The Roman Catholics

From the latest statistics, it appears that out of the 40,000,000 inhabitante in the United States there are 6,000,000 of Boman Catholics. Opening "Sadlier's Catholic Directory nnd Almanac" for this year - a work approved by ecclesiastical authority and in common use among the Citholic clergy and laity - I fina that the whole territory of this country is divided into seven provinces, containing eleven archdiooeses, forty-six dioceEes, and eight vicariates apostolic. The provinces are Baltimore, rnth eight dioceses and one vicariate apostolic; Boston, with six dioceses, all in New England; Cineicnati, eight dioceses, embraced in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky; Milwaukee, five dioceses and one vicariate, included in the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Dakota Territory; New Orleans, seven dioceses and one vicariate, and embracing ñve Southern States; New York, including the States of New York and New jersey with their seven dioceses; Oregon, three dioceses and one vicariate; Philadelphia, five dioceses; St. Louis, seven dioceses and two vicariates; San Fiancisco, three dioceses; and the province of Santa Fe, with its one diocese and two vicariates. These diocesss, archdioceses and vicariates are under the ecolesiastical rule of as many archbishops, bishops and bishop coadjutors, and at the heat of these and the hierarchy is now the first appointed American Cardinal or Prince of the Chureh, His Eminence Cardinal John McCloskey, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. In addition to these higher clergy are five mitered Abbots, whose rank is almost equal to the Bishops. Under these prelates there are about 5,000 priests, including both aoculars and those living I in rBonasteries or religious houses. i These last belong to that vast army of I celebates in the Boman Catholic Chureh who are formed into orders or communities, living under a rule. These orders are composed of both men and women, known as monkf, friars, or brothers, and nuns and sisters, sucü as the Sistors of Charity, who are religious vestals, bilt not nuns or oloistered religious. Again, the largo corps of workers known as the Christian Brothers, the Franoiecon Brothors, and oth ers are celebatei, but not pr.ests. They devote themselves mainly to the work of education ; they do not preaoh, or celébrate r&ass, or perform any of thoso offices relating to tho sacraments, whieh pertain strictly to the priesthooJ. Tbe "Catholic Direotory" gives ns also a list of the names of about 5,000 Roman Catholic clergymen in the United States, and from Thomas O'Kano Murray's " History of the Catholic Churc1! m the United Statos" we gather these figures : Total number of monks or men living in religious houses, under the rule of twenty-seven ditforent religions orders in the United Status, 2,954 ; rcligions houses for men (termed vuriously monasteries, retreats, abbeys, priorips, and convents), 228 ; colleges and seminaries presided over and instructod by tliese celebates and some secular priests, 75; number of students attending the same, 13,943. These rolleges and seminaries are authorized to confer dogrees, and aro generously and amply provided witli libraries, appaiutus and all tho appliances and aids neo essary to enable them to btstow a liberal education. Besides this part of tbe work of education, these r Jigions and pricsts de a part of the work of teaching in various pay schools and academies, and also in the 1,700 fiee Citholio ommon schools of this ropublic, with their attendance of over half a rnülion of children. In these common schools are engaged also large numbtrs of the Sisters of Cbarity and other women belonging to other religious orders. There are forty-four regular orders for women in this country, with a membership of abont 10,000 pro'etsed nuns or sisters, bosides novices and postïi lunts or candidates for membership. Theso ladies own r.ud live in 600 ! vents or religious houses, conduct over i 400 academies, about 2Ö0 pay schools, 111 asylums, and mrnugB amï niirse the patieuts in 66 lios]iuu. Ihis is be Jieved, however, i !■ u verv sn all esVmate. Th3 form, mut -over, by lar the largist uaobw vi tmik ES JU tll free , parochial or Catholic commou solTi mentioned above. Tb?se, it will u membered, draw no part of the com school fund in any of the States h are supportod by the volantary con'iïï' utions of Roman Catholics themselvM