The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-16
THE CHURCH THEY RAIDED.
THE CASE or 4 POLISH CATHOLIo
PRIEST IN NEW YORK.

where Fn'r- Failed and Dancing was sub
stituted. but the Police Iutcrtcrcd- Letters
to the Cardinal and Vicar General Quinn.
The plans OF the Rev. Father Miecusz-
nv for the spiritual welfare OF the Roman Cath
Ollie Poles Of New York seem likely to he frus-
trated by the action OK Cardinal McCloskey and
| Vicar General Quinn, who are clearly incredu-
| lous regarding their practicability. Father
Miecuszny came TO New York In March, 1874,
after fourteen years OF ministerial labor In his
own country lie h,d little money, which he
| paid to secure his title to the premises at 3l5
Henry street. relying upon the rents OF the ten
1 ement property attached. the voluntary contri-
buttons Of his flock, and aid from abroad to paw
| OF a heavy mortgage. He soon had a rather
neat. but very unpretentious structure, chiefly ~
| white deal boards, erected for a house OF wor-
ship. and this, Win other necessary alterations,
| engulfed all tho money he was able to raise
| for the first year. His church, however, seemed
to be 1ourishing as far as Its membership was
concerned, and he preached to between three
! hundred and four hundred persons every sun
| DIV. A fair. successfully conducted, raised his
| hopes and repienisbed his excheuuer; but fairs
| could NOT often toe made available, and some
| Other expedient for raising Junds became neces-
| sarv. $1,000
| social entertainments in one Of the rooms adj
| Joining the cnurch. The experiment succeed
ed. nut the success was accompanied by the
pastors fluctuations. "A resident OF an adJoii-
ing house complained TO the 20 ice that he kett
a dsordery establishment, ana on ne night OF
September II, while many were ENJOYING them
selves, aud the pastor was Looking Win hlgh
bopes To the future, Ciptan Clnchy dispersed
the guests and arrested the pastor.
1t was SHOWN that the entertainment was un-
Objectionable, ana the Rev. Father Mielcuszny
was released nv Police Justice after an ex-
amin ton. but the scandal arising from the
occurrence was not easily bu-hed, and, two days
after the police raid. the pastor received letter
from vicar-Generai Quinn, written In Latin aud
In English, apprsing nim that, owing 10 numer-
| Gus complaints against him, and 10 his arrest ny
tine uollce, his functions were suspended until
the Cardinal saw DIT t. restore them.
| The cnurch was then closed for several weeks
but On SUNDAY. She 5lh inst, It was reouened'
and the Rev. Father Wajman. Polish clergy
III N, formerly Vicar In Cerekwica, IT Borek, In
tue province OF Poseu. and now assistant priest
oil the s. Nichol "a German Church In Second
street, celebrated low mass, by order OF Vicar
hut FItner Mielcuszny. who s,ys that he has
invested his ali IN the church, DID not submit
without u protest. lie wrote seven letters In
Latin to Cardinal McCloskey, detailing the facts
aud protesting Az ,inst the injustice That had
| been done, and stu larger numoer, IN the same
| language. and upon the same subjects, TO vicar
General Quinn. To none Of these numerous
communications did he receive any reply. but
on the 10Th % September tue Nicar-General
wrote to nim as follows:
RKvEnKSD SIR wish remove the pleased ,,crl.
ment from he tabernacle OF he temporary church
where You are. AID place In secure manner me sa-
turc dl, Tor Poles. You viii write line stat.
IN what time can nnd you ON FRIDAY next for the
III now our opinion that the purchase crpend.
SIl n1seyer' aou6i, 10 ali you can 10 give them
: Yours 'ewsy ,i t,9,. or,xx O.
To this letter Father Miecuszny replied that
| the sacred elements Of the Blessed sacrament
b had ali been consumed long as3; aud tina there
! | ui the elements mad been II II would be I'M
: | necessary 20 remove them, IA ths money pad
I | pended, aud the church itsed would quickly be
e | IN prospectus condition II the Cardinal would
|, restore the suspended functions VI lis founder
I: This reply had the effect Of preventing the
. | Wear -Gcnera from visiting Father MielcuslnV
/ on the following Friday. out it did not produce
e any change fur tue better IN the Polisn Clergy
Il mans situation.
supporters are the memters u the Young Men s
Roman Cathulic Total Abstinence Association
whose President was taking part IN tue festtvi-
ties on the night Of SEPT IA. when the police
raid was made They drew W. petition to
rage that tue police had perOe lrited upon an
lnorensiye body q eitizsns. and innocentl'
. lie festival should be raided while so many
; gambling dens aud disfeputabie houses were
( The Cardinal paid no attention whatever to
4 the pc iSi.n, nor did the associations express
. of admiration for the unselnsh manner in
. witch he had sacrificed his own me ns and un'
/ | comb dhtugly endured poverty in the int es
~ Of the church n hal founded make tie slight
u est impressi n on his Eminence.
