THIS Magazine proposes to make an attempt to present to the Catholics of the United States studies on points of the History of the Church by the scholars who are working in various parts of the country, to tell the story of the early struggles of priest and faithful, of heroic effort and often of heroic death. Little has been hitherto done to save and preserve the documents, letters, papers, and other material relating to the progress of Catholicity in the United States. Spanish and French documents are more numerous than English or German. In too many cases old papers have been regarded as good only to burn or sell for waste-paper. As the United States Catholic Historical Society was instituted to gather and preserve all these rapidly disappearing evidences of what God wrought by our ancestors and our fathers in the faith, so the Magazine will aim to present to Catholic readers a selection from such material as our few historical scholars have recovered or saved, in order to promote an interest in the subject and lead others to make an effort to save more. Its pages will be open to contributions of all kinds suited to its object. The present Number, though inadequate, will give some idea of the plan, and it is hoped that co-operation will enable the Committee, which has voluntarily assumed the task of editorship, to make future Numbers even more interesting.

Each Number will contain one or more of the papers read

before the Society, that what is heard by a few may be read by many. Some document connected with the History will be given, as in the present instance, the Decrees of the First Oregon Council, which, though recent, have never been printed in this country, as all other Provincial Councils have been, but must be sought in the voluminous Collectio Lacensis, published in Europe.

The Journal of the Ursulines and the letter of Bishopelect Graessel are samples of interesting matter existing in Spanish, French, and German, with which we hope to edify and entertain our readers.

The History of the Seminary of St. Charles Borromeo, and of the Church at Lancaster, will give some idea of similar studies which we hope to present relating to dioceses, seminaries, colleges, asylums, parishes, religious orders, as well as biographies.

The notes of the venerated Bishop Bruté and of the Rev. Dr. White show what we have lost by our want of encouragement. As we reproach the Catholic public of that day for not having induced these able men to go on with their work, so posterity will arraign us, if we do not show a greater interest in our own history. That the present generation of Catholics will not become amenable to any such charge we sincerely trust indeed we confidently expect a support for our periodical that will enable us to make it a Magazine, from which future writers can draw all that is needed for the battle for truth, and one which will afford readers now instruction and encouragement. The History of the Catholic Church in the United States antedates all civil annals, and shows a continuous life without an equal, glorious, in apostolic men, in heroic martyrs, in noble confessors, in genius, talent, and devotedness. Even the minor details are worth collecting, and we hope to edify the present by doing justice to the past, and defending ourselves at the tribunal of the future.

THE UNITED STATES CATHOLIC HISTORICAL

SOCIETY.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, December 9, 1884, a meeting was held at the office of the New York Catholic Protectory, No. 415 Broome Street, in response to a call issued by John Gilmary Shea, LL.D., and Richard H. Clarke, LL.D., tending to the formation of a Catholic Historical Society. Rt. Rev. John Ireland, D.D., Bishop of St. Paul, Minn., was called to the chair, and Dr. John Gilmary Shea was called upon to give his views upon, and outline the work and scope of, such an organization, which he did. A number of letters were read from archbishops, bishops, priests, and prominent laymen, which are enumerated in the Corresponding Secretary's report. It was announced that the undertaking was fully sanctioned by His Eminence Cardinal McCloskey, and His Grace the Most Rev. Archbishop Corrigan. Dr. Clarke read a draft of proposed by-laws, which was referred to a committee appointed for its consideration. A committee to nominate officers and trustees for the Society was also appointed by the chair. After a vote of thanks to the Rt. Rev. Chairman, the meeting adjourned, to reassemble at the rooms of the Xavier Union on the following December 17th.

At this and at subsequent meetings, besides the transaction of the regular business of the Society, the following officers and trustees were elected: Honorary President, His Eminence Cardinal McCloskey; President, Dr. John Gilmary Shea, who, having declined the honor, was succeeded by Dr. Richard H. Clarke. This gentleman served with great zeal and energy until March 16, 1885, when he was compelled to resign on account of ill-health. He was succeeded by the present incumbent, Frederic R. Coudert, Esq. Gen. Charles P. Stone was elected Vice-President; Marc F. Vallette, Corresponding

Secretary; Cornelius M. O'Leary, M.D., LL.D., Recording Secretary; Patrick Farrelly, Treasurer; and Charles G. Herbermann, LL.D., Librarian. The following, with the officers, were the trustees: Rev. Richard L. Burtsell, D.D., Rev. Jas. H. McGean, Thomas Addis Emmet, M.D., John R. G. Hassard, Charles Carroll Lee, M.D., Franklin H. Churchill, and John Gilmary Shea, LL.D.

The Catholic Church dates back as an active body on the soil of this republic far beyond any other organization. The standards of Spain, England, France, Holland, Sweden, and Mexico have floated at times over parts of this country, but they have all disappeared and can be traced only in the annals of the historian. The Catholic Church was coeval with the oldest of these nationalities; but while their sway over the land has disappeared, her influence is at this day greater than ever, and steadily increasing. Every Catholic should feel a loyal pride in this life of his Church on our soil. It is a long record; and yet, weak as man is, there are few events, few persons in it, that call for any apology; and hosts of eminent, holy, and devoted men and women of whom we may feel proud.

The Catholics who have at different times lived their lives here, differed in race, in language, in institutions, in political ideas; but they professed the same faith, they knelt before the same altars, joined in the same worship that we ourselves join in to-day. The Irish bishop John, who reached Vinland in the twelfth century, offered the same sacrifice, administered the same sacraments as our most venerated Honorary President, and received his mission from the same See of Rome. The Dominicans, who planted the first cross in Virginia and Florida; the Jesuit, Franciscan, and secular priests, who labored more than three centuries ago, taught the same doctrines which we hear to-day. The Church has been one in its mission, its ministry, its worship, and its creed.

Can we, Catholics, be indifferent to the necessity of preserving, recording, and making known all that bears on this

long and noble history of our Church? Can we stand idle when other religious bodies with a history less striking, less prolonged, less glorious, seek studiously to preserve every scrap relating to them?

We must confess that there has been in the past apathy, indifference, and neglect on our part. Many records, reports, documents, letters, and even printed matter have perished utterly, and unless some saving hand is extended it will become more and more difficult to follow and trace the work of those who have gone before us.

This Society was founded mainly to remove the stigma of indifference which seems to rest on us as a body, by arousing and stimulating among Catholics an interest in the glorious labors and struggles of their forefathers in the faith; and to labor to collect, as far as possible, the materials which will aid students in preparing works to increase and broaden that interest, as well as to gratify the pious curiosity of all in reading what Catholics here were doing fifty, a hundred, two hundred, or three hundred years ago.

The idea of such an association among us was comparatively a new one; there was no settled plan for effecting the good which all desired to accomplish.

The Executive Council, to whom the management was confided, have endeavored to bring Catholics together and increase the interest in the annals of the Church by holding public meetings, at which papers were read by some of our historical scholars. They deemed it the best plan to meet the wishes of all, and at the same time encourage younger members to study up some special subject for a future paper.

In pursuance of its plan, the United States Catholic Historical Society has held a number of public meetings, at which papers were read by Gen. Charles P. Stone, of Flushing; Rev. Joshua P. Bodfish, of Boston; Rev. A. A. L. Lambing, of Pittsburgh; John Gilmary Shea, of Elizabeth, N.J.; Richard R. Elliott, of Detroit; J. Fairfax McLoughlin, of New York; Edmond Mallet, of Washington, D. C. Several of