Ow· Catlw/ii; IIeritage in Texas
their brethren in Europe to continue to carry the bulk of the financial burden. That the Church in the United States had grown up was officially recognized in 1908, when Pope St. Pius X on June 19 removed the Church in this country from the jurisdiction of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide and elevated "it to a status of equality with the other full-grown branches of the Church...." Origin of tire Catholic Clmrch Extension Society of tlte U11ited States of America. At the turn of the century, just as the European charitable societies were beginning to reduce the amount of alms heretofore allo- cated to the Church in the United States, an enthusistaic young priest, the future Bishop of the Diocese of Oklahoma (now Oklahoma City and Tulsa) was earnestly trying to build a new church in Lapeer, Michigan, for his small parish. Reverend Francis C. Kelley, recently out of the seminary, burned with zeal to advance God's kingdom on earth. He looked about Lapeer and was amazed that the sectarian groups, no more prosperous than his own parishioners, were able to put up such fine churches. His church suffered considerably by comparison with the buildings of the various Protestant sects. As he pondered the matter, he concluded that it was not indifference on the part of his little flock that accounted for the disparity in the church buildings; the reason was tc, be found, perhaps in the lack of means, for his parishioners had responded willingly and generously to the extent of their ability to his plea for funds to build a new church. Yet that was not the answer, Father Kelley knew, for the other local groups, equally poor, had better churches. How they did it remained a paradox to the logically minded priest. "They are helped by their Church Extension Society," explained one of his neighbors. "Doesn't your society help you?" The only reply that the puzzled Father Kelley could make at the moment was that he knew of no such agency to help poor Catholic parishes. That night he searched diligently in the Catholic Directory for such a society. He found none listed. Further investigation revealed some astounding facts. The 1904 report on the status of religion in the United States in the preceding year showed that, whereas of the 582,878 com- municants gained by all Christian churches, 241,955 were Catholics, only 226 of the 2,310 new churches built during the year were Catholic. In fact, the Baptists, who had gained only 85,040 members, had been able to build 469 churches. The other denominations, regardless of the number of conversions, had erected proportionately many more church buildings than had the Catholics. The explanation was simple: the Meth-
Powered by FlippingBook