 South Boston Sts. Peter & Paul 20 Gate of Heaven 11 St. Augustine 17 St. Mary 2 East Boston Holy Redeemer 20 Assumption 18 Sacred Heart 18 St. Mary 10 Charlestown St. Francis de Sales 18 St. Mary 8 Dorchester St. Peter 15 Jamaica Plain St. Thomas 15 Brighton St. Columbkille 12 Hyde Park Most Precious Blood 18 [ 75 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table XIII — Continued Name of Parish Amesbury St, Joseph Sacred Heart Arlington St. Agnes Brockton St. Patrick Sacred Heart Brookline St, Mary Cambridge St. Mary St. Paul Our Lady of Pity .... St. Peter Sacred Heart Canton St. John Chelsea St. Rose St, Stanislaus Gloucester St. Ann Haverhill St. James St. Joseph Lawrence St. Mary St. Lawrence St. Ann Sacred Heart St, Patrick Lowell St. Patrick Immaculate Conception St. John Baptist St. Michael Sacred Heart Lynn St. Mary St. Joseph Number of Classrooms School Year 1905-1906 10 5 5 12 6 7 34 16 6 10 8 8 18 2 5 25 13 27 4 25 12 17 9 33 9 8 20 14 [ 76 ] DIOCESAN SCHOOL SYSTEM Table XIII — Concluded Number of Classrooms School Year Name of Parish 1905-1906 Lynn — Continued Sacred Heart 6 St. Patrick 8 St. John Baptist 11 Malden Immaculate Conception 23 Marlboro St. Anthony 6 Newburyport Immaculate Conception 11 St. Aloysius 4 Newton Our Lady 20 Peabody St. John 12 Salem St. James 8 St. Mary 18 St. Joseph 18 Somerville St. Joseph 34 Stoughton St. Mary 7 Waltham St. Mary 18 St. Joseph 3 Watertown St. Patrick 11 Woburn St. Charles 17 *A school for Choir Boys only. Not a Parochial School. Total number of Parishes with Parochial Schools, 71. Total number of Classrooms, 941. [ 77 ] s I / ‘ 1 DIOCESAN PROPERTY SEEING THE ARCHDIOCESE BY AUTOMOBILE Notable Increase of Buildings, Churches, Schools, Convents, Rectories, Hospitals, etc. during past 15 years. BY Rev. John J. Ryan, I. P. P. Some three or four years ago, during the summer, there convened at Harvard University, apart from the body of students, a group of ministers, perhaps one hun- dred all told. They had come to obtain a common understanding of their denominational teaching, to be helped in the preparation for the year’s work ahead, and to receive whatever information they might by observ- ing, or by studies of their own choosing on the outside. They desired, evidently, to see what other churches were doing. Most of the Protestant Churches in the neighborhood were closed for the season, and, satisfied with a union service for all, the good men distributed themselves abroad in the city and different sections, afterwards to compare the results of their experience. A good-sized delegation visited the Parish Church and attended studiously the successive Masses, and took note of the attendance, methods, sermons, and the com- municants at each Mass. The children’s Mass and their management, and the devotional prayers and singing [ 81 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY especially interested them; so much so, in fact, that some sought out the priest and inquired how the church attendance was secured. They were told that Catholics understood the duty imposed by the Third Commandment, that the church was open each day of the week, and that almost every day religious activities were conducted, besides the Parish schools and Sunday Schools for the children and youth of the Parish. The passing minutes are registered upon the crystal as the hands move round, but who gives thought to the mechanism and the importance of the balance wheel to the main works, in order that the watch may fulfill its purpose? Who considers the methods and energizing force employed daily in the conduct of the affairs of our Archdiocese ? After the departure of the ministers the thought came to the writer how little, after all, does the best informed Catholic know of his Archdiocese and its multiple activi- ties. Why would it not be most beneficial to see for himself, as the visiting ministers had seen, the work of the parishes and institutions? The plan was simple. An auto trip to the different sections of the Archdiocese with eyes open to what might come under observation, and the objective in mind to become acquainted with its work in each locality, might prove pleasurable and beneficial. The plan was put into operation, and the results, both in the knowledge acquired and the scenic beauty enjoyed, surpassed the highest expectation, and in the per- formance of his own pastoral duties, proved helpful in [ 82 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY many ways. Possibly a like auto visit might be service- able to other priests and even the laity who often ride out without any objective. The mountain and seashore have their place in these trips: why not an occasional study of some part of the Archdiocese? As seen by the writer on the several visits he made, and, at the request of His Eminence, who is convinced that the perusal of the narrative will awaken interest in the faithful who shall read, a glimpse of our Archdiocese is now submitted. The progressive work everywhere will be grounds for additional pride in all well-meaning Catholics. DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT I Lowell and Vicinity The first visit took a northerly direction to the City of Lowell. Geographically, this was the obvious choice. The route by way of the Tewksbury state road, past the summer colony at Silver Lake, is pleasant and ex- hilarating. We entered the city through Rogers Park, and, turn- ing a little to the right, we stopped the auto on an elevation in order to view the great Merrimac River. At this point the view is pleasant, but there ahead are the large textile mills that have given the city a world- wide reputation as an industrial centre. The mills rise up from the banks of the river, and as we look at them we understand how this beautiful Merrimac River, with its flood of water and power of the swift running cur- rent, has been the means, more than any other body of water, of contributing to the wealth of Massachusetts. At every successive visit, its value, its possibilities, its beauty will thrust themselves upon one’s consideration. As we passed through the centre of the city as far as City Hall, our direction changed a little to the left, and, presently, we alight at the historic first Parish Church, that of St. Patrick. A stately building of stone. Gothic in form, with tall ascending steeple in front, houses the sonorous bell that has summoned generation after gen- eration to worship. The church yard is in front and there is a monument over the burial place of the first pastors. To one side are the Notre Dame Academy and Convent; the boys’ school and convent, now forsaken [ 84 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY for a newer abode some short distance away ; and to the third side of the church stands the rectory, and in close proximity the working girls’ home. A complete parish, one might say, to the credit of its founders, who pro- vided so well for the future. Simultaneously with this thought, however, came the realization that, conditions were so changed, that what was future had already become past. The remembrance of the fire that swept away, within the decade, the first church erected, leaving the walls only standing, recalls the energy of the late Right Reverend Monsignor Rector, who, undismayed, set his face to the task of rebuilding. Within the period of one year the beautiful church of the present day was seen. It is a most serviceable building, the interior handsomely decorated, spacious sanctuary with marble altars, and a fine organ. Following the erection of the new church, the district known as Pawtucketville was set aside as a new parish. St. Columba’s Parish is preparing to build a new church to replace the temporary structure now in use. Besides this parish, in this self-same district, another was as- signed for the French people. The Right Reverend Monsignor Rector looked about and saw the dwellings of the original parishioners being abandoned by their descendants and people of another race settling there instead. The golden dome of the Greek Cathedral directly opposite the church property seemed to indicate that a condition known as a “run- down parish” was to be the fate of the old parish. The question was : Shall a stand-fast policy be inaugurated or the one of yielding to the runaway course that has [ 85 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY dimmed the past glory and present usefulness of many of the primal parishes of “ye olden days”? With a few excellent friends a committee was formed who secured a grant of land directly opposite City Hall, on which was erected a column and bust of Lowell’s most illustrious son, and she has had many distinguished men of national fame. His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell. In the busy life of the city, the O’Connell Parkway is an attractive spot, but what seems more interesting is the agitation to continue the lines of the park, so that the locality immediately adjoining will become a recreational centre. This will beautify the neighborhood, bring back tax values, and reconvert the older dwellings into modern homes suitable for an industrious people. The stand-fast policy was only begun when death claimed the Mon- signor. The present Rector is young, energetic and efficient. Already, a new rectory is under way. The former home of the priests has been moved to a new location and pre- pared to be used as a Parish House, where the social activities will have a centre. Other improvements are contemplated, so that an almost brand new parish will be seen by the younger generation. As we reflect upon the progress of the past and the advancing policy of the present, we must admit that a new epoch, which began fifteen years ago, is rising to the pinnacle of its progressiveness. With reverence we regard the labors of the founders of the Archdiocese, their names and deeds are cherished in loving remem- brance, but we must also pay tribute to the zealous clergy of today, who spare no effort to conserve the traditional [ 86 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY goods that have come into their care. Awake, also, to the various changes constantly taking place, they plan, and labor and upbuild in such wise as to meet the altera- tions. The conservation of the old and progress with the new make the first lesson learned by the writer, and where more suitable than on the sacred soil of St. Patrick’s Church, Lowell? Leaving the hallowed precincts of the historic first parish, we headed towards St. Peter’s Parish, a monu- mental church builded by a priest who knew how to build. The great granite church and brick residence facing the Court House, and the parkway stretching be- hind make a most excellent setting. How well His Eminence, while Bishop of Portland, made use of this fact in the eloquent sermon, which he delivered at the dedication of the church ! Like the second generation of pastors, the present Rector conserved the old, but did great things in the newer day. St. Margaret’s Parish, now prosperous and preparing for the upbuilding of schools, was begun very shortly after the appointment of the present active Pastor. The Catholic orphanage was old and inadequate for the ever growing demands. A new orphanage was builded on higher ground where sunlight, air and ample area would ensure the most healthful conditions for the waif and abandoned. The building itself in equipment, artistic arrangemeni and substantial material stands peer to any institution of a similar nature. In addition a new school of mod‘ rn character was erected and a commodious con- vent was provided for the good Sister Teachers. [ 87 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Next to St. Peter’s is the church and rectory of St. Anthony, that does good work for the Portuguese people of the city. St. Peter’s is the native parish of His Eminence. It is a joy for him to visit the scenes of his boyhood and meet his former acquaintances. He views with satisfaction and justifiable pride the up-to-date work done in this parish. Anyone who passes through Lowell must be attracted almost immediately by the beautiful Church- of the Oblate Fathers. The Gothic edifice of granite is Cathedral-like in its proportions and beauty of design. Standing within its iron-fenced enclosure and a great stretch of garden lawn, the eye delights in viewing the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Close by are the Fathers’ Rectory, the schools and convent. On higher land than where the church is builded is the Hos- pital of St. John, a lovely site, made picturesque by the River Merrimac flowing just beyond. The Oblate Fathers have made this parish the home of the Provincial of the Order. They have just been erected into an Eng- lish speaking Province, and are most successful in conducting missions. Their Novitiate is at Tewksbury, just outside the city limits. These good Fathers have care also of the fine Sacred Heart Church, a short distance away from the mother church. This parish rejoices in its schools and convent. As we leave the southern district of Lowell, we return by way of Main Street, and we are edified by the labors of the French Oblate Fathers, w’ho hold jurisdiction over these hard toiling people. St. Jean Baptiste’s Church appeals to the eye and examination finds it one of our [ 88 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY best churches. There are schools that provide instruc- tion for over two thousand children, nine hundred boys and twelve hundred girls. These French Oblates also attend the French population of Pawtucketville, the second parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the third of St. Jeanne d’Arc. Besides, we find the Holy Trinity Church with its schools for the Poles, while the Lithuanians have dedicated their church under the patronage of St. Joseph. Crossing the bridge at Merrimac Square the church and parochial buildings of St. Michael come into view. Only six months ago the splendid new school was blessed and dedicated. The parish may well take pride in this structure. The French congregation of St. Louis is a short dis- tance away, and the new rectory and church enlargement are proofs of the care of its good pastor. Collinsville, a rural parish doing the Lord’s work out on the frontier, is thriving and adequate to its demands. It would be a pity to depart from Lowell without having made a visit to the Franco- American Orphanage. The site is the former Ayer estate, comprising several acres, fine buildings and a charming location. The tumbling on-rushing waters of the Merrimac serve as a lovely background. There are great possibilities in store for this orphanage. It is a short and restful drive along the boulevard by the banks of this river, past Tyngsboro, where the newly purchased estate of the Sisters of Notre Dame commands a striking situation, until one reaches North Chelmsford and Graniteville. Here are two parishes with newly ap- [ 89 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY pointed Rectors who are bound to improve upon and excel in the work at hand. The visit to Lowell embraced many parishes and some miles of travel. We were well repaid, and the fatigue was never felt. We gloried that this city of mills, dull of aspect, was brightened by the churches and buildings of the Catholic Church that has encouraged the study of the finer things of life. Not uselessly has she labored. The auditorium building, erected as a world war me- morial, affords the opportunity long awaited of focussing the best that art and culture can supply for instruction and enlightenment, a benefit not only to the people of the city, but to others for many miles around. The heavens were aglow with the sunset as we faced homewards, returning by the Billerica Road past the large St. Patrick’s Cemetery. North Billerica is a new parish and has a church with rectory after the mission style. The church is strikingly builded at the junction of several roads in the heart of the town. The recreation time after supper was spent in a recital of the trip and some of the points noted were discussed. The summary of the visit recorded six new parishes erected, eight new rectories builded, four splendid parish schools built and equipped, two new orphanages and one model hospital provided. The renovation and redecora- tion of several churches and parish buildings were looked after also. The visit was profitable to the writer because it put spurs to his own efforts to keep abreast of the onward movement, it augmented the esteem and high apprecia- [ 90 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY tion he ever held of his fellow priests, laboring and toiling quietly but steadily on, and it manifested, to a remark- able degree, the sacrifice made by the faithful to erect buildings of various types to carry on the religious activities exacted in our times. Architecturally viewed, the churches and religious buildings of Lowell, constructed for the most part of granite and brick, stand equal to any similar set of edi* fices in the land. We marvel that so much has been wrought in the past fifteen years. It emphasizes the lesson,— conserve the best of the past, advance with the future. 191 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT II Lawrence, Haverhill, Amesbury With eager expectancy we set out on the second visit, and again to the region bordering upon the Merrimac. Lawrence and beyond are the objectives. Leaving the Fellsway at Reading, we stop for a brief visit to the Catholic Church, which is of brick and granite. It is after the Gothic pattern found commonly in the country towns of England. Situated a short distance from the state road, it is a real ornament to one of the principal streets of Reading. Starting again, we speed along the state road into the town of Andover. Instinctively the car is slowed down that the full view of the beautiful academic town may be enjoyed. The belfry tower, campus and cottage buildings are grouped most attractively. St. Augustine’s Church, of brick and stone, is a prominent landmark, and is under the care of the Augustinian Fathers. They formerly cared for Wilmington, a small town nearby, but lately Wilmington has its own pastor who has pur- chased an ideal home, and whose zeal leads him to care for the summer colony at Silver Lake, as well as for the scattered Catholics at North Woburn. Presently we pass Shawsheen Village, where the mill operatives may live in cottage homes. The shadow of the mill falls upon the fireside and we wonder if the freedom that makes “home” is really felt. Anyway, we draw a deeper breath under the majestic elms beyond, and the eye gladdens at the stretch of lawn before the [ 92 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY colonial mansions on either side of the roadway. Then we take the left hand turn and instantly the great mills of Lawrence confront us. Instinctively we stop at one side before crossing the bridge that spans the canals fed by the waters of the Mer'rimac. At the sight of these mills stretching on for miles, we marvel at the business genius that conceived the immensity of the plant, equipped it with loom and spindle and motor, harnessed the waters of the onrushing river, brought material for the workmen, yes, and searched Europe and the near East for human hands to weave the products that make the American Woolen Company the most wondrous of its kind in the world. Within those walls are men and women of many races and divers languages, suitable soil, the radicals thought, in which to sow the seed of social- ism as taught by the leaders of the I. W. W. What influence could withstand their false teaching, for they were not without many believers in the tens of thousands of employees in the mills? We shall see. As we cross the bridge we turn into Haverhill Street, the principal thoroughfare of the city, and face directly toward the tall towers of St. Mary’s Church opposite the common. The edifice of granite and with twin steeples is ma- jestic in appearance. Gothic in design, it has a large auditorium. The interior has been wholly renovated the last year and the freshness of the building inside and outside gives the visitor the impression that it is of recent construction, whereas it has been standing for nearly three-quarters of a century. [ 93 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Methuen, a suburb, was lately separated and formed into a parish, whose pastor has acquired a most desirable property to use as a rectory. There are several missions attached to St. Mary’s. A basement Chapel is opened for the newly developed portion on the city’s boundary. The priory, schools, con- vents and institutions in the parish lift it into one of the most influential in the Archdiocese. St. Lawrence O’Toole Church with its schools and new convent, and St. Patrick’s also complete to the last re- quirement under the administration of a quiet but progressive pastor, are the remaining parishes for Eng- lish speaking people. The French are under the spiritual guidance of the zealous Marist Fathers. Their chief church is St. Anne, and they govern also the Sacred Heart Parish and a mission at Methuen. The newest church and schools are found in the Polish quarter in the western corner of the city. No one who visits Law- rence must fail to look into the immense school of the Italian Parish. The marble interior finish and latest equipment stamp it as first-class from every point of view. Already we have mentioned the missions to St. Mary’s Church. These are grouped about and in close proximity to St. Mary’s herself. These are the German and Polish Churches. Besides, there are the parish churches that care for the Syrians, the Italians, the Lithuanians, the Syro-Maronite, and the Portuguese. These churches are the agencies that teach American- ism and the newer civilization. When, therefore, the [ 94 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY leaders of false economic theories appeared and roused the people of the city, the pastors of these several parishes, encouraged by the Cardinal, rallied round the Very Reverend Prior of St. Mary’s Parish, who has served in the parish for forty years. As in times past he did not fail them, on this occasion he did not. The ques- tion was the red flag, or the Stars and Stripes. As leader of a procession the people followed him in the streets of the city, listened to the counsel and advice that made them reject the false teachers, and, at the same time, pledged loyalty to the Country’s flag held up before the eyes of the multitude by the unfaltering hand of the Very Reverend Pastor. The leaders of false teaching were summoned to the courts and sent into other parts. There was a moral victory, unparalleled in our country, and history will so record it. To understand clearly the influence of religion on the population at large, one should visit Lawrence on the last Sunday of May, when the streets are filled with the procession, at the head of which are the Cross and the banners of the Blessed Virgin. Several military bands are employed. One procession occupies the upper dis- trict of the city, and the French parishes are equally strong in their half of the municipality. The next step in our route is toward Haverhill, going by way of North Andover which claims a good church and rectory. The boulevard into the city gives pleasure to the traveller. The City of Haverhill, the largest shoe manufacturing city in the country, is seated on the banks [ 95 ] , DIOCESAN PROPERTY of the mighty Merrimac. The long bridges that span the stream rest on buttressed piers indicating the force of the flow at the different seasons. St. James’ Church stands on high ground and its illuminated clock is plainly visible for miles around. The edifice is solid, Gothic in style, and builded of brick and stone. Thoroughness of workmanship is to be noted without and within, and the more it is examined the more will the care exercised in its erection be understood. This parish has been long reputed for its schools and good work in a mixed congregation. The mission churches, St. Rita and St. George, pro- vided by the pastor, the better to care for the Italian and Lithuanian children of the flock, are vouchers of his pastoral solicitude. In addition, his unflagging zeal ha' built a new rectory and a home for the working girls under the management of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Across the street from the Church of St. James are the French church and schools. The Marist Fathers are contemplating a larger church and schools, and plans for the same are under way, it is said. Some distance away from both churches is the Polish Church, which is doing excellent work. Bradford is across the river, and after traversing the bridge we find it a splendid residential town. Among the most attractive features of the place are Sacred Heart Church and rectory, builded about fifteen years. Four miles outside Haverhill are the frontier parishes of Georgetown, Groveland and Merrimac. These parishes have pastors in the prime of life, who are sure to do excellent w^ork in behalf of their flocks. Patient, kind, [ 96 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY attentive, out of small resources they have accomplished wonderful results. Georgetown, long a parish, has a new church and rectory, ideal for its size and the town facilities. Here we have arrived at Amesbury. The brick church, rectory, schools and convent, arranged in quadrangular form, astonish the visitor who sees them for the first time. They indicate permanency and prosperity. In the far seeing care of the pastor a splendid recreation ground, owned by the parish, bounds the entire plot on one side. The pious and devoted pastor looks after the summer visitors at Salisbury Beach, where a. small church and rectory have been prepared for this work. Only a few minutes away from St. Joseph’s Parish, for such is the one we have mentioned, is the Sacred Heart Parish for the French people. These also have schoob for boys and girls. Newbur3rport is the next town in the itinerary. Some years back it was a prosperous settlement, when shipping found its way into the harbor, and with its stable popu- lation it is still thrifty. The quiet, peaceful character of Newburyport, and the narrow streets impress the tourist Host favorably. There are two Catholic parishes in the city, the Immaculate Conception, which cares for the English speaking people, and conducts a mission at Plum Island for summer visitors, and the French Church of St. Aloysius. Both parishes are well builded. They are suitable, and the schools for both sexes have a reputation of standard excellence. The Newburyport turnpike is a “straight as an arrow” ride homeward. The miles already traveled are many. [ 97 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY and we have covered all the points of interest in our plan, so we face back. The scenery all day has afforded one delight after another, lake and river, highlands and now the ocean have been a beautiful panorama, a pay- ment in itself for the venture of what was predicted would be an arduous trip. At the rectory, we glance over the notes taken en tour which reveal this story for the last dozen years; new parishes erected, six ; rectories purchased and built, eight; new convents, three; new churches and chapels, six; working girls’ homes, two; and in Lawrence there is the novitiate opened one year ago by the Grey Nuns who decided upon a new province for this State. In every parish along the route, the progressive move- ment was found, but it seemed hardly credible that there could be such a wide difference in thought and manners as seemed to characterize the people from those of Lowell and environments. Some ascribe it to the nature of the employments, to the inhabitants of a larger diversity of race, and to the tenacious grip of the descend- ants of the first settlers on traditional form and customs. The one big impression was the service of Religion as a civilizer and teacher of American thought and manner. [ 98 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT III Lynn, Salem, Gloucester The third visit is to be along the “North Shore Drive.” Almost every one admits that this drive is the most de- lightful one can find anywhere. The Revere Boulevard is a foretaste of what awaits the visitor, but our purpose is religious. Upon reaching the city of Lynn we leave the ocean drive and go by the most direct way to St. Mary’s Church, which is in the very heart of the city. The church property fronts Lynn Common as does the City Hall opposite. From any view, the property is attractive, the grounds are well kept; privacy is secured by an iron fence of simple pattern. The church sets well to the rear of the enclosure and rightly dominates the group of half dozen buildings that make the equipment of this very excellent parish. There are schools for boys and girls, convents, rectory, and working girls’ home. Lastly, facing Tre- mont Street at the rear, is the new high school for girls. Colonial is the style of the rectory, while the church is Gothic, like most of the early built churches. Schools and other buildings are modern in material and equip- ment. As one regards this most excellent parish, one says to oneself that certainly nothing seems lacking. Seven other parishes have been erected out of St. Mary’s Parish, the first of the city. Close at hand is the Sacred Heart Church, which is a serviceable one of brick, with schools and convent. The school areas are used as playgrounds. This church is situated in a district the [ 99 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY character of which is changing by reason of the newer immigration ; but the clergy labor constantly to conserve and to enlarge. St. Patrick’s Parish, prosperous and progressive, with schools and convent, is another offshoot from St. Mary’s. The French people are justly proud of St. John the Baptist Church, schools, convent and rectory. This parish is not second to any in the city. Near the Sacred Heart Church is St. Michael’s Polish Parish with schools. Although of recent foundation it appears to be very successful. The good Fathers of St. Francis minister to the Italians in a new church at quite the other side of the city. Schools are to be opened this year, another evidence of the growth in the Catholic population. About ten years ago, in a newly developed and resi- dential section on the east side of the city, the Parish of St. Pius was made to meet the requirements of the in- creasing development. We marvel at the church and rectory, indications of the foresight in planning of the first rector, who still labors energetically in another and larger parish not far removed from Lynn. Cliftondale is a short distance from the city, but even here a most serviceable church, house and auditorium are in process of erection, which promise, when com- pleted, to be model buildings for a rural district of scant population. St. Joseph’s Church, not far from the main depot, could not possibly receive secondary consideration. The large brick church, on the main business thoroughfare, stands prominently before all and bespeaks prosperity [ 100 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY and labor. Across the way, on the quiet side street is a modern rectory builded a little before the World War. Colonial in design, of tapestry brick and stone trimmings, it is commodious and homelike, a most satisfactory dwelling for the priests. The large brick schools stand opposite, also the convent and parish house. The recent renovation of the church, and the contemplated enlarge- ment of the convent will ensure the future of the parish, and will conserve its reputation as an influential factor in civic life and religious advancement. As one turns to leave the city the impression one carries away is the steady, consistent policy in the up- building of the church. In the last dozen years there have been established four new parishes, five churches, six rectories, three schools, besides one high school and one working girls’ home. The steady, devoted priests labor quietly, and, in some places, expend themselves to upbuild and improve. The admiration felt at the sacri- fice made, the knowledge gained of the onward trend in every single parish are ample reward for what, at best, must be regarded as but a cursory review. The ocean boulevard is a short distance from St. Jo- seph’s Church, and, in a few minutes, the North Shore Drive actually begins. As we enter the Ocean Avenue gateway the Atlantic, glistening in the morning sun, is before us. The view entrances! To the right, over yonder, at the head of the peninsula, and well out into ocean depths, is Nahant, a residential place of quaint beauty. The golden cross of St. Thomas’ Church is visible and reminds us of the Shepherd Who dwelleth there the year around caring for the sheep. [ 101 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Quickly the distance is traversed almost unnoticed, amid the loveliness of nature all around, and hardly is one aware, before he reaches the Swampscott Church nestling on the high land looking down upon the stretch of open beach in front. The rectory is on one side, while in the rear are the modern brick school and convent. It is marvelous that this entire plant should have been up- builded during a period of twelve to fifteen years and is practically without debt. The story of Swampscott gives surprise and begets the right mood for what is to be seen at every stop in the journey. It is only a short distance by auto to the next town. As we speed