The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-14
Bishop Kain's Pastoral Letter

| anil tie IpOStottc oeei D'''HF ~
ma, to the Gcrg8 Religious and Aa'ty
Of our Diocese:
Health and Benediction:-We avail
ourselves of our first leisure moments to
address YOU, venerable brethren and
dear children in Christ, this our Pastoral
Letter. in order to express to you our
maternal solicitude, and to officially pro
claim the Plenary 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 reyered
and beloved Bishop Whelan, who was for
80 many years your chief pastor, and who
ever discharged the duties of his epiSco-
pal Office with an apostolic zeal and
! sanity meekness, we are deeply conscious
of the grave responsibility imposed upon
us. But as the Almighty God has called
rs. through His Vicar, the Sovereign
! Pontitl, and placed us in this exalted
position, We put our trust in Him, with
| the assured confidence that be will dl-
rect and strengthen Us. And already
| our heart has been relieved Ct much OF
our anxious fear; for the condition OF this
I diocese over which We have been called
to preside, is such as to afford great en-
enlargement and consolation.
Our first source of courage and comfort
and after the Divine aid, our main stay,
is. dear reverend brethren Of the clergy,
in YOUR sclf-sacrifcing spirit of zeal and
devotion to duty. Your laborS are in
deed very onerous and your lives devoid
of earthly comforts. But in your tolls
and privations we shall gladly share.
| Together let Us labor for the glory Of
/ God and the good of souls. Without
your Jealous cooperation, any efforts OF
ours must be paralyzed. As the head is
to the body. SO shall we be among You.
| But in the field OF Missionary labor there
| is more required than FRAMEWORK or head
| work. There must be stout hearts and
/ willing hands employed, else the harvest
will rust away t, T want Of cleaners to
reap it. In no diocese perhaps of this
country is there more need of brave
hearted, stirring, Woodworking priests
than in this comparative in newly devel-
oped State Now yours are those brave
hearts and strong arms that must do this
work. tollsomc, unthunbful perhaps. as it
NAV seem to be; for it is quite possible
that when you. have borne the heat and
the burden of the day, you will receive no
/ praise from men and no earthly recon-
pc, Sc. But this matters not, since you
are toiling, not for mems praise or an
earthly prize, but for the never fading
crown of glory in heaven.
knowing then that most of you, dear
brethren, are still in the prime OF life, and
that YOU are all animated with true
/ apostolic spirit of disintereStedncsS ana
/ holy zeal for the honor of God and the
salvation of souls, we feel strong in your
strength. Heavy as is the burden OF the
episcopacy, We feel its weight lessened by
being able to lean thus confidently on
the stout staff of your generous and ira
ternal cooperation.
Another source of consolation, Is the
ample provision already made IN most
of the larger parishes for the education
of the young, and especially the girls
Without II thorough Catholic training
parents cannot hope to see their children
preserve their faith, amidst the dangers
and seductions by which they are sur
rounded. We rejoice, therefore, from
our hearts. that our diocese is blessed
with so many DEVOTED religious women
engaged in this noblest work of the
church. The priest Of God has no more
ctlicacious helpers, in forming the minds
and hearts of his people to virtue and
piety,than these religious orders,as 'ong a
they are animated with the spirit o! thelI
vocation. 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
loly and lasting fruits, which sp.ing from
the solid. religious education OF children,
In YOU all, dearly beloved children OF
IN, laity. We trust to lind much reason
for rejoicing. We shall have 10 other
a:m than to advance your spiritual and
eternal Interests, mi ,hall therefore. eX'
u. Renee no pleasure like that which We
Shall derive from seeing you faithfully
corresponding with cur efforts l. pro-
mote YOUR good. We are the minister OF
Christ among you; the dispenser OF God :
mysteries and GodS graceS to You For
the end orChrist priesthood perpctuated
.
satisfaction, but your salvation. Christ
still lives and speaks aud works on earth
through the ministry of His Church; and
be thus speaks for the enlIghtenlnS OF
Your minds a.G thus works for the
healing and sanctiiNiIG OF your souls
Listen then. dear brethren, t" our words,
.p,k.n though they may be in all SIM
p,icitv. a. Won would listen To HIM who
cNhort, YOU by our lips; and accept cur
mini>,rItions among you ~ you Wouii
welcome the Master whose servant we
are. In vain shall We scatter the word
OF God, if your hearts receive 1t not; IN
/ vain. too, are we clothed with the pre-
negative, and powers OF the Christian
priesthood, if your souls refuse the prof.
icrcd graccs wcarc empowered to beStow
Be such then, dearly beloved children
in vcur docihty in the integrity ct our
lives. in the practice OF Your religious
dutirs that we may always ne 0hle to
glory in YOU, rs tue Apostle did III his
faithful children; that you be in this
world "our crown and our JOY.
THE JUBILEE.
In this our first Pastoral Letter to
YOU. dear brethren, We have the h"ppl-
ness of announcing to you ofli cially the
Jubilee published by our Holy Father for
this wear, and the conditions Tor gaming
the INDULGENCE attached oft. The most
solemn and highest form of an lndul-
gence-thc Jubilee-is gaanted only
every quarter of century and on some
extraordinary occasions. Whenever,
therefore, this rich and rare favor is
offered to us, we should not fail to avail
ourselves Of its precious advantages,
Already half of this holy year has
passed away; but we hope that during
the remaining six months all the Catho-
lies of our diocese will do what is requir-
ed 10 secure for themselves the privil-