Mission of St. Patrick’s Church, Newburgh, NY, April 26 – May 10, 1885. Missionaries: Fathers G. Deshon, CSP, M. Smith, CSP, and A.P. Doyle, CSP.

Twenty-eight years ago our Fathers stood on the platform and preached a mission to this people. Father Deshon was among the number. What was said of the congregation then might almost be repeated word for word to day. Newburgh is a thoroughly bigoted town. The religious element is strong for in a population of hardly 20,000 it gives life to 29 churches. The Catholics are not held in any favor as a religious body. Since the first mission there has been a great defection from the church. The Apostates are numerous. Those that still call themselves Catholics seem to be only half-hearted in the practice of their religion. It was remarked by one of the missionaries after preaching his first sermon to them that a more stolid congregation of Catholics is rarely met with. However all possible machinery was set in motion to work up an enthusiastic mission and it may be said that the end was attained in a manner that exceeded the hopes of the Fathers, and was a source of joy and genuine surprise to the rector. Father Mooney said in the beginning that he would be satisfied with 2,300 confessions and we had 2,500, “and” said he “if you can get 850 men to confession I will be pleased;” we had 1,156. The people here are affected with the drink plague. With very little exaggeration one might divide the parish into liquor sellers and liquor drinkers. As the rector remarked “anyone who can write his name to $100 is a liquor seller, and anyone who cannot is a liquor drinker. The license here is very low – $35. It enables anyone who can buy a few gallons of liquor to open a grog shop in his front parlor. A man will work at his trade during the day, leaving his wife to be bartender and then he will take her place at night. Is it any wonder that the church is despised and that Apostates can be counted by scores?

Besides the drink there is another vice more than usually prevalent. It is the bad talk that is carried on among the young in the factories.

Confessions 2485

Converts 1