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 DELAWARE

694

DELAWARE

uprisings, settled at Wilmington. He was assisted by tlie Rev. Jotin Rosseter, an officer in Rochambeau's army during the Revolutionary War, and then an Au- gustinian. In 1798 he was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Cibot, who had been Vice-Prefect Apostolic in St. Do- mingo. In ISOO the Rev. Charles Whelan became pastor, to be succeeded in 1805 by the Rev. Patrick Kenny. From this church the Catholics of the sur- rounding country as far as at West Chester, Pennsyl- vania, and Wilmington, were attended. Father Kenny was assisted for a time by the Rev. George A. Carrell, who afterwards became Bishop of Covington, Kentucky. The arduous labours and personality of Father Kenny have made him probably the best^ known priest in the early Catholic history of the State. Some portions of Coffee Rim Church are still standing. The site of the church is about six miles from Wil- mington on the Lancaster Pike. In 1785 Delaware was one of the four States (the others being Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia) where Catholics were not virtually under civil disabilities.

From its earliest settlement, at no time did religious intolerance ever appear in the government of the Swedish colony which grew into the State of Dela- ware. In 1816 St. Peter's, the second church in the State, was built by Father Kenny. This church, often enlarged and beautified since, is now the cathedral of the diocese. Father Kenny was first assisted in 18.34, and later succeeded, by the Rev. Patrick Reilly, who, as priest and educator, was one of the most respected clergymen in the country. In 1830 the first Catholic Orphan Asylimi in the state was opened in Wilming- ton. In 1839 the first parochial school in the State was built adjoining St. Peters. Until 1868 the State formed a portion of the Diocese of Philadelphia, but in that year the present Diocese of Wilmington was created. It comprises the State of Delaware and the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland and Virginia. The Right Rev. Thomas A. Becker was the first bish- op. Bishop Becker, on being transferred to Georgia in 1886, was succeeded by the Right Rev. Alfred A. Curtis, who, after a service of ten years, resigned, and was succeeded by the Right Rev. John J. Monaghan, 26 January, 1897. The Delaware diocese from its creation has been distinguished by the excellences in ability and temperament of its bishops. The years 1825 to 1860 marked the first important period of Catholic immigration, and the chief nationality found among the Catholic population has been the Irish. The Catholic population of the diocese (1908) is 31,- 000, of whom 500 are negroes. The Catholic popula- tion of the State is 25,000. There are 46 churches in the diocese, of which 20 are in Delaware. The one Catholic church for negroes is situated in WUmingt.on. The number of priests in the diocese is 43, and the number in the State 34. Of the whole number in the diocese 30 are seculars and 13 belong to various orders. There are twelve parochial schools in the State, with an attendance of 3100. Orphan asylums for white boys and girls, the former near Delaware City and the latter at Wilmington, are under the care, respectively, of the Sisters of St. Francis and the Sisters of Charity. A coloured orphan asylum in Wilmington is con- ducted by the Josephite Fathers. A coloured Indus- trial and Agricultural School is also maintained by the Josephite Fathers at Clayton. A Home for the Aged, at Wilmington, is imder the care of the Little .Sisters of the Poor. All these institutions are well housed, admirably managed, and speak well for Catholic benevolence in the state. A Simimer Home for the teaching orders of the Sisters in the State and for poor girls has been opened at Rehobeth, a .seaside town. Salesianum, a preparatory school, located at Wilming- ton, imder the care of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, ;ind the Ursuline Academy, a boarding and day school for girls, are the present chief Catholic educa- tional institutions in the State. Within the diocese is a

novitiate of the order of Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and a convent of Visitation nuns.

Other Religions. — The first religion in the State was that brought by the Swedish settlers, namely, the Lutheran. The first church erected was in 1638 with- in Fort Christina, and the second in 1643 near New Castle. Dutch and Swedes worshipped there. Old Swedes' Church, built in 1698, under the direction of the celebrated Swedish minister Bjork, is still in use and in a splendid state of preservation. After the arrival of the English, the Swedish and English churches were, for the greater part of the time, at- tended by the same minister. About 1791 the Swed- ish Lutheran Church merged into the Protestant Episcopal. The Society of Friends erected their first meeting house in Delaware about 1CS7, and for the greater part of the State's history, they were probably the most influential and respected class in the State, particularly in the northern portion. The first Pres- byterian church in the State is known to have been established with elders and trustees as early as 1705, but the precise year of its institution is not known. The Baptist Church in the State was foimded in 1703 by emigrants from South Wales, who settled upon the "Welsh Tract", a portion of the Penn grant in Pen- cader Hundred, New Castle County, and erected a meeting house. This was the third Baptist meeting house erected in America. Meetings of the Methodist denomination were held at Wilmington as early as 1766, and in 1780 "Barratt's Chapel" in Kent County (still in use) was erected. This was one of the cradles of the Methodist Church in America, and here the first General Conference of American Methodism was ap- pointed. The active church membership and the Simday-school membership of the leading Protestant denominations are (1908): Methodist Episcopal, 40,- 000; Protestant Episcopal, 6280; Baptist, 5000; Presbyterian, 12,700. There are many churches for coloured people in the State, among which the Baptist and Methodist, particularly the latter, predominate. Among other creeds and denominations represented in the State, are the Lutheran, Unitarian, Sweden- borgian, Christian Science, Methodist Protestant, var- ious divisions of the Baptist Church, Seventh Day Adventist, and Hebrew.

Legi.slation. — The first article of the State Consti- tution, adopted in 1897, states, "No man shall or ought to be compelled to attend any religious worship, to contribute to the erection or support of any place of worship, or to the maintenance of any ministry, against his own free will and consent"; and also states that " No religious test shall be required as a qualifica- tion to any office or public trust under this State". This same language is found in the Constitution adopted in 1831. Blasphemy is pimishable as a mis- demeanour. By statute any worldly employment, labour or business (works of necessity or charity ex- cepted), peddling goods, droving, fishing, fowling, gaming, horseracmg, cock fighting or hunting game, and playing and dancing, on the Sabbath day, are all prohibited and made pimishable as misdemeanours. The usual form of oath is by swearing upon the Holy Evangels of Almighty God. A person believing in any other than the Christian religion may be sworn according to tlie peculiar ceremonies of his religion, if there be any such. A person conscientiously scrupu- lous of taking an oath may be permitted to affirm to the truth of the matters to be testified. A chaplain is appointed by either branch of the legislature, and the daily sessions (by force of custom only) are opened with prayer. Christmas and Sunday are the only religious holidays recognized as legal holidays. There is neither statute nor court decision in the State, regarding the seal of confession.

Prior to 1893 the provisions of one .statute covered the incorporation of congregations or societies of whatsoever denomination. At that time, a statute