CATHOLIC PROGRESS IN LIVERPOOL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 9, 28 February 1901, Page 29

CATHOLIC PROGRESS IN LIVERPOOL.

Ik his advent pastoral the Bishop of Liverpool deals with the progress of Catholicism in the diocese during the past 50 years. His Lordship says :—: — At the time the hierarchy was re-established, if we may judge by the baptismal returns, the total number of Catholics in the diocese must have been about 200,000. If to-day we reckon over 330,000 souls in the diocese, it is mainly through the sacrifices which havp hppn marie to provide these important agencies for the salvation of souls. The need of priests was fell more keenly than anything plbp Yet. for the work of ministering to 200,000 soul?, there were only 120 priests. To-day, to minister to half as many again, we have more than three times as many priests, altogether over 400 priests. Furthermore, the chief effort made in the diocese has ever been to keep up a constant, and, as far as possible, an adequate supply of priests. And bo, in 50 years, not only has the generosity of the clergy and laity built the existing College of St. Joseph, Upholland, but the number of aspirants to the priesthood in our various colleges has been raised from about 50 to 180. The number of our churches and chapels ia the next great landmark of our progress. It is true that most of these buildings are simple and devoid of ornaments, though there are many and even noteworthy exceptions. But this was rendered necessary by the poverty of most of our people, and by the numerous calls made upon them. In 1850 there were some 86 churches and chapels erected in the diocese. To-day that number has reached 171. But it is chiefly in some of our larger centres of population that the increase in the number of priests and of churches is most striking. This was naturally to be expected, owing not only to the natural natural increase in the population, but also to the large expansion of so many of our towns. Thus, in Liverpool city, the number of churches has increased from 13 in 1850 to 34 in 1900, and the number of priests from 37 in 1850 to 130 in 1900. In Bootle, instead of one church and one priest, we have now three churches and 12 priests. In Preston the number of churches has increased from four to seven, the number of priests from nine to 30. In St. Helena, where in 1850 there were two churches, there are now eight ; where there were three priests there are now 26. In Wigan there were 50 years ago three churcheß where now there are four, and five priests where now there are 13. Warrington had one church, and now it has three ; it had two priests, and now it has six. Whilst in 1850 Widnes had one church, it now has three, and where there was one priest there are now seven. There are at the present time nearly 70,000 Catholic children receiving a careful instruction in their religion in about 170 schools. Besides the increase in the number of clergy, of churches, and of schools, other unmistakable signs of progress are not wanting. Fifty years ago there were in the diocese only two convents, where religious women devoted themselves to their own sanctification and to the service of the poor. At the present day there are no less than 47 convents, in which some 700 Sisters spend their lives in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Fifty years ago there were in the diocese only two institutions engaged in what may be called rescue work — one an orphanage for girls, the other an asylum for the blind. At the present time there are no less than 30 institutions for this work — orphanages, industrial schools, poor-law ichools, reformatories, asylum for the blind, refuges for penitents, homes for waifs and strays, homes for boys and girls, and homes for the aged poor. These institutions altogether shelter some 3,500 inmates.