By the Numbers:

• By 1891, St. James Orphanage cared for 80 children, ranging in age from infants to 14.
• In 1927—having grown to include a staff of 16 nuns, eight nurses, five attendants, and three office people
• On January 1 1927, there were 144 children in the care of the orphanage. By the time the new nursery was dedicated that August, 40 of those children had been placed for adoption.
• 1932, some 230 families were under the care of Catholic Charities that month, and the average relief per family was $21.41.
• In 1944, 75 percent of Catholic Charities’ “clients” were self supporting, according to an advertisement in Our Sunday Visitor.
• 1946, Catholic Charities served a reported 636 families and 4,116 individuals, a 25 percent increase from the prior year.
• 1948. Fischer, who would receive the title of monsignor for his exceptional service to the church, reported that 67 adoptions were completed during the year. The agency served 137 unmarried mothers. And St. James Orphanage cared for 300 children. Catholic Charities, which handled the case work for those children, reported a total of 66,958 “days care” was provided by the orphanage.
• By 1960, Catholic Charities was serving, on average, 500 different families each month. More than 200 children were placed into foster care each month.
• Nearly three-fourths of the agency’s budget came from that money, while the rest came from the archdiocese and parish fees. In 1969, UCSS served 1,800 families, and more than 2,000 people participated in the agency’s educational programs.
• In 1970, UCSS had 102 children to place into adoption. The figure dropped to 74 children in 1971.