The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-07-13
BISHOP KAHN.
His First Pastoral Letter to the
Clergy and Laity of the
Wheeling Diocese.
How the Indulgence Of this Jubilee Year
may be AVaiIed Of.
A OisQulsltiOn on the Subject of In
diligence.
II IL only u Remission OfTenl'
POrHI aud not Eternal Pun
iShmenl.


Diocese:
Health and Bcncdiction:-We avail
ourselves Of our first leisure moments Il
address to you, venerable brethren and
dear children in Christ, this our Pastoral
Letter, in order to express to you our
paternal soliCitudc, and to officially pro.
claim the Pienary Indulgence Of the
Jubilee, granted by our Holy Father the
Pope.
Having been chosen, in spite Of our I'M
wOrthiness, to succeed the Justly revered
and beloved Bishop Whelan, who was for
so many years your chief pastor, and who
ever discharged the duties Of this episcO.
pal office with an apostolic zeal and
sanity mcckncss, we are deeply conscious
Of the grave responsibility imposed upon
lis. But Us Almighty God has called us,
through His Vicar, the Sovereign Pontill,
and placed us in this exalted position, We
put our trust in Him, with the assured
confidence that lie will direct and
strengthen lis. And already our heart
has been relieved Of much Of our anxious
fear; for the condition Of this diocese,
over which We have been called to preside,
is such as to afford great encouragement
and consolation.
Our first source Of courage and comf6rt,
and after the Divine aid, our main stay,
il, dear reverend brethren Of the clergy,
in your sclf.sacrilicing spirit Of zeal and
devotion to duty. Your lab0rs are in.
deed very OncrOus and your lives devoid
Of earthIy comforts. But in your tolls
and priyations we shall gladly share.
Together let us labor for the glory Of
God aud the good Of souls. Without
your Jealous cooperation, any efforts Of
ours must be paraly1ed. As the head is
to the body, 80 shall W. be among you.
But in the field Uf missionary labor there
i1more required than brain.work or head.
work. There must he stout hearts anil
willing hands employed, else the harvest
will rust away for want Of cleaners tn
reap it. In no diocese perhaps " this
country il there more need Oi brave
hearted, stirring, hard.working priests
than in this comparatively ncwly-dcvcl.
Oped State. Now yours are those brave
hearts and strong aims that must do this
work, toilsomc, unthankiul perhaps, as it
may seem tn be; iur il il quite possible
that when yOu have horne the heat aud
the burden Of the day, you will receive no
praise from men and no earthly recon-.
pcnsc. But this matters not since you
are toiling, not for mems praise or am
earthly prize, but Tor the ncvcr.iading
crown NJ glory in heaven.
Knowing then that most Of you, dcar
brethren, are still in the prime Of life, and
that you are all animated with n true
apostolic spirit oi tli1intcrcstcdnos1 and
holy zeal for the honor of God and the
salvation Of souls, We feel strong in your
strength. Heavy as il the burden uf the
episc0pacy, we feel it, weight lcsscncd, By
being able tO lean thus confidently On the
stout stall Of your generous aud lratcr.
nal cooperation.
Another source Of consolation, il the
ample provision already made in most
Of the larger parishes for the education
Of the young, and especially the girls.
Without n thorough Catholic training
parents cannot hope to see their children
preserve their faith, amidst the dangers
and scductiOns by which they Hrc sur.
rounded. We rejoice, therefore, from
our hearts, that our diocese IL blessed
with so many devoted religious women
engaged in this nohlCSt work oitlIc church.
The priest Of God has no more cIlicacious
helpers, in forming the minds and hearts
of his people to virtue and piety, than
these religious orders, as long rs they are
animated with the spirit Of their vOcn.
lion. Already our diocese owes much to
the good Sisters Of st. Joseph, and those
Of the Visitation, and to them we shall
continue to look for all the holy md last.
ing fruits, which spring from the solid,
religious education Of children.
In YOU all, dearly beloved children Of
the laily, we trust to find much reason
for rejoicing. We shall have no other
aim than to advance your spiritual and
eternal interests, and shall therefore Cx.
pcrience no pleasure ike that which We
shall derive from seeing you faithfully
corresponding with our efforts To pro.
mote your good. We ARE the minister Of
Christ among you; thcdi'pcnSer Of Gods
,I,S onI II I Th,isp'. nrtssILnoI m"rrr,n.
ated in Iiis Church. il moi merely our
own satisfaction, but your salvation.
Christ still lives and speaks and works
on earth through the ministry Of Ills
Church; aud lie thus speaks for the en-.
tightening Of your minds and thus works
for the healing aud snnCtifying Of your
souls. Listen then, dear brethren, to our
words, spoken though they may bc in all
simplicity, ns you would listen to Him
who C1h6fts you by our lips; and accept
our ministratiOns among yOu as you
would welcome the Master whose servant
we are. In vain shall we scatter the
word NJ God, il your hearts receive ii
not; in vain, too, are we clothed with the
prrrogatiycs and powers Of the Christian
priesthood, II your souls refuse the prof.
iered prarCa we are empowered to bcstOw.
h. such then, dearly beloved children, in
your d0cility, in the integrity Oi your
lives, in the practice Of your religious
duties that we may always he able to
glory IN you, as the Apostle Gid In his
faithful children; That you may bc IN llll'
world "our crown and our Joys
TflE JuRILEE.
I'm lI,i. MIR first Pastoral Letter Ia Won.
lcor brethren, wr LNyc lhc Itorninrs4 Of
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