Organized Religion

During the past year it has been possible to analyze the returns secured by the 1926 Census of Religious Bodies. These data show the magnitude of the church enterprise in this country. They indicate that 55 per cent of the people are listed on the membership rolls of the churches and that membership since 1906 has been increasing at almost exactly the same rate as the population. During the past decade, enrolment in Sunday schools has made a comparatively slow growth, while that of Roman Catholic parochial schools has been increasing relatively rapidly. The financial data collected by the government indicate that churches have recently experienced a period of great material prosperity.