The sun., 1903-09-23

THE NOBLE CLERGY.

THE NOBLE CLERGY.
Tnss, sscrlnoes, Their Charity. Thsis fire
less Zeal and Their Dsystton.
To TEE EDITOR OF THE SuN--sir: A reader
of your esteemed paper for the last thirty
eight years, a native Of Brooklyn. and
member Of the Catholic priesthood for over
twenty years. am prompted to ask you to
publish my views about the editorial IN yes
terday's Sun. under the title Of The Church
and the Clergy"
do not wish to enter into argument With
your correspondent from Brooklyn criticising
the dress and panoply Of the dlgnitsriss OF
the Church; that will. no doubt. be answered
and explained satisfactorily BY others. But
as q clergyman who has worked hard ana
Who knows the habits. traits. dispositions
and status financially and otherwise. Of the
majority Of the clergy Of the Brooklyn diocese.
wish to enter my solemn protest against the
accusation that we are "avaricious. bigoted,
discourteous and Indifferent"
Facts are facts, let them speak FOR them.
selves. According to the laws Of the synod
Of ths diocese. no rector Oan reosivs more
than u 900 per snnum ~ salsry, and no ousats
more than la0O for the same peried Of time.
This presupposea that the revenues ot the
church will warrant the giving Of these sums.
otherwise they must receive less. can
assure you, sir. there are rectors In the SUBJ
urban districts who would gladly exchange
places with the city curatss.
Out OF this income thsy must cl0the them
selves, procure everything for thels personal
wants, and meet the many demands that are
daily made upon them. Does your corre-
spondent know what that means7 The
writer does, for -he has gone through tho
mill, a. the saying has II. Ask the store
keeper how many shoes have been bought
for poor children by the priests. Ask the
many landlords how often the priest pays the
rent for poor families to keep them from being
dispossessed Ask the druggist, the grocer.
the butcher who paid their bills for the poor
people. Finally, in all justice to US, ask the
st. Vincent de Paul Society. whose members
are best acquainted with the wants and needs OF
the Catholic poor. how often they recsive cash
contributions from the clergy to enable the
society to carry on It's Christian and humane
work. Are the clergy who are daily doing
thsss things "avarieious"? They who are
guilty Of this detestable vice hold on tightly
to what they possess, and seldom, II ever.
give anything away In charity. This SIN
cannot, thank God. be imputed to the Brook
lyn clergy.
That we are "discourteous" Is a charge with
out any foundation. We may not have tho
politeness Of q Lord Chesterfield. but We do
initiate the manners Of Christ A Catholic
priest 10 gentleman. His educsuon, II
not his birth. makes him such. and often
favorable comments have been made by in
on the polteness, polish and refinement o7
manners Of the Cath olic clergy.
But what. especially, pains The yndersigned
to the quick. II to have himself and his brother
m har n
priests life prevents him from being lazy.
Ms rises say at 9SSes in a. tas r;s1 %;oTntag
SICK calls. often ten and aitesn day; hnrriss
back to the rectory to talk with some one
pledge TO some poor unfortunate, or TO write
a letter TO some Judge ~ lessen the sentence
Of some criminal. q 70 write his ssrlnoni
S Work I1 BY being C compelled 70 visit q hsase
to settle some family DISPUTE. = he asked 81!
to get q situation for some membsr o. hls
Iaendatos on Of sa personai!y cal on ths empSyer
to eet the desired favor Were the brilliant
young der rgynen lazy whom Bishop AcDon-
s 70 ss
and schools Their work speaks iOr teal,
Beautiful edifcss are 70 DO seen and adHifeq
Y s %
men. '-naturs's geptlemen. whom your eorrs-
spondent would have your readers bslievs
to be lazy and Indifferent.
There 10 not a more slsrgstic. harder
worked body Of men than the pFfests Of the
Brooklyn diocese. Their purse 10 ever open
to the poor, whom they love their advice Ia
chesrfilly and politely given, and work they
shirk not Their charity n wsM known, .thus
proving that the sick. maimed and poor haye
their sympathy. 'Tis true they do not an-
nounce their charity FROM the h0usetops.
nor have their names pubiisted In tbs sensa-
tional sheets as donating this Or that sum.
They believe that the Father. who secs in
secret, will reeompense them
Many are the instances Of good done by
these reverend mep known to the writer.
recall, when the city Of Galveston was de:
stroyed by the food, that venerable and
very hi ighly esteemed clergyman Of nearly
forty years service In the priesthood sene
nearly all his savings to the Bishop of that
city, to be Distributed without any distlHc-
tion as to creed, color or birth. On another
occasion a very large sum Of money was sanf
to the directors Of the Flushing Hospital
by a whole souieJ. generous priest who
wished to help the institution get out OF its
financial straits. But why snnmerate thesep
The very poor know them and the 4 RecordinG
Angel has long ere this inscribed them In the
Book Of Life.
Justice, not charity. should compel your
Of men who are neither lazy" nor -indiasr-
deavor TO carry on the work OF tho Master.
That would be both Just ted sr eSH,ssgSs %1o %sow,
usoz.,1uv Y = con% on