along the main road, the ocean view is lost and shut out by the stony bluffs on either hand. Then we come to a turn and an exclamation of joyful surprise is heard, for, there, straight on, is Marblehead, and, there, on the crest of the highest of the several rocky eminences, around, and on which the town is built, the Catholic Church stands, solitary and impressive. The twin towers, gracefully slender, lance-like in form, have their tapered ends aglow with the shining, golden crosses. The building. Gothic in character. Is wooden, but sturdily built, firm, and defiant of storms. The rectory is some distance away, for the exclusiveness of some, who are in control of our New England towns, renders it extremely difficult at times to purchase in de- sirable localities. Marblehead is reputed to be of this exclusive class, due to the fact, perhaps, that the im- mense stretches of shore property are owned by the select few. Marblehead is the mecca for yachtsmen from along [ 102 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY the Atlantic seaboard, and, at regatta times, the harbor re- sembles a pond covered with an immense flock of geese of snowy whiteness, but the central point of the picturesque landscape is the Church of “Our Lady, Star of the Sea.” Salem, the home of Royalists in Colonial times, and whose older dwellings are still pointed out as specimens of early English and classic beauty, claims the attention. As we swing into Lafayette Avenue, a splendid street of broad proportions, instinctively we stop at the highest part of the thoroughfare, where stand the large Church of St. Joseph, its schools and convent, the rectory and Home for the Aged. A single day witnessed the entire settlement swept away. The conflagration swept a large area and the French population that worshipped at St. Joseph’s were the chief sufferers. These brave peo- ple faced their losses, however, and under the direction of their fearless clergy they have rebuilded on the burned ruins. Their dwellings are better in every way, and th^ parish schools and rectory are to be seen rebuilt. Mean- while, religious services have been held in the lower church that escaped the destruction, while preparation'^ are going on steadily and surely for the restoration of the former church. Distant about one mile opposite is the second French church, St. Anne’s, wooden but with excellent schools for both sexes. This parish is doing well on the outskirts of the city. St. James’ Parish boasts of a fine brick church, rectory, schools and convent. Through all the years of service, its record has been notable, and, today, its importance and influence are all one could desire. [ 103 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The fire-swept area extended to the walls of the Im- maculate Conception, the mother church of Salem. The place where the flames were successfully stopped is pointed out to visitors. With reverent feeling we enter this church of long-standing, and suffer the memories of other days to crowd back upon the mind. The building of brick is of the later Gothic, rounded arch and corner steeple are in contrast with the central tower and broken arch that seem to have been the universal choice. The schools, convent and rectory are wooden, but in good condition. The stand-fast policy must be followed here, because many of the former parishioners have gone to other parts, and their homes are now in the possession of the Poles. The Polish immigrants have their schools and convent. Already they have made sufficient progress to build r. new church in a finer locality to take the place of the old structure so long in use. St. Mary’s Church for the Italians is the latest parish erected, and indications seem to augur future prosperity and progress. Beyond Salem, the Shore Drive brings the traveller once again in touch with the handsome mansions and cottages of the seashore. Manchester-by-the-Sea is most delightful and notable for the many prominent people who choose to spend the summer in these parts. Scarcely is the main square of the town reached than the beautiful Catholic Church is noticed on one of the residential thoroughfares. The Norman tower of em- battled form imparts dignity and strength to the edifice. [ 104 1 DIOCESAN PROPERTY [nteriorly, the new altar of marble, and, immediately above, the lovely stained glass window, lighting the sanctuary, and shedding hallowed light through the audi- torium, contribute to make this church a sample of artistic taste and refinement. The rectory is charming in its flower-embowered setting, its material of brick, over-hanging roof, and beamed, a cottage house trans- planted from one of the older countries. Three or four miles inland from Manchester is the church of St. Margaret, Beverly Farms. The rectory, of recent erection, is impressive. It is part of a plan that included a new church that would set off this parish as an architectural dream, but, alas, death intervened, and, to others, the late beloved pastor bequeathed the task. The City of Beverly is quite adjacent to the “Farms” district. It is well provided with a small church for the French people, and a fine, solid brick edifice on the main street for the English speaking Catholics. The faithful are proud of the church which has been finished ex- teriorly with exceedingly good taste. Next to the church is a stately rectory of brick, well arranged as a dwelling for parish clergy. The remainder of the journey to Gloucester and Rock- port, the farthest points, is very restful. On the way we pass Magnolia, where stands a newly erected chapel for the use of the summer visitors at Essex, also a sumnier colony. A similar chapel has been builded very recently. At last we reach Gloucester. It is a gala day. The city is crowded, and the harbor is alive with boats of all descriptions from the smallest to the large type man-of- war. The Carillon flings out joyous notes from the I lOS] DIOCESAN PROPERTY tower of the Portuguese Church, “Our Lady of Good Voyage.” This small wooden church, attractive and well- kept, has been of great help to the children of the Portuguese nation. The stone church of St. Ann, in the centre of the city, is adequately provided with schools and rectory. The town of Rockport, well-named, is seated among the rocky headlands of Cape Ann. The parish church is St. Joachim, and like all the titles given the sacred edifices along this shore, bespeaks the faith and simplicity of the first Catholics. After a journey of several hours a lunch and rest at the Gloucester Rocks furnish a gladsome and needed respite, before we face homeward. We expected an almost uninterrupted return. A slight change in the route, however, gave us a chance to see the new parish of St. Paul at Hamilton. The dainty mission chapel, St. Mary’s, is being finished, at Rowley, under the direction of the pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Ipswich. Then we made a brief stop at Danvers to visit the Annunciation Church and rectory. We continued on to Peabody where there is a complete school plant and church. A fine new school has taken the place of the one which was destroyed by fire. On the outskirts of Peabody, and, in the town of Danvers, is the well known “St. John’s Preparatory School,” under the Xaverian Brothers. The growth of this school is one of the marvels of the Catholic school in- crease in recent years, and, supplying a long-felt want as at present it does, it has become deservedly popular. The buildings, grounds, and spirit of pupils and inmates [ 106 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY make the visit memorable, indeed. Again we are on the Newburyport turnpike and near to the start of our day’s journey. In the after supper recital of the tour it appears that seven new parishes had been erected, twelve rectories provided or newly built, nine new churches and three mission chapels builded, four schools and one high school, additional buildings to St. John’s Preparatory School, and one working girls’ home. What proved interesting was to note the departure from the pre-existing Gothic form of building, and the taking up of the modern style, and even the Romanesque. This change became more and more noticeable with the erection of the late buildings, churches, schools and rectories. The North Shore Drive was not without some fatigue, but the remembrance of the delightful experience all along the route is ample reward for the physical effort, while the growth of the Church in all sections of the shore land is proof of alertness and drive on the part of the pastors, with fruitful response on the part of the faith- ful. That such a day should have come could not have entered into the most hopeful of our pioneer Catholics. ?\ray God be praised I [ 107 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT IV Fellsway and Adjoining Cities The mere mention of Fellsway is the assurance that the route of the fourth auto visit will be enjoyable and of interest, because the region year by year is growing in beauty. The venerable pastor of St. Joseph’s, Somerville, is the first to be called upon and a hearty welcome is the greeting to all. We stand on the steps of the rectory overlooking the populous city. It is inconceivable that the six hundred Catholics who attended Mass at Caldwell Hall, when our aged prelate appeared for the first time as their pastor, should have increased in numbers ex- ceeding the tens of thousands. Six parishes have been set aside from the first parish, and each, as will presently be shown, has prospered beyond every expectation. St. Joseph’s has apparently suffered no diminution by these newly formed parishes, due to new development in the immediate neighborhood. The church itself is of brick and is in fine condition, which bespeaks careful supervision. The high steeple holds aloft the gilded cross that may be seen for a large radius. The schools and convent are to the rear and around the church, while the boys’ school of brick is on the frontage with the rectory, as is also the Brothers* School. Almost five minutes walk from St. Joseph’s Church are a basement chapel and rectory, the beginning of the new’ parish for the Italian people. [ 108 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY About ten years ago St. Benedict’s Parish was set aside. It includes the famous ^‘Nunnery Grounds,” where stood the convent that was burned by a mob in the “Know Nothing Times.” Not without some diffi- culty was land obtained for the foundation of the parish. Quickly a simple structure was reared and a rectory prepared. Since the dedication of this church, much valuable land close by has been purchased to be used for schools and parish purposes. St. Polycarp’s Mission Chapel is the latest church building in Somerville. It is attended by Fathers of St. Ann’s Parish, which has a beautiful church of brick and stone design, a large rectory (wooden), and a fine new brick school. Plans are drawn for a new convent, and then St. Ann’s will be thoroughly equipped. Diagonally across is the large building of the Knights of Columbus, with halls and meeting rooms which afford facilities for Catholics, not only of St. Ann’s, but of every parish, in con- ducting special activities of a social and charitable nature. St. Ann’s Parish crowns the “Winter Hill” section, and only ten minutes away is Spring Hill with the beautiful church of St. Catherine. This building, recently furnished, is an architectural triumph and so unusual in elaborate- ness of interior design as to attract many visitors, even from distant parts. Since his appointment, the very earnest pastor has added new property to the original purchase and remodeled and enlarged the residence into a serviceable rectory, while utilizing the temporary wooden church, first in use, and now situated at the rear of the grounds. Every Catholic boasts of St. Catherine’s Church, Somerville. [ 109 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY At the outer side of the city, within the shadow of Tuft’s College, is St. Clement’s Parish. This parish grew up almost over night, and is found with wooden church and rectory, convent and schools. So rapid is the growth of the parish, and the consequent increase in school attendance, that a new brick school of sixteen rooms and auditorium has been added to the one already in use. The borders of Somerville and Medford meet very near to St. Clement’s. Therefore, it is but a stone’s throw / to St. Joseph’s Church and rectory on the main street at Medford. As we follow the Mystic River drive, the church of St. Raphael, West Medford, comes into view. It is of mission design and construction, just suitable for the wants of this small parish. The ^lystic River flows out of the Mystic lakes, twin lakes, known as upper and lower lakes, and so lovely in the lap of the surrounding hills as to be termed “Killar- ney.” Passing by the lakes, we enter Winchester, a most beautiful town, and but a short distance from the centre of the town is St. Mary’s Church, Gothic and brick. On the eminence opposite are a splendid new rec- tory, new brick school and convent, erected within the past ten years, indicative that St. Mary’s Parish is not wanting in progressive work. The drive is straight on, bearing slightly to the left, and in very few minutes we pass St. Charles’ Cemetery, which is very well kept. At once we meet the state road that leads to the very centre of Woburn, a short quarter (fl an hour from St. Mary’s in Winchester. [ 110 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY No inquiry is needed to locate St. Charles’ Church and parish schools. There, fronting the highway, stand the rectory, church, the primary and grammar schooK and the new high school which has an auditorium at the rear with a seating capacity of twelve hundred. On the rising ground, running from the main street up and be- hind the line of buildings, is the convent. The slope is finely graded and provided with concrete walks, work done without compensation by volunteer men parishioners. The energetic priests labored with the pastor to renovate and re-equip the first schools, and made sacrifices in the endeavor to have the high school building and hall. The doors were about to be opened when fire, at dead of night, broke out at the rectory and threatened the very lives of the inmates. The alterations and repairs to the rectory have made it almost entirely new. St. Charles’ Parish again exemplifies most strikingly how the past has been conserved, and the future is anticipated by the new buildings, proof of the broad vision in providing for the parish activities that mean influence and advancement. It is necessary to face about and travel back a short piece of the road to East Woburn, where the parish house and spacious grounds may augur well for the work of tomorrow, and where the present serviceable wooden church building will be replaced by a structure, wooden in design and construction. Only a mile or more farther on, the cross of St. Pat- rick’s Church, Stoneham, shining brightly from the top of the steeple is clearly visible, and a sure sign that the journey thus far is according to the plan. Presently, we arrive and look with feelings of reverence upon the [ 111 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY House of the Lord that was the boast and home of early Catholics in this town. The property is prominent in the centre of the town on a road parallel with the main thoroughfare, thus ensuring quiet and good accommoda- tions. The buildings are in excellent condition ; the new brick school is no mean structure for rural Stoneham. The extreme northerly point of our day’s outing is Wakefield, a small industrial centre, but in the pioneer days one of religious missionary endeavor. The church is under the patronage of St. Joseph, and its scholarly parish priest is not without the spirit of his predecessors, as is manifested by the tasteful mission church. This has been builded within the past two years, in order that the two hundred Catholics at Lynnfield might have a good opportunity for religious training. The roadways are some of the best in the state and lead into the Fells- way, one of the finest parks of greater Boston. As we skirt along the large lake at the border line of the lovely reservation, Melrose, the town of pretty homes, seems to invite a visit, a visit that is well re- warded by what is seen in church property and its de- velopment. The splendid wooden church and grounds, the fine school and new convent, laid out with excellent taste, are only expressive of the refined and genial pastor who lives with his assistants in a rectory of real home touch and surroundings. It is not so many years since Melrose was a mission of St. Patrick‘s, Stoneham. Now to note the excellence of each in equipment of present requirements! A turn of the street, and back again we go into the Fellsway route. At every turn, the windings of the roads [ 112 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY reveal vistas of beauty, which afford pleasurable sur- prise, and the fullest enjoyment, thanks to Park Regula- tions governing the speed of autos. The air is refreshing, and we settle back the more to breath it in,— aye, to revel in it— amid the beauteous charms of this wooded wonderland, when the church of St. Francis Assisi is announced. Abruptly we are re- called to the purpose of the journey. The people of “Ful- ton Heights” on the outskirts of Medford and on the IMalden line were desirous of having a place of worship, and their desire was gratified almost as soon as expressed. The new church is not after the usual pattern, but seems to meet the wants of the locality and is well adapted to the surroundings. Wellington, a settlement similarly situated along the division line of Malden and Medford, was made a parish two years or more before the one of St. Francis of Assisi. The young priest assigned to the task of laying the foundation was a splendid choice. He rallied his people and under his leadership they worked together often after their own day’s work. They were proud of their church and hall and house which have been completed within the year, and have been dedicated to St. James the Apostle. Both pastors speak of the kindly manner in which they were received, and the financial aid rendered by the Right Reverend Pastor of the Immaculate Con- ception Church, the mother parish of Malden. Historical memories cluster about the Immaculate Conception, first builded to care for the few scattered Catholics of Med- ford and Malden. The structure has proved itself staunch. The improvements which have been carefully [ 113 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY made from time to time have served to keep it in fine serviceable condition. The pastor’s care is ever centered on the schools, and the new high school building rounds out the educational facilities of the parish, seldom, if ever, surpassed. The Malden schools are standard always, materially and educationally speaking. Another exemplification of conserving the past and providing for the present and future needs is the Im- maculate Conception Church, Malden, for with all that is achieved the public is informed of a new church, lately purchased from the Protestants, that is to be utilized as the parish church of St. Peter for Italians. The Sacred Heart Church is in the east part of the city, and was erected by one of the pioneer priests, who, in the first years of his ministry, in order to administer the Sacraments, traversed the different New England States in search of Catholics. His experience convinced him of the need of churches, whatever their material value might be. Thus it happened that the Sacred Heart, Malden, was the last of forty churches directly con- structed by the saintly Father Shahan. During the past decade his successors have added schools, convents and rectory. The district itself is in line of the state boule- vards and most prosperous. Like two sentinels guarding the approach to Everett are the two churches, both dedicated to St. Joseph,— one in the quiet Maplewood district of Malden, and farther east than the Sacred Heart Church; the other is the chapel used for the French people who reside at the border line of Everett. [ 114 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY As in the two preceding visits, the return home is along the Newburyport turnpike. It runs through the length of Everett, and, at the centre of the city, takes on char- acter by the public buildings that front thereon. Among the best are the Immaculate Conception church and rectory. Close at hand are the handsome new school and convent. The newest church. Our Lady of Grace, built only a few years, and situated on the southern side on the Chel- sea line, is clearly visible from the Revere Boulevard. Admiration and wonder at what was accomplished by the erection of this stone church and purchase of the wooden rectory must be felt by him who rightly con- :5idered the undertaking and the shortness of time re- quired. It is only a step, one would say, from Everett into Revere where the church property is admirably located and provided with good schools, as well as a Catholic Club for social activities, in a district filled with attrac- tions commonly found at seaside resorts. The solicitude of the pastor is for the schools which he has enlarged. He added the past year an excellent high school. The policy of having these schools as a breakwater to the ever varying changes of the neighborhood is a good one, offsetting a possible influence towards evil that might come to the children and people over whom he is placed. St. Anthony’s Church, the Italian Parish, established several years ago, is caring for the sons of Sunny Italy. At the very gateway to Revere Beach is the small settle- ment of Beachmont, that has a good, even if humble, church and rectory. [ 115 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The ocean breeze is invigorating and is the tonic needed to dissipate the tired feeling beginning to creep upon the party. The trip might be shortened did not the church of St. John the Eavngelist, Winthrop Head, catch the eye by its attractive outline, distinctly drawn against the greenish blue of the ocean sky. That church must be visited! Romanesque, with fine campanile, its in- terior is of unusual finish and charm. Consequently, it is one of the “show churches” for many priests who come from other parts to see the best that architecture affords in the East. Orient Heights is next door to the Winthrop church and the pretty name was born of the expectation of those who opened up the locality, in order that a village of select people might grow and prosper. The expectation was not altogether realized, for the people who came were few in numbers. St. Joseph’s Church was erected at once and has been prosperous, indeed. The Italians recently rejoiced to see their new church of St. Lazarus dedicated. It is a beautiful northern Italian Church, reproduced after the one in the home town of Italy where the hard working pastor was born and reared. The spacious boulevard runs straight as an arrow from Orient Heights into Maverick Square. As we hurry homewards, alternately, on either side, are the several other churches in East Boston. The new “Star of the Sea” Church of grey tapestry brick is having the interior finished and decorated. It is already well provided with schools and rectory. The demands that may come with the future will have adequate response. The Sacred Heart Parish is also provided with schools [ 116 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY and church; in fact, every one of the older parishes, the Assumption Church, and the Church of the Redeemer dating back to Father Fitton’s days, do not fail to carry on the work of salvation. Changes of wide extent are to be noted in the popula- tion. The Portuguese who follow the deep sea fisheries, formerly conducted entirely by Irish, have the Church of St. John the Baptist; while at the “docks” an Italian population running into the thousands live an exclusive existence and have their religious wants supplied by the good Franciscans, who have been compelled twice to enlarge their rather attractive church. As the final stop is made at Chelsea, a golden sunset fills the heavens. The sun’s fiery rays aslant the horizon recall the conflagration that reduced the city to a mass of ruins. Chelsea is rebuilt, and, with it, the Church of St. Rose ; the schools and convent also are restored, for earnest pastors have served the people, alert to prepare for the new conditions in the new city arisen from ashes. The Marist Fathers care for the French. A modest church, schools and convent supply the needs of a small congregation. St. Stanislaus Martyr is the title of the Polish Church and schools under the direction of the small congregation of Polish priests. The amazing growth of the Church in this district, during the last dozen years, is hardly to be believed. The recount reads:— Somerville, new parishes, three; Mission chapel, one; churches erected and completed, four; rectories, four; new schools, four. [ 117 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Winchester, new rectory, school and convent. Woburn, new high school and rectory after fire re- stored. Stoneham, school and convent. Wakefield, Mission chapel. Melrose, new convent. Medford line, new parishes, two ; church and rectories. Malden, new Italian Parish and church; new schools, two; rectory and convent, one. Everett, new school, one; convent, one; new parish church and rectory on Chelsea line. Revere has a new high school. Winthrop, new church, one. East Boston, new parishes, three; new churches, three; church enlarged, one; new convent, one; new school building, one. Chelsea, new parishes for immigrants, two ; rebuilding and restoration of all church property that suffered in the burning of the city. The record is evidence of work, — constant work for every conceivable need. God has blessed the efforts of each pastor by the grace of a generous, devoted people. [ 118 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT V Brockton and Plymouth The “South Shore Drive” is quite different from that of the North Shore. The inherent features are different. The sandy plain instead of the rolling country, no ex- clusive proprietors or large estates, the want of lake and river scenery, the quaintness of the Cape Cod Yankee in contrast with the descendants of the Royalist colony; all serve to furnish a most interesting and in- structive trip. Plymouth and Plymouth Rock lie ahead. Mere mention of the historic city is sufficient to give edge to the interest, and with joyful expectation the start is made. The actual route commences beyond Mattapan Square, Dorchester, and meets the Brockton road. At this point, in the shadow of the stately elms, the scenery is engaging and the way pleasant. Before very long the brick buildings of Randolph Deaf and Dumb School are seen to the right. There is no similar school in the state ; and it is to be enlarged at once to meet the urgent needs for additional pupils. The Sisters of St. Joseph are in control. Cheerfully they perform this most exact- ing work, which almost constantly demands new mem- bers. At North Randolph the residents are making plans for a church of their own, and they find heartiest co- operation on the part of the clergy. To avoid the ascent of the hill immediately ahead, a detour towards the east is made until the Holbrook Church and rectory are reached, a fine property in this [ 119 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY small town. The turn is made into Avon, which was formerly attended by the priests of Holbrook, but a dozen years back was made a separate Parish, acquiring at the time a fine large dwelling, the present rectory. The detour ends at the Brockton road and in front of the Randolph Parish Church and rectory. The church is Gothic, wooden, and goes back to the pioneer days when this parish was most prosperous, and one of the strongest outposts of the Boston Church. At the present time the town appears to be of stationary character, with no increase in population. The Brockton road is in good condition, and affords chance for a quick run into Montello, the outer suburb of the Brockton city. Montello is a well laid out resi- dential district. Its whole appearance is impressive by the remarkably beautiful Catholic church that com- mands the junction of several streets; the architectural features of the church appeal to the tourist who will be amply repaid by a visit. St. Edward’s Church, Montello, is one of a series of fine churches, lately builded, an expression of what might well be termed the renaissance period of the South Shore district. It is about one mile from St. Edward’s Church to the centre of Brockton. St. Patrick’s Church, fronting Main Street, opposite the City Hospital and the large building owned by the Y. M. C. A., is one that every Catholic may be proud of. It is Romanesque in style, and of brick. The interior is finished in keeping with the attractive exterior. Nothing seems lacking in detail, and the edifice is, consequently, a fine workable church. Next to the church, facing the [ 120 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY side street in order that quiet and convenience might be secured, the pastor has also builded a modern rectory, but not extravagant in design or cost. Over towards the east the thickly settled population is indicative of the newest growth in the city. The churches and church spires and schools are the best as- surance of religious care. There are the French Parish and schools ; the Polish Parish and school ; the Lithu- anians with church and schools. The native population settled more in the southerly direction and at Campello. The suburb below St. Pat- rick’s Parish is St. Margaret’s Parish. Services in the basement chapel have been held for a number of years, but now the upper church is being builded and will be in keeping with the sister edifices. Southeasterly the new parish of St. Colman’s was erected. The upper structure awaits completion, but the opportunity to worship close to their homes is entirely appreciated by the not over-populous congregation here, at the border line of the city. Whitman The stretch of low land that lies between St. Colman’s and Whitman is uninteresting, even dreary in aspect, so that there is the tendency to use accelerated speed. At the junction of what seems to be the two most prominent streets are the Holy Ghost Church and rectory, and to- gether they present a very attractive appearance. Recently the church edifice was rededicated after it had been enlarged twice the original capacity. The brick is oatmeal in color, uncommon in the East, but widely [ 121 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY used in the Middle West; the stone trimmings make the Gothic features more pronounced and pleasing. By rea- son of the good taste displayed, the church, as it is to- day, ranks among the best of rural parishes. St. Bridget’s, Abington, formerly looked after the spiritual wants of Whitman. Indeed, St. Bridget’s is the kindly mother whose several daughters have gone out from the home, each to do for herself. The mother parish is the family home, however, and the children find their way frequently to renew the spirit of hospital- ity and fraternal love. If this be the story of Abington and Whitman, it is likewise that of Rockland. The brick church and splen- did rectory stand in the very centre of the town and con- tribute considerably to the busy character of the place. How befitting its title,— Church of the Holy Family! Evidently, the cities and towns in this section sprung up along the old Bedford turnpike, now one of our best state roads. It proved to be a pleasant route as we turn- ed to leave the Abingtons. The country also brightens a bit, especially through Bridgewater, the home of the State Normal School. This school is largely attended and has an excellent reputation. A fine brick church under the Patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas is in accord with the locality and its require- ments. East Bridgewater is now a .separate parish, though formerly a mission of St. Thomas. St. John is the patron saint. The pleasant impressions created by viewing the normal school are dissipated by the sight of the State Farm at Titicut, a suburb of Middleboro, and attended [ 122 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY by the priests of the latter place. Through acres upon acres of cultivated farms the highway takes its course, and on either hand we see colonies and colonies of prisoners working in these farm lands. Each year it grows larger. When will it stop? Middleboro is the possessor of a fine stone church dedicated to the Sacred Heart, and situated on the main thoroughfare. The church property holds the corner of two streets and stands up equally with the Episcopal Church close at hand. The “Bedford Turnpike” loses its name at Middleboro, where it becomes known as the Middleboro Road, known to all as one of the finest pieces of roadway in the country. Straight as an arrow is the path, and before long Lakeville is reached, then North Carver, where is located the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes. At the cross roads, not far distant, a turn to the east leads to historic Plymouth. Upon arrival in the city interest never flags, but even awakens the desire to revisit the “first settlement land- marks.” The proper setting is needed in order to move about with ease where manners and practices, long