The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-21
THE PRIEST DEFENDED.
Father Mazziotta's Practitioners
Deny That He Left Under
a Cloud.

The statements published in the even
ing newspapers of yesterday concerning
the absence of Father Leonard Mazziotta
have caused considerable excitement
among the parishioners of the clergy
man He has many warm friends la the
parish who Indignantly resent the
charges brought against the priest. One
of these is Samuel Ensor of No. 337
Seventh street. In speaking OF the
affairs TO a reporter OF The JERSEY CITY
NEWS today, Mr.. Ensor said:-
The statements published are untrue
andlwere furnished by an enemy of Father
Mazziotta. Father Mazziotta resigned
from his church because he did not re-
ceiye enough money to pay the interest
on the mortgage and other small bills
connected with The running expenses of
the church. 1t was stated that he received
from $50 to $50 a Sunday, which Is un
true, as / counted the money every Sun
received was SIS. The average was SIS
while the Christmas and Easter collec-
tions amounted to about $50"
1.-THE marriages he had averaged about
one every two weeks, aud the fee ranged
from fifty cents TO So, the latter being
very seldom the amount. while the chris
Jennings were very few, and seldom ex-
ceeded twenty-five cents. 1t was said
that Father Mazziotta lived very extra.
~vagantly. Now l Will make an affidavit
that the Fathers household expenses
were very small for / awe been in his
house very often and have seen him
after saying W 0 masses on SUNDAY sit
down to a dinner of bread, Italian cheese
and wine. He once had q girl as a SER
rant but during the last year he could
not afford to keep her, aud he has had q
man around the house who received no
wages u did che household work for a
home, The Father never sent 81, 900 to
Italy rs he never received that amount
while he was In charge of tbs church.
"The statement That Father Mazziotta
stripped the house and altar before going
away is also false as he did NOT take one-
half of the property which belonged to
him. He only took his clothes. some
table linen, his harp and some books,
He even left 3 parlor suit aud other fur
niture which | know he bought with his
own money from his brother. Two years
ago when Father Mnzziotta came here
from New York he had $1,000 of his own
savings, and he left Jersey City without
$l2. When | first became acquainted
with the Father he was very i'll with
pneumonia and was living In three rooms
in a tenement house on Seventh street,
with no one to nurse him and no doctor
until DR.. Holcome rendered his service
free OF charge. A priest from the Mon
astery visited him and / heard him say
that the rooms were not fit for a priest to
live in. when Father Mazziotta first came
TO the Holy Rosary Church, there had
been four priests beforehand they starved.
Father MaZziotta reduced the DEBT aud
two years he improved the church and in
made it twice as Large. He also bought
a lot and built q priests house on it
thinking with a larger church he could
make more money.
"His adventure proved a failure as the
collections did not increase as the people
that belonged to the church would give
al the door one or Two cents. The major
itr of the people belonged to other par
ishes and would come there to save paw
ing at their w church. 1t was also
said that the priest had gone away with
ole of his female attendants. This every
body knows is a wilful lie, as he treated
everyone the same. He had O smile and
a good, word for everyone
Mrs. Julia Brady Of No. 8I2 Third street
Is another strong defender of Father
Mazziotta. who %denounces the statement.