2 - Canonical Visitation Report for 1938

2

Canonical Visitation Report for 1938

23 pp; typescript

Canoncial visitation report compiled by Fr. Stephen Murtagh OFM Cap. for the Irish Capuchin custody in the United States. The report includes extensive commentary on the spiritual, physical and financial condition of various churches and friaries in Oregon, California, and Delaware. The preface outlines the scope of the custody, which comprises 12 houses across three states: one in Delaware, three in Oregon, and eight in California. Father Stephen highlights the unique setup of the eastern Missionary Centre at Silverside, near Wilmington, Delaware, which operates without an attached parish – a stark contrast to the parish-focused missions on the Pacific coast. The report reflects on the historical mission of the friars since arriving from Ireland, emphasizing their dedicated service to poor, isolated, and sparsely populated regions like Oregon, where a tiny Catholic population was scattered over 100,000 square miles of territory.

ISAD(G) 2nd edition