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Our Cat/,ol-ic 11eritage in Texas
196
square miles; its Catholic population was 130,000, while the number of priests was 143. His diocese received $63,043.62. It is only when taken as a whole that the extent of the assistance rendered to the missions in Texas by the Society can be fully appreciated. In its first twenty-five years, the Society had given in cash to the six dioceses in the State the astounding sum of $942,922.78, almost a million dollars, every cent of which was desperately needed to maintain and spread the Faith.4° Clmrck Goods and Ftmiisliings. While the new chapels and churches were being built with the help so generously given, it became evident that the missionary congregations needed more than just buildings. The new churches had to be furnished. To fill this need a church goods department was immediately started in the offices of the Society. Appeals were made to the older parishes for all discarded articles. Nothing was considered too large or too small, or too old that it could not be put to new uses by the Society. Soon, vestments, chalices, ciboria, linens, pews, confessionals, sanctuary rails, stations, sanctuary lamps, stained glass windows, crucifixes, statues, prayer books, and even unclaimed beads, as well as hundreds of other articles that are necessary for the various Catholic ceremonies, began to flow into the new department. The articles received were sorted, cleaned, and repaired to make them ready for use. As requests came from worried missionaries, these articles were sent to help furnish and equip the new chapels. Before long the Society was handling about 50,000 articles annually. Not only were church furnish- ings sent in this manner to the poor missions, but other goods were also being shipped to help make the life of the forlorn missionaries more comfortable. Lace curtains, pieces of furniture that might be useful in otherwise bare rectories, woolen socks, sweaters, gloves, and many other items were gratefully received and shipped to missionaries in the field.' 1 The Mission Students' Endowment Fund. At the time of the organ- ization of the Society, the principal need was the construction of chapels and churches. It was soon realized that there was much more than that to be done in the vast field of missionary endeavour. Bishops, in the Southwest particularly, needed assistance to educate deserving young 40 The facts summarized here are taken from O'Brien, "Catholic Church Extension Society," CatlioUc Builders of the Nation, V, 129-133; Kelley, Tlie Story of E:r:ten· sio1J, 254-256 ; Extension Magazi,u, Silver Jubilee Number, October, 1930, 34-38, I 77•178. 41 Kelley, o-,. cu., 142-143.
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