THE TRUE CHICAGO

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1929, Page 5

THE TRUE CHICAGO

GREAT WORK OF CHURCH. Chicago is,’’not-the,;Wicked eitf tho cable news would have us believes it- to be, according to the Rev. •‘.tier, Superior bf’.the ‘Fathers ojf tho Blessed Sacrament, Chicago, wljojl is a passenger oh'tluri Niagara for Sydney, via Auckland. He is accompanied by the Rev. John Graham, of Newport. “ A distorted picture of Chicago is s (given.-'to the wpvhTb. because ...tlije/ only news sent out relates to murders, runiltunning, fights between gunmen, aikJ other sensational crimes committed by a mere handful of criminals,” said Father Pelletier in an interview. “ I know Chicago well, and can assure you that the hundreds .'of. thousands of citizens who make up the bulk of the population ef two or more millions are rev spectable, hard-working people. Tho few thousands who get into trouble give our beautiful city a had name.” Father Pelletier smiled when -asked about ‘‘B-ig Bill” Thompson, ex-May or of Chicago. “ You don’t liear' jnuch about him now, because he is not saying much—keeping very quiet, in”fact. Mr Thompson is a very ' sick man.” In addition to being Superior of tho Fathers of the Blessed 'Sacrament, Father Pelletier is a member ii ; tho Board of Delegates for-Religious .Communities of Women. He stated' that fche business which had brought Father Graham and himself to these parti was of a private nature. Speaking of religious work irie Cliicago, Father Pellitier said there were 300 Roman Catholic churches in that city, and the Gospel was preached in 29 different languages, Chicago being a very cosmopolitan city. Father. Graham said that the faith was preached in fewer languages in New York than it was in Chicago, despite the fact that in New York tliero was a great multiplicity of tongues, and many foreign clergy were required 1 to minister to the polyglot population. There were .22,000,000 Roman Catholics in the United/States of America, whoso spiritual needs iveye ministered to by 23,000. priests, under four cardinals, of whom Cardinal vO’Cbnnell, of Boston, was the