NEW YORK KEEPS CENTENARY

1,260,328 Catholics
New York will celebrate its centenary on Wednesday with Pontifical Mass offered by Cardinal Spellman. later this year. Masses will he offered in thanksgiving in all the churches in the diocese.
The first public Mass in New York City was celebrated in 1781 in a loft over a carpenter's shop. St. Peter's, the first church, was opened in 1786 with' a parish that embraced all New York State and part of New Jersey,
There were then about 200 Catholics in New York.
Today, the diocese has 384 parishes and 1.260,328 Catholics.