Rt. Rev. Wm. Quarter 87 



and rapid increase of Catholics in this city? But not only in 

 Chicago, but throughout the diocese, is the increase of Catholics 

 apparent. Within the last few years. Catholics have purchased 

 here Congress and other lands to a large amount ; and in various 

 parts of the State of Illinois are townships owned chiefly by 

 Catholics.— Immigration from Ireland, from Canada, and from 

 Catholic portions of Germany, has contributed much to this 

 result; nor is there, to all appearance, any likelihood that the 

 numbers of such immigrants will be diminished this year, or for 

 years to come. Indeed, the calculation is, that there will be a 

 larger immigration of Catholics to this State the present year, 

 than any preceding one. 



"There is no privation so keenly felt by the Catholic 

 emigrant, as the want of a Catholic church, and the absence of a 

 Catholic priest from the place where they fix their abode, in a 

 new and to them strange country. We shall use our best 

 efforts that they experience no such privations. We shall 

 endeavour that they have, everywhere in the diocese, the 

 consolations of their holy religion." 



During the period of his episcopacy he ordained 

 twenty-nine priests; built thirty churches, ten of 

 which were either of brick or of stone. He began 

 his labours with six clergymen in his diocese, and not 

 one ecclesiastical student; he left it with fifty-three 

 clergymen and twenty ecclesiastical students. And 

 on all the improvements made by him in Chicago, 

 there was noi due one cent of debt' 



What Catholic can look upon this young Diocese 

 without exultation? Here in these wilds, where, 

 but a brief period since, the savage yelled his startling 



war-whoop 

 council fire 



— where curled up the smoke of his 

 -where he honoured the Manitou with 



human sacrifices and the war-dance ; — is now hymned 