established, are suggestive of their Puritan origin. Opposite the Pilgrim Shrine is the Catholic Church, fronting the main street. The first pastor named the Church St. Peter’s. He had in mind, no doubt, the imperishable rock on which the Church of Christ is builded. The rectory. Villa Mana, is across the way. In all the days since the pioneer missionary, St. Peter’s Church has stood well for the faith. A chapel, St. Catherine’s, cares for the summer residents, who come to [ 123 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY White Horse Beach. The whole city worshipped at St. Peter’s until it was deemed urgent to build St. Mary’s Church, one mile or so nearer Boston, in the midst of an immigrant population that needed direct, personal care and supervision. The tourist now turns his face towards Boston, hom.eward bound, by the South Shore Drive. The scene, as he starts, is captivating. On one side are the homes of the residents built on rising land that forms the eminence, adorned with the massive monument the natives erected to memorialize the Pilgrim Fathers. On the outer side is Plymouth Bay, alive with foaming, tossing billows that spend themselves upon the sandy shore. The road runs over the high sandy bluff, towards the next town,— Kingston. Here is St. Joseph’s Church. As one looks from the vantage point over the surround- ing country, the high cliff that jutts into the sea is pointed out as a part of the parish. The statue of Myles Standish of heroic mould is clearly visible, although it is built upon the cliff and is more than three miles distant. Duxbury and Green Harbor, missions of Kingston, are within sight, so that the labors of the shore town parish are presented in a very comprehensible manner. The home of the Fathers of the Divine Word is at Dux- bury. Then there is the new church. Our Lady of the Lake, at Monponsett Beach, a mission of St. Mary of the Sacred Heart at Hanover. Scituate is reached in due time, and here the farms and ocean combine. It is no surprise to see within the past few^ years the marvelous growth in residences, so [ 124 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY much so that Scituate was erected into a new parish two years ago. Cohasset and North Scituate are deservedly popular by reason of the scenery, splendid homes, and ocean beach. At Cohasset the roadway runs to the water’s edge. Fine homes abound and “Jerusalem Road,” for such is the name of our road of travel, is just the sur- prise needed to give charm to what otherwise might be a tedious, monotonous ride. The Star of the Sea Church is a new chapel at North Cohasset. The better to drink deep of the salt air and to feast our eyes on grandeur of the ocean, we stop at Green Hill, and climb to the top of Atlantic Hill. From this vantage point the long stretch of sandy coast, left be- hind and lost in this rocky hill, seems to reassert itself in the long peninsula of Nantasket Beach. To us At- lantic Hill seemed like the shoulder of some great giant at repose, who had stretched his stout arm into the sea, and whose clenched hand was like Point Allerton and Hull. The Catholic Churches are found at intervals along Nantasket Beach. They exemplify the practical solu- tion to a vexing problem that confronts many of the Hierarchy who must provide religious services in their Dioceses for summer sojourners and vacationists. His Eminence made a parish under the administration of the President of our Seminary, where, after the severe strain of teaching during the scholastic year, professors find relaxation and rest. At the same time, it gives them the opportunity for practical work with the faith- [ 125 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY ful at large. The Trinity ordination supplies, ordinarily, a score or more of young priests, who for the most part are spread through the seaside parishes where they too are afforded a chance for recuperation and the practical work of the ministry. At the close of the summer season these young priests are assigned to regular work in the older parishes of the Archdiocese. The plan is simple, satisfactory, efficient. Hingham town dates back to Colonial days, and, in general char- acter, still bears the Puritan stamp. She stands at the head of the south shore and beach highways, and is well known, therefore, to all autoists. In the town centre are St. Paul’s Church and rectory, very creditable property. We keep straight on from the church and cross the railroad tracks at the depot. The roadway conducts the tourist to East Weymouth. All the towns round about Hingham are clustered together. The church and house of long standing are up to date. The pastor has seen to it that at North Weymouth a beautiful stone church was builded for that mission dedicated to St. James, while new schools and convent are being opened at the home church. Only admiration can be felt for such enter- prising work in an apparently unpropitious centre. After the dreadful havoc wrought by the tornado three years ago. South Weymouth is rebuilded, and the Catholic Church and rectory have been restored for divine service. The Sacred Heart schools and convent, church and rectory make an imposing presence by their location in the principal square of Weymouth proper. The work going on here must bear fruitful results in the not distant future. [ 126 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY One of the principal streets terminating in Weymouth Square is the one that leads to the small but pretty town of Braintree. Here a fine brick church is an ornament to the town and the rectory is one of dignity. This church and rectory were builded within the decade. The day’s trip is rapidly approaching an end, for the direction is now towards West Quincy. The splendid basement that served the parish for some years as a substantial church is now secondary to the serviceable superstructure completed a half dozen years ago. Prep- aration for school building is now under the considers tion of the pastor. Quincy proper certainly has outstripped any city of equal population in the number of parishes, churches and schools. St. John the Baptist Church gives an example by its fine brick building and convent. With reverence we speak of this parish that formerly had the care of this quarter of the Diocese. Recent years have witnes:^ed the new parish of the Blessed Sacrament, Hough’s Neck; St. Joseph’s, Fore River; a new church in Wollaston; and the church of the Sacred Heart, Atlantic, also with plans for a new edifice. St. Agatha’s Church, East Milton, is the last in the itinerary. Built of Cohasset stone, and at the junction of one of the state boulevards with Milton’s main street, St. Agatha’s is a delight. We salute the latest parish; we congratulate the first pastor, and bring to an end the South Shore Drive. The after tea discussion at the rectory brought out the conviction that the experience of the tour through Plymouth County disclosed a new religious birth : [ 127 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY churches are found in every city, town and hamlet. The number of churches is constantly on the increase. Schools begin to appear ; religious communities are seek- ing locations ; new people settling down. All this gives a warm Catholic atmosphere, hitherto unknown in the district. Ten years more of the same growth would create a religious advance unequalled in the Archdiocese. As we read the notes, hurriedly taken, the record is: Preliminaries for a church at North Randolph, and an additional building in process of construction for the deaf and dumb; five new churches in Brockton; new schools with convents in two parishes; one new rectory. The Abingtons have one church enlarged and em- bellished. New churches exist in Middleboro, North Car- ver, Plymouth, Green Harbor, Monponsett, Scituate Harbor, Nantasket, North Weymouth. Rebuilded churches exist at South Weymouth, Braintree— three in Quincy; one parish and church at East Milton. New schools exist at Quincy and Brockton, and a mission- ary college at Duxbury. There are at least fourteen new rectories. We must give thanks for the increase of faith, — the faith that in early days built St. Peter’s Church at Plymouth, but has now increased a hundred fold. [ 128 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT VI Natick, Holliston, Franklin, Dedham, Norwood A ride through the scenic valley of the Charles River is planned for the day’s outing. The start is made at Newton Lower Falls, where the stream overflows the rocky dam that holds the water in check for service to the mills, seated on the banks. A short wooden bridge is crossed, and, instantly, at the fork of the road, St. John’s Church and rectory appear on the first rise of ground. Picturesque the setting, and ideal the church for the village Catholics. The breezes of Wellesley Hills are refreshing, and the sun of the early summer day lights the shadows thrown over the roadway by the giant oaks and elms flanking either side. The machine makes the ascent slowly until “Oaklands,” the site of the Assumption Academy, a boarding school for girls, is reached. How fortunate for the good Sisters of Charity of Halifax, to have been favored by such an admirable location. The splendid roadway encircles the mount and runs beneath arches of elms to Needham Centre, where prominent among the important buildings are St. Jo- seph’s Church and rectory. The church, newly built, is an excellent type of Gothic design. Caution must be used at the railroad crossing, and the street grows narrow, so great is the girth of the giant elms that for room would apparently shoulder off the speeding auto, as it directs its course to Wellesley Square. The new St. Paul’s Church and convent are at the ap- proach to this square. Handsome, of low Gothic con- [ 129 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY struction with square tower front, the church within re- veals a finish of artistic merit greatly enhanced by the beam exposure. The deep red brick of the building it- self is lightened by bands of limestone. Altogether the church is in accord with the surroundings for it is in the shadow of Wellesley College, one of the largest women’s colleges in the country. The grounds, buildings, and lakes, within its boundaries, make it a fairy land of beauty. At the southwestern boundary of Wellesley College is South Natick that is in the care of the neat Sacred Heart Church. The rectory is a colonial mansion near the rustic bridge, where the winding “Charles” finds its way through the rocky basin. St. Patrick’s, Natick, was the mother church and for- merly attended South Natick, which is scarcely one mile away. The tourist must alight and be gladdened by the heartiest welcome of the kindly pastor, who builded t- church and keeps it and his home in excellent repair, o^ be judged guilty of an unpardonable offense in having slighted a most genial host. Opposite the rectory is a very desirable estate, now used by the Catholic Clu'.. but intended, ultimately, for schools and convent. The frontier parishes towards the south are easily reached from Natick. They are “frontier” by clerical acceptance, for both Springfield and Fall River Dioce^' find their boundary just beyond. These small parishes are separated one from the other by the distance of seven miles or more. Holliston is quickly reached from Natick by the Sher- born Road,— a country drive through peach orchards, [ 130 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY fruit noted in all markets. Holliston is a typical New England town. Nowhere outside our own state and a few states near Massachusetts is there anything in character and plan like the New England town, for it sprang from the “fathers” of the Congregational sect. The Congregational Church is the prominent building fronting the town green, or common, and not far removed from the church are the Public Library, High School and Town Hall. Every real New England town pos- sesses these notes of recognition. They were the visible expressions of Congregationalism, the agencies by which “community welfare” activities were conducted. Hol- liston is of this class. The Catholic Church and rectory invaded the sacred precincts. They occupy an entire square, opposite the Congregational Church. The church. Gothic with high steeple and gilt cross, is not mediocre. Holliston is typical in another respect. In early days small industries and carefully tilled farms brought pros- perity to a thrifty people. Latterly, the great corpora- tions of the country have smothered the small business man and the single farmer. The change was a blight upon the small town of New England. Holliston is only a sample, but of such kind that the late novelist, Kate Wiggins, abided in the “abandoned farm” which she purchased, and wrote the story of the “Rebecca ot Sunnybrook Farm,” weaving the scenes into the narrative and selecting some of the characters,— and of these there seemed to be no dearth. Medway is the next town en route, and was at first a mission to Holliston. The church is almost a duplicate [ 131 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY of the one in Holliston and the patron is St. Joseph. A colonial mansion, the former home of some prosperous manufacturer departed, is the rectory. There are two missions attached to the Medway parish, St. Brendan’s, North Bellingham and tne town of Minis. These memorials of past times serve to re- count the labors of the clergy then living. Let it be said that even the pioneers in these out-of-the-way places did not surpass the present day priests by self sacrifices in behalf of their people. In the instance of the Medway pastor and assistant, each drives twelve miles to the mis- sions in order that the scattered Catholics may have Mass and the Sacraments. The laudable policy of holding fast to what has been accomplished is here nobly ex- emplified, but there is not the slightest chance of pro- gressing by even one foot before another. Franklin, the very next parish tc Medway, is the home of many descendants of the early settlers, and the air and dignity of family lineage are to be noted in the bear- ing and manners of the people. The pastor came to Franklin while the ruins of the first church were still smoking; the building had been burned to the ground. The temporary church, provided by the former school, was also destroyed by fire the last spring. Undismayed, he immediately made plans for a handsome brick church. Already the pastor has a build- ing closed in and pushing on to completion. The site is in the centre of the town. It is a square by itself, bounded on three sides by radiating streets. The last frontier town in the visit is Foxboro and its mission of Wrentham. St. Mary’s Church keeps the [ 132 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY deposit of faith, and along with parish duty the ener- getic clergy visit the State Hospital within their precinct. Not unreluctantly we drive homeward. Interest re- vives as the pretty town of Sharon appears, seated in the hills. At its feet are the waters of the lovely lake, the mecca of church gatherings a generation ago. On Sharon Heights the Brothers of the Sacred Heart have opened their novitiate that, without doubt, will bring blessings upon the Archdiocese. The pretty church of Our Lady of Sorrows and the rectory bespeak the faith- fulness of pastor and people. With reverential feeling we approach Canton. A stop is made in the churchyard of St. John. Stoughton is now a parish with schools and even a Catholic Club. The vigorous discharge of duty still avails at St. John’s. There is a new convent for the parish schools ; a long felt need has been supplied at last. At the rear of St. John’s property, but with frontage on the side roadway, is St. Clement’s School for Boys, established the last year by His Eminence. At this school boys of tender years may be boarded and trained rather than be placed in some institution, should death or some grave reason have deprived them of parental care. St. Clement’s was formerly the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and remains under their charge. Its success indicates the need of a school for children of this class. Passing out St. Clement’s gateway it seems no time before the Canton meadows are crossed into Norwood and Walpole. There is an exceptional church at Wal- pole, a fine brick building, interiorily arranged so that [ 133 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY the sacristy may serve as chapel and part of the auditor- ium. A visit to the church of the Blessed Sacrament is worth while. On the Walpole Road some distance ahead is St. Edward’s Church, Medfield. The pastor is also chaplain to the Medfield State Hospital. St. Catherine’s Church, Norwood, one of our recent churches, is pointed out to visitors as one of exceptional merit. St. Catherine’s is another example of the newer and more tasteful churches, which are being constructed for the faithful and to the glory of the Lord. Besides St. Catherine’s, St. George’s for the Lithuan- ians, and St. Peter’s for the Poles, make a trinity of churches to provide every spiritual want. The stone church and stone rectory, specimens of Gothic style, builded out of Dedham granite and brown- stone, evince the architectural taste of the scholarly pas- tors who served for so many years at St. Mary’s. When schools shall have been erected the exhibit of parish buildings must challenge most favorable comparison. Flowing along peacefully to the front of the church is the Charles River. The drive along the banks is inter- rupted by the change of direction that brings the tourist to Readville and to St. Ann’s— a parish of only a few years standing. Rectory, basement, chapel and schools, arranged for in the past five years, give evidence of energy and drive. As we retrace the way a short distance to East Ded- ham*, Moseley’s on the Charles is reached, and Centre Street, one of the finest roadways in all Boston, points the way to the great city. The broad thoroughfare, with ample room for motorists, imparts a feeling of security [ 134 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY and ease. St. Theresa’s Church, West Roxbury, is passed, but thereafter through the woodland and, for the most part, unpopulated district, no cross appears until Forest Hills is reached. Close beside the Faulkner Hospital the sacred emblem is seen upon the recently acquired property that serves as Mother House of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. These noble women are teaching the children of the Italian immigrants. Centre Street conducts one to Jamaica Plain Parkway. Turning west, in very few minutes the church of St. Lawrence ensconced amid foliage is brought to view. A visit is foregone until some other day in order that we might see the Mother Parish of St. Mary’s. Surely, the Brookline Parish is complete in every respect, and its fine group of buildings, church, schools, rectory and con- vent delight the eye of every good Christian. Coolidge Corner and Pleasant Street mean St. Aidan’s Parish, only about a dozen years old. The growth of this parish was far beyond calculation. The rectory has been recently enlarged and new land purchased for future requirements. The efficient pastor of St. Aidan’s aims to develop it into one of the finest of all the parishes. In the after tea recapitulation it was agreed that the section traversed seemed to be wedged between the high- ways of travel, and the farther the distance from the centres of population the less chance was there for growth in the outlying parts. The abandoned farm and diminished industries told the story. A great deal was to be said of the progress of the church in less removed centres. [ 13S] DIOCESAN PROPERTY New churches erected numbered ten; new parishes, four; new rectories, three; new convents, two; religious novitiates, two. The old parishes doing efficient work of the highest order, like fortresses, stand secure on the frontier; the new churches are fine specimens of service and architectural taste ; the priests’ homes are homes in reality. Best of all, the religious are seeking establish- ments in these quiet parts, which means, if history shall be repeated, fine advancement in the days immediately ahead. [ 136 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT VII Wayland, Framingham, Marlboro The “new and the old” claim constant notice during the itinerary which is planned for the seventh auto tour of the Archdiocese. The roadway itself,— “The Con- necticut Turnpike” of ye olden days,— is a forceful re- minder of the past, when it served as the air line tour to the Nation’s metropolis. Branching from the state highway at the Wayland town line, it skirts lakes and streams and hillsides, affording at each stage of the trip a fresh, new panorama of scenic delight. Before reaching the interesting point on the turnpike the mission church of St. Anne at Wayland is passed, solitary and silent in the green field,— mission to St Zepherin’s, Cochituate, an obscure village three miles westward. A chapter of the past events is spread out at Saxon- ville, a small mill town. English workmen settled this town and placed the church under the patronage of St. George. These colonists were cloth weavers and even to this day the looms turn out products unexcelled in the market. Saxonville dwindled in population for the turnpike fell gradually into disuse by the building of the Boston and Albany Railroad. Travel abandoned the old route. Pastors at Saxonville have stood unfalteringly at their posts of duty and kept St. George’s Church and rectory ready and alert for any change. Upon leaving Saxonville the tourist proceeds slowly, for he is reluctant to miss the beauties of the dell through which he is passing on the way to Framingham Centre. [ 137 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The story of “the Centre” is one of former greatness departed. The town common, much below the level of the main street, is like a sunken garden. Churches, schools, and public buildings front the area. With many elms it somewhat resembles a college campus. St. Bridget’s Church marks the arrival of the Irish immigrant. The building is small. Some dozen years ago, when it was made into a separate parish from St. Stephen’s at South Framingham, a new rectory was purchased. St. Stephen’s and its rectory are prominently located on the main street; land on which to build schools has been purchased. The Women’s Prison, Sherborn, is looked after spiritually by the priests of the parish. A new church, dedicated to St. Tarcisius, is doing efficient work for the large Italian population who, at- tracted by the various industries, recently settled here. Almost in the midst of these children of Sunny Italy the normal school of the Sisters of St. Joseph is located. “Bethany” it has been christened by the Cardinal. Seated along the brow of a high bluff and looking down upon Lake Waushakum, this farm of many acres is a real dreamland. The adjacent estate is the “Rest House” in memory of Archbishop Williams. Enraptured by the visit to Bethany, we take the road for Ashland. At the top of Ashland Hill the view of fhe country is entrancing; below are lakes and castellated homes and running streams. Ashland itself is the first of the frontier towns along the northerly boundary of the Archdiocese. The story [ 138 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY is that of the abandoned farm and business removals. The Catholic Church and rectory still stand guard, with the shepherd and his flock. There is a steep ascent of road from Ashland into Hopkinton, a town that has suffered much by loss of industries. The people love their homes, however, and journey each day back and forth to South Framingham and other towns in labor’s pursuit. Like the Duomo of some Italian city the large, granite church of St. John rises high above its surroundings, monumental evidence of the faithful allegiance of a generous people to their beloved, generous and gifted pastor. Death claimed him early,— too early his brethren were heard to say. A fine rectory and grounds are attached to St. John’s. To connect with Marlboro one should not think of the woodland road, but descend by the state road, even if the trespass upon the Springfield Diocese brings the traveler through Westboro and Southboro. The detour will be well repaid by the lovely scenery and the country homes, where dwell the scions of wealth. The Fay School and St. Mark’s School are conducted to train and equip their sons for a college career. Quickly Marlboro, the city of workmen, is reached. It is a city builded on hills, but one of the first objects to attract the eye is the golden cross of the steeple of the Immaculate Conception Church, a substantial, Gothic church, facing the library circle. At the rear, the rectory and convent with schools occupy a square. The pastor of this parish, some few years before the world conflict, erected the parish schools, which are equal to the best anywhere. [ 139 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The hill fronting the Immaculate Conception is termed “French Hill.” The French people reside in this quarter. The hill is crowned with St. Anne’s Academy, recently enlarged, for young women, and one of the most popular in New England. The parish church is St. Mary’s, and its devoted pastor has builded this past year a model rectory of brick material. Nor are the Italian people neglected. His Eminence has created a new church for their welfare. The Franciscan Fathers attend it. Hudson, some few miles beyond Marlboro, is a thrifty town of several industries. St. Michael’s Church and rectory deserve a passing notice. The rectory was sev- eral years ago enlarged and beautified, after which a school was built and a convent purchased. Gleason- dale is a mission of Hudson. Each of these outlying parishes, it seems, has charge of some mission. Maynard, the next town to be visited, rejoices in the splendid church of St. Bridget, which cares also for West Acton where the church dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary recently was erected. Ma)mard also builded a modern rectory to replace the old house long in use. The Polish people of Maynard have their parish and pastor, with a humble church dedicated to St. Casimir. This parish dates back only a few years. The clergy of East Peperell on the state border line have the double duty of attending to St. Joseph’s, the home church, and to the mission of St. John’s at Townsend. Ayer is familiar to thousands of soldiers, for here in war time was the cantonment known as Camp Devens, where the recruits were assembled and trained [ 140 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY for conflict. The unselfish devotion of the clergy for the soldiers in those trying days merited universal com- mendation. Since the war a fine rectory replaces the old, and Camp Devens is dismantled. Ayer is normal, and the priests care for the parishioners and those of their mission at St. Anne’s, Littleton. Groton is an exception to her sister parishes, in that there is no mission church attached. This small town has the attractive church of the Sacred Heart. Groton Preparatory School for the sons of the wealthy, not of the Catholic faith, is located here. Nearby is the town of Shirley where there is a small parish of St. Anthony with school. The entire country side is so charming, the boulevard so well kept, and each town of such varying interest, that the ride is purposely delayed to enjoy it all. The wayside notice informs us that we are in Concord, where “the shot was fired, that was heard round the world”. It has been the home of many authors and writers, and for several years the “School of Philosophy” flourished here. Concord of the “embattled farmers” greets the tourist. First of all, the Catholic Church, “Our Lady, Help of Christians”, invites a visit. A sub- stantial church and a new rectory bespeak prosperity and progress. The Concord Reformatory, among the largest prisons in the state, is served by the local clergy. How often the prayer, “Our Lady Help of Christians”, goes out from many hearts for the unfortunate ones, who are closed behind the bars. At last the stop is made at St. Bernard’s church. The church, rectory and Knights of Columbus building oc- [ 141 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY cupy a conspicuous part of the town square. The good Fathers of St. Bernard’s also attend a mission, that of St. Joseph’s at Lincoln. No one visits Concord without making the promise to visit it again; there is so much to be seen in the historic town. Concord and Lexington are together, and the road directly through the town is the one that leads to Lex- ington. Paul Revere’s ride terminated on this highway Before reaching Lexington Common, where the first blood was shed, we see St. Bridget’s Church, well to the front. St. Michael’s Church is a mission to this parish Lexington Common and the statue of the minute man commanded a reverential visit to the place conse crated by the red blood of patriots. Lexington Common should be a national shrine. Before very long the tour will be ended. On the way home, at Arlington Heights, we are favored with a chance to see St. James’ Parish, set apart by itself within the past twelve years. At present, the house and church are the humble beginnings of what will be a parish of larger growth. The tour is at an end. The participants were in ac- cord that it was one of the pleasantest and most bene ficial. It visibly illustrated the “old and new” in the spiritual life of the Archdiocese. Earnest priests were found guarding the outposts and throwing up new de- fences by way of mission churches, in order that every soul might be fed with “Manna from Heaven”. [ 142 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT VIII Cambridge It was taken for granted that East Cambridge should be the starting point of the eighth auto trip. Within the shadows of the Registry, County Courts and buildings, is the Sacred Heart Church, stone. Gothic, beautiful to the last detail. The parish has a rectory, schools, convent of brick and a parish hall. These buildings were of former days, but almost all have been renovated. The lower church has been builded anew and transformed into a most attractive chapel. The writer remembers when the most influen- tial Catholics in civic and business life resided in the Sacred Heart Parish, but a change beyond words has taken place. Almost at the front door of the parish church are St. Hedwig’s Polish Church and schools. Farther away is the church of St. Francis of Assisi, under the care of the Franciscans; it was opened a few years ago and is up- to-date in appearance and equipment. On the western side is the Portuguese Parish of St. Anthony, recently erected. Another newly made parish is St. Patrick’s, that is caring well for the faithful at large. The Lithuanians had been for some time under the care of St. Patrick’s Parish, but rejoice today in their parish of the Immaculate Conception. St. Mary’s, long influential in the activities of com- munity life, is vigorous and flourishing. A new gym- nasium replaced the one burned to the ground some fifteen years ago; a new brick school for boys and a [ 143 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY central heating plant, a large new convent, and ,at the present writing, a fine rectory are the story of steady, constructive work. Some improvements have made the lower church more safely comfortable and pleasant. The traditions of the past are safeguarded and the future is provided for. The people of the west side of St. Mary’s had long desired a church in that quarter. At last a division was made, and a pastor appointed. He gave Cambridge a fine church under the title of the Blessed Sacrament Parish. His work seemed only begun when he was called to his reward. His successor, the present pastor, is completing the work. The purchase of new proper- ties, and the building of a fine school and convent for the Sisters are evidences of finest progress. On the border line of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Parishes are the grounds and buildings of the Holy Ghost Hospital, entirely committed to the care of in- curables. The former pastor of St. Mary’s, the Very Reverend Thomas Scully, was the founder of the Holy Ghost Hospital. St. Paul’s Church is near Harvard University. The “College Church”, at one time owned by the Congrega- tionalists and known as the “Shepherd Congregational Church”, became the property of Catholics who lived in the vicinity of the University. After considerable alterations had been made, it was dedicated and called St. Paul’s Church ; here, the Catholics worshipped. Meanwhile, land was purchased and on it schools were erected. Beside the schools a large handsome church stands ready for dedication. [ 144 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY It is difficult to get possession of real estate within the college environment, but some additional land, a short distance from the school, was secured. A new con- vent was prepared, and this year a high school w^as be- gun. In addition, the Newman House, parish property, was set aside and made ready for Catholic students who attend the University. A new rectory in keeping with the grandeur of the new church is about to be builded. Thus the religious interests of the Catholics will be amply provided for even in face of the territorial trans- formation. About ten minutes walk from St. Paul’s Church is St. Peter’s Church, beautifully located on Observatory