The number of monastic associations founded in our century is so considerably in advance of any former period of equal length, that to a superficial observer it would indicate a growth of the monastic spirit. This is, however, due solelv to the concentration of Romanism in this direction, the papacy finding these its best and perhaps only never-failing support. A peculiar feat- ure which characterizes tliem as the ofl^spring of the present age, and distinguishes them from the preced- ing orders, is easily discovered in all of them ; the marks which externally distinguish them from the non-monastic world are less visil)le, and the social wants of ecclesiastical and civil society stand pre-emi- nently forth as tlie primary cause of their origin and the chief object of their labors. A large number of them are devoted to the Instruction of \'0uth. Such are several congregations of scliool-brothers and scliool- sisters, Brotliers and Sisters of St. Joseph, Brothers and Daughters of the Holy Cross, etc. Many others bind themselves to the service of the sick and the poor, as tiic Little Sisters of the Poor, the most numerous and popular among them. Not a few cultivate the mission field ; either the foreign missions, as tlie Pirpus Societi/, the Oblates, the Brothers and Daughters of Zim (both for the conversion of the Jews, the latter consisting exclusively of converts), or the home missions, as the Paulists.
In the United States, monachism, because modified to suit the nature and exigencies of the times, is a flourishing and important institution, and serves as the great feeder of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the Roman Catholic schools are more or less directly connected with these institutions, and under the care of "fathers" or "sisters." The rigor which charac- terized the monasteries and nunneries when they were devoted wholly or chiefly to devotional uses is some- what relaxed here, and they are simply working insti- tutions. " In the schools connected with these mo- nastic establishments, especially in those for girls," says a contemporary, "secular branches are taught, but commingled with the Romish theology; and the pupils are brought under influences, both strong and subtle, upon the imagination and the feelings, in favor oftlie Romish communion ; while the effect of the edu- cation (we speak of the result both of personal obser- vation and of inquiry among pupils in these schools) is to divert the mind from the more solid to the more superficial branches — from mathematics and the scien- ces, to painting, drawing, music, and needle-work ; and to base such studies as are taught rather upon author- ity than upon anj' habits of personal and individual investigation. It is impossible to obtain the statistics of these conventual schools, for they are carefully con- cealed; we have, however, instituted some inquiries upon this point, with the following results: There are in the United States to-da^', at the verj' least, 300 nun- neries and 128 monasteries, besides 112 schools for the education of girls, and 400 for the education of boys. Of the nunneries and monasteries (as such) we have found it impossible to obtain any trustworthy informa- tion, either as to discii)line or number of inmates ; but the 112 girls' schools acknowledge the charge of 22,176 young women, and this we have excellent reasons for believing to be far below the real number, for the dis- position to conceal the actual work done is so marked tliat even their own ofiicial organs admit the impossi- bility of obtaining stsitistics. Thus, there are known to be 400 Roman Catholic schools for boys : but there are only returns from 178 procurable. The archdio- cese of Baltimore alone contains 21 convents — one of colored sisters — in all of which education is carried on. Besides these, there are in Baltimore at least a dozen colleges and young girls' seminaries under Ro- man Catholic spiritual direction; also 50 pay and free schools taught by the " brothers and sisters of Chris- tian schools," "Sisters of Notre Dame," "Sisters of Mercy," etc., who also have charge of 13 orphan asy- lums, and various other charitable and pious sodali- ties. And the archdiocese of Baltimore only represents what is done all over the country. These figures — and thej' are far from complete — certainly under- rate rather than oveiTate the work." The Rev. Sam- uel W. Barnum, a learned and careful writer, and the latest Protestant author on Romanism in this country {Romanism as it is, p. 332), has brought together the scattered and incomplete statistics of monastkism in the L'nited States of America, and comes to the con- clusion that there are "about 30 religious orders and congregations for men, and about oO for women, the whole numbering more than 2o00 males (including Jesuits) and more than 8000 females, and having un- der their care considerably more tlian 2o0,0l(0 ciiildren and youth in the process of education. ^Morc than ona half of the male religious are priests, and more than 300 Jesuits."
In a literary point of view monastics do not at present share the reputation of their predecessors in former centuries, though men like Lacordaire, Ravig- na, (Jratry, and Ilyacinthe in France, Rosmini and Secclii in Italy, and Haneberg in Germany, occupy a liigh place in the annals of contemporaneous literature. In respect to their present moral condition, Ronian Catholics admit the existence in some places, particu- larly in Central and South America, of considerable