BUFFALO
39
BUFFALO
of localities, and sent for their families and friends,
and established homes in the western part of the
State along the lines of public traffic. Thus little
Catholic settlements were formed, and incipient con-
gregations were organized. The first Catholic con-
ions were made up of settlers from the Hast
or immigrants from Europe.
ScAHCm OF Priests. — The growth of the Church, before the advent of the bishop to the western part of the State, was entirely from immigration. Many were lost to the Church during this period because they had settled in remote localities, and priests were .scarce. Nearly all the priests who laboured in Western New York during this period were from
Europe, and some were not permanently attached
to the diocese. The small number of priests could not visit regularly t he many small settlements in that extensive territory, and many Catholics would not see a priest for months, or even years. Under such conditions it was but natural that some should fall away. Before there was a resident priest at Buffalo people journeyed all the way to Albany to have their children baptized, others took their children to .Mon- roe. Michigan, where there was a resident priest. When young people decided to get married, two or three of the respectable old people of the community were called in as witnesses; troth was plighted, and the couple became man and wife, with the under- standing that as soon as a priest came the blessing of the Church would be invoked upon the marriage. A journey to Albany in those days was a difficult undertaking. It meant many days travel through the forest, on horseback, by stage-coach, or rough wagons, When the Erie Canal was built, part of
tii journey could be made by packet boat; but as a rule people postponed the reception of the sacra- ments until some priest went through this region on his way to the Catholic settlements of the West, or in transit between the East and Montreal or Quebec. Priests were scarce for some years after Buffalo was made a diocese; and one of Bishop Timon's first labours was directed to the establish- ment of colleges .nid seminaries for the education of youth. He induced the Oblates, the Franciscans, and the Jesuits to send communities to found col- leges, and to assist in the formation of parishes. The Oblate Fathers in August, 1851, stalled a semi- nary and college in a brick building, which was located on the site of the present cathedral rectory. This institution was later transferred to Prospect Hill, on the site of the present Holy Angels church property. The Franciscans in 1S55 located at Kllicott \ ille, but shortly after moved to Allegany. 'I h ■ .1. -suits started the present St. .Michael's Church and Canisius College (1851). After the advent of Bishop Timon fallen-away Catholics began to return to the Church, and many non-Catholics embraced the Faith. His missions and his lectures in all the towns of the diocese awakened an interest in Catholic teaching and practice; and from three to live hundred
new members were added to the Church each year
through tic conversion of non-Catholics. Much of the prejudice also, which existed in some localities, was dispelled bv the diffusion of knowledge of tin- Church.
Bishops of the See. (1) Bishop Timon died L6 April, 1867. He was born 12 February, 1707, at
Conewago, Pennsylvania, and ordained at St. Louis, Missouri, in June, L825. For a long time In ■ ■, \ missionary in Texas and in April, 1840, WBt named I'o net Apostolic there but refused the office. —
(2) The Very Rev, Stephen Vincent Ryan who, like his predecessor, was a Visitor General of the Congre- gation of the Mission, was appointed to succeed him as Bishop of Buffalo and was consecrated 8 Novem- ber, 1868. Bishop Ryan was born 1 January, 182.5, at Almonte, Ontario. Upper Canada. Distinguished
for his piety, zeal, and learning, he continued the
great work of Bishop Timon. He died 10 April,
1896.— (3) The Rev. James E. Quigley, U.D., his suc-
cessor, was consecrated 24 February, 1897. Bishop
Quigley's condemnation of the attempt of the Social- ists to identify their doctrines with the principles of labour unionism, and thus wean men from their allegiance to the Church, gained for him a nation- al reputation. Hi- was promoted to the vacant archbishopric of Ch i- cago, 19 February, 1903. —(4) The Rev. Charles II. Colton of New York. was next appointed to the see and consecrated in St. Patrick's Cathe- dral, New Y'ork, 24 August, 1903.
Statistics. — There are 264 priests in the dio- cese; 168 secular, 96 of religious orders; 1 1 2
churches with resident John Timon
priests, 32 m ission
churches, and Hi chapels; 54 Brothers and 1 ,085 Sisters of religious orders, teaching 94 parochial schools, with 27,787 pupils. There is one university, Niagara. under the Lazarist Fathers; five colleges for boys with 952 -Indents; and two seminaries for secular clergy . and one for religious, with lcSl students. The semi- nary at Niagara is conducted by the Lazarists; that at Allegany, by the Franciscans. The preparatory seminaries are the college departments at Niagara and at Allegany, and the colleges of Canisius, Holy Angels, and the Christian Brothers. The Oblates have a seminary in Buffalo for candidates for their order, and the Passionists have one in Dunkirk for their students. There are 159 students in the large seminaries. SI in the preparatory, and 200 students in the university. There are eight academies for young ladies, with 1.200 students. St, John's Pro- tectory for homeless, or wayward boys, founded in 1861, accommodates about 600 boys, who are taught some trade, along with the elementary branches of education. A Deaf Mute Institute, started in Buffalo in 1856, is now an important institution, under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph, with 166 pupils. In 1861 Bishop Timon secured the Sisters of St. Francis to care for the aged; these sis- ters now have three houses: one in Buffalo, one in Gardenville and one in Williamsville, with 600 inmates. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1855 started a refuge for wayward girls anil fallen women. They care for 1.50 inmates and 7.5 children. In 1888 the Rev. Daniel Walsh established the Working Boys Home, in which SO boys and young men now find a comfortable home. In 1900 Bishop Colton es- tablished the St. Charles's Home for Working Girls, under the Sisters of Mercy. Bishop Quigley founded two mission houses for poor children, the Angel Guardian Mission and the St. James's Mission. In June. 1848, Bishop Timon secured a community of Sisters of Charity and placed them in the orphan asylum, which mm has 250 orphans, and a large number of young girls employed in a technical
scl 1. There is a German orphan asylum in
Buffalo, incorporated in 1874, in which there are
- i7n orphans, under the Sisters of lb,- Third I >rder of
St. Francis. The Polish orphan asylum at Doyle, under the care of tin- Felician Sisters of St. Francis, has ISO inmates. The Sisters of St. Joseph have the Orphan Asylum at Dunkirk with 88 orphans; and the Sisters of Charity direct an infant asylum in Buffalo, where 185 infant children can be aCCOEQ modated, with 00 patients in the maternity hospital.
