Francis Hubert Zabel

“ Of late years many immigrants, Italians, Poles, Slavonians, and Lithuanians have come to the diocese, working in the coal mines that are everywhere opening, and taxing the energy of several of the clergy to their utmost capacity. The population of the diocese is 751,107, of which number 75,000 are Catholics. ”

“ At Alton the bishop found before him 58 churches, five in course of erection; 30 stations visited by 28 priests; six young men studying for the ministry; two female academies, and a population of about 50,000. This population was made up of old French settlers, some Kentuckians, but especially of Irish immigrants driven away from their country by famine, and Germans, by political disturbances. In Illinois they were finding fertile prairie to till, and railroads to build. ”

“ The new see was first located at Quincy, but was transferred, 9 January, 1857, to Alton. Its German Catholic population came largely from Cincinnati and settled at Quincy, Teutopolis, and Germantown. Swiss Catholics founded Highland, and Alsatians Sainte Marie. The building of railroads brought Irish Catholics in growing numbers. Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and Prairie du Rocher, which now belong to the Diocese of Belleville, had been settled by French Catholics at an earlier period. Prominent among the lay Catholics of the early period were Peter and Sebastian Wise of Alton, Mr. ”