Hill, facing the grounds where the Harvard Astronomical School pursues its scientific researches. This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of St. Peter’s. Upon the arrival of the present pastor, church and rectory, schools and con- vent were already doing excellent work. He began, nevertheless, to enlarge, to renovate, and to make mod- ern the parish property in order that the increased par- ochial growth might not lack spiritual and educational facilities. Additional land was purchased for larger school accommodations. All this is accomplished and no debt, so the report reads, is to be found upon the parish. Straight northward, a mile distant from St. Peter’s, is St. John’s Church, of Northern Italian Romanesque architecture, a temple worth boasting of. It is situated on the main avenue. St. John’s Parish House, contributes additional charm to the church property. The rectory stands at the rear. At the end of the short street front- ing one of the city parks are the splendid primary, [ 145 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY grammar, and high schools, that cluster around the very comfortable convent. Phenomenal work, during the past fifteen years, has brought about a real achievement. A short distance from St. John’s is the French Church, Notre Dame de Pitie, another example of the Ro- manesque of golden lined tapestry brick, with low twin towers. A frontage with garden arrangement sets off the statue of St. Jean D’Arc. This church is well worth visiting. Beautiful interior decorations and a fine de- votional chapel adjoining the main building indicate the study and care which the present indefatigable pastor has bestowed. Nor is this all. A fine community house, garage, and a large open field where new schools and convent shall soon appear to replace those now in use, will make the locality a real French village grouped about the great parish church. Since the close of the world war, the pastor has performed all this work, and paid for it. The drive along Fresh Pond, and a glimpse of the filtration plant that furnishes the city with the purest of water freshened the tour and enlivened the party for further observations. A large section of Cambridge wedged between Watertown and Belmont has for long years belonged to the Sacred Heart Church, Mount Au- burn. The towers of the church, distinctly visible on the landscape, herald the fact that the edifice itself is Gothic. Enlarged, burned down, rebuilded the past de- cade is the story that makes us understand why the first pastor succumbed in his labor. The present pastor has made several improvements to the building, and has purchased new land for the erection of schools. [ 146 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The church property at Watertown is extensive. It comprises the beautiful brick, Gothic church on the main street, opposite the town common, the rectory at the rear, the new convent, formerly the Townsend Estate, connected by sheltered walk to the schools that bounded the church yard of old St. Patrick’s. The first church is there, the parish and school hall ; the first convent is the high school, and the grammar school is enlarged. The rear street with the humble dwellings is now church property and the ownership precludes any unwelcome encroachment upon the school houses and playground. High on the ridge is a boarding school, conducted by the Sisters of the Dominican Order. Progressive policy and educational standards seem to be the aim of the Water- town pastor. After we cross the Leif Ericson Bridge and proceed out Watertown Street, in about three minutes we reach the church of St. John the Evangelist. A low frame build- ing has served the needs of the small French colony up to the present, but plans are in preparation for a new church. Following along the car track the way is made clear to the Church, Our Lady Help of Christians. Certainly, the grounds, church, schools, and convent are so thor- oughly built and well arranged in common relation that the group appears to the beholder as harmonious and of thoughtfully constructed unity. Nothing seemed wanting, but the present pastor knew, in order to make the setting and the work complete, that a high school should be added. A splendid building is now in the process of finishing. [ 147 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY That this Catholic centre should be equipped super- latively, the Flannagan Estate on line with the church has been placed in the keeping of the sisters of St. Joseph, who opened the boarding academy of St. Agnes, for young women. The “Newtons” are among the most delightful sub- urbs in the country; the drives over the winding roads, that encircle the hills covered with lovely homes, compel admiration. Newton deserves, indeed, the appellation— “Garden City.” Centre Street is one of the most pleas- ant, and it leads to the Sacred Heart Church, Newton Centre. The church by its twin towers reminds the visitor of the Spanish form of architecture. The interior has been recently decorated. The new rectory, built in the years preceding the world war, is substantial and at- tractive. At the rear are the new school, opened the present year, and the convent. Altogether, the property should be a cause of laudable pride for the good par- ishioners and pastor. Newton is, indeed, rich in fine churches. The Church of Mary, Immaculate Conception of Lourdes, equals if it does not surpass the other churches. Exteriorly, it is Lombardic, of classic form ; interiorly the altars, paintings, marble rails, furnishings excite admiration. Over yonder is the Working Boys’ Home, which houses over one hundred boys. At the very beginning of his adminstration. His Eminence evidenced his solicitude for the Working Boys’ Home. He took measures to have the heavy mortgages paid off, and place it on a fine finan- cial basis. The present prosperous condition of the work is the satisfactory result of the early undertaking by His Eminence. r i i DIOCESAN PROPERTY From the “Home” we drive along the woodland road to St. Bernard’s Church, West Newton. St. Bernard’s Chfiirch was one of the older churches ,and has been in service so constantly that only slight repairs have been made, as necessity demanded. When the new pastor was appointed to take up the work of his predecessor, the first need was the entire renovation of the church building. This required con- siderable outlay, but the work was done in splendid fashion. Land was purchased for schools ; the young people’s activities were cared for by the Catholic Club. The pastor became ill and after some days of lingering illness breathed his last. The vacancy was filled by the present pastor who has built a new rectory, and has begun to erect schools and convent. St. Bernard’s, it would seem, is determined not to be outdone by the sister parishes. Who is not acquainted with the great highway for autoists— Commonwealth Avenue,— and who does not know of Auburndale, the canoeists’ paradise? In this lovely suburb the newest parish is made and called “Cor- pus Christi.” Near the great avenue the lower church is rapidly being finished, and close by, stands the new rec- tory. The eyes of many travelers will be gladdened by the sight of the newer parish of the Archdiocese. At Norumbega Bridge we enjoyed watching the swan- - like flotilla of canoes on the river surface. Then we made our way homeward by the road into Waltham. St. Charles Borromeo’s Church on the nearer side of the Charles River is the first to be met with, and the visit to this church is well repaid. Church building and [ 149 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY connecting chapel occupy a corner site nicely planned. The church facade is noble ; the interior is well finished. The rectory and convent are close-at-hand, and at about the distance of one block is the large new school. The common lies in the centre of Waltham. The par- ish property of St. Mary’s is one block northward of the common. Church, rectory, convents for the Sisters and a similar home for the Brothers, primary and grammar schools and a handsome high school, such is St. r^Iary’s. The renovation of the older buildings is in accordance with the policy of holding firmly to the past ; the build- ing of the high school takes care of the future. Is not this sufficient glory for any pastor? The French neighbors may pride themselves in St. Joseph’s Church and schools. His Eminence is anxiously watching over the Italian people, and, within the year, he has sent the Franciscans to Waltham. A church, the Sacred Heart, has been opened for the convenience of the Italians, who live in this city. Here also is the Novitiate of the Congregation of Notre Dame, extensive and retired. Beaver Brook Boulevard is one of the pleasant drives into Waverley, where St. Luke’s Church and rectory are visited, likewise, St. Dominic’s Academy for girls under the care of the Dominican Sisters. A few years ago the Waverley Parish was separated from Belmont; al- ready, it is growing successfully. St. Joseph’s Church, Belmont, never fails to interest the visitor. It seems to fit into the place. This is no little praise when one remembers that the town is very picturesque in its home settings. The entire region is [ 150 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY so lovely, in fact, that the more prominent features have suggested names for the streets; Lake Street and Pleas- ant Street are still remembered. By the latter road the next run was on to Arlington distant about one mile. In Arlington Centre are the brick church of St. Agnes and schools. The schools no longer are adequate for the increase of pupils, and plans are in preparation for a larger school. Already, the land has been bought, and a fine new convent has been provided. Massachusetts Avenue is near, and Harvard University may be reached in about fifteen minutes. In the after-tea resume of the day’s tour, the follow- ing data were disclosed : new churches in Cambridge, six ; churches completely renovated, three; new parishes made, three; new rectories, four; convents, five; school buildings, five; guilds, six; nursery of Knights of Co- lumbus, one: Watertown— churches rebuilded, one; new church, one: Newton — new schools, four; academies, one; rectories, two; convents, two; church, one: Au- burndale, church, one: Waltham, churches two; schools; two, rectories, two; convent, one: Belmont, new church, one: Arlington— convent, one. The impression of the day’s travel was that the cities and towns visited indicated building activities more than any place thus far visited, due apparently to the transit facilities and the healthy places which are ideal for home surroundings, and even for industrial advantages. [ 151 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY IX Boston, South Boston, Dorchester The prospect of a visit to South Boston arouses in- terest. This stronghold of the faith is doing excellent work despite the changes in business and in population. Thousands born and reared in the peninsula have moved away, but the places vacated have been rapidly filled by new arrivals, some of whom speak a strange language, but all are children of the church. The outerpost is guarded by the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Formidable, as in the early days, when it was the one church, for miles around, this splendid Gothic church of granite, cruciform in shape, with lan- cet windows stands defiant even against threatened en- croachment by the railroad. The doors are open to throngs of the faithful; the schools have a large at- tendance. May not the prestige of former times yet return ? As we proceed along Broadway there are parishes on either hand; the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, St. Peter’s, Lithuanian, the venerated St. Vincent de Paul, each in splendid material condition. Turning from Broadway into Dorchester Street, we behold the Heights that record the evacuation of Boston, March 17, 1776, and, on the summit, the Catholic Carney Hospital, that has been a kindly mother to suffering hu- manity for many, many years. St. Augustine’s, (old and new), the schools, rectory, and convent form a splendid grouping. The schools [152 1 DIOCESAN PROPERTY have just been enlarged and renovated. Everywhere re- newed activities are evidenced. Slightly to the west of St. Augustine’s is the former mission, now St. Monica’s Parish. The original character of the rectory and church are quite changed, because of the additions and reno- vations that have been made. Its convenience to the homes of a dense population would seem to warrant a bright future and a more sightly structure. Circling Dorchester Heights by way of Seventh Street, the fine parish of the Gate of Heaven is reached. The church is a miniature Rheims with beautiful golden windows. It should be better known and more fre- quented by some of the thousands, who throng the Parkway just beyond. Boston is noted for its public and private schools. They have been erected in con- formity with building requirements of a very exacting character, but the school which has been completed and opened this year is regarded as ideal for service and artistic value. Quietly and steadily the pastor of St. Eulalia’s has provided a convent, a new rectory, and, very recently, a fine brick building and garden site, where there was a special school for Protestant children. The high school girls will undoubtedly be accommodated by the pur- chase, and they may well boast of their fine school building. Diagonally from the rectory stands a splen- did building, the home of Pere Marquette Council, Knights of Columbus. Farragut Park, one of the finest maritime parks in the land, is situated at the head of the Strandway, and forms the boundry of St. Eulalia’s Parish. [1S3] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Quite unexpectedly the Strandway joins Columbia Road Boulevard, and at the same moment the tourist beholds St. Margaret’s Parish, Dorchester. The church, rectory, and school face the Boulevard, while in an in- tersecting street the convent and a new school for prim- ary grades are visible. Indeed, this is a model parish ! Some distance away are the Polish Church of Our Lady and the school. A turn in the opposite direction and a ride of a quarter of an hour leave the tourists at the door of St. William’s, one of the newest and most successful parishes. The church site commends itself to the observer. St. Mary’s Infant Asylum on Mt. Everett, and St. Mi^garet’s Hospi- tal, the latest of our institutions for the sick, stand near- by. Four parishes were set off from St. Peter’s, Meeting House Hill. The first two were St. Margaret’s and St. William’s; at Upham’s Corner, St. Paul’s was designa- ted; and St. Ambrose Parish at Field’s Corner. On the eminence, away from the traffic of the main street, a new stone church appears. The corner stone was laid a few months ago ; now the walls and roof stand finished. St. Paul’s is a becoming daughter of St. Peter’s. When complete this building will be among the finest types in Boston and vicinity. How commanding is the site of St. Peter’s Church and parish buildings! St. Ambrose Parish is rapidly completing the upper church. The present pastor laid the foundation of this and now anxiously awaits the day of dedication of this handsome brick church of modern type and equipment. He is to be praised for all that has been thus far ac- complished. r 1 ^54 1 DIOCESAN PROPERTY Somewhat off the direct line of public travel, but on a broad and important thoroughfare and quite consider- ably beyond St. Ambrose Church, is St. Ann’s, Neponset. The new church, well located, is a modest one of brick. The brick school and the convent are on the same land plot ; the rectory is removed, for it was builded in former days to serve the original church when the parish was made. Retracing the route, notice must be given to the Daly Industrial Home, a training school for home science and trades for maidens whose lives will be taken up by such occupations. Again, salute is made to St. Ambrose in passing, and the straight line of travel is taken for St. Mark’s Church, Ashmont District. The record of St. Mark’s Parish is an exceptional one. Durkig the last fifteen years church, schools, and con- vent have been reared and paid for, while two years or so before the parish rectory was built. The school is visited by many who inspect its fireproof construction and safety exits. After we had seen St. Mark’s, it was gratifying to find the parent church, St. Gregory’s, well equipped with its splendid new school and convent. Everything seemed to indicate an earnest endeavor to enhance the glorious record of St. Gregory’s of the past by religious, educa- tional and social advancemei^t, as local circumstances demanded. We were a little curious to visit St. Matthew’s Church. The distance is not great, for St. Matthew’s is an off- shoot of St. Gregory’s of old. St. Matthew’s Church [1S5] DIOCESAN PROPERTY and rectory were also builded within the fifteen year per- iod. A fine church and house complete the parish pro- perty . There is something yet to be done to the upper church which was first opened for the funeral of the pastor, who planned the structure and labored towards its finish. The sanctuary aw’aits the marbel altar w'hich was quarried and fashioned in Italy. What sad memories crowd in upon the mind ! The boundaries of the parishes wx have visited are not far apart; the same must be said of St. Matthew’s and the neighboring parish, St. Leo’s. The direct auto drive through the cross roads consumes scarcely five minutes, when we reach St. Leo’s Church. Much property was acquired by this parish tor a new church, but like a freshet overspreading the land a tidal wave of Israelites seemed to engulf the entire locality, and prudence dictated a stand-pat policy to see if the waters would deepen or recede. St. Leo’s holds to the moorings. During the past weeks ft has been repaired and beautified. Franklin Field is not far from St. Leo’s Church. Blue Hill Avenue, the broadest and most serviceable road in suburban Boston, leads straight to the Blue Hills and the observatory. Veiled in hazy purple the dome shaped heights bestow character to the horizon. The auto glides over the macadam road, and we have been so occupied with the Changing sights that we are hardly aware of the approach to Mattapan Square and St. .Angela’s Church. This fine church of brick stands to one side as if in- terested in the passing show. Next to the church is the rectory, builded and finished in the space of a decade. [ 1S6] DIOCESAN PROPERTY After we cross Mattapan Square it is only a short ride to the Church of the Most Precious Blood, Hyde Park. The entire side of the sloping hill is not sufficient, it seems, for the church expansion. The Church, beautified lately by the artistic glass windows, the rectory of a few years, the new convent, and enlarged school form a quartet of buildings that crown the hill top. At the foot of the hill is the former rectory, changed into a parish house for the use of various societies of the par- ishioners. Close by, on the roadway bordering the Stony Brook Reservation, are the substantial church and rectory of St. Adelbert, the boast and pride of the Polish people. The return .to the city proper is by way of Hyde Park Avenue, straight to Forest Hills. The intervening distance from Hyde Park to ]\Iount Hope seems unusually long, possibly due to the poor road- way, and the sparsely settled region, but there is a fea- ture setting in the landscape, the church of the Sacred Heart, Roslindale, of golden brick and brown stone capping. The edifice and tower combine to exhibit an architectural unit, attractive and beautiful. Diagonally over from the church are the new school and convent. As we descend from higher to lower levels, one of the newest parishes and handsome churches is St. Andrew’s. It is English Gothic, with low side walls and slanting roof, supplemented by a horizontal chapel. What a beautiful environment it is; the Arboretum, Franklin Park, Jamaicaway,— and hundreds of private homes with lawns and shrubbery! Sharing in nature’s bountiful display of plant and flower and tree is the Par- [ 157 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY ish of St. Thomas of Aquin, in the early days a solitary church in the wilderness, now one of many in a bower of beauty. The church of “ye olden time” was sadly dilapidated, but now as one looks at the copper-covered pinnacles, enlarged portals, side entrances and renovated interior lower and upper church, one can only say that it resem- bles a newly built structure. Furthermore, the pres- ent Right Reverend Rector faced the task of enlarging the old school and building additions, which are ample and up-to-date. The purchase of a historic estate to serve for social activities and Catholic Club complete the parish holdings. Not far distant is the beautiful Blessed Sacrament Church. Surmounted by a dome, of umbrella design, it is fit abode for the “Eternal Lord of the Tabernacle” whose name it bears. The land area is spacious. The central heating plant cares for the church, rectory, schools, convent, and for the new high school which is to be builded. Next to the church property is the House of the Angel Guardian— a home for orphans and destitute boys. The first daughter to step out from the mother par- ish of St. Thomas was Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of Lourdes is in relation to the Blessed Sacrament and St. Thomas as the apex of a triangle is to the base angles. The new school and the new rectory were builded by the two late rectors. In the district nearest Boston is All Saints Parish. The church and rectory bear witness to the depression in business and the removal of population. On the [ 158 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY opposite eminence is St. Francis’ Home for orphan children of German parentage. Our Lady of the Angels, at Egleston Square, is the very next parish. It, too, has suffered by a change in residents. It has a corner property with good rectory. There is thus far only a lower chapel. The spacious grounds of the Notre Dame i\cademy are close beside these last two parishes. We skirt Franklin Park via Seaver Street, and again we come to Blue Hill Avenue. We find our course was in a circle and we have returned whence we started. Near Seaver Street on Blue Hill Avenue is St. Hugh’s Church. It is granite, of Gothic architecture, with a high basement and, in consequence, an outside porch with ascending steps. The church is popular in the district, and everyone rejoiced when some few years ago the upper church was finished. It is chastely adorned with marble altars. Near the church there is land for a rectory, but at present the church is a mission to the larger church of St. John. Also situated on Blue Hill Avenue about ten minutes walk from St. Hugh’s, St. John’s is a commodious build- ing and provides a large seating capacity; it was dedi- cated by His Eminence shortly after the same ceremony had been held for St. Hugh’s. The upper church still has traces of the decorator’s brush ; the marble altars hold the attention once the faithful enter. St. John’s schools and convent are at the rear, but the rectorj^ is not so con- venient. Almost at the junction of Blue Hill Avenue and Dud- ley Street stands the Norman Gothic church, St. Pat- [ 1S9] DIOCESAN PROPERTY rick’s. Interiorly it is rich in windov/s of pictured glass, chaste coloring, beamed ceiling of walnut stain, and three handsome marble altars within the spacious sanctuary. The vestry connects with a model rectory of large di- mensions ; the parish boys’ library is at the Dudley Street side. The school, across the street, has been enlarged very recently ; there is also a new St. Patrick’s Convent. This is not all. The Little Sisters of the Poor, who care for the aged, are the fortunate possessors of the entire block beyond the church, and hundreds of the aged re- ceive shelter and ministrations within the institution. Near St. Patrick’s School is the Carmelite Convent. It is the mecca of many devout souls and is favored by His Eminence as it was by his immediate predecessor. Archbishop Williams. The time-honored parish of St. Joseph is neighbor to St. Patrick’s; it stands as strong for the faith today as in the immigration period. The refreshed decorations are proof of the careful attention of the pastor. The rectory, grounds and school are thoroughly equipped, and a new convent of a few years standing affords a frontage that imparts finish and dignity to the church property. St. Francis de Sales, Vernon Street, another of the older Roxbury churches, appears almost new because of renovation and care. Not quite ten years ago were school and convent opened, so the parish is active in every respect. The Mission Church, with its twin steeples of stone and transept crowned with dome, is visible for many miles. Many cathedrals cannot compare with this great church, the home of the earnest Redemptorist Com- [ 160 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY munity. The ‘Fathers’ residence, schools, convent, and a complete theatre present a parish that is ideal. The theatre is noted for the production of “Pilate’s Daugh- ter” and other religious dramas. This church is in a district where there are sixteen hospitals; four priests must be ready for duty at any time. In addition, the House of the Good Shepherd is cared for. This institu- tion was forced to add to its group of buildings. It is well, indeed, that this great agency for good is so favor- ably situated and at the centre of access to all districts. Ten minutes more and the five hours outing is at an end. At the rectory the after-tea discussion is prolonged, while the tourists gave their impressions. Tallying off the data, we find the number of new parishes, seven; new rectories, ten ; new schools, nine ; schools enlarged, reno- vated, six ; convents, seven ; hospitals, one ; new churches, ten, and new Guardian Angel property. The size of schools, the larger style of rectory and the desire to house the Sisters properly made expenditures heavy. The first drive in Boston proper is, indeed, profitable. [ 161 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY VISIT X Boston Proper The tenth, and last auto tour, carries us through Brighton, a suburb of Boston. Many have called it the “Rome of the Archdiocese,’’ for, like the ancient city, the several hills rising before the view are crowned with Catholic churches and institutions, while the lowlands are picturesque with homes of a contented people. St. Anthony’s Parish, Allston, borders on the Charles River and has the Harvard Stadium within its boun- daries. St. Anthony’s Church is of the Italian type, stone with limestone trimmings; there beside it is the rectory and farther on the new school, which was finished and opened to class work about two years ago. The Sisters of St. Joseph are the teachers. Everett Street leads directly from the school to the Mother House of the good Sisters, Mt. St. Joseph’s Acad- emy, which is located on Cambridge Street. The grounds are attractive and trim. A fine, new building was added, but already accommodations are cramped, due to the in- creased attendance. There are very few who can recall “Nevin’s Hill” in the heart of Brighton as it appeared a score of years back. An abrupt hill of clay with scant verdure on the sides and summit used to pasture cattle. Transformed, it has served to change the character of the surroundings, enhanced property values, and has become a centre where high schools are to be erected by the city and private corporations. Terraced slopes replace the steep clay sides, circuitous drives lead to the front entrance of St. [ 162 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Elizabeth’s Hospital, the great personal endeavor of His Eminence. He selected the location “Nevin’s Hill,” be- cause he foresaw its future beauty. The hospital. Sis- ters’ residence, and home of the nurses cap the hill. Another building is in process of erection. Behind the hospital, on the very summit, is the Passionist Monas- tery, whose red tile roof never fails to hold the attention of the beholder. This monastery is about to erect a Retreatant’s House, a heavenly boon for toiling men, who, weary and worried in life’s battle, hear the call “Come unto Me, all ye who are burdened and heavily laden, I will refresh you.” St. Columbkille’s Parish embraces “Nevin’s Hill,” and beyond. It has a church of former days, renovated top and bottom by the present pastor, who also erected a “Catholic Institute” for the male parishioners, enlarged his schools and is conducting a “drive” for the building of a much needed convent on newly acquired land. Overlooking St. Columbkille’s from nearby Oakland Hill is the new parish of Our Lady of the Presentation. The church is English Gothic, of stone, with cottage rectory after wonted pattern. After descending to Oak Square, the turn is made into Lake Street for the great seminary of Boston. But first is passed the Cenacle, seated high upon Nonantum Hills. This retreat house for women was established in the Archdiocese by His Eminence at the beginning of his administration, and already it is extending by one-half the fine brick building that the community first erected. The grounds of St. John’s Seminary, comprising more than sixty acres, extend to Commonwealth Avenue and [ 163 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY back to Foster Street. The small lake in front, and lands to the rear of the first seminary of fifteen acres were secured by His Eminence to enlarge the seminary. The original building was renovated thoroughly and a large addition made to the front wing to provide needed lecture halls, guests’ rooms, Cardinal’s apartments and library. Even now the question is whether or not more rooms will be required. On the high hill opposite the seminary is the Novitiate of the good Sisters of St. Francis whose labors count so much among our Italian brethren. To one side is University Heights, the home of Boston College. The former President of the University across the Charles frequently boasted that their possessions were unequalled for beauty of landscape, but the site of Boston College outrivals anything of its kind in the land. Our Cardinal loves to refer to Boston College as the Oxford of America. The Jesuit Fathers recognize the healthful location and, when it became necessary to sup- plement their house of studies at Woodstock by some new school in an accessible region, their choice was the town of Weston, Massachusetts, a short distance from Boston College. At the present time plans are in prep- aration for a large house of studies at “Fairview” on the Concord Road. The incredible growth of Christian edu- cation during the last dozen years may be visualized by seeing Boston College of today and the former buildings on St. James Street. Commonwealth Avenue, at the front of the college grounds, conducts the visitors through the Fenway, the school centre of Boston. Every Catholic should be in- [ 164 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY terested in Emmanuel College in the Fenway. It is the Catholic College for women, conducted by the Sisters of Notre Dame, aided by members of the seminary staff. This is an undertaking dear to the heart of His Eminence. As we hurry on, we glance at the Camden Street Home, for orphan girls, which is in charge of the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul. Our next stop is at the old Boston College, now the Catholic High School with an enrollment of fifteen hun- dred young men. In a spirit of veneration we pay trib- ute to the memory of all who worked unceasingly for the ideal now realized in the new college. The Immaculate Conception is the college church, and it, too, has its own record of victories for the faith. The church of the Immaculate Conception is midway of the Cathedral and the old St. Patrick’s Church, built in “Know Nothing” times. St. Patrick’s is now set aside for work among the negroes. As auxiliary to these en- deavors the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, who dwell near at hand, are trying to work for the best interests of those placed in their keeping. St. Philip’s Church was built to administer to the wants of the white Christians. It is a fine building of brick ; the grounds have been beautified. Formerly, the priests of the parish lived in hired apartments, but now they occupy a new modern rectory. In addition, land and buildings have been purchased for parish schools. To reach the Cathedral one must see first the “Home for Destitute Catholic Children,” Harrison Avenue, and then St. Clement’s Home, and St. Joseph’s Home for the [ 165 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY Aged. These homes were founded by His Eminence, and the old people who live in them pray daily that blessings descend upon him. The Home for Working Girls, another institution worthy of admiration, is crowded beyond capacity. As the Cathedral looms up, it takes on grandeur by the improved surroundings ordered by His Eminence. The schools and convent are a late addition. Near the centre of Boston is St. James’ Church, for- merly the “Mother Church of Bishops.” It zealously cares for those of the faith who labor at unseemly hours. The section around St. James’ may be well termed the “East Side”; because of its foreign population. Here we find the Catholics of near Asia with the Maronite Church, recently embellished and enlarged, and the Syrians with