Father Mi~lcu-zny OcCuuies comfortable hui
pltinly-furnlshcd room IN the tenement attacheG
to tue cnuich. aud here the writer lounG hin
"a him. aJoring assiduonsiy to present his case I,
:, to the public ia language not his own. IL
e was, also. at intervals, eating MS dlnner. III
e. Englisn Is something more tnan merely imper
fec, and b. was not always easy To understane
In hun. lie Is n large, guOd-humored man, evi
- Gently IN exceedingly straitened circumstances
a. and was making AN overcoat supply tue place Vi
# anre.
n lie said that the mass OF sunday, the 9th inst.
- was not 9rec, did by any consolation, ana W /.
4 concluded without a oenedtctou; hence, tn
Is church was prOfined. lie attributes all hi
A. uisfortunes 70 ihe enmity OF Father REILLY
a. pastor OF IT. Mays Church, Ia Grand street
il wno. from the Inauguration Of tue church
NJ steadily opposed II, ami found oc ,asiOn OF com
plant against MIN to the Cardinal in tue unJds
n | Unable police raid.
When Father Mielcuszny essayed an explana
4 ton u Cardinal hcCloskey ne was referred L
Vicar General Quinn, ana the Nicar-General re
A | feTfed him DWk t. the Cardinal. lie read IN
th part " the Vicar Generai's letter expressin
nd a Uelef that tue money sLpcnJcd would pray
70 "A total loss t. tue poor people, and sald II wa
y sheer nonsense How can no see INTO IN
on pocketT no inquired, incredulously. :" Ho'
n, know he what | can dor lie added that Ia
w. w. mad trustworthy promises OF liberal contri0u
X tons from France, and could certainly nav
- carried the church on successfully. The prem
h. ses st $4,000, Of wnicn $4,000 could nave Re
manned tor an indefinite period ON bond an
NJ mortgage. Between now and May he woul
d, have pa'd on 5000 and US much more mex
II live upon himself. lie bore ali tue resIonsiolt
r. Of tue deut ana current expenses, aud tue poo
r. people. OF whom tue Nicar-GrnerL spoke, ha
81 81 nerri loss OF nearly $lOOU; nor would ia
M | koman Catholic Poles have ANY distinct plAc
ly TO tuiiI another church for themselves. Ill,
"a person Oily, has lost 'Dout Sl'So.
'r In a statement OF his case, Father Mielcuszn
w. writes: And what will say nov, the pubn'
"a" which has read IA the newspapers thit tn
lie church was used as a dancing ht 40 the sam
ll. time? VINO Will return all ne damages To IN
~, Rev NJ, who MS been illuminated that Ia
''r should have allowed dancing la tne church, IN
's- was the mester OF the ceremunlesl NhefefOr
Ior the V. q. alum mas withdrawn from aim a
ar. faculties, made MIN dam gees OF Sl5Uj, ana pr
icy hihited hun irom celebrating mass III the di'
Is cese of New NulkI
.c And why" ne asks, did V. @. Quinn sue
ne mi .stice TO the priest, A. Mieicuszly, and Il
M IuOplel lie did 50 Tor the Father q Rel ", pa
m tor II ~. Mary's Cuutch, IN Grand street, Ne
IT, York, has Instantly demanded II from hun sin(
IN the beginning OF tue sdid Polish church,
NY lie ADDS: Tue church and the property 81
los the priest, tine Poles ana the creditor
have lost altogether more tnan $1,000; aud u
his ltoy. MtelcusZny remains lnnuceut now sin'
de- nine wueks, under such hard punishment
I'VE witch took lever place IN the history oi II
ew Roman Catholic Churcn. His superiOrs do o
'ni sefVe II Iudlnerently with Ice cnid blood, TN
in | tue Rev. Miecuszny has for the winter time 1
Is | lodging, no PROVISIONS, no necessary cOlhln
anu he can't mud any other place for himself
567 no money that he could 20 away from mere
ny meals Tor living am where; he can't acqui