CATHOLIC 164 CATHOUO
was that the English secured most of the colonies, colonization endeavors of the Irish Catholic Coloni- The Latin colonies were Catholic. The first white zation Society. The immigrants who came to this settlers in the United States were the Spanish and country from Germany and other European coun- French immigrants, comine with their families and tries, because of economic and religious reasons, also inter-marrying with the Indians. The Indian were also settled in colonies throughout the Middle reductions were social colonies, founded by the West through the individual enterprises of zealous Franciscan Fathers in the Southwest. They were bishops and priests.
situated in the best sites of California, New Mexico, Catholic Colonization Society op the United and Arizona. Anyone acquainted with the facts. States. — In our day the Catholic Colonization Soci- and looking for good lands, will first direct his ety, U. S. A., represents the organized National attention to the ancient Indian colonies. The Catholic Colonization endeavors in the United Indiana increased and prospered. There were as States. It is the only national colonization society, manv as 5000 individuals in a village, and they and the only organization of its kind which has produced everything they wanted for their own received the recommendation and encouragement use. As proof of their efl&ciency they built sub- of the Board of North American Archbishops. At stantial cnurches and schools, which to this day their annual meeting, held in Washington in 1912. form conspicuous landmarks of the country. These the late Archbishop of Chicago, Most Reverend colonies nave disappeared, partly for political Edward Quigley, presented the following resolution reasons, but mainly because of economic factors, which was accepted by all the Archbishops: "This the chief of which was the fact that the barbarian body has heard with great satisfaction that there and the half civilized man cannot compete with the is to be called a meeting of Bishops and Priests at fully civilized man and commercial enterprises and St. Louis, to consider a movement with the idea, colonies organized by him. of completely organizing the Catholic Colonization
Protestant Colomzation.—ln. the English colonies Society, now in existence, and give it responsible the practice of the Catholic religion was forbidden, direction. The Archbishops are deeply interested except in Maryland and Pennsylvania. From Mary- ^^ the development of the work designed to aid land a number of Catholic colonists went to Ken- Catholic immigrants, and to direct them to Catholic tucky and other Southern states, forming there localities where their faith may be safeguarded by incipient Catholics colonies. The number of Catholic church, school, and pastor." ^ , ,
Irishmen who were deported to the Southern States , A special promotion meeting, called bv the Arch- from Great Britain was very great, as is testified bishop of St. Louis, Most Reverend John J. Glen- by the names of many towns found in various parts non, was held at St. Louis, 4 and 6 May, 1911. It of the South. No doubt these martyrs deported was attended by twenty-three representatives on account of their faith died in the Faith, but (bishops and delegates of bishops). Archbidiop the same cannot be said of their children. Without Glennon presided over the meeting. A National priest or religious ministrations their descendants Society of Colomzation was established and a work- were lost to the Faith and their religious affiliations i^g organization formed. It was a convention of were entirely obliterated, even in their own minds, capable minds and auspicious prospects. On 11 The French and Spanish colonies founded in the July, 1911, a second general convention of the South retained their racial and religious characteris- Society was held m Chicago. It was honored by tics in a very marked degree. These Latin colonies, \ne presence of the four metropolitans of Middle wherever they were not destroyed by rival influ- Amen^, Archbishops Quigley, Ireland, Glennon. ence, developed into great communities and cities, a.^^a Messmer. At this convention the constitu- such as St. Augustine, New Orieans, and others. tioM, by-laws, and other regulations for the guid-
Irish Catholui Colomzation Association,— KeToio ance of the executives and officers of the Society attempts were made in the latter part of the nine- ^re drawn up and adopted. These resolutions gave teenth century to group that immense number of ^^^ central orgamzation the power of initiative in Catholic immigrants from Europe who were scat- ^rtmg colonies, with a proviso to co-operate with tering throughout the churchless regions of the diocesan bureaus of colonization wherever they United States. The railroads were building through existed. The work was centralized in the national the great basin of the Mississippi and opening im- bureau established at Chicago. Thus the society mense territories to settlers. People of every de- as the National Cathohc Colomzation Society of nomination and especially Catholics, flowed into ^n© United States, came into being under most those new fields, the more so that they were the worthy and promising auspices, and was imme- men who built the new lines. There was neither diately placed m the Catholic Directory as a church nor priest for hundreds of miles. It was national organization of the Catholic Church. This just at that time that the Irish immigration, brought society was saluted by both the secular and re- on by the great famine in Ireland, was most numer- "gwus press as a long felt want, ous. There was a new world forming without tem- Character and Policy. — ^The Catholic Coloniza- ple or sacrifice, many being wholly lost to the tion Society is not a financial or money making church in this way. The only remedy was seen concern. It neither buys, sells, nor owns lands to be a grouping together of these people, and in any of its colony projects. Through the Catholic many individucJ efforts were made to colonize this Land Information Bureau, U. S. A., associated with vast army in quest of homes on the virgin soil it, the Catholic Colonization Society seeks to cover of America. the entire United States in search of suitable lands.
Finally in 1879 there was formed the Irish Catho- so that there may be a wide range of choice for lie Colonization Society of America, which founded its clients. Such lands are carefmly investigated such flourishing settlements as the colonies at Adrian by this bureau, some of the best known and most and Ghent, Minnesota, Greeley and Spaulding, reliable agriculturists and land experts in the United Nebraska, and others. The success of the Irish States being employed by it for this work of Catholic Colonization Society was demonstrated on investigation. In the case of every colony project, a glorious occasion when Archbishop Ireland, who the business standing and responsibility of the was the soul of this enterprise, consecrated at one company handling the lands are carefully investi- time six bishops for the dioceses of his province, gated to ascertain whether the prospective colonists These dioceses were the direct offspring of the may be safely entrusted to these parties. Then th^
