ST. PETER

Into a railroad siding at Richmond Hill, L. I. one day last week rolled a Pullman car on whose sides, in gilt letters, was printed ST. PETER. Presently a small boy clambered aboard. Within he discovered a chapel, an altar complete with tabernacle, candlesticks and altar cloth. Crossing himself he said a prayer, departed. Soon another youngster appeared. Of a priest reading on the observation platform of ST. PETER he asked: "Can you use an altar boy?" Yes, Rev. Cornelius Edward Murphy could. Next morning at mass he employed the services of the first moppet, who had sent his small brother to negotiate the job. This week Father Murphy, youngish Roman Catholic priest, was to take ST. PETER to other Long Island towns, celebrating mass on railroad sidings for all who cared to come. Then he would travel with his Pullman chapel through New England. All this was to publicize, and raise money for, his missionary work in North Carolina. Many a Protestant minister travels about the land carrying the Gospel to rural districts by car and truck. But ST. PETER, and its mate ST. PAUL which is currently on show at the World's Fair in Chicago, are the only two chapel cars in all U. S. railroading. Descendant of ST. ANTHONY which was in use 25 years ago, ST. PETER was converted from an ordinary sleeper at a cost of $50.000 by the Catholic Church Extension Society, ablest of Catholic home mission organizations. Eight years ago it was lent, later given to Bishop William Joseph Hafey of Raleigh, N. C. He in turn presented it to the "Mission Band'' headed by Father Murphy. Because only 9,000 of North Carolina's 3,000,000 population are Roman Catholics, Father Murphy takes his car into many a section where a priest has never before been seen. From his headquarters at Nazareth, N. C. he goes out for a week or two with an assistant and a Negro cook. Besides the chapel seating 75, ST. PETER contains a study a kitchen, sleeping quarters. Often dependent upon freight trains for a lift from siding to siding. Father Murphy pay: a minimum $18 for short hauls, ten full fares for long hauls as compared with the usual charge of 25 fares for private cars.

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