Syro-Melchite Church, and the Church of Our Lady of Pompeii for Italian Catholics. The major portion of the Italian people, however, are found in the North End, where they are cared for by the Sacred Heart Church and St. Leonard’s. St. Stephen’s, Hanover Street, one of the seven churches within the city, is now reduced from a large congregation to a Sunday attendance of four hundred souls. The same story may be told of St. Mary’s Church, in bygone days the great church of the Jesuit Fathers. St. Mary’s has just celebrated the Diamond Jubilee. The edifice has been beautified, the schools welcome the happy children. We wonder if this glorious church will ever see the children of former parishoners return to “dear old North End,” under new and improved condi- [ 166 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY tions. Surely, the return would gladden the hearts of the Fathers, who have stood fast at the post of duty. Across Warren Bridge and to Bunker liilll This is sacred soil where flowed the blood of patriots, but doubly sacred religion has made it. The ceiling, glorious Munich windows, spacious aisles and oaken pews, fine organ, and regal sanctuary of St. Mary’s beautiful church are de- serving of high commendation. The school, the new rectory, the convent, and the Catholic Union Club House run parallel to the enclosed grounds of the Monument, and a thrill goes through the heart that prompts a fer- vent Deo Gratias. On leaving the hill we must visit St. Catherine’s Church, supposed to be built near the place where the British landed on that eventful day. St. Catherine’s Church has been thoroughly renovated from roof to foundation and re-embellished, so our visit is well re- paid. It has a fine rectory. The schools and convent also show recent repairs. We ascend the real Bunker Hill. The stone church of St. Francis de Sales is at the very summit. The edifice has been overhauled, the lower church remodeled and decorated, the sacristies entirely renovated, and the steeple made secure. The thoroughness of the repairs and the exceeding good taste in finish and detail indicate the concern of the present pastor. The rectory, likewise, is in first class condition. Once more we skirt the enclosure where stands the Monument, and follow the road past the State’s Prison across the bridge into the West End of the city. St. Joseph’s Church still cares for the people, and looks after [ 167 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY the inmates of six hospitals, besides the county jail. In addition, she conducts a mission church for the Polish people. Proceeding along Charles Street into Park Square, courtesy demands a visit to the church of Our Lady of Victories, Isabella Street, and to the very courteous Fathers of the Marist Order. Like the other city churches, the parish has suffered greatly by loss of popu- lation. Two blocks away we see the Holy Trinity Church for the German Catholics. The Jesuit Fathers care with solicitude for the parishioners and pay much attention to the schools. Finally, the auto trip conducts us to the last church we are to visit ; it is St. Cecilia’s, Back Bay. The Archbishop’s House, on Granby Street and Bay State Road awaits a call, and on the way over an inspec- tion of the Academy of the Sacred Heart on Common- wealth Avenue requires a short visit. The Archbishop’s House was a gift of the priests to His Eminence at the time of his accession to the office of Archbishop. An addition doubled accommodations of the house, but today it is crowded with the business of the Archdiocese. The older building, with the excep- tion of the lower floor, is given to the Chancery work; the same may be said of the new building that now houses the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. To relieve the pressure. His Eminence purchased a small residence midway of his Seminary and the Chancery, where he may be conveniently reached. Instead of presenting a statistical chart with facts and figures, it was thought that the ordinary Catholic [ 168 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY might acquire better knowledge of the methods and pro- cedure of the wide, potential activities of Boston by seeing the priest at work among his people. The auto tours were devised as the best means to enlighten those interested and to enable them to see the visible works of the living active faith of our renowned Archdiocese. The writer himself, one may infer, from the familiar references to places and descriptions en route, has made the tours at various times. They proved to be delightful indeed. It is quite evident that the essential objectives of the journey were the parish and its pastor, whether on the frontier or in the heart of the city. The sphere of action may be narrow or wide, but the soul and spirit of en- deavor are the same. Each and all of these parishes are directed and influenced by a central energizing force, His Eminence, the Cardinal. During the fifteen years’ administration of His Emi- nence, death has removed a majority of the yeomen who administered the older parishes ; thus, seven-eighths of the present pastors, it is computed, owe their ap- pointments to His Eminence, the Cardinal. There were 194 parishes in 1907. Since that year 82 new parishes have been created. To select pastors according to church law require- jnents and, at the same time, to put the right man in the right place, is no easy task. If the older pastors have in such large numbers received the eternal sum- mons, the younger set contributed its quota. During the influenza epidemic sixteen died, while eighty were serv- ing with the colors. The depleted ranks were replenished [ 169 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY by a wise provision of the Archbishop, and vocations came in abundance. It is interesting to note that in 1907 the Diocesan priests numbered 488, while in 1923 the total was 652, besides 22 priests, not of the Diocese, but who are doing duty. If we add to the total number those of religious orders, we find that 892 priests serve in the Archdiocese. The office of the priest is varied both within and with- out the parish. Fine discrimination must be exercised to find the priest whose qualifications make him acceptable as prison chaplain, while yet other qualifications are nec- essary for him whose talents are exercised as a member of the Seminary Staff of Professors. There is the priest who is engaged in scientific social work, while another acts as editor and publisher. So it is in every department of the church administration. The priesthood as a body seems to be able at a moment’s call to furnish a trained leader for even unusual, unexpected demands. Again, reference must be made to the fine solution of the problem of supplying in the vacation months priests for the sea-side colonists. Priests cannot labor without churches and proper par- ish equipment. In a word, that material side of the Diocese is a stupendous consideration. A short presen- tation of the number of churches and the various kinds of buildings will cause even the experienced to marvel. [ 170 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY SUMMARY 1907-1923 NEW CONSTRUCTION Churches 138 Missions 29 Rectories 110 Schools 62 Convents 20 Institutions: Religious 8 Charitable 7 Educational 10 RENOVATIONS OR ENLARGEMENTS Churches 69 Rectories 16 Schools 34 Convents 35 Institutions 37 Churches Missions . Rectories Schools . Convents NEW CONSTRUCTION Total 1907 1928 1923 ,194 • New Churches. . . . .138 332 . 64 .New Missions. . . . . . 29 83 , — , .New Rectories . . . . .110 110 INSTITUTIONS Hospitals — New Hospitals 2 Religious Institutions Charitable Institutions Educational Institutions 2 8 7 10 [ 171 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY The rough estimate of the cost of new construction and renovation of buildings the past fifteen years aggre- gated over $20,000,000. To ensure this expenditure the financial policy must have been a sound one. His Emi- nence constituted a Building Commission of certain pastors who had had wide experience in such matters. To the members of this board the plans, specifications, and estimated cost are submitted by the pastor who seeks sanction to his proposed improvement. The Commission is entitled to visit the site, confer with the pastor, and advise in matters of finance. To- gether they study the plans, and a written report is for- warded to the Chancery; His Eminence receives the report, and his word is final. During his hours of recreation of an afternoon His Eminence often makes a visit to the building under construction, interviews the contractor, and consults the pastor, for there must be strict accounting of expenditures. The Catholic architect appreciates the Building Com- mission. He is assured of open-minded and just treat- ment. He recognizes that ability competes with ability. There is a board of appeal for adjustments. In conse- quence, a group of Catholic architects is at hand, who have done excellent work in all grades of building. No longer are churches cast in one mold. Religious build- ings are planned for accommodation to service required. The excellence of the work of these men has been heralded elsewhere, and even in other sections of the country a call for similar work is extended to them. In conclusion, it may be frankly stated that, until we had completed the several above described tours taking [ 172 ] DIOCESAN PROPERTY us north, west and south of the Diocese, to its farthest limits, we never before realized the glory and the wealth of the architectural construction achieved in the Diocese within the last 15 years. Every community, no matter how small it be or whatever its race may be, is not only well provided for in all that concerns worship and Catholic education, but in a way which surprised us as we went along. The church and the school, the rectory and the convent re- vealed to our growing wonder not only a phenomenal growth in all these fabrics, not only a solidity of con- struction which manifested serious planning and zealous work, but what may be well termed a new revelation in their extraordinary architectural beauty and the remark- able fitness of the sites chosen. And we venture to say, after this delightful experience of visiting the whole Diocese, that not one Catholic in a hundred thousand living within the confines of this Archdiocese has ever realized the phenomenal growth of religion hereabouts. It is surely a high tribute to the leadership, foresight and intelligent zeal which have kept fully apace with all the varied needs of this vast community, known as the Archdiocese of Boston. [ 173 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY A Brief Historical Notice of the Spiritual Growth in the Archdiocese of Boston, 1907-1923 BY Rev. F. X. Dolan, D. D. In 1907, the Venerable Archbishop Williams, filled with years and good deeds, laid down the reins of the spiritual government of the Archdiocese of Boston, and God placed them in hands with a younger and more vigorous hold, when His Eminence, Cardinal O’Con- nell, succeeded to the historic See. Taking as the dominating principle of his spiritual administration the ruling thought of the saintly Pius X, his friend and model, ‘To restore all things in Christ,” the new Archbishop of Boston set himself at once to deepen, broaden, and extend the parochial and diocesan lines along which his clergy were to work in fulfilling their mission to upbuild the Mystical Body of Christ. To this end an investigation of the spirituals of the parishes was begun by the Archbishop, for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging the priests of the Diocese to renewed effort and activity in bringing to the high- est efficiency the spiritual agencies of the Church. Through the constant zeal and fidelity of the clergy in their ministration and teaching, and under the kindly and fostering influence of the spiritual leader of this Diocese, Boston has written in letters that are large and bright a glorious page in spiritual achievement. [177] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Mass and the Sacraments One of the outstanding spiritual facts exciting the wonder and challenging the interest of the many outside the pale of Christ’s fold is the sight of the crowded wor- shippers in the Catholic Churches of the Diocese, which have risen so plentifully up and down the land. Sun- day after Sunday they come, in season and out of sea- son, in weather pleasant and unpleasant, near at hand or far distant away, as the case may be. No material interest attracts them hither. They come rather to lift themselves high up above the sordid cares of everyday life to the thought and worship of the Eternal God, to unite themselves with Him in prayer— prayer of adora- tion, of praise, of thanksgiving and of sorrow— and to refresh their souls with the Lifegiving Body and Blood of the Savior. In view of this, how consoling to note the steady growth in the reception of the Sacraments and in atten- dance at Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation throughout the churches of the Diocese. The parochial records show the increase today of 236,960 in the Catho- lic population of the Archdiocese, and an average at- tendance of 800,000, including men, women ,and chil- dren, at Mass on each Sunday of the year. In har- mony with the decree of Pope Pius X, of holy memory, on Daily Communion, issued on December 24, 1905, His Eminence, the Cardinal, addressed to the priests and laity of his Diocese, during the Lenten season of 1910, a striking pastoral letter on this salutary practice, with the happy result that Daily Communions in 1922 [ 178 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY have mounted in number to 3,000,000 a year. First Fri- day and Feast day Communions have totaled 4,000,000, and the number of Communions on Sundays has reached the splendid figure of 10,000,000. All this con- ^ noting, too, a corresponding number of confessions that were heard. The pastoral solicitude of the Cardinal Archbishop, that all classes may have opportunity of fulfilling these two basic duties of the spiritual life, attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holydays, and the frequentation of the Sacraments, is also admirably shown in what is known as the Night Workers’ Mass. This Mass was inaugurated in 1904 on the appeal of a group of devout men, either printers or otherwise employed by night on the news- papers of Boston. The first Mass was celebrated on the First Sunday in Advent in 1904 at 3.30 in the morn- ing, in a small hall on Washington Street, with a attend- ance of 75. After a few months, the numbers in attend- ance increasing to 150, it was found necessary to secure larger quarters, which was in a measure realized by oc- cupying a more commodious hall on Washington Street near Bromfield Street. In 1914, through the interest of the Cardinal Arch- bishop, this Mass celebrated at 3.30 was transferred to St. James’ Church in the South End, where, on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation, about 800 men and women, representing all classes of night-workers in Boston, find convenient opportunity of hearing Mass and receiving Holy Communion. In this connection, as making for a general increased attendance at Mass on Sundays and the frequentation [ 179 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY of the Sacraments, it is pertinent to call attention to the important two-fold fact that during the last decade and a half parishes have increased from 209 to 272, and the priests of the Diocese now number 679 as against 493. While we gather from the Diocesan Archives that dur- ing this period of time the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered to 282,264 persons, it may be of his- torical interest to indicate this growth by years, as shown by the following table: 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 6,898 13,926 21,826 14,665 8,300 11,846 20.692 19.692 19,674 20,029 16,995 15,916 25,301 20,783 20,730 24,991 Total 282,264 l 180 1 A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Church Societies From the very beginning of his administration, His Eminence, the Cardinal, realized the necessity of solidar- ity of men and women under his spiritual care, as a means of mutual encouragement to one another, for the right performance of the Christian duties. By frequent letter, therefore, and timely and urgent word to the pas- tors of the Diocese, he exhorted them to develop on broader lines the two religious societies of the Church, the Holy Name Society for the men, and the Sodality for the women. Two outstanding facts have concurred to focus the at- tention of the men of the Diocese on the importance of the Holy Name Society, The first had to do with two remarkable Holy Name parades, the one taking place in Boston November, 1908, in which 45,000 men had part and occupying five hours in passing the reviewing stand where the Cardinal Archbishop, by his presence, gave joy and gladness to the marchers. The other occurred two years later on October 12, 1910, in which 40,000 men participated. Both these parades were so remarkable in point of military order and discipline, so impressive in numbers, and commanding by reason of their spirit such universal respect, that they formed a theme of praise in editorials of many of the leading journals of the day. The second fact entering largely into the success of the parish Holy Name Societies was the systematic or- ganization of the Diocese into a number of small centres. Each centre is made up of a number of parishes and presided over by a specially appointed Chaplain. Each [ 181 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY year, on the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Janu- ary, the men of the various centres assemble in the ap- pointed church— the church of meeting changing each year— and there in the Presence of their Lord, solemnly pledge to Him anew their fidelity, and bind themselves to renewed devotion to their Society. With such solicitude for the spiritual welfare of the members of the flock, what wonder that we find fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, reckoned not by the hundreds but by the thousands, ranging themselves joy- fully under the banner of the Holy Name of Jesus and as children of the Mother of God. Parish Schools and Sunday Schools In any consideration of the work of developing the Christian virtues in the minds and hearts of the people, the question arises, what of the children ? In the article on the growth of Catholic Education in the Diocese, this question is fully and painstakingly treated. Here it suffices to say that while the Catholic Education of the child has always been a matter of justifiable pride in this Archdiocese, yet it remains true that in these later years the work of Catholic Education has gone on by leaps and bounds. Witness the growth in the number of our Catholic schools. During this period of time, 47 parishes have opened parochial schools, representing al- most one half the number, 117, in the Diocese today. Witness the increase in the number and efficiency of our Sunday Schools, not a little helped, indeed, by the salutary laws laid down in Synod, by His Eminence, that especially in parishes not provided with a Catholic [ 182 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY school, besides Sunday, at least one more day in the week must be set aside for gathering the children for religious instruction, and this to continue for at least two years after the reception of the Sacrament of Con- firmation. Holy Hour— Novenas—Triduums— Retreats To help develop the love of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the basis of a true Christian life, the Holy Hour gradually has grown throughout the churches of the Diocese, so that now there is hardly a parish in which this beautiful and comforting devotion has not its place weekly, or at least every month. Novenas and Triduums preceding the Feasts of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother are regularly and frequently found among the parochial devotions, and, by their beautiful ceremonies, the solace of prayer and simple eloquence of the spoken word, are giving spiritual courage and joy to the crowds which on these occasions fill our churches. Especial interest attaches to the Novena in honor of the Immaculate Mother of God, which takes place early in December of each year. In practically every church of the Diocese, it has now taken the form of a retreat for one week for the women, in preparation for their solemn consecration into the Sodality of the Blessed Vir- gin Mary. Similarly, among the special religious features of the parish churches, is the Annual Retreat for one week for men, held generally in conformity with the Cathedral church, during the holy season of Lent. Dur- ing these one week retreats no fewer than 300,000 wo- men and 200,000 men are in attendance each year. [ 183 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Missions One of the outstanding spiritual means blessed and richly indulgenced by Holy Mother Church, which helps so wonderfully to develop piety and fervor in the people, is the Mission. The Mission is a spiritual exercise oc- cupying from one week to sometimes four weeks, and conducted by Religious whose special work this is. It is not for a special class, but for all the people, men, wo- men, and children. Through it the good are confirmed in grace, the indifferent aroused, the sinful restored to God’s favor, and a general reformation effected. Through the spiritual foresight and solicitude of His Eminence, from the very beginning of his accession to the See of Boston, the Mission was given a prominent place among the manifold spiritual agencies of the parish, and each year or at most every two years this spiritual awaken- ing has exercised its beneficent influence in every church of the Diocese. All this bespeaks the constant zeal and fidelity in spir- itual ministration and teaching on the part of an en- lightened, pious and devoted clergy, who are ever striv- ing to live out in their days the injunctions of the Apos- tle: “To be so accounted as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God”— a ministry made the happier and more successful by the kindly and fostering influence of the spiritual leader of this Diocese, a ministry forever knitting together Cardinal, priest and people in the holy bonds of spiritual exchange, and carry- ing to full bloom the spiritual flowers whose seed was planted and watered by the toil and sacrifices of the older generations. riQ.ii A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Houses of Retreats To deepen still more the wellsprings of faith and piety in the souls of the laity, Houses of Retreat, established a few years ago by His Eminence, have opened their doors to men and women of the Diocese. Here they may repair for a day or for a week, once a month or once a year, and far away from the carking cares of every-day life, commune more intimately with God ; again set right in their minds the true spiritual values; drink from the great Source of Grace, the strength, the health and vigor needful for their perilous journey through life; or may- hap, awakened by God’s holy grace, leave behind them their life of sin, and, now girded with the armor of light, go forth to a life of Christian courage and fidelity. St. Gabriel’s, Brighton, now one of the most flour- ishing Retreat Houses in the country, owes its inception to the twofold desire of His Eminence, first, to promote devotion to the Passion of Our Lord, and second, to af- ford a suitable place for retreats for men; and so one of his first acts on taking possession of this historic See in 1907 was to send word to the Passionists to come and begin their work in Boston. At his suggestion the Nevins Estate was purchased, a level plateau on a noble hill in Brighton, containing fifteen acres, making a place wonderfully convenient and at the same time retired and altogether suitable for retreats. The first abiding place of the Fathers was the old house on the hill, the first chapel was a stable, but by ingenious and loving care transformed into a place of beauty. Less than four years later, on Sunday, May [ 185 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY 14, 1911, the Cardinal Archbishop with great joy blessed and dedicated the present building. One can visualize the growth of this great spiritual influence when it is stated that, while the first retreat was preached in St. Gabriel’s on December 8, 1911, with an attendance of eleven men, in 1922 three public re- treats took place each month, with an attendance of 1007 men, 1906 making private retreats during the same period of time. Within the last dozen years, embracing the days of its work in this Diocese, 26,000 men from every class, condition and walk in life have entered its sacred portals to renew their Catholic spirit by prayer and meditation during the days of retreat. The growth of St. Gabriel’s has been natural, in no way forced, but, under the inspiration of His Eminence and the direction of the zealous priests in charge, the Holy Spirit has spread over it, and God has indeed blessed the work. The present building has long since grown inadequate for the numbers who present them- selves, and accordingly plans are in the making for a larger and more commodious building to answer the needs of the multitudes who are seeking the spiritual influence of the retreats. The chief Retreat House for women, now popularly known as The Cenacle, was established in Brighton by His Eminence, the Cardinal, on October 10, 1910. Its purpose found its expression on that day in the memor- able words of his address : “There are in the world many Catholics of action but few souls of prayer; therefore, a place of silence and recollection, where the faithful can find near Our Lord strength, light and peace is [ 186 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY an imperative need. And all this will be found in the Cenacle.” At once the little community of five religious began its work, and the early part of 1911 saw the organization of three Guilds, St. Ann’s Association for married wo- men, the Association of The Cenacle for business women, and the Association of St. Regis for teachers. Through these Guilds various groups of women and girls were brought to the Convent every month to spend a day in prayer and recollection, to assist at a Confer- ence given by one of the clergy, and in this way to be prepared to fulfill the chief regulation of the Guilds, namely, the making of an Annual Retreat. How interesting to follow the work of the Cenacle in the years that follow! Its reaching unto all classes of women, bringing them group by group more intimately about Our Lord, and enabling them to receive into their souls the Divine seed blossoming later into the beautiful flowers of the virtues. A glance at the records shows that, besides the or- ganizations mentioned above, in 1912 were established the Guild of St. Genesius for stenographers, and the Guild of St. Zita for persons engaged in domestic work : in 1914 the Guild of St. Agnes for High school girls; in 1919 the Guild of St. Imelda for factory girls and the Guild of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary for tele- phone operators. In spite of the limited accommodations of those early days, the main purpose of the Cenacle, the making of the retreats, was not forgotten, and so in 1911 fifty-five retreatants made a three days’ retreat, and 1309 attended [ 187 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY the monthly day of recollection. It is easy to understand how the rapid increase of retreatants made the need of a larger building imperative. In May 1912, in presence of His Eminence, the Cardinal, and under his inspiration and encouragement, the new building was opened to the public. Before the end of the year, eight retreats of three days’ duration were preached, with more than 200 women attending, while 1315 others, not fortunate enough to be free to leave their duties for three days, came to spend one day in recollection and prayer. One can appreciate how a long-felt spiritual want has been well filled, from the following table showing the growth year by year of the number of retreatants at the Cenacle : Day of Private Retreats Retreatants Recollection Retreats 1912 8 200 1315 1913 13 389 2089 1914 12 452 3119 49 1915 15 517 4414 69 1916 16 778 5894 80 1917 16 760 5348 90 1918 16 757 6059 96 1919 20 965 7057 98 1920 20 1167 6129 119 1921 22 1038 11798 123 1922 20 1030 11543 125 While we have spoken of the Cenacle at some length as the place professedly for the making of Retreats, we must not overlook the splendid work in this regard of [ 188 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY the Notre Dame Convents at Fenway and Roxbury and the Academy of the Assumption at Wellesley Hills. Their doors have been for years opened wide to the Catholic women of the Diocese for the spiritual refreshment com- ing from the Annual Retreat or the Monthly Day of Recollection. In looking through the records of the Cenacle and these other splendid retreat institutions and totalling the number of retreatants since the opening to the present day, the Diocese must thank God for the wonderful spiritual foresight of the Chief Shepherd of the flock who has made possible these havens of spiritual rest. During the years of this work in the Diocese 14,848 wo- men have made the Annual Retreats of three days, and 74,914 have attended the Monthly Day of Recollection. Converts Ever mindful that the mission of the Church is co- extensive with the wide world, that it is to reach out unto all nations till there be but one fold and one Shepherd, that the Divine promise has been made that she is to inherit the Gentiles and inhabit the desolate cities. His Eminence, the Cardinal, has cherished warm- ly the desire to carry the truth to the multitudes that sit sadly in the darkness. To this end he has established the Mission for non- Catholics which, with the Cathedral church as a leader, finds the measure of its success in the sublime scene enacted there each Springtime, when hundreds of men and women from all parts of the Diocese, lately cleaned by the laver of water in the word of life— converts to [ 189 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY the Catholic faith— are signed with the Sign of the Cross at the hands of the Cardinal Archbishop of this See, who bestows upon them, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the grace and strength of the Christian soldiery. What greater reward for the spiritual guidance and tender solicitude of the Chief Shepherd of this Diocese, for the zeal and patience of an enlightened clergy, and for the example growing out of the piety and devotion of a Catholic people than the growth of the converts of the Diocese, indicated year by year in the following table : 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 601 706 636 827 881 938 1048 952 956 1006 1042 1015 1152 1302 1132 1079 [ 190 J A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Cardinal’s Pronouncements In a notice setting forth the influences making for the increase of the Catholic spirit in the people of this Dio- cese for spreading abroad the truth of God and helping to dissipate error, a prominent place must always be given to the public utterances of the Cardinal Archbishop. With a cultivated mind, ever holding fast to Catholic tradition, rich in human experiences, with a deep and discerning sympathy for human ills, and with a widened horizon, allowing for the full and true perspective of the problems of the day, his spoken and written words are always eagerly looked for. His utterances, ever timely and offering a sane solu- tion for the varying problems agitating the public mind, are given a leading place in the journals of the day, his audience thereby multiplied into the ten thousands. Now it is a pertinent word on some problem of public mo- ment in its political, social or educational bearing. Again, and more often so, it is an exposition of Catholic prin- ciples, put forth to strengthen the faith in the Catholic body, or gently smooth away the inherited prejudices of the many outside the pale of Christ’s Church. Along this same line we may very properly mention here the splendid results accruing to the general body of the clergy from the spoken discourses of His Eminence at the semi-annual Conferences held each year at the Cathedral. These in turn show a positive intellectual reaction on the part of the priests, as evidenced from the scholarly papers read there on topics of live interest to the Church of the Diocese and the Church at large. [ 191 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Catholic Truth Guild and Common Cause Forum Among the Diocesan agencies working in the interest of Holy Mother Church is the Catholic Truth Guild, inaugurated in Boston in 1907 by the Cardinal Arch- bishop, and, we may say in passing, affording a model for the Catholic Evidence Guild of England, organized one year later. The Catholic Truth Giuld is a laymen’s movement in the interest of the Catholic Cause. In blessing the first auto-van built for street campaigning. His Eminence outlined its work, when he bade the pro- moters “Go as far as you have power to go in making the Catholic Church better known and better loved.” Success attended the efforts of the Catholic Truth Guild from the time of its first meeting on historic Bos- ton Common on July 4, 1917 with an attendance