4. The want of a clergy sufficient in number, and adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the country, often not able to speak correctly its language.
5. The sending to America of priests not wanted in the European countries.
6. Injudicious appointments to places of administration.
7. Diversity of nationality ending in jealousies and inefficient co-operation.
8. The active work of wealthy Protestant sects, united in hindering the growth of the Catholic Church, if in nothing else.
There are heavy losses to-day in the new portions of our country where priests and churches are few in number and far apart. This a disagreeable fact whose existence and disastrous consequences are not lessened by denial. It is a fact that comes home to the consciences of all concerned. The causes of these losses are somewhat modified from what they were in the days of Bishop England. The Protestant sects are weaker and less earnest in their efforts against the Catholic Church, and have enough to do to hold their own without going after others. The priests, whether born in America or elsewhere, are for the most part educated in the country, are in hearty sympathy with its political institutions, and most devoted to their ministerial duties. Schools, orphanages and hospitals arise so rapidly all over the land that a reasonable hope is cherished that soon no losses will follow through this cause. The broad liberality of treatment which freely grants to all large groups of Catholics the privilege of a church under a pastor of the nationality to which they belong, gives all an opportunity of hearing the Word of God in the language familiar to them from childhood, and of enjoying church customs, music and ceremonies, peculiar to their native province, but not objectionable to established rule and discipline. The Catholic Church is broad enough for harmless peculiarities. The rights of the clergy and those of the laity being now better defined by wise legislation than in the time of Bishop England, there is less of that friction, jarring and revolutionary insubordination which he and others encountered. It is a singular note to make that but few of the first churches established escaped disturbances caused by the ambition, the ignorance or the infidel or heretical notions of a handful of the parishioners. And, what is again to be noted is that the leaven then infused worked for long years, and made itself felt in these parishes after the last of those disturbers had been laid in his grave.
It is an unsatisfactory task to try to write the history of one of those early missions or parishes. In those primitive times the wearied missionary made light of his acts and works, and failed to keep a record of his doings, or to write the history of the mission. It was great humility on his part, but it is very disappointing to us. He never dreamt that his humble beginnings would grow into monumental grandeur. It is hard to blame him. The wandering life he led; the lack of facilities in passing from place to place; the hardships he endured; the absorption of his mind in the daily routine of administering the sacraments filling up his whole time left him no inclination to write down what in his eyes seemed of little consequence, or of no special merit.
This defect in parochial administration is now in a great degree remedied by the canonical visitations of the Bishop of the diocese, whose duty it is to see that a historical record is kept in every parish, and that all important facts relating to the mission are duly written therein. The religious orders and chiefly that of the Jesuits, have been careful to keep a full history of their transactions in all their missions. It is to the "Relations" of the Jesuits that we owe whatever information we have with regard to the beginnings of Catholicity in New York and the New England States.
Wherefore, assembled in this monumental mother church, looking at her daughters, near and far off, beholding around her the fruits of her maternity—the churches, the schools, the hospitals, the orphanages, that have sprung from her loins, we grieve that a fuller account of her incipient struggles and successes is not at hand, and that due honor cannot, therefore, be rendered to the memory of the pioneers, clerical and lay, whose prayers and sacrifices blessed and helped the founding of religion in this town and neighborhood.
The story told of the beginning of religion in a particular district is much the same everywhere. It runs in this wise and generally has four stages: 1. One or more families drawn to a locality by the prospect of employment, clinging to the faith of their fathers in the land of their birth,—clinging to it all the more if the hand of oppression for conscience's sake weighed heavily on them at home, journeyed many miles, sometimes hundreds of miles, to New York City or to some other city equally fortunate in having a church and priest, to obtain the succors of religion. At the opening of this century, there was the one church, old St. Peter's, in Barclay street, New York City,—the one star of hope, shining in the firmament which covers the states of New York and New Jersey. Thus, the Catholics of northern New Jersey, craving for the bread of life and the Word of God, from time to time found their way to old St. Peter's. Thus, as I have often heard in Western New York, the parents of ex-Senator Kernan brought their son from Steuben county to New York City for baptism; so also did the Klems of Rochester bring their child to New York City, a distance of 400 miles, where it was baptized by Bishop Connolly. It was a two weeks' ride. There were no canals or railroads in those days; nor were the wagon roads remarkable for smoothness, or well-adapted for speed. The Kernans were from Ireland; the Klems from Germany. They worthily represented a large class of intelligent and devout Christian people who believed and lived according to their belief. The descendants of both families are very numerous, and keep the faith.