St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-25
Archbishop Ireland's Letter
on the Merriam Park Do
cesar Seminary.
Father Cosgrove Will Succeed
Father Danahy at Fari-
bault.
CoIored Catholics of st. Pc
teP'S Regret Father Shan
ley's Departure.
The Coming Conservation Of
Bishops Set for the Feast
Of st. Thomas.

Yesterday was the day appointed by
his grace, the most reverend arch
bishop, for the annual collection in aid
of the diocesan seminary at Merriam
Park. In all the churches throughout
the city the archbishOp's letter OH this
subject was read, and a sermon appro-
pirate to the occasion delivered. A
portion of this letter. which is in the
archbishops's most vigorous style, is re-
produced here:
THE ARCHBIsHOP's LETTER.
As matters are at the present time. we are.
to our deep regret, compelled to leave i'm
portant districts without pastors; and we do
not on account of the fewness of priests, be-
gin TO put our hand to several special works
which we have in mind, and which Will be
most conducive to the honor OF religion and
the good of souls. The future of religion Ill
the diocese depends, under Gods providence
entirely upon The priesthood. Hence. as
your chief pastor, more than any other re-
Sponsible to God for the care of souls, we arc
resolved TO make the preparation of candi-
dates for the priesthood the first and
most important work of orr episcopate,
and we say to our Catholics in very
plain words-give us the temporal means.
and we will, within few years, give you
clergy who will serve you well and will do
honor to holy church. There is plainly no
work or religion SO deserving of your zeal
and charity as that of educating the LeyiteS
of the sanctuary.
The prospects are most encouraging There
are at present in oar own Seminary OF ST.
Thomas forty-seven theological students be-
longing to the archdiocese. and twelve in
different European seminarieS. NotWith-
standing our great need of laborers. we are
sending two OF our priests to the new Uni
verSity of Washington, persuaded as we are
that the greater the opportunities for fullest
preparation we can allow the clergy, the
more abundant shall be in later years the
fruits of their ministry. We thank God vo-
cations to the priesthood are constantly In
creasing among the children of the people,
and piouS fathers and mothers are most
pleased TO encourage the holy resolutions of
their sons.
The present year is a blessed one in the
history of the diocese of ST. Paul. Our faith
full Catholics will rejoice with us in the great
things that have been accomplished. and will
take thence new motives for create zeal in
future well-doing. Three of our priests have
been raised by the Holy Father to the exalted
dignity of the epiScopate, and five new epls-
copal sees have been created within the
lines of the ecclesiastical province of St.
Paul Where fifteen years ago there was no
bishop, there are to-day six. and we can fore
see al no very distant time the need of the
yet further widening of the stakes of Christs
tabernacle, and of the erection OF other
episcopal sees. The development of the
church in the Northwest has been truly mar
velous; in no other part of the country has
the like been seen within the same short
term of years. The richer the blessings
poured upon us by Almighty GOO, the more
marked must be in heart and deed our graft
tude to Him.
Our own beloved diocese of st. Paul has
been divided into TWO jurisdictions, over one
of which will preside, as bishop of Winona,
one of our worthy priests, long tried in the
exercise of the ministry, and well fitted by
his piety and his zeal for the great work of
1Ior lc &c g1uffh
pang of grief, let us be permitted to say, that
we separate from our immediate jurisdiction
priests and people, the companions of our
labor of years, whom we have so we'll known,
and so warmly loved. The consolation is
that henceforth closer attention than
our extensive work - allowed shall
be given to their spiritual interests.
For oil our faithful diocesaIs of to-day.
whether they remain to US in the older do
cese of st. Paul. or they be gathered into the
newer diocese of WinOna. our prayers and
affections shall be the self-same.
This letter will be read at ali the masses in
the several churches of the archdiocese sun
day, Nov. IL, and Sunday, Nov "a. The
day marked for the taking up of the coilec-
ton. the sermons in the several churches
wIlirelate to the duty of Catholics to aid IN
the extension and perpetuation of the
church's priesthood.
ACTIVE IN THE CHURCHES.
The collection in all the churches of
the diocese in 1887 amounted to ST.
3I2.95, i'm 1888, $40. 1862. OF the latter
amount the cathedral congregation fur
nished over 5000, which was above half
of all collected throughout the city. At
the high mass yesterday Father Shan
ley made a stirring appeal to the con-
gregatiOn to do even better than was
done in former years. He said that,
Notwithstanding the rapid strides made
by the church during the past century,
as so strikingly brought out in the
late Catholic congress assembled
at Baltimore, nevertheless the
church had not kept pace with
the growth of the country.
thousands of those who should have
been Catholics fad driited away into
other sects. There were several reasons
for this. Mixed marriages and the bad
example set by Catholics themselves
accounted in some measure for the fall
ing off. but the most prolific source was
the scarcity of priests. If the arehbiSh-
op had not been hampered in this way
a large number now occupying Protest
ant pewS would be in Catholic pews
listening to the faith preached to their
fathers centuries ago in other lands.
There were sufficient vocationS for the
priesthood, and these vOcationS could
not be foStered as they should be with
out temporal aid from the faithful.
A broad smile passed over the faces
of those in attendance when the speak
er. in abiding to the impecuniOusneSS
of certain of the parishi0nerS. said: SIT
does make me real angry when / see a
man wearing $500 diamond ring drop
a nickel into the contribution box on Oc-
aaSjOuS like fhpSp -