of 5000. In ninety days, eighty open air meetings were addressed and some of them were held in rather hostile commun- ities. Success at home prompted the extension of the work to nation-wide proportions. With the God-speed of Cardinal O’Connell, and the approbation of 27 Arch- bishops and Bishops of the country, the auto-van was shipped to San Francisco. There, with thousands sur- rounding the rostrum, an ocean-to-ocean tour was begun in the interest of Catholic truth. The journey through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Penn- sylvania, New York, and into Massachusetts, covered 13,000 miles. [ 192 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Meetings were held in city after city all along the line, and it is gratifying to say that, from the beginning of the trip in San Francisco until Cardinal O’Connell welcomed the van back to the Hub before the thousands assembled on Boston Common, not one untoward inci- dent occurred to make priests or laymen feel that open air campaigning was inopportune. On the contrary, the wonderful foresight of the Cardinal Archbishop of Bos- ton in instituting and blessing this open air work for Holy Mother the Church has not only met with en- comiums from the clergy and laity of the land, but has been amply rewarded by the splendid spiritual results arising. It is of interest here to state that during its seven years of activity about one hundred meetings have been held annually, and on the average 10,000 cloth bound Catholic books, and a total of 50,000 pamphlets have been sold each year. Thirteen hundred subscriptions for Catholic weeklies have been gathered and 13,000 Catholic papers given away. Another lay activity of Boston, under the patronage of His Eminence, with the purpose in view of helping to make better known the truths of the Church, is the Com- mon Cause Forum. Organized at the wish of His Emi- nence, the Cardinal, it is now entering on its eleventh year of splendid work and telling results. The Common Cause Society opens its doors freely to all comers, and it is the only large Forum in Boston where free discussion is permitted. The meetings, presided over by a chaplain representing His Eminence, are held in a public hall, the Franklin [ 193 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Union Hall, in Boston, which has a seating capacity of about 1200. A Catholic lecturer takes about one hour for his address, after which free discussion takes up the rest of the time. Anyone in the audience who differs with the speaker, or wishes to support the arguments that are set forth, is permitted to take the platform for ten minutes. The lecturer closes the discussions. As a test of the popularity of the Forum, it suffices to say that capacity audiences are the rule, and it is gratify- ing to add that the striking result of the work of the organization is that the Catholic laity have become better equipped in the defence of the Faith against the plausible arguments of the radicals of our time, prejudices have been dissipated, and the saving principles of Holy Mother the Church brought home to hungering minds. Vocations In an age when success is measured by the abundance of wealth, of honor and material pleasures, when purely . natural agencies alone are accounted of worth in com- passing man’s well-being here, how comforting to find that under the spiritual guidance of His Eminence there has been kept alive and made deep set in the souls of the Catholics of this Diocese the true supernatural sense and outlook, as evidenced by their willingness to give and to give in plenty their sons and daughters to serve God at the altar and in the cloister. In the last fifteen years 5,000 young men and young women of this Diocese have given themselves generously, not only to make the Church of Boston one of the great outstanding dioceses of the world, but wherever the [ 194 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Church of God has lifted up the Cross of Salvation, north, south, east and west of this glorious country, or in the foreign mission fields of the world, under its shadow in toil and sacrifice are joyfully found priests and brothers and sisters who are Boston born and Boston bred. Under the caption of the Seminary is indicated in de- tail the growth of vocations to the priesthood from 1907 to 1923, as compared with preceding years. Here it is proper to remark, however, that during this period the number of young men and young women of the Diocese who have joined the brotherhoods and sisterhoods labor- ing here or elsewhere amounts to the gratifying total of 3,500. St. John^s Seminary St. John’s Seminary at Brighton was opened in Septem- ber, 1884, to students for the Holy Priesthood from the Dioceses of New England. It was conducted in its spiritual, intellectual and ad- ministrative departments by the Society of St. Sulpice. The buildings, however, were owned and maintained by the Archdiocese of Boston. The annual deficit, or differ- ence between the ever-inadequate revenues and the run- ning expenses of the Seminary, was always borne by the Archdiocese. Although the Fathers of St. Sulpice were in charge of the Seminary, there was always, even from the begin- ning, a number of secular Priests associated with them in their work. Some of these were from the Archdiocese of Boston, although almost as many were taken from [19S] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY outside Dioceses. The number of secular Priests averaged from one-quarter to one-half of the Faculty. In June, 1911, His Eminence, the Cardinal, having by mutual agreement with the Superior-General of St. Sulpice terminated the arrangement under which the Sulpicians had served the Seminary and Diocese, took over the entire administration of the Seminary, and ap- pointed to the places thus vacated ten Priests of his own Diocese. Three of these had already been professors in the Seminary for some years; and six others with Uni- versity degrees were immediately available for the exact- ing duties of the Seminary. Six of this newly-recruited Faculty still remain, two having been removed by death and two by transfer to pastorates. In thus taking complete charge of his own Seminary, Archbishop O’Connell was but following a precedent already well established in this country. In its pioneer days, the struggling American Church needed Seminaries very badly; but because of the extreme scarcity of priests, particularly of those equipped to teach, it was in many cases necessary to depend upon Religious Orders or Societies for the recruiting of complete and competent Faculties. Presently, however, with the growth of the Church, Bishops began to establish their own Seminaries under direct episcopal control, and this came in time to be rather the rule than the exception. Seminaries, hitherto in Religious hands, passed into secular control, e.g., Mt. St. Mary’s at Emmitsburg, and even into the hands of the Diocesan Clergy as was the case with St. Charles’, Over- brook, in 1904, and St. Joseph’s, Dunwoodie, in 1906. [ 196 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY Boston simply joined the majority in 1911, in following the example of New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, St. Paul, Rochester, Newark and Cleveland, whose Seminaries, like the old Provincial Seminary at Troy, were successfully conducted by purely secular priests. It fell into line, too, with the practice in Ireland and England, where every seminary, except All Hallows, is conducted by seculars; save that at Maynooth, since 1888, two Lazarists act as Spiritual Directors. But besides precedent there was principle. Boston was now large and strong enough to stand alone. It was ready to give proof of real vitality, the ability to grow from within. There were in the Diocese priests with universit}^ training and degrees, exemplary and able. These, rather than outsiders, deserved encouragement and honor. If for years, four, five or six secular priests were deemed worthy to be teachers, guides and exemplars of the rising generation of clergy, there was no valid reason why eight, ten or twelve should not be equally fitted for the work. Then, too, since the Bishop of a Diocese is alone responsible for the conduct of his Sem- inary, he should be, if at all possible, in direct and im- mediate authority over every individual in the Seminary, and the master of every detail of seminary administra- tion and control. Indeed, the Church’s law contemplates precisely such immediate responsibility; and though the sharing of it with aliens is not forbidden, such is rather an exception to the Church’s legislation and tradition than the rule. The change being made, the Seminary entered upon a new period of substantial and conspicuous growth and [ 197 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY development, in the material, intellectual and spiritual order. Though of least importance, the material increment is not to be overlooked ; for it is but a reflection of the spiritual condition of the Diocese. Vocations increased out of proportion to the growth of the Diocese. Despite exacting entrance tests and unsparing standards for elimination, the seminary counts over twice as many diocesan students as in 1911. One hundred and sixty students are now enrolled, all for Boston save one, a Porto Rican, to whose Bishop His Eminence, the Card- inal, has charitably given a free scholarship. Since 1912, two hundred and thirty-one priests were ordained at Brighton Seminary for the Archdiocese of Boston. From 1884 to 1911, three hundred and eight were ordained at Brighton for the Archdiocese. The progress by decades was : 1884 to 1893 79 1894 to 1903 146 1904 to 1913 104 1914 to 1923 210 In this connection it is worthy of note that, while vocations to the secular priesthood were multiplying in the Diocese, the Religious Orders and Congregations were also recruiting at Boston an increasing number of candidates for the priesthood. Thus in Religious Novi- tiates, particularly of the Augustinians, Jesuits, Oblates, Passionists, Redemptorists and Vincentians, Boston young men are conspicuous in numbers and for qualities that make of them most desirable subjects. If the roster [ 198 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY of Boston subjects annually ordained to the priesthood in Europe and America were compiled, it would be found to count each year 712 — over twice as many as are or- dained for the service of the Diocese, and would compare most creditably with that of any Diocese in the country. No better evidence of spiritual life could be found. Vo- cations to the priesthood proclaim the spiritual vitality that finds its highest expression in increase and multi- plication. To meet the growth at Brighton, and to prepare for further development, two tracts of land were purchased, almost doubling the previous acreage. The Seminary buildings were extended, and additional provision made for thirty students, two large classrooms, and a more spacious library and refectory. Even this is inadequate, and plans are now being matured to provide for a larger dining-hall and a convent for Sisters, who will take charge of the domestic department of the Seminary. The interest taken by the priests of the Diocese in the material equipment of the institution is evidenced by the increasing donations of books for the library, and of ap- propriate works of art to embellish the Seminary walls and contribute to the growth of priestly culture. In the intellectual order even more important changes were made. The class periods were increased from three to four a day, and the horarium was so rearranged as to conduce to greatest profit from the study periods. The curriculum was given a balance, corresponding to the changing importance of the different branches. Canon Law was given its due place in the group with Dogmatic and Moral Theology. More emphasis was laid upon the [ 199 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY practical application of principles in multiplied classes of Homiletics, Catechetics and Pastoral Theology. A course in Education and School Management, conducted by the Diocesan School Superintendent, fits the young men for an intelligent and prudent participation in the conduct of the Parish School. The Faculty was increased to twelve members. This made possible the division of the larger cycle courses into smaller classes, with the consequent increase in op- portunity for personal contact with the students and the more natural progress in the development of each branch of science. Thus there are three progressive courses in Dogma and in Moral ; so that in these important sciences every student may begin at the beginning and advance logically to the end. In the composition of the Faculty the Seminary stands out conspicuously for a quite unusual record of stability, and all that it implies of experience and competency. During the twelve years of Diocesan control, eighteen priests have been members of the Faculty. Of these, three most promising young professors were early taken by death, but only three, during that time, left the Sem- inary for parochial work. Of the twelve priests now comprising the Faculty, one is in his twenty-fifth year of continual service in the Brighton Seminary, another is in his twenty-third year, four in their thirteenth year, and two in their eleventh year. This long continued service is an evidence of the unity of spirit and purpose among the members of the Faculty which could not be surpassed, even if equalled, in a religious community. This fraternal unity has been a source of untold strength [ 200 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY to the individual professors and of edification to the students. This stability, furthermore, ensures a more consistent teaching and a uniformly better discipline. It connotes, too, a richer pedagogical experience for each professor, who thus deals with successive generations of students, in the same unvarying environment. Very few seminaries can point to the success in this respect which has been enjoyed at Brighton. Indeed, its own record of so few Faculty changes in the past twelve years compares favorably with the previous twenty-seven years, during which twenty-six transfers are recorded, not including deaths and removals incidental to the change of regime. During the earlier period, when the Faculty counted from seven to eleven members, thirty- eight professors came and went at varying intervals, of whom twenty-two were Sulpicians, nine Diocesan priests of Boston, and seven priests of other Dioceses. In spiritual training the Seminary maintains the best traditions of the Church. The solemn services of the sanctuary are carried out with punctilious regard for the Roman ceremonial law and in the spirit of purest devo- tion. The same spirit and care are brought to the simpler ceremonies and devotions, public and private. The doc- trine of genuine, manly piety, with an eye single to God’s service, is sedulously inculcated. Devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament is particularly emphasized. The Holy Hour on First Fridays has been introduced among the Seminary’s solemn devotions ; and, conducted successive- ly by the several professors, it not only serves its primary religious purpose, but is as well an object lesson in mak- ing this service attractive to the faithful. The devotions [ 201 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY peculiar to the Priests’ Eucharistic League are practiced by its members, and it is largely due to Seminary in- fluence that the Archdiocese of Boston stands so high in enrollment of Priest Adorers. It now counts four hun- dred and thirty-four members. Not the least among the spiritual influences now ef- fective in the Seminary is that which radiates from the Academia of the Propagation of the Faith. Long estab- lished in the Seminary, it has been given most generous encouragement during the past twelve years. It offers practically a course in Missionary Science, such as was recently recommended by the Holy See, and so gives every student an intelligent grasp of missionary prob- lems and of our possible contribution to their solution. Better still, it is a source of zeal and devotion of the right kind. It is, after daily Mass and Communion, one of the Seminarian’s richest sources of manly and priestly piety. It is productive of untold spiritual good. It en- genders the true missionary spirit. This has been so well recognized that our Brighton Seminary is looked to throughout the country as a model of intelligent and practical interest in missionary endeavor. No seminary has had a greater share in guiding the internal develop- ment of the Student’s Missionary Crusade. Its name and works are known and gratefully remembered in remote missionary outposts. The generous contributions of the clergy and people of Boston to the foreign missions reflect in a measure that cannot be over-estimated the indirect but potent influence of the Seminary and its Academia. Not only is every profitable spiritual practice given due encouragement and exemplification at the Seminary, [ 202 ] A SPIRITUAL SURVEY but the principles of the spiritual life are now completely and systematically taught. A progressive four years’ course in Ascetic Theology was introduced in which, at daily spiritual Conferences, the sources and conclusions of this branch of Theology are unfolded to the semi- narians for their own guidance in spiritual progress, and for the intelligent guidance of the souls to be committed later to their care. Year by year in orderly and method- ical progress, there are treated first the fundamental natural virtues and the moral virtues that govern man’s dealings with his fellows, and fashion and evidence the manly priest ; then the illuminating and sobering treatises on self-knowledge and self-deceit, with their practical corollaries on self-discipline, which make the self-con- trolled and self-sacrificing priest; then the peculiarly Christian virtues which make the saintly priest; and finally the Christ-life itself, summing up and exemplifying the teachings of the three previous years, and leading to the lofty concept of the priest as “another Christ.” The Seminary of Boston is thus what it should be, the heart of the Diocese, from which courses the rich, warm current of manly, priestly and Christ-like spirit- uality. Wherever this influence is suffered to exert itself, there will be found spiritual life, growth and fruitful- ness. There, too, will be found fullfilment of the desire of our Blessed Lord, “that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” [ 203 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH A Survey of the Progress of Mission Aid in the Archdiocese of Boston 1908-1923 BY Rt. Rev. J. F. McGlinchey, D. D. Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith “No one who has received the true Faith of Christ can rest inactive in the mere possession of it, for true Faith is always accompanied by ardent charity, and charity, by its very nature, seeks to extend itself ... he who is indifferent to the propagation of the Faith in reality has lost it or never really had it, at least as a living possession.” ili if. -Jf. -Jf. -if. The above quotation is taken from an article entitled “Captains of the Soul,” written by His Eminence Card- inal O’Connell, Archbishop of Boston, for the “All Mis- sion Number” of the Catholic Church Extension Maga- zine. It is a vigorous, convincing appeal and has been reprinted or quoted in hundreds of magazines and papers all over the world. Coming from the pen of a Prince of the Church, it would naturally attract attention and be widely read. When, in addition, the writer has given unmistakable proof that his words are sincere and that they come from a heart in sympathy with the labors of our Modern Apostles, such a pronouncement is more convincing and more valuable to the Sacred Cause it aims to promote. [ 207 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH The interest of His Eminence in missions and, through his leadership, of the priests. Brothers, Sisters and laity of the Boston Diocese, is recognized not only throughout the United States and in Europe, whence most of the foreign missionaries come, but in the mission fields them- selves. Because of her generosity to the missions in the form of prayers, vocations, and financial aid, Boston is not unknown in the remotest parts of Asia, Africa and Oceania. When His Eminence became Archbishop of Boston, one of the first activities that claimed his attention was the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The mis- sions made a strong appeal to him. The importance of the cause and not the persons who promote it impressed him. In directing the policy and conduct of the Diocesan Office he often emphasized this. “It is the work and that only which counts. Think only of the missions and their needs, make your Officce impersonal and our efforts will be blessed with results.” This instruction has been in- sisted upon and repeated frequently to those in charge of the Mission Bureau. It has moreover been our aim to work in union with His Eminence, Cardinal Van Rossum, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, who is at the head of all mission activities throughout the world. Cardinal Van Rossum has more than once expressed his apprecia- tion of these cordial relations and has pointed to Boston as a model diocese in the field of Mission Aid. The foundation of our help to the missions is the or- ganization of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. His Eminence asks the priests to establish [ 208 1 PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH branches in their parishes. The priests in turn appeal to the faithful. The results may be estimated from a glance at the Banner Branches recorded in the 1922 Report. It is to the priests and their people that the credit is due for Boston’s generous help to the missions. Number of Amount Branches $12,000 and over 1 9.000 “ “ 2 7.000 “ “ 1 6.000 “ “ 1 5.000 “ “ 6 4.000 “ “ 6 3.000 “ “ 11 2.000 “ “ 25 1,500 “ “ 19 1.000 “ “ 28 800 “ “ 21 500 ‘‘ “ 23 Banner Branches The total receipts from these 144 branches were $104,- 777.21— an average of over $700 from each. Among the remaining 70 branches there are several closely ap- proaching the $500 class, and others (with less to their credit) that are contributing generously in proportion to their size. According to the 1923 Report now being pre- pared, most of the Banner Branches show such a marked increase in their remittances that they will go ahead into higher classes. This is the story each year. [ 209 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Not less interesting is a glance at the returns from the parishes that have led each year since the establish- ment of the Society in the Diocese. Year Parish 1898 — Sacred Heart, East Cambridge $698.80 1899 — Sacred Heart, East Cambridge 1,039.25 1900 — Sacred Heart, East Cambridge 1,061.10 1901 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 1,072.00 1902 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 1,245.25 1903 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 1,285.00 1904 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 1,639.00 1905 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 1,679.00 1906 — Sacred Heart, East Cambridge 1,190.00 1907 — St. Joseph’s, Lowell 1,526.14 1908 — St. Joseph's, Lowell 2,046.61 1909 — St. Joseph’s, Lowell 1,940.00 1910 — St. Joseph’s, Lowell 1,912.44 1911 — St. Joseph’s, Lowell 1,957.21 1912 — Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Roxbury 2,410.74 1913 — St. Augustine’s, South Boston 3,931.50 1914 — Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Roxbury 2,951.20 1915 — St. Mary’s, Lawrence 2,980.97 1916 — Notre Dame des Victoires, Boston 3,416.55 1917 — Gate of Heaven, South Boston 6,626.89 1918 — Gate of Heaven, South Boston 6,094.86 1919 — St. Mary’s, Lawrence 7,733.69 1920 — St. Mary’s, Lawrence 10,226.02 1921 — St. Eulalia’s, South Boston 9,842.76 1922 — St. Eulalia’s, South Boston 12,657.27 1923 — St. Cecilia’s, Boston 18,478.00 From this schedule it will be observed that during the early years but three parishes stood out prominently. Only once in the first fourteen years did the contribu- tions from the leading branch exceed $2,000. During the succeeding years the honors were better distributed and the amounts required to stand first on the list in- creased substantially. But these are only passing obser- vations. [ 210 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH The important conclusion is that mission work has a place in the spiritual life of this Diocese; that there are priests, Sisters and lay persons among us who, not content with the mere possession of the Faith, are labor- ing, praying, giving their time, energy and money, yes, often until it hurts, to share the Faith with the be- nighted heathen and with those in our own country who do not yet possess it. This generous spirit, this willingness to make a sacri- fice in order to bring the happiness we enjoy into the lives of those who do not know what it means, has strength- ened our souls and made us appreciate more keenly the one thing that counts— our Faith. The clergy are the natural leaders in the mission movement. If they are well versed in the science of missions, if their hearts beat in sympathy with the plans and aspirations of the poor missionaries, if they breathe the mission spirit, the faithful will follow with their prayers and alms. The Academia For this reason, the study of missions has been intro- duced into the Diocesan Seminary. Our Seminarians are trained in a knowledge of this important work of the Church. The benefit of this training is reflected in the grasp that our Catholics have of the mission question and the consequent strong support that they give so generously and so intelligently. In the Diocesan Seminary there is a flourishing branch of the Propagation of the Faith. Its purpose is not merely to enroll the students in the Society, but to study [ 211 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH the mission problem and thus prepare the future priests of the Diocese for the duty of imparting to the faithful a knowledge of the Church's missions. Because of its literary character this branch of the Society is called the ‘Academia.” It meets once a month. A systematic survey of the missions of the entire world is presented to the Seminarists. Each year’s course is so planned that, at the end of his studies, every student has gone over the great white harvest field and is inti- mately acquainted with the methods, needs and progress of the apostolate at home and abroad. The results of the work done in the Academia are far- reaching. They are shown in the prayers and offerings of the Seminarists, they are evident in the spirit and the discipline of the institution, but the fulfillment of its ultimate purpose comes only after the students are or- dained. We have already noted how our priests help the mis- sions through branches of the Propagation of the Faith. There is another equally practical way of contributing to the apostolate— that of supplying missionaries, for this is the saddest need in the great white harvest field. Many priests who have learned to know and love the work of the missions in the Seminary have done much towards supplying this need by fostering vocations to the missions. Vocations The flourishing Catholic centres here in the East have for years been a recruiting ground of priests and Sisters for work among the whites of the West. Boston has given her share. But it was not until recently that the [ 212 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Negro and Indian Missions claimed our attention. With the growth of interest, however, and the encouragement given, vocations have been developed for these special fields. Our most noteworthy contribution has been to the Colored Missions. In a letter from the Superior of the Josephites, the Very Rev. Louis Pastorelli, who was Bos- ton’s first member of the Society, he states that the Bos- ton subjects number 7 priests, 9 seminarians and 45 collegians for this glorious and truly apostolic work. The Society has in all 31 seminarists and 103 col- legians. This means that Boston has supplied almost one-third of the former and nearly half of the latter. This contribution of personnel for the Colored Missions in the South has been made since 1907. Among the Sisterhoods devoted to the Indians and Negroes Boston is well represented. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the Franciscan Sisters in the South, the Ursulines on the Indian Reservations and in Alaska, the Sisters of Mercy and the Franciscans in Jamaica- all have subjects from Boston, most of whom have joined these Sisterhoods during the past fifteen years. But it is in the foreign fields that we are best repre- sented. Previous to the regime of His Eminence, the Diocese had but one foreign missionary. He was in India. We can now claim representatives in China. India, Indo-China, Africa, Oceania, and the Philippines. They are Jesuits, Franciscans, Passionists, Vincentians, Marists and Maryknollers. In a very few years, our quota will be still more re- markable. The Very Rev. James A. Walsh, Founder [ 213 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH and Superior of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America and of the Missionary Sisters of St. Dominic, wrote recently to the Diocesan Mission Bureau that 12.87 per cent of the students in his Seminary, 14 per cent of the boys in his Preparatory School, and 35 per cent of his Sisters are from the Diocese of Boston. Father Walsh himself is a Bostonian, and says that he got the mission spirit in our Diocesan Seminary. He was the Boston Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1903-1911) when he conceived the splendid idea of founding Maryknoll. Last year St. Francis Xavier Mission House was opened by the Society of the Divine Word under the patronage of His Eminence, the Cardinal, at Island Creek, Mass. This is a Preparatory School for the Sem- inary of the Society at Techny, Illinois. Native Priests and Sisters The supply of foreign missionaries has never been ade- quate, nor is there any hope that it ever will be. There are priests whose duty it is to care for districts as large as two or three dioceses in our own country and many times as populous. The only solution of this difficulty is a native clergy and native Sisters. After a careful study of this problem, in 1914 a cam- paign was started to enable a young native to prepare for the priesthood in the missions for every student in our own Seminary at Brighton. The clergy and laity of the Diocese showed such an interest in this splendid plan that there are now two hundred and thirteen promising Seminarians in pagan countries who are proteges of gen- [ 214 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH erous benefactors in the Boston Diocese. This is almost twice the number hoped for when the enterprise was launched. Besides these students, there are one hundred and three native priests in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, whose education has been paid for by Bostonians. The schedule that follows will show how our proteges are distributed throughout the great white harvest field. Native Priests Educated by Boston Benefactors Japan 2 Corea 8 China 40 Indo-China 33 India 8 Africa 8 Oceania 4 Total 103 Native Seminarists Being Educated by Boston Benefactors Japan 4 Corea 11 China 47 Indo-China 81 India 22 Africa 44 Oceania 4 Total [ 215 ] 213 PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Just as the native priests must assist and prepare to succeed the foreign missionaries, so there must be native Sisters. We have seventy-five postulants and novices in native communities who look to the Diocesan Mission Bureau for their support. The burden of support does not cease when a mission- ary is ordained. It is then that his real expenses begin. He must have a church, a school, a catechumenate, and in many cases an orphanage and a dispensary. Add to this the cost of maintaining Sisters, lay teachers and catechists. Mission Chapels Two hundred and twenty chapels, a number of schools, orphanages, and leper asylums would not exist today, others would have been obliged to close their doors dur- ing the war, were it not for the consistent help sent to them each month from the generous, faithful Catholics of the Diocese. Although we have few wealthy Catholics in the Diocese, it is rich in the Faith of the good people. The priest and the Church at home, the missionary and his humble chapel abroad, appeal to them strongly. The location of native priests and Sisters now spend- ing themselves in God’s service in distant pagan lands or preparing to do so, through the kindness of Boston bene- factors, has been noted. Even more widely distributed are the mission chapels built by the sacrifices of fervent, generous souls in our midst. Most of them have been contributed in memory of departed relatives. [ 216 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Chapels Erected China 28 Indo-China 5 India 26 Africa 29 Oceania 13 Philippines 18 Old Providence Island 1 Jamaica 1 Virgin Islands 2 Porto Rico 1 Guadaloupe 1 Dutch E. Indies 1 126 U. S. A. through Extension Society . 