The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-02-02
APPEAL no CATHOLICS

AIT d meeting BIZ the Board Of AE1Initais-
traitors of tlie Society Of Tie Roman latho.
liz Ohuruiio III thes Diocese Of New t1slaszls,
held 81 tlis 25th of January, The fnllowina
appeal to the clergy and faithful of the
Catholic Church OF the United States, pre-.
pared BY the testamentary executors Of the
late lamentedsAr chbishop PerGh6 was m
dorsea and approved and its publication ID
the Newspapers Of the United States an
thorized. !, IA accordance with the request
of the signers. We take pleasure IN giving
space to the appeal and commanding it to
the favorable attention and consideration
Of our readers, a large proportion Of whom
are followers Of the Catholic faith:
The death OF his Grace MIonseigneur Napo-
leon Joseph Perch6 has left this Diocese IN
grave embarrassment. BY his last viii our
poratiOn Of the komAn Catholic Church Of this
Diocese his universal legatee. The cooperation
desires to accept this bequest nncondi tlonally.
But it must ct the sumo time open It's eyes to
the consequences of its acceptance. Almost all
the immovahle property Of the Catholic Church
in Louisiana stood IN The name Of the late
Archbishop. An acceptance Df the universal
beaass made by INN re- d;s sad the
him, whether as the heat of the Church and OF
the corpora tion. GA al an indi vidual during the
COURSE of Ms Episcopal administration. Now
these dHhfH amount, ut this day. to 500 900;
rope and sDnG-hAif in this country Many items.
it ID true are individual to our late Archbishop;
but no discrimination should pc made between
these and the other items Of indebtedness. They
were only the result Of excessive love, Of nm
bounded charity giving more than it had. The
corporation Of this Diocese Is willing and de-
sirous to honor the entire debt. without any
distinction. Neither reputation. nor bank
ruptcy, are consistent with the principles or
with the policy Of the Catholic Church. But
the corporation cannot, alone, bear this
wsgh.y burden i t GsnlDs With it .ba sole 1
which SO deeply concerns the honor Of the
Church and the good OF religion, it needs the
assistance Of the clergy and faithful OF this
State and of the entire Union. Already much
has been accomplished Four years ago when
Monseigneur +. <. Leray, coadiutor and adj
ministfatUr, took charge of the temporalitles
OF the. Diocese, the debt WIS far larger than 1t
the voluntary reduction Of interest made by the
European bondh0tders, and the spontaneous do
nations Of few Cath les on various occasions,
the debt has been reduced by more than $780,
600. Even this reduction, however, still leaves
the Diocesan debt at the enormous figure
above stated, SO that the generous assistance
Of the clargy and faithful throughout the
United States Is absolutely necessary TO relieve
Let all, therefore, among priests or people, let
all who have at heart the honor of our Church
and its continued growth and development in
this country, respond to this appeal. Let each
one give according to his means; the mite Of
the poor will be received with as much graft
tude as the gift Of the rich. In making this
appeal, it is proper 70 state that NO other sub
scription than the one now opened will be APP
proved by the Diocese ALI contributions may
be remitted in cash, or by check, or by post
office money order. They must be addressed to
bis Grace Francis X. Leray, Archbishop. or
John Connolly, fiscal agent at the Archbishop
rio, New Orleans, La. or to 2. Z. Theard u
Sons, attorneys at law, No. 81 Camp street, New
Orleans, Ia. No other person shall be author
lied to collect money for the Diocese. All
moneys received shall be deposited to the cred
it of this fund IN one of the banks of New Or
sans and q statement of tho same, with the
names Of the senders, shall be published every
Saturday in the newspapers By the fiscal agent
Or the above named attorneys Of the Diocese
and the cashier of the bank selected. An ac-
count of the manner in which these donations
shall have been employed shall also be pub
ished as soon as practicable.
FRANCIS K. LERAY.
L. A. CHASSE,
PAUL q. THEARD,
restamentarv Executors OF Mgr. NJ. j.. Parche.