Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-30
iron The \. !. Tribune.
A Catholic Priest Benton in tho oacristy
A Strange Story.

| About two years ago Father Sangninctti came
10 this city from ST. Louis. intending 10 retuIn to
his native Italy. While solournlng hero, howc,
or, no was sorely grieved at the spiritual desttu-
ton Of tho poorer Italians III Acw-iork. aud ur-
gently requested the Archbishop to allow HIM to
become their pastor. The requisite permission
| was Obtained and he ut entered upon his
| charge. Renting the basement Of the Catholic
| Church in Canal street. he soon filled IL with the
faithful. and became 50 popular among his coun-
rymen that his congregation ovcriiowed the little
church. and filed the courts ON each side. 1t WAS
his great ambition to build aasInall church for
poor Italians. As priests are not usually good
inanciere, he appointed two members OF his CON
gie.ation; (they were brothers living in White
street, to be Secretary and Treasurer. The broth
err between them bore the purse Each Sabbath
and feast ,lav they received contributions toward
the new church. rs well AZ donations for the min
lister and the rcnt Of the pews The good Pastor,
who had u little money Of his own. and II few friends
who occasionally helped him. told the officers Ia
add tho donations intended Tor himself Ia tho
church fund, saying that rs long rs he could lac
would support himself without assistance from his
people il he could thcreh, further the object he
had 50 much ut heat Thus, for nearly tw" years,
the Church went on increasing and prospcring.-
But, at longth. the Pastors mems iuilcu him.
lie had lived poorly, on ]enten diet, clothed linn
self rs chcnpy possible and rcsortcd toall sorts
of shifts to exc out his funds. IN order Ia AVOID
ohcroachnR upon the CONTRIBUTIONS vi Wv e"'E''
! CATION. But the end came mt last, and, hungry
| and almost naked, he applied 10 the Treasurer Tor
| Money That person tuid him he could give HIM
none: that the funds in his possession were To
! build Il church, not to ietd chufrhinah. Inc
| Father asked what no should ao' must ne s'"Nc
| must he say mass with his clothes dropping to
pieces, must hc 60 into the streets and beg -
| After much solicitation the treasurer loaned him
| $50; but FIVE weeks after sncd him IN II Ward
Court for the recovery OF the money, and II friend
| paid it for him Father Sangunetu todd the Trcas-
urcr and his brother that they must IN future pay
HIM the donations received from the congregation,
| rs he had no other means of support. Instead oi
doing this however, they tod the money mp III u
p~kcthandkerch'ci every Sunday ANA carried 1t
away. Tho Priest was thus reduced |" great dis
trcss. often suffering for the neccssarlrs Vi lte.-
This state Of things Incoming known TO the IRISH
portion of his congregation they contributed e
nough to relieve his necessities. The IRISH ele-
men, having largely increased in the congrcga-
ti,n. they urged him TO rent the church up stairs,
which was then vacant. lie consented, and NJ
though $1,000 year was asked succeeded in OBJ
taining it, for half that sum. The brothers when
requested to pay the quarter rent IN advance
refused to do 81, saying TINT he had no right to
incur so much expense and the money was raised
by the pastor among his friends. As the church
was sadly dilapidated aud in need OF repairs, Fa-
Their SAM uinetti employed workmcn to put it in
order This excited the ire of the Secretary aud
Treasurer who claimed that IL WAS theT province
to look after the temporal affairs of the church.
and they refused TO pay for anything that he
| might order to be done. lie then sought the
Archbishop for advice, who told him he had bet
ter dismiss the officers and take the funds under
his own care Acting up to this advice he sent
for the two brothers, Who came to sec him in the
sacristy ON the 10th of July last. lie told them
that they must give him their books and the funds
Of the church, which now amounted to between
800 and $500. At this they became very angry,
swearing that they and not lie were masters there,
and both of them fell upon him. beating him saw
arev v;ts their 6s,s Kicking him and hreak;ny n