22 Total 148 Chapels Under Construction China 20 Indo-China 4 India 19 Japan 1 Formosa 1 Africa 19 Oceania 6 Samoa 1 Dutch E. Indies 2 Philippines 5 Porto Rico 1 — 79 U. S. A. through Extension Society 3 Total _ 82 [217] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Besides the above, four schools, three rectories, two orphanages and one leper hospital have been built with contributions received at the Diocesan Office. The growth and development of this branch of mission aid, like that of the department which takes care of na- tive Seminarists and Sisters, have taken place during the past fifteen years. Previous to 1907, there is no record of chapels built by contributions from the Office. In order to make known these special needs of indi- vidual missionaries, it is necessary to have some means of regularly communicating the mission message to the faithful. Sunday visits to the churches are the most practical means of organizing the Society for the Propa- gation of the P^aith, but for specific appeals there is nothing so effective as the Catholic press. The Pilot In 1908, The Pilot became the Official Organ of the Diocese. The Mission Bureau was at once invited to make use of its columns. In this way a clientele, who otherwise would not have known the missions, was se- cured. With the multiplication of subscriptions our friends increased. In our mail and our visitors to the Office we see the help that comes from the paper. A conservative estimate of the worth of the Diocesan Organ to our work is $100,000 a year. The Pilot’s valuable service to the missions is uni- versally recognized by the missionaries in the Far East and Africa. They flood the Office with stories of their needs to be printed in its columns. They read the paper regularly. It furnishes a medium of appeal and keeps [ 218 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH many a lonely missionary in touch with the activities of the Church throughout the world. Not only does it bring Catholic news to his humble hut, but it enlightens his converts as well; for countless columns of this welcome visitor are translated into foreign tongues and reprinted for circulation among the natives. Liberal, indeed, is the allotment of space in the Diocesan Organ to mission news. The issue current at this writing has devoted eight columns— one full page — to the missions. Besides the matter contributed by the Diocesan Office each week, the paper carries editorials, accounts of the needs, conditions and progress of the apostolate of the Church, which, if collected in book form, would serve as a chronicle— a record of up-to-date mission history. The value of the mission message which The Pilot brings weekly into the Catholic homes of the Diocese has been frequently experienced in the number of responses to urgent appeals. Many examples might be cited. We had the best illustration of the far-reaching help of the paper in 1912. During that year and the year previous, many requests for sacred vessels were received at the Mission Bureau. One priest needed a chalice, another a ciborium, a third a monstrance. At first, occasional stringless gifts were used to relieve these needs. Soon, however, it was thought best to ask directly for sacred vessels. The re- quest was repeated from time to time. So numerous were the responses that the Office was purchasing chalices and coboria in large lots and, of course, at wholesale prices. Before interest was lost in this special appeal, [ 219 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH 1,600 sacred vessels, for the most part chalices, had been sent to the missions. They bore the initials of loved ones departed, whom the donors wished to share in the fruits of the missionaries’ Masses. Holy Childhood In 1914, a most important step was taken in the de- velopment of the mission spirit by the establishment of the Association of the Holy Childhood. This worthy work was practically unknown in the Diocese. There were but five schools and two academies contributing. Over a third of the offerings— $315— came from one school. The 1913 receipts from all seven centres amounted to only $828.08. This represented $704.96 in gifts for the adoption of rescued pagan babies, and $123.12 for the dues of 1,026 children. An enrollment of but 1,026 boys and girls under the banner of the Christ Child, for such a commendable work, seemed small. Reviewing the great increase of membership in the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1907 to 1914, and confident that the little folks would not be less responsive than their elders, it was planned to organize the Holy Childhood. A single appeal to the parish priests and the Sisters effected in one year’s time the introduction of the Association into 94 schools with an enrollment of 38,784 boys and girls. From that time the mission spirit has grown apace in the hearts of our children. In three years, the member- ship exceeded that of every diocese in the country, and for the past seven years Boston has kept the first place in the annual report of the Holy Childhood. In fact, [ 220 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH at the present time our contribution is much larger than that of any diocese in the entire world. We have an enrollment of 150,000 boys and girls, who not only con- tribute their membership dues but fill Mite Boxes and make donations for the adoption of about 1,000 pagan waifs every year. The rapid progress of this mission aid organization has been most remarkable, as the following resume of our offerings since its formal establishment in the Diocese will show. It should be noted that these amounts represent the pennies of the children. Year Amount 1914 $2,459.04 1915 6,077.29 1916 7,184.61 1917 8,395.86 1918 11,516.13 1919 14,136.36 1920 16,498.04 1921 21,744.82 1922 23,526.87 1923 26,657.55 Complete Survey A complete survey of our progress can be had from the annual remittances since the establishment of the Society in the Diocese. Ours was the first Diocese in the United States to start the work upon a permanent basis and to organize branches of the Society in the various parishes. The columns that follow carry our [ 221 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH annual net contribution including memberships in the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the As- sociation of the Holy Childhood (from 1914 when it was introduced), gifts and Mass stipends. Year Amount 1898 $1,300.96 1899 17,262.22 1900 22,741.45 1901 20,790.70 1902 28,162.59 1903 25,176.23 1904 37,424.28 1905 41,239.47 1906 49,546.15 1907 53,097.39 1908 47,352.91 1909 47,002.97 1910 47,608.72 1911 57,156.97 1912 115,075.43 1913 113,386.88 1914 156,698.62 1915 165,757.17 1916 197,951.79 1917 229,782.39 1918 298,491.76 1919 387,708.48 1920 403,201.68 1921 440,641.43 1922 438,591.08 1923 588,151.25 [ 222 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH During the early years, our contribution in member- ships to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was much larger than our gifts and Masses. Soon after 1908, when the Pilot was made the official organ of the Diocese, there was a marked advance in the gifts and Mass stipends received at the Bureau. This increase has been so great during recent years that these direct remittances to the missions have become almost three times as large as our contribution to the General Fund of the Society. As a result of the remarkable growth in this depart- ment of gifts and Masses, we have been able to assist new missions and missionaries each year. In 1907, the Diocesan Office helped 91 missionaries in 52 Dioceses and Vicariates. We are now remitting annually to 697 missionaries in 232 Dioceses and Vicariates. A great many of these, whose needs are numerous and urgent, appear monthly on our remittance sheet. The total net offerings to the missions from this Diocese, since the work was started twenty-five years ago, is $4,051,300.97. Over 92 per cent of this amount, $3,754,559.53, has been collected and remitted since His Eminence became Archbishop of Boston. It was divided as follows; to the general fund of the So- ciety for the Propagation of the Faith we have sent $1,240,350.06; our contribution to the general fund of the Association of the Holy Childhood has amounted to $139,637.60; the balance, $2,374,571.87 represents our net receipts in the form of gifts and Mass stipends for- warded directly each month from the Diocesan Office to the mission field. [ 223 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH The net offerings for 1908 were $47,352.91. The net offerings for 1923 were $588,151.25. This means that the amount of money remitted to the missions from Boston in 1923 was over eleven hundred per cent greater than the amount remitted in 1908. The above totals may surprise, yes, even startle the average reader. They may seem large coming from one Diocese in the brief space of fifteen years. They are large absolutely and in proportion to the size of our Diocese. Our 1923 Report shows a contribution to mis- sions of almost sixty cents from each Catholic (adult and child) in the Diocese. This record of zeal for the cause that is dearest to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is unequalled throughout the Christian world. Notwithstanding the generosity of our good people and of others throughout the Christian world, our saintly, self-sacrificing missionaries are in dire need. They are living and laboring amidst poverty that is un- imaginable. Their ranks are decimated by overwork and sickness that could be easily prevented, if they had more means at their disposal. We have met in the missions priests and Sisters who are housed and fed with less care than many dumb animals here in this land of abundance. They practise economies that are simply unbelievable in order to scrape together the money required for the development of their apostolic work. But it is not the privations, not the lack of creature comforts that worry and age these brave soldiers of Christ. It is the realization that souls are lost because they cannot afford to build modest [ 224 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH chapels, schools, orphanages and dispensaries, or to train and support native priests. Sisters and catechists. Our contribution to this sublime cause is not confined to men and means. We are helping in a spiritual way as well. By the 100,000 adult members of the Propa- gation of the Faith and the 130,000 children enrolled in the Holy Childhood, a daily prayer is offered to Christ, the First Missionary, in behalf of His laborers in the great white harvest field. The missionaries and their converts in turn pray for their benefactors. So there is a spiritual chain uniting the faithful at home with their brothers and sisters in mission lands. Fortunate, indeed, are we who have established such close bonds of spiritual relationship with the mission world. It is a great privilege, one to be valued most highly. Yet, never must we forget that we are but in- struments in God^s hands. It is His work. He could have accomplished it without our assistance. But, since He has chosen to make us His co-workers, let us continue to co-operate with Him, ever mindful that it is He Who works through us. We should then thank God for having made His Em- inence such a vigorous leader in this great, spiritual, world-wide warfare for souls; for having given to the priests and Sisters of this Diocese the grace to labor in harmony with his wishes - in building and maintaining such a splendid organization; for having blessed the faithful Catholics under their charge with a willingness to rally so generally and so generously to their call. Blessed indeed is the diocese that has heeded the command of Christ, re-echoed by His successors, the [ 225 ] PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH Roman Pontiffs and repeated by Pius XI, our present Holy Father, for every Catholic to share his Faith with the redeemed but unenlightened millions in the Orient. In the words of His Eminence: “Our answer must be that of true children of the Faith. We must, and with God’s holy help we shall, pray, work, and give freely, all that we can, that our Faith, which is our greatest and richest possession, may be carried onward and ever onward. “Let us never forget this, to keep the Faith we must propagate it.” [ 226 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS The History of the Diocesan Press During the Years 1908-1923 BY Rev. M. C. Driscoll, D. D. Director of Diocesan Press The present paper will trace the growth and develop- ment of The Pilot, since His Eminence, the Cardinal, established it as the Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Boston. A word regarding its origin, however, will prove of interest. The precursor of The Pilot, The Jesuit or Catholic Sentinel, was established by Bishop Fenwick, the second Bishop of Boston. It made its appearance as a Cath- olic journal on September 1, 1829. Religious fanati- cism had for a long time expressed itself in outbursts against religion. A Catholic paper was needed to meet and answer the calumnies and misrepresentations that were being preached and printed. This able Bishop, therefore, measured his forces and started The Jesuit. For five years the good Bishop himself wrote histor- ical and theological articles which appeared regularly. The effect was immediately noticeable in a better ap- preciation of the Faith and a larger measure of respect and reverence for the Church. After 1834, the duty of editing and contributing was assigned to another, for episcopal cares and responsi- bilities had so multiplied that the task of writing weekly [ 229 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS was made impossible. The policy of the paper, however, remained the same, one of staunch loyalty to the Church and fidelity to the religious interests of the Catholic people of this region. In the last issue of The Jesuit, December 27, 1834, it was announced that the name of the paper would be changed to The Irish or Catholic Sentinel. In the year 1835, Patrick Donahoe took over the paper. His con- nection with The Pilot lasted until 1901. John Boyle O’Reilly, James Jeffrey Roche and Katherine E. Con- way did creditable work for the cause of the Church and for the advancement of the Faith in the later years of the paper’s existence. The Pilot has come down to us a valiant champion of truth and a fearless foe of error, so that in after years, when, in the Providence of God, the torch of faith was passed to the hands of a young, zealous and apostolic Archbishop, in the person of the former Bishop of Portland, now the Archbishop of Boston, this powerful exponent of the Faith, taking a retrospect of the past and visualizing the future, could give utterance in his Centennial Sermon to these memorable words: ‘‘O, Priests of New England, seeking no reward but God’s blessing, wanting no recompense but Heaven’s approval, what wonders, unknown but to God and you, your enlightened priestly zeal, your high and strong courage, your true love of New England’s peace and happiness have accomplished. What lessons of all that ennobles life your lips have spoken! What deeds of sweet charity your hands have wrought! What mes- sages of peace your wearied feet have carried! The [ 230 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Matignons and Fittons, tireless in their zeal and un- flagging in their toil, traversing the byways, from end to end of this great land, thank God, still live. The spirit of those pioneers of the faith is still active and fruitful. The material difficulties of a century ago have passed, but new ones, far more intricate, far more deli- cate, face the priesthood of today.” With this thought in mind, the new Archbishop of Boston sought to guard the religious interests of his great flock, and to protect the heritage of faith. Every weapon of defence and offence was brought into action. The pulpit was reinforced by the press. One of the first official acts of His Eminence, the Cardinal, was to make The Pilot the official organ of the Archdiocese of Boston. On October 3, 1908, there- fore, he purchased The Pilot for the Archdiocese. From that day dates the Diocesan press of Boston. In treating of The Pilot as the official organ of the Diocese, two questions naturally present themselves: First, What is its objective? Second, How has it ac- complished that objective? The Pilot's Objective In his letter to the Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Boston, dated October 3, 1908, His Eminence set forth forcefully and eloquently the high purposes to which The Pilot would be dedicated. “It gives me the greatest satisfaction” wrote His Em- inence “to announce that the Archdiocese now publishes and controls a paper of its own. The Pilot, successor of The Jesuit, founded by Bishop Fenwick, is now the [ 231 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS official organ of the Diocese of Boston, representing its interests, chronicling its events, and publishing its of- ficial acts. “The need of such an organ, reliable in its official information, definitely responsible in its management, capable and efficient in its representation, has been keenly felt. No need to specify that this paper will be neither infallible nor faultless; but it will, we feel as- sured, be truly and loyally Catholic in spirit and in tone, and truly and loyally American in civil allegiance, two characteristics requisite for a Catholic paper, intended for those Catholics who are also American citizens. “In its pages we trust that every child of the Church will find edification and instruction, and that the gen- eral public will find there useful information. “The Catholic citizen is found in every avocation. The public official, the lawyer, the doctor, the merchant, the laborer, all have need to know what is the Catholic viewpoint on all great moral questions, in the social order and in his local environment. The short sermon on Sunday is all too brief to permit of detailed argu- ment and lengthy application. Besides, the good old custom of the family pew at the High Mass is unhappily apparently passing. “Unless we be willing to sit by inactive and indiffer- ent spectators, while the Faith is threatened with weak- ness from a thousand influences about us, we must bestir ourselves and do something more than praising the past, which, however good and excellent it was, is past; and which, after all, was the achievement not of ourselves, but of our fathers and mothers. [ 232 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS “I appeal to every head of a Catholic family in this Diocese to see to it that The Pilot is welcomed into his home, to be there a reliable and potent force in main- taining the sacred influences of the Faith. The Pilot makes its advent modestly and without boast. Under diocesan control, however, it will be no uncertain voice, and no unsteady force for Catholic life and action. The Pilot hopes by support and experience to grow in use- fulness and authority, so that the great principles of the spiritual life of the Church, and the foundations of good government may become better known and more strongly safeguarded. “Whoever, therefore, in the smallest way assists The Pilot to this end is doing a work for God, for home and for country.” This exposition of the holy aims and high purposes of The Pilot is clear, logical and convincing. It finds its strongest confirmation in the inspiring pronouncements of the last three Sovereign Pontiffs, regarding the urgent need of the Catholic press. “In vain you will build churches, give missions, found schools, all your works, all your efforts will be des- troyed, if you are not able to wield the defensive and offensive weapon of a loyal and sincere Catholic press.” (Pope Pius X). “It seems to Us that nothing is more desirable than that the number of those who can use their pen in a way rich in blessings should increase, and that good papers should have a large circulation, so that everyone may have every day good reading, which instructs and [ 233 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS warns, and strengthens and promotes the Christian virutes.” (Pope Benedict XV). “The power and influence of the Catholic Press are so great that even the seemingly most insignificant activ- ity in favor of the good Press is always of great impor- tance, because great results may come therefrom. Any- thing that you will do for the good Press, I will con- sider as having been done for me personally. The Cath- olic Press is very close to my heart, and I expect much, very much, from it.” (Pope Pius XI). A comprehensive answer to the second question would touch upon the subjects already treated in the preced- ing papers. For our purpose, therefore, it will be suf- ficient to note some of the outstanding activities in The Pilot’s career as the Official Organ of the Arch- diocese of Boston, in maintaining the sacred influences of the Faith, and in safeguarding national institutions. The mission of The Pilot is religious and patriotic. This twofold mission has been accomplished by The Pilot (a) internationally, (b) nationally (c) locally as a diocesan agency. (I) The Pilot a Religious Influence In the religious field internationally. The Pilot has performed an important service. It has at all times during the past sixteen years carried to American Cath- olics and to the non-Catholic American public at large the Encyclical Letters of the Sovereign Pontiffs. The Pilot has translated these Pontifical Letters both from the Italian and the Latin, and has published the first English version of them in this country. [ 234 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Without such a reliable agency to translate the lum- inous expressions of the great Pontiffs, and to carry such messages into tens of thousands of homes, the great American public would have been deprived of the en- couragement, enlightenment and inspiration contained in these noble documents. In placing The Pilot in every Catholic home. His Em- inence has thereby opened up to Catholics an avenue of light, hope and encouragement. The Pilot has efficiently accomplished this service. It has also translated and published every address and allocution of the Holy Father. Through news articles and editorial comment it has brought to the Catholics of this Diocese and country a better understanding and a finer appreciation of the paternal benevolence and solicitude of the Great White Shepherd of Christendom. If The Pilot served no further purpose than to place the Encyclical Letters, Addresses and Allocutions of the Sovereign Pontiffs in English dress in Catholic homes, its existence would be a thousand times justified. This, however, is but part of the mission entrusted to it. Great events are constantly taking place in Catholic countries. International and national Eucharistic Con- gresses in the world’s great Catholic centres, beatifica- tions and canonizations in Rome, as well as other solemn ecclesiastical functions of world-wide Catholic interest are duly chronicled from week to week. Readers of The Pilot are thereby made familiar with the activities of the Church Universal. Thus they are imbued with the true Catholic spirit. [ 235 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS In an international religious way, The Pilot consti- tutes what might be termed one connecting link between the Archiepiscopal See of Boston, its Cardinal Arch- bishop, priests and people, and the great font of Cathol- icism, the Rome of the Popes, and the Sovereign Pon- tiffs themselves. It brings the inspiring messages of the Common Father to his spiritual children, and returns concrete expressions of loyalty and love from the spirit- ual children to Christ’s Vicar on earth. May it not have been this very bond of affection and loyalty that the saintly Pius X noted, when he ad- dressed His Eminence in November 1908? “Happily the Commemoration of Our Jubilee and the centennial of your diocese of Boston happen at the same time” Pope Pius X wrote, “so that we rejoice together in the happiness of each other, bound, as I know you to be, by a special love, to the Apostolic See and to Our Person. “To Us, surrounded as We are by cares and difficul- ties, the thought of your attachment is a source of con- solation and hope. You have Our gratitude for your affection. But We desire not only to thank you but to praise you as well. We know how worthily you gov- ern and protect your spiritual charge, you whom We have given as a gift to the See of Boston, justly proud of her great Bishops Therefore, with good reason We offer you and your devoted priests and your pious people Our heartiest congratulations. Again We see promise in you of new and great hope of still greater success and prosperous achievement. That God may every day give you greater health and guidance is Our daily prayer . . .’’r,,^! THE DIOCESAN PRESS The Pilot A National Religious Influence The Pilot has been a strong influence nationally in moulding the public conscience of this country. It is the official organ of the Cardinal Archbishop and functions under his direction. Through The Pilot he gives official public expression to the saving principles of religion and morality which strengthen the Faith of the people and promote the ends of just government. As a fearless champion of justice and right and a vig- orous exponent of religious truth, he has become a world figure. This consideration has naturally attracted public attention to his official organ. To its pages men turn for a full and accurate account of the official utter- ances and acts of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston. There they find pastorals, sermons, and addresses on timely and pertinent subjects concerning Church and State, copious excerpts from which have been quoted in the public press throughout this country. An awak- ened public conscience has turned to His Eminence for strengthening direction. As Church Progress, a jour- nal published at St. Louis, Mo., stated in an article dated January 1913 ; “Cardinal O’Connell has again in clear terms marked out the line of Catholic action in this country. His talk to the Diocesan Union is being read by all Boston, and non-Catholics find it typical of the man they have learned to respect and admire.” This stirring address was carried by The Pilot under date of November 23, 1912. [ 237 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS In the issue of January 4, The Pilot published an article regarding the formation of a league to protect delinquent Catholic youth. Branches were established in every parish in the Boston, Fall River and Springfield Dioceses. The work was blessed and encouraged by the Cardinal Arch- bishop. The results have proved the necessity of such a movement and the saving influence of the League. From time to time, by episcopal direction, the Pilot dwelt upon this salutary matter, and was to a degree in- strumental in bringing the movement to a happy fruition throughout the State. Through the columns of The Pilot the Cardinal Arch- bishop’s words on Federation reached all parts of the nation. He personally addressed hundreds of meetings. He aroused an enthusiasm, deep and sustained. Soon, the Boston plan of organization was spreading over this country. In 1915, the Boston Plan was so widely known and universally admired that Anthony Matre, general Secretary of the American Federation of Cath- olic Societies, made the following statement before the delegates assembled at Toledo, Ohio, for the Four- teenth Annual Convention of the American Federation of Catholic Societies: “The Federation of the Archdiocese of Boston is now, no doubt, the strongest branch of the American Federa- tion of Catholic Societies. Five counties, comprising the Archdiocese, are now solidly federated, and over each there presides a chaplain, appointed by His Emin- ence, the Cardinal. The representatives that are pres- ent at this Convention represent 1,000,000 Catholics. It is not for me to report the great work done by this [ 238 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Federation. More eloquent lips than mine are here to tell you what the Militant Sons of IMassachusetts have done for the Catholic Apostolate. “I only wish to say that it was an inspiration to every member of the Federation in the United States— yes, I may say an inspiration to the Catholic world— when thousands of men of the Archdiocese of Boston con- gregated at the Massachusetts State House recently to assail in the open the false and uncalled-for attacks made on them. ... The great leaders who have led the fight for justice at the State House are with us today, and will be ready to tell us of their great work, and of their magnificent organization of which Cardinal O’Connell was the ‘Pillar and the Life.’ It was an inspir- ation to me to read the message which Cardinal O’Connell gave to the delegates assembled here with us today. “Would that the Federation had more Cardinal O’Connells. His cheering messages and wise counsel, sent to the Federation as Bishop of Portland, as Arch- bishop of Boston, and now as Cardinal, have always been of extreme encouragement to the Officers of the Federation, especially to the national secretary, and I have no hesitancy in stating that Cardinal O’Connell is the greatest Federation Cardinal in the world today.” The Pilot a Diocesan Religious Influence The Pilot has likewise fulfilled its mission in the religious field as a diocesan agency. The Official Organ has been utilized by the Society for the Propaga- tion of the Faith in Boston as a medium for the full and free expression of Mission news. Appeals for needy [ 239 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS missions are a regular feature. Stories of the sacrifices and hardships willingly undergone by the missionaries have thrilled the great Catholic flock of the Arch- diocese. The faithful have responded with a generosity that has put the Boston Diocesan Office in the very fore of the Propagation Agencies of the world. What The Pilot has meant to the local branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith will be better appreciated from the words of the Director of the local branch who states that in 1911 the total Dio- cesan contributions were $47,000. A few years later, or in 1914, the Director traced contributions of over $40,000 to Pilot appeals alone. In his article on the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Boston, 1908-1923, the Director states that over $100,000, or 20% of the annual total contributed by the Archdiocese for 1923, was directly traceable to the Pilot and its work for the Missions. Therefore, The Pilot in 1923 was responsible for contributions to the missionary cause of an amount 150% in excess of that contributed in 1914. The Pilot has in news articles brought to the people of the Archdiocese the messages of the missionaries’ dire needs, thus being instrumental in placing in their hands funds which have enabled them to bring the light of the Gospel into regions overrun with paganism and in- fidelity. Editorially it has consistently espoused the Missionary Cause, so dear to the heart of His Eminence. To further promote the Missionary Cause, His Emin- ence, in response to the Appeal of the Holy Father, in- augurated a local branch of the Association of the Holy [ 240 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Childhood, which assists missionaries in saving little pagan children. This branch was placed under the super- vision of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith of Boston. For three years, the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools, by the Cardinal Archbishop’s instructions, in- terested the Sisters and the children of the diocese in the work. A plan was adopted which was put into operation in the Fall of 1914. It is useful to note in this connection the commenda- tion of the Holy Father, who, through his illustrious Cardinal Secretary of State, wrote as follows: Secretariate of State To His Holiness To His Eminence William Cardinal O’Connell Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal:— Monsignor de Tiel, the Director General of the As- sociation of the Holy Childhood, and Monsignor Tiber- ghien, upon their return from the United States and Canada, told the Holy Father that Your Eminence and many American Bishops whom they visited during their recent journey have expressed themselves as most wil- ling to give their active encouragement to the above named Society, which is so helpful to the children and the youth, now enshrouded in the darkness of paganism. This was most comforting news to His Holiness, who. while continuing to show toward this most pious work the paternal benevolence, so generously bestowed upon it by his immediate predecessor of holy memory, has [ 241 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS not failed to manifest his own lively and strong desire that the Association of the Holy Childhood be estab- lished in every school and college of the United States and Canada. His Holiness, moreover, calls attention to the fact that this Society is not only helpful to the missionaries in making our dear Lord known to millions of pagan children, but also most useful in the sound, moral educa- tion of the Catholic youth. A work of this nature, how- ever, cannot make its salutary influence felt without the assistance of good souls, and, since the present critical situation in Europe has dried up the fountains of support that formerly flowed from the charity of Catholic Europeans, the Association of the Holy Child- hood, now more than ever, realizes how necessary it is that America continue to show, as in the past, its lib- erality and charity, and that it may be pleased to sup- ply in some measure the loss of the customary revenue from Europe. The August Pontiff is confident that the sturdy and valued support of Your Eminence and of the Bishops will be seconded not only by the clergy and by Catholics in general, but above all by the teachers, in whose zeal and true Christian charity he places great hopes. And in order that his desire may be crowned with happy and consoling success, the August Pontiff invokes upon all an abundance of assistance from on high, imparting to Your Eminence, to the Bishops, priests and faithful of the respective dioceses, especially to the teachers and to all those who cooperate with them in aiding the Association of the Holy Childhood, a Special Apostolic Benediction. [ 242 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS I am very happy to avail myself of this opportunity to express my profound homage. Your Eminence’s Most Humble and Devoted Servant, P. Cardinal Gasparri, Secretary. The work was forthwith taken in hand vigorously. The columns of The Pilot were given over liberally by Episcopal direction to strengthen the work. For the past seven years, according to reports from the national office of the Association of the Holy Childhood, this Archdiocese has led in the amounts contributed. This is a matter in which the Cardinal Archbishop, under whose direction and encouragement the work was ac- complished, priests and people may be pardoned for taking pride. Even now, new records are in the mak- ing, distinguishing the Archdiocese of Boston for its missionary zeal. With the Apostolic fervor and unsurpassed generosity of Cardinal, priests and people of Boston toward the missions in mind. His Eminence, Cardinal Van Rossum paid this Archdiocese a tribute of recognition, love and affection which was given prominence in a news and edi- torial way in The Pilot issue of May 7, 1921. Following is the letter of the Cardinal Prefect : [ 243 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda Rome, March 15, 1921. His Eminence, William Cardinal O’ Connell, Archbishop of Boston. Your Eminence: I hasten to acknowledge receipt of Your Eminence’s very welcome letter of February 21. It gives me great pleasure to avail myself of this opportunity to express to Your Eminence the hearty congratulations of the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda upon the splen- did success of the Archdiocese of Boston in its organiza- tion of the Societies in favor of the Foreign Missions. The generous people of the noble American nation are already showing evidence of the new and vigorous im- pulse that they purpose to give to the work of the Propa- gation of the Faith in which they hold the first place as far as contributions are concerned. I am especially pleased to express to the Diocese of Boston, which is in the vanguard of this noble enter- prise to further the interest of the missions, the profound gratitude and genuine satisfaction of the Holy See, be- cause of this proof of generous participation in the Mis- sionary Apostolate. To Your Eminence, therefore, to the organizers and directors of the Societies, and through them to the in- dividual members and benefactors, the Propaganda ex- tends its sincere gratitude, and, at the same time, assures you all of a share in the merits, the fruits and the spiritual benefits of the Societies— blessings which, through the remunerative goodness of Our Lord, will [ 244 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS surely be given to you all a hundred fold as a reward for the offerings you have made to the Missions. I take advantage of this occasion to present to Your Eminence my most profound esteem. Your Eminence’s Most Humble and Devoted Servant, G.M. Cardinal Van Rossum. As The Pilot has been one of the effective forces working for the extension of the Missions, so it has been a strong influence in forwarding the Charities of the Archdiocese. It has carried weekly the message of the Diocesan Charitable Bureau into thousands of homes. The strengthening assistance rendered by the Catholics of the Archdiocese is to be traced to some degree, there- fore, to the service performed by The Pilot in promoting that salutary work. It was felt that Catholics, while extremely generous, should be brought into more intimate contact with the institutions, reared through Episcopal solicitude, priest- ly zeal and lay cooperation. It was not to be expected that time would suffice to allow every Catholic to visit all of them personally. Hence, His Eminence directed that brief sketches of the institutions of the Diocese, with photographic reproductions, should be published in his Official Organ. For the period of one year, The Pilot devoted weekly one full page to such sketches and pictures. The result of such work is a better appreciation of the Archdiocesan Institutions and the Christlike work they are accomplish- ing quietly and unostentatiously. One might dwell at length on the influence that pub- licity has exerted in advancing Charitable endeavor. We [24S] THE DIOCESAN PRESS need cite but one campaign, in which the forces of The Pilot were fully utilized to stir enthusiasm in the Arch- diocese. Reference is made to the campaign for the new St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. The goal set for this campaign was $200,000. There was an oversubscription of 50 per cent. As The Pilot has aided missionary and charitable endeavor, so it has given its columns over consistently to the promotion of the parochial schools. His Eminence has caused to be published annually in The Pilot the report of the schools of the Archdiocese, thereby keep- ing his people in constant contact with the progress of Catholic education, and arousing deep enthusiasm for the extension of the parochial school system; for it is the accepted rule that every parish, capable of doing so, must support a parochial school. In the recent campaign for the upbuilding and ex- tension of the new Boston College, The Pilot’s pages were again utilized to great advantage. His Eminence’s Pastoral was placed in the homes of the Catholic people. His example of generosity was a signal for a benevolent liberality on the part of all. Through The Pilot, the Cardinal Archbishop exhorted all to make a New Boston College an accomplished fact. So well did his flock rise to the rallying words of their Chief Shepherd that this great campaign to amass $2,000,000 was oversubscribed by 50 per cent, at a time when there was wide unem- ployment, and distress was felt on all sides. Space is allotted regularly to the Children’s Depart- ment, the various Catholic Clubs, and fraternal organiza- tionc, such as the Knights of Columbus, Foresters, I-.^dies’ Catholic Benevolent Association, Daughters of [ 246 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Isabella, Catholic Daughters, Ancient Order of Hibern- ians, Massachusetts Catholic Women’s Guild, and so on. Strictly Church organizations, such as Sodalities, Holy Name Societies, etc., find a means of public expression in the columns of The Pilot. In these days of rampant materialism, when the re- 1 ligious ideal is so widely ignored, when crime waves are j a commonplace over the length and breadth of the nation, and irresponsible agencies are preaching and practicing doctrines destructive of morality, subversive of right order, and menacing to the nation’s stability, one ' can hardly exaggerate the importance of Episcopal pro- nouncements and Catholic editorial utterance. In both departments The Pilot is performing weekly a most important service to Catholics. If Bishops exhort their spiritual flocks to read and ponder over the pages of the \ Catholic journal, it is because experience has shown that promiscuous and ephemeral reading is dangerous and that there is need of right direction of mind and heart. Powerful as the pulpit is, it must be supplemented today by the Catholic Press. The Pilot gives editorially the true Catholic viewpoint on matters pertaining to the Faith. Secular journals fall into unfortunate errors, because their writers are deficient in Catholic history, law and doctrine. Edi- torial expression is a mighty moulder of public opinion and action. If wrong standards are followed, irreparable harm inevitably results. Catholic editorial expression, because true and responsible, is today necessary. The words of the saintly Pius X are pertinent and convinc- ing: “The Pilot has become an authoritative journal in Rome and is read by many of the Cardinals.’’ [ 247 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS (II) The Pilot a Patriotic and Civic Influence The Pilot has been considered as a religious influence. Its mission was shown to be (a) international, (b) na- tional and (c) local, as a Diocesan agency. It will now be shown that The Pilot is also a patriotic and civic force, that has exerted its influence (a) internationally, (b) nationally and (c) locally, as a Diocesan agency. Every force that works for the civic betterment of State and nation must be accorded a place among those agencies that function for the general welfare of man- kind, because today the nations of the world are united so closely by ties of religion, industry and commerce, that the general well-being of any one member of the human family must reflect itself directly or indirectly in the life and activities of every other member. The influence of The Pilot internationally may be seen from its various activities during the war period. During that troubled time. The Pilot worked ceaselessly for the restoration of order and for the reestablishment of an era of justice and good will. Under date of July 28, 1915, Pope Benedict XV, of holy memory, addressed a very important Letter to the belligerents and their rulers. The Pilot carried this letter in its issue of August 21, 1915. “The first words, which We, as Supreme Pastor, directed to the nations and to their Rulers,” wrote His Holiness, “were words of peace and love. But Our counsel, affectionate and in- sistent as of a father and a friend, continues to be disre- garded. . . . Why not initiate with eager mind an ex- change — direct or indirect — of views with the aim of [ 248 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS taking an account, in the measure that is possible, of these rights and aspirations, and thus manage to put an end to this huge struggle, as has happened in other similar circumstances? Blessed be he who will first raise the olive branch and extend the right hand to the enemy, offering reasonable terms of peace! . . . We invite all, who throughout the world are friends of peace, to give us their aid, so as to hasten the termination of war, which has, during the past year, changed Europe into a vast battlefield.” This plea of the Holy Father resounded throughout Christendom. While The Pilot carried the message into Catholic homes of the Archdiocese, the Cardinal Arch- bishop on many occasions was exhorting his people to pray for the fulfilment of the Holy Father’s fervent desire. The power of publicity was needed then as never before. And The Pilot generously supplied that need. Under date of August 25, 1917, The Pilot published the Holy Father’s peace proposal to the belligerents and their rulers. It was one of the greatest documents that the world has seen. It moved profoundly every bellig- erent, and contained the very points upon which peace was ultimately established. Joining its voice with the Press of the world for a lasting peace. The Pilot by news and editorial expression dwelt continuously on this his- toric document. It, therefore, served as one of the many Diocesan agencies, working for the restoration of order and for peace among nations. Readers of The Pilot will recall the numerous appeals made by the Cardinal Archbishop for civil and religious liberty, his strong words upholding the activities of the [ 249 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Holy Father for proper readjustment of world conditions, and the great petition asking that the Holy See be given representation at the Peace Conference. These facts and many others of common knowledge became known abroad. From no source did a more sympathetic and congratulatory recognition come than from the great heart of Benedict XV himself, who wrote the following letter, which was published in The Pilot of March 15, 1919. To Our Beloved Son William Of the Title of St. Clement, Cardinal Priest of Holy Roman Church Archbishop of Boston Health and Benediction. We have received your letter so truly gratifying both for its expression of filial love and devotion and for the encouragement it has given Us. You have truly measured the extent of Our joy at the signing of the Armistice and the conclusion of hostilities. We rejoice, indeed, as is fitting over this event for which We have ceaselessly worked and prayerfully yearned. But the cup of Our happiness will be filled only when, as We confidently hope, the envoys of the nations in con- ference assembled conclude a peace which will satisfy the ends of justice and charity, and, in consequence, will protect the highest interests of all. Such is the only peace which will be lasting and will bring to mankind enduring prosperity. [ 250 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS We extend to you Our heartfelt thanks for your con- stant and energetic service, and, in turn, beseech Al- mighty God to bless you with prosperity. In testimony of Our sincere benevolence. We lovingly impart to you, beloved Son, to all your devoted clergy and to your spiritual flock, the Apostolic Benediction. Given at Rome in the Church of St. Peter, on the 27th day of January in the year of Our Lord 1919, and of Our Pontificate, the Fifth. Benedict, P.P., XV. After the Great War the aspirations of small nations for freedom were widely discussed. No one conversant with those discussions will ever forget the greatest plea of this century for justice to Ireland, uttered in Madison Square Garden, New York, on December 10, 1918, by the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston. The Pilot pub- lished this eloquent appeal in its current issue. It was broadcasted throughout this country, and all over Europe. The Pilot followed this inspiring utterance with news and editorial comment. It showed the logic of Ireland’s claim for self-determination, and opened its columns freely to a full discussion of the Irish Cause. Many notable articles were published in its pages enlightening the pub- lic mind, and awakening the public conscience to the justice of Ireland’s cause. The Pilot’s championship of that cause did not stop here. By episcopal direction it solicited contributions to aid the needy of Ireland in the critical period following the signing of the Armistice. For many months, this humanitarian work was carried on, with the result that [ 251 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS many thousands of dollars were sent from the Diocese to alleviate suffering in Ireland. An inspiring letter, dated April 16, 1921, was pub- lished in The Pilot on April 23, 1921, and brought new hope and added encouragement to Ireland’s stricken people. In that letter, addressed to the Massachusetts Committee for Relief in Ireland, His Eminence said: “I have been following with interest the campaign for funds under the direction of the American Committee for Relief in Ireland, and it is most gratifying to find that the campaign is meeting with a well merited success. “From time to time, I have learned with great pleasure that the parishes of this Archdiocese have interested themselves in this charitable movement, and I am sure they are only too glad to give whole-hearted cooperation. “The recent statistics given out by the Committee speak for themselves, and will, I am sure, appeal to all who wish to alleviate the distress and sufferings of the unfortunate women and children of Ireland.” This letter, copied by the Press of the nation, ensured the success of the movement. For between January and August of that year over $1,000,000 was sent to Ireland. This was not all. The Holy Father, viewing the la- mentable condition of impoverished Russia, appealed for her starving people, who were dying literally by the millions. In answer to the Pope’s appeal. The Pilot again opened its columns to exhort Catholics to save these stricken people. For months The Pilot received and acknowledged contributions for Russian Relief. The assistance rendered to Ireland and Russia, was quickly followed by another campaign to relieve the starving women and children of Austria. [ 252 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Under date of November 12, 1921, the following letter was received by The Pilot: To the Editor of The Pilot, Boston, Massachusetts. Dear Editor:— I wish you to reproduce in the next issue of The Pilot the following letter which has been received from His Eminence, Cardinal Piffl, Archbishop of Vienna, thank- ing America for the assistance given to suffering Austria, and renewing his appeal in behalf of his destitute people. Already, contributions to the amount of $48,000 have been sent to the Holy Father from this Archdiocese to help alleviate the sufferings of the peoples of Central Europe— a remarkable manifestation of the generosity of our good people, of which we may be justly proud. But the sad conditions that now prevail in Austria are just as bad, if not worse, than they have been during the past few years. I heartily recommend, therefore, to the faithful of this Archdiocese the appeal of His Eminence, the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, which I trust will meet with as generous response, as have the many appeals to which they have contributed in the past. Those who wish to contribute to this most worthy purpose may send their donations to The Pilot, in which due acknowledgment will be made. William Cardinal O^Connell. The campaign for funds for Austria was thus opened through The Pilot, and the needy people of Austria were greatly assisted by the generous donations of the faith- ful of the Diocese. [ 253 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS In the issue of December 2, 1922, The Pilot carried the letter of His Eminence, Cardinal Bertram, Prince Bishop of Breslau, in which he extended, through His Eminence, the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, to the American Bishops, the gratitude of the German Episco- pate for the timely aid of America in sending funds when they were sadly needed. The above are but a few of the movements espoused by The Pilot which prove its worth and show the extent of its influence internationally, from a civic and patriotic point of view. The Pilot A Patriotic and Civic Influence Nationally When the United States entered the World War in April, 1917, every agency that could aid the nation in any way was requisitioned into immediate service. The Archdiocese of Boston was well equipped to lend strong assistance. Every branch of the Archdiocesan system was eager and ready to do its patriotic duty. The Pilot, as the publicity agency, was directed to serve the ends of just government, to instil patriotism and forward every movement, looking to the winning of the war. The rallying cry was given at the Cathedral during Holy Week: “Our country is at war,” said His Eminence. “Oiir nation, therefore, needs us all, every man, woman and child of us, to strengthen her, to hearten her, and to stand faithfully by her, until her hour of trial has passed, and her hour of glorious triumph shall arrive.” . . . “We are of all races; today we are one— Americans. [ 254 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Whatever we can do in honor and justice, that we must in conscience do to defeat our enemies and make our flag triumphant. . . . Let us hasten now to act. We have spoken enough. May God preserve and bless America.” The effect was electric. The diocese was immediately galvanized into action. St. Elizabeth’s Hospital was of- fered to the Government. Other hospitals of the diocese quickly followed suit. Their facilities were given over for such work as the Government deemed necessary. Through The Pilot emergency equipment was solicited and supplied. All this was in keeping with the joint letter of the Archbishops of the country, dated April 19, 1917, pledging loyalty and cooperation, and extending to the President every aid that the Church in this coun- try could offer. This joint letter appeared in the April 28th issue of The Pilot, and was a further stimulus to Catholic patriotic action. When financial assistance was needed to carry on the war, and Liberty Loans were floated. The Pilot urged that every Catholic do his utmost to ensure their success. Its efforts were extended over the entire period during which this nation was at war. It had its strict orders, as had every other Diocesan agency. All were fulfilling their high duty. It was with this thought in mind that the Cardinal Archbishop uttered the following words of encouragement in a statement issued by him at the Fed- eral Reserve Bank in October, 1917: “The President has called upon every American to do his utmost to make the Liberty Loan a success, and I am here (Federal Reserve Bank) in response to that appeal. [ 255 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS “I have already done my duty in the purchase of these bonds, but it was suggested that, by making known by this method my intense desire to be of service in this national crisis, I might perhaps help in creating a wider interest in the taking up of these bonds. ... It would be a crime for any of us to be indifferent to the tre- mendous consequences that would result to this country in the unthinkable event of our failure to do our full duty at this critical time. “I am happy to say that I have personal knowledge that the Catholics of the country are striving to perform their full duty, and I have the authority for this state- ment from all the civil and military authorities of the land. some of our regiments, nearly all the soldiers are Catholics, in others more than half, and in others still, at least from 35 per cent to 40 per cent. . . . “We are proud of what our boys are doing, and on our part we must do everything we possibly can to keep them in good condition morally and physically. This loan will help toward that end. ...” To stimulate patriotism and heroism, the American Cardinals issued an appeal, entitled “Fight and Pray.” This appeal appeared in The Pilot issue of July 13, 1918. Editorially The Pilot constantly urged the neces- sity of personal sacrifice on the part of those at home in order to increase the courage and morale of the men at the front, while at the same time it was contributing very substantially to the success of the many drives that marked that period, for the Red Cross, the Knights of Columbus, etc. [ 256 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS The Pilot, by carrying out faithfully and loyally this patriotic program in war as in peace, served its country well. The mission of The Pilot is to expound truth and ex- pose error. During the last sixteen years many bills have been brought before the State and nation that have been condemned, because of their un-American spirit. Such were the Smith-Towner, and later the Fess-Capper Bill and the so-called Child Labor Amendment. The Pilot has dwelt upon these and similar bills that contradicted the spirit of the Constitution, and has shown their in- consistencies and fundamental weaknesses. Such pub- licity has produced a better understanding of the pro- jected legislation and has resulted in a sound condemna- tion of measures, that, if not challenged, would work to the detriment of the Church and nation. Though one might dwell at length on this and other phases of the activities of The Pilot, sufficient has been said to demonstrate the service that the Official Organ has rendered as a national civic influence. The Pilot A Patriotic and Civic Influence Locally What affects the whole, affects the part. When, there- fore, any agency has in peace and war served the nation, it has likewise benefited every part of the nation. Hence, The Pilot, as a diocesan agency, has promoted the ends of government locally. No one can forget the days of 1918 when the influenza epidemic was taking its frightful toll of life. At this time. The Pilot did valiant service as a publicity agency [ 257 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS in bringing constantly the messages of the medical authorities to the people of the Diocese. St. John’s Seminary was offered as a hospital and over 100 Sisters were recruited as nurses during that crisis. So grateful were the public authorities for this beneficent offer that the following statement was given to The Pilot and to the daily Press of Boston by Hon. Henry B. Endi- cott, Chairman of the Emergency Public Health Com* mittee : “His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell, has offered to turn over to H. B. Endicott, Chairman of the Emergency Public Health Committee, the entire property now oc- cupied as a Seminary on Commonwealth Avenue, Brigh- ton, with all buildings, land and equipment, having a capacity for at least 1000 patients. “This offer will undoubtedly be accepted after a meet- ing on Monday of the Emergency Public Health Com- mittee, and after consultation with Dr. Kelley of the State Board of Health. “This is in addition to his offer of 112 Sisters for dis- trict nursing, which offer has been accepted. Some of the Sisters are already at work. “His Eminence, realizing the seriousness of the situa- tion, hurried back from the funeral of Cardinal Farley, anxious to do everything he could for the people of Massachusetts at this time of their great need, and he has applied himself since his return to the great work to the exclusion of ever)rthing else.” [2581 THE DIOCESAN PRESS Later, the following letter was written by Mr. Endicott and carried by The Pilot in its issue of October 12 , 1918 : His Eminence, William Cardinal O’Connell, Boston, Mass. Your Eminence:— Since your splendid offer of St. John’s Seminary, we have considered very carefully just how it could be utilized, so that the greatest good would come to the greatest number. After taking up the matter ... we have concluded that there is the greatest need for some place where those convalescing from this terrible in- fluenza might be taken and cared for. Now, if a place had been built to order, it could not possibly have been better for the purpose above men- tioned than St. John’s Seminary. ... We know your noble offer will save many lives, because the great dan- ger of this epidemic is that patients will try to get out too soon and this means weaker men and women in the future. We can care for a great number of patients, thanks to the generosity of Your Eminence, and I am sure it is a great satisfaction to you to know that this ac- tion on your part insures the people of Massachusetts that they will have a great number of healthy, vigorous men who otherwise might have been weaklings all their lives. It is hard for me to express my appreciation in words ; but I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I am only echoing the sentiment of the other members of the Emergency Public Health Committee. Yours very truly, Henry B. Endicott. [ 259 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS The position of The Pilot in the civic life of the com- munity is very definitely established. It has served every honorable purpose expected of the Official Organ of a great Archdiocese. It has strengthened society by pro- moting good citizenship, and by exposing measures cal- culated to weaken civic allegiance, and has, therefore, been a local civic influence for good. By promoting faithfully the sacred influences of the Faith and serving the ends of just government in the manner we have indicated. The Pilot has accomplished successfully its mission in the religious and civic fields. The Material Growth of The Pilot The Pilot, as Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Boston, has had a most successful career. When taken over as the Official Organ, it was an eight page, seven column, newspaper. During the years 1908-1923 it has increased both its pages and its columns. Not infre- quently it carries twenty-four pages. It has grown from a small seven column paper to the standard eight column paper universally adopted throughout the country. Its circulation has also shown a consistent and healthy growth. Through the constant encouragement of the Cardinal Archbishop and with the cooperation of his de- voted priests and people, who have worked in a fine bond of unity with him. The Pilot now enters 50,000 homes weekly. This fact has been responsible for a full and gracious appreciation of the value of The Pilot on the part of the merchants of Boston. During the past several years The Pilot has carried weekly the advertisements of every [ 260 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS representative business house of Boston. This in itself is a great tribute to its drawing power as an advertising medium as well as to its intrinsic value as a home paper, carrying news of the Catholic world, supplemented by strong editorial expression, and timely comment on press- ing problems of the day. Besides local firms, national advertisers are using The Pilot more and more each year. In October, 1923, the Cardinal Archbishop felt that The Pilot should have its own plant, fully equipped. Therefore, His Eminence purchased the new and up-to- date presses and machinery of the Record Publishing Company. The Pilot today has a fully equipped, modern printing plant, complete in every detail, located in the heart of the Boston newspaper district. During the past few years the scope of The Pilot has been broadened to include the publishing business. The Pilot, in this latter capacity, has made sales of 25,000 copies of the Passion of Our Lord, written by His Emi- nence, Cardinal De Lai, and translated by His Eminence, Cardinal O’Connell. Already 5,000 more copies are in the presses for future delivery. The Pilot has, likewise, dis- tributed many hundreds of the complete sets of the Sermons and Addresses of Cardinal O’Connell. During the past year, it has successfully published many other books. The standing of a journal in a community is measured, not only by the number of its subscribers, and the space taken by merchants for advertising purposes, but, to a degree, by the opinion of its fellow-publishers, and the esteem in which it is held. The Pilot enjoys happy and cordial relations with every newspaper and publisher in [ 261 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Boston, and is quoted copiously by every paper. All see in it the agency of a Prince of the Church, of a great zealous priesthood, and a Catholic population of proved loyalty and generosity. Pope's Brief on The Pilot The history of The Pilot would be incomplete without mention of the Papal Brief issued by the saintly Pius X. In loving tribute to his holy memory, therefore, we con- clude this sketch of The Pilot, as the Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Boston, with his memorable words : To Our Venerable Brother William, Archbishop of Boston, Pius X, Pope. Venerable Brother, Health and Apostolic Benediction: The daily and periodical press, which today has taken on so great a development in consequence of the uni- versally extended desire to know everything, and to judge everything, is a most efficacious instrument of good as well as of evil ; and, therefore, no one who takes interest in the welfare of society can neglect it. In fact, while the wicked abuse this double-edged arm to open the way among the people for errors and corrupt- ing ideas, it is proper, nay, it is necessary, that the good avail themselves of it for the defence of the truth and for the safeguarding of Christian customs and civil in- stitutions. It is, then, not to be wondered at that a Bishop of such ability, alertness and zeal, as you are, fulfils, in more than abundant measure, this duty. [ 262 ] THE DIOCESAN PRESS Moreover, we learn with pleasure how much you are doing to maintain the weekly paper, The Pilot, the oldest of the American journals of this character. For you spare neither expense nor labor to make it perfect of its kind, so that you may have an organ by which you may not only communicate to your diocesans the orders pro- ceeding from your authority, but also and particularly, expound, and, according to the circumstances, defend, in the face of the great public, the Catholic doctrine. We therefore, with all Our heart give you the praise which you deserve for your energetic work. In addition. We exhort, not indeed you to be willing to continue the great work— for your zeal has no need of stimulus— but every Catholic, each and all, as many as there may be in your region, that they may have the will, each one according to his measure, to help in the support and circulation of said paper. In this way, they will do something most pleasing to Us, most useful for religion and their own country, and meritorious in itself for heavenly favors, of which may a pledge be the Apostolic Benediction, which to you. Ven- erable Brother, and to them we impart with special affection. Given at Rome, from St. Peter’s, the seventeenth day of April, 1909, in the sixth year of Our Pontificate. Pius, PP., X. [ 263 ] i; .• 4 . ' *1 4 i t i f V■ *..’-./;i|: '♦ >* • ■■ * ' N.v r** « ^ ' ^' -' /':. .; 4 ' . - * • ■ ■/*,/.,;■. » 4 ^ 4r4 ^ ^ ■•' ft ::;/ .:;:K.;;jaife»'^ - :M^ '. , ' 55J '^. v