The Portland daily press., 1890-01-03
DON'T LIKE the peAN.
Biddeford Catholics DIsInciIned to
Come Down with the Cash.
From the Biddeford Times

From the Biddeford Times.l
A committee of st. Mary's parish called on
the Times today and asked to have the fol-
owing notice published:
A meeting of the men of ST. Mary's parish is
called to consider the recent changes in the
church. The meeting viii be held In Warren'S
hall Sunday afternoon at 2.30 O'Clock. -ss
From this committee it was learned that
the occasion of the meeting was the recent
changes in the financial management of the
parish. including raising of the pew rents
and the charging Of admission to children at
certain Sunday services. The notice here
given was prepared at meeting of some of
the parishioners held last evening. From
one of the parties whose indignation has
been raised by the new ruling the Times OBJ
tanned the following version Of the affair:
About four weeks ago Father Harrington
stated in church that the receipts were not
sufficient to pay the salaries of the two
priests and the running expenses of the par
iish, and he called a meeting of the male par
ishioners to decide whether to raise the pew
rentals or to give up the letting of the pews
and charge a regular price of admission to
each service. At this meeting it was voted
to abolish the pew rental system. But that
plan was evidently not in keeping with the
desires Of the priest, for on the following
Sunday he called another meeting to again
discuss the matter. At this second meeting
the men were at a loss to know what to do.
inasmuch as their first vote had been over
ruled; so the only action they took was to
request Father Harrington to ascertain from
Bishop Healy just what the parishioners
were expected to vote on.
Last Sunday Father Harrington and
Father Brady informed the parish that, as
the men of the parish had been unable to
settle the pew rental question. it had been
decided for them by higher authority: that
the pew rentals would be increased accord
ing to location of the pews, and the paying
OF pew rent would simply entitle the holder
to occupy his seat at the 10 80 mass on Sum-
days. and those who wish to attend the other
masses could do so by the payment of ten
cents each. 1t was also stipulated that chill
dren attending the children's mass at Q
o'clock would be charged one cent each. The
only exception made to the ruling was that
If any person was too poor to pay the re-
quired charge he could obtain free sitting
within The church BY Reporting to the priests
on the pews is about % cents each.
The chief objection the Pensioners raise
is to the charging of admission to the chill
dren at the mass which is especially designed
for them. They also think that the raising
OF a tae , pew rentals viii be quite sufficient to
charging admission to any of the services es.
We have been told by the priests that the
parish property, including the church, paro-
chial residence, the house at the corner of
Elm and Vetromile street, and the vacant
lot on the opposite corner, is entirely free
from debt. Why an increase of receipts is
provided for is what puzzles us all. A tax of
ten cents apiece for adults and one cent
apiece for children falls heavily on many
large families who would make every effort
to raise the money, in preference to going to
the priests. pleading poverty and begging
the privilege of attending worship free OF
| charge. The dissatisfaction is widespread
and you may depend on it that some action
will be taken at the meeting next Sunday af.
ternoon.
Several other parjshioners were questioned
| regarding the matter. and their testimony
was all in keeping with that here published