ITALIANS
205
ITALIANS
is placed in the hands of some Italian " banker", who
sells passages, acts as notary public, sells real estate,
and furnishes contractors with Italian labour. The
immigrants are at first glad to accept whatever em-
plojTnent may be offered them; when the initial diffi-
culties have been overcome by their persistence and
sobriety, and when they have reahzed that money
cannot be as quickly made in America as they had
imagined, they next discover the economical advan-
tage of maintaining the whole family in America
rather than dividing earnings between board in Amer-
ica and remittances to Italy. The wife, or the be-
trothed girl, is then brought over, with the idea of
working hard, side by side, so as to be able all the
sooner to return to Italy together. They buy furni-
ture on the instalment plan and spend their savings;
the children grow up in America without any knowl-
edge of Italy or the Italian language. Then one of the
old people at home dies, and the crisis comes. The immi-
grant goes back to Italy and finds that, accustomed as
he now is to a different environment, he no longer feels
at home in his native country. He regulates his
family affairs and brings with him to America his sur-
viving parent. Thus the home is transplanted to the
United States, and the Italian becomes an American
in spirit as well as in residence.
How long does it take for the average immigrant to go through this process? Sometimes two or tliree years, sometimes fifteen or even twenty. It is certain, however, that when this evolution is completed the immigrant is a city dweller, and cannot be induced to give up city hfe.
The only hope of solving the problem would seem to be in giving good ad\-ice to intending emigrants before they leave Italy. An Italian pea.sant will always sooner believe a fellow-townsman, however ignorant, than an agent of the Government. Experience in California, as well as in some parts of Texas, shows that a successful agricultural colony of Italians grows very rapidly, while an unsuccessful one just as rapidly disappears. Every effort should therefore be made to reach the Italian in his own country through his friends in .\merica, in such a way as to convince him that it will be to his advantage to go to some agri- cultural settlement where others of his countrymen are successful and prosperous. As the Itahan immi- grant can, unquestionably, be of more service, both to himself and to his new country, as a farmer than as a sweat-shop worker or a miner, any expenditure with a view to the attainment of this desirable result would be well repaid.
Religious Org.\nization. — Since the discovery of the new continent the sons of Saint Francis have been indefatigable in their work in the new vineyard of the Lord. When the immigrants began to come in large numbers the Franciscans were already at work among them, following them, instructing them, and com- forting them in the trials of their new hfe. St. An- thony's Church, founded in 1866, was the first Italian parish to be organized in the Archdiocese of New York, and its pastors, the Franciscan Fathers, have established missions all over the country, faithfully imitating their seraphic founder by their zeal. Notable among the pioneer Franciscans were Father Pamfilo da MagUano, founder of St. Bonaventure's College at Allegany, New York; Leo Paccillio, first pastor of St. Anthony's church and parish. New York; Anacletus De Angelis, who raised a monument to his order by building the church and convents of St. Anthony. The Franciscans were followed by the Jesuits, the Scalabrini Fathers, the Salesians. the Passionists, and the Augustinians. The American episcopate has at all times endeavoured to proWde the Italian immi- grants with churches and Italian priests. In some cases these efforts did not prove very successful on account of the difficulty of persuading Italians to sup- port their church, a difficulty which can easily be ex-
Flained when it is borne in mind that the Church in
taly is supported by what might be called indirect
taxation. Whenever possible, parochial schools have
been established, and in most of them both English
and Italian are taught. These schools are looked upon
very favourably by the Italians, and an effort ought
to be made to extend their influence; very often the
parents are brought to the Church through the influ-
ence of the pupils of the parochial schools.
In New York City, where the prolilem of Italian im- migration is more acute than anywhere else in the country. Archbishop Farley has done his utmost, helped" by Dr. Ferrante, his secretary. Archbishop Quigley of Chicago, Bishop Fitzmaurice of Erie, and Bishop Canevin of Pittsburg have done much to give Italians churches and schools. In some cases priests of other nationalities have even learned the Italian lan- guage in order to be able to minister to the needs of the Italians, and a most notable instance of this kind is that of Father C. Wienker, of the Diocese of Erie, who for many years has faithfully worked among the Italians of the bituminous mines of western Pennsyl- vania. Among the laiiTnen who have contributed of their wealth to promote the religious welfare of the ItaUans must be mentioned the members of the Iselin family who built the Italian church at New Rochelle, N. Y., and several churches and schools in the mining towns of western Pennsylvania. The Church does not neglect the immigrants at their first landing. It is then that they need most assistance. The San Raffaele Society was organized in New York in the year 189.3 for the protection of Italian immigrants. Archbishop Farley is the president, the Rev. Gherardo Ferrante is the superintendent, and the Rev. G. Mo- retto is the managing director. There are in the United States two Itahan Catholic weekhes: the " Italiano in America", published by the Salesians, and the "Verita", pubhshed partly in Enghsh at Philadelphia. One of the strongest evidences of the religious disposition of the Italians in the United States is the fact that over one-half of the eight hun- dred benevolent societies existing among them bear the names of patron saints of various Italian towns, and in most cases a yearly festival is celebrated in honour of the patron. These festivals, and the pa- rades of all kinds for which they are the occasions, are somewhat apt to give outsiders an unfortunate im- pression of popular Itahan rehgion. It is true that among the lower classes the cult of the saints is mis- understood and overemphasized, but at the same time these celebrations are proof of a strong attachment to their native homes and of the religious feehng with which it is associated. It is to be regretted that un- scrupulous liquor dealers make of these festivals the occasion for a sale of intoxicants which indirectly leads to disorders and even murders.
The following rehgious statistics are taken from the " Official Cathohc Directory ": — ■
Archdiocese of Baltimore: 3 Italian churches; 3 priests.
Archdiocese of Boston: 8 Italian churches; 15 priests; 2 parochial schools (S Franciscan Sisters; 4 Sisters of the Sacred Heart), attended by 724 pupils. Archdiocese of Chicago; 10 Itahan churches; 6 Fathers, O.S.M.; 13 secular priests; 1 parochial school (10 Sisters of the Sacred Heart), attended by 850 pupils.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati : 1 Italian church; 1 priest. Archdiocese of Milwaukee: 2 Itahan churches; 2 priests.
Archdiocese of New Orleans: 1 Italian Church; 5 priests.
Archdiocese of New York: 26 Italian churches; 55 priests; 6 parochial schools (20 Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis, 3 Sisters of Jesus and Mary, 10 Sisters of Charity, 7 Sisters of the Sacred Heart, 31 lay teachers), attended by 3397 pupils; 1 industrial
