The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-11

At st. Pauls church yesterday morning
at high mass Rev. ii. b. Allaeys, the pas
tor, dispensed with his usual sermon and
instead read an official letter from Bishop
Brondel of Helena. AS the document per-
tains to Catholicity the state over, ex-
cerpts are printed below. There was
large attendance and every one present
thoroughly enjoyed the music of the
choir, considered by many to be the best
in the state. The letter, in part, Is as fol-
lows:
1T is 10 years since we were sent to
Montana to build up the Catholic church
in your midst. as first bishop TO this coun-
try. During this time our great preoccu-
patton was the increase OF the clergy. For
How shall they believe of whom they
have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher? And how shall they
preach unless they be sent?'-Rom. x14:15.
1t is prominently our office TO send
priests to preach the gospel of our Di-
vine Savior and to administer the sacra-
ments We have done so in the past as
far as we were able. We have gathered
aims as in this new state there were
as yet no natives fit for the priesthood,
we have Travelled through different coun-
tries time and again: we have received
devoted priests who offered their ser
vices: we obtained the rights of patron
age in the American college of Louvain:
lea, spoke TO them in private and in pub
lie concerning the needs of priests in
Montana and wrote numerous letters TO
Increase our clergy.
I'm 1888 there were 10 Jesuit Fathers
and four secular priests in the territory:
to-day the secular priests number Is, the
regulars 90 The many languages spoken
by the priests of Montana render them
capable of conversing with the many diff
ferent nationalities OF which our popula-
ton Is composed. Although our stare is
larger than Italy. churches have been
erected and priests stationed in the most
distant parts of the land. The result is
that there is hardly hamlet without a
church. no Indian tribe without it's mis-
sion. missionaries and schools. no town
of any Importance without its priests.
churhces. schools and hospitals. The his
tory of the Catholic church in Montana
under the title. Indian and White writ
ten by Father L. b. Palladino, s. j., and
published by Murphy a. Co. OF Baltimore.
contains some OF the brightest pages of
church history in America
IF we tell you all that. beloved bretk-
rem. IL is not in a spirit of vainglory, but
to give glory TO God and to correct false
notions which exist in the minds OF some
who feeling in certain localities the want
of priests. are apt to complain and find
fault with US. Yes. II we state what has
been done we are called upon also TO
state what is TO be done. Several OF the
places where churches are built are
without priests and large places have not
clery enough. But whose fault is it7 You
are a calculating people and you will
give the answer. We know above all that
IL Is the Lord who has TO send laborers
into his vineyard. and therefore We must
pray as Jesus Christ commanded. Years
ago we have ordered prayers during mass
TO employ the natural means whilst not
the supernatural means Of
prayer.
Now. TO obtain a priest. we must have
an educated man. piety is not enough: a
call of God Is not enough: but science also