The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-15
WAS LINCOLN A CATHOLIC?

Editor Griffin in the July number of his Ameri-
can Catholic Researches prints the following let
| ter from Archbishop Ireland:
My Dear Mr.. Griffin: l notice by the late mum.
Der OF The Researches that the question is again
raised, "Was Abraham Lincoln a Catholic" You
report Rev. John w Moore c. NJ. as affirming
on the authority of the pioneer missionary Of
southern Illinois, Rev. j. NJ. j. St Cyr that Abra-
ham Lincoln was, at period of his life, Cath
olic; and in rebuttal of Father Moore's statement
you publish letter from an intimate acquaintance
of Mr.. Lincoln, Miss Ida NJ. Tarbel. to the effect
that Mr.. Lincoln was never a Catholic Miss Tar
bell, writes: His father Thomas Lincoln was IL
Baptist, according to the best authorities and Lin
coin attended the church of that denomination in
his early days in Indiana. In Springfield he at
tended the Presbyterian church. although be was
never member of any denomination"
[ happen to be able to furnish slight contr-
button to the discussion, by repeating, beyond
peril of mistake what the old missionary. Father
ST Cyr, was wont actually to say touching Catho-
licity in the Lincoln household
Father Cyr priest of the Diocese Of St.
Louis, from which IN early days the scattered Cath
ollcs OF southern Illinois received ministerial
tentIon. lie was remarkable man, intelligent to
very high degree, most jealous in work most holy
IN life knew him when in later years he was
chaplain of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Caronde-
let. He held i'll vivid recollection the story of the
church IN old times through Missouri and Illinois,
1t was a delight and means of most valuable in
formation, to sit by and converse with him. In
1866 he spent month visiting me in St Paul. Here
Is his statement, as l then took it down in writ
ing, regarding the Lincoln family: Il visited sew
eral times the Lincons in their home i'll southern
Illinois. The father and the stepmother of Abra-
ham Lincoln both Catholics. How they had
become Catholics, l do not know. They were not
we'll instructed in their religion; but they were
strong and sincere in their profession of it. [
SAID mass repeatedly in their house. Abraham
was not Catholic; he never had been one. and he
never led me to believe that he would become one.
AT the time, Abraham 81 years old or there
abouts, thin, tall young fellow, kind and good
natured. lie used to assist me IN preparing the
altar for mass. Once he made me a present of q
half dozen of chairs. He had made those chairs
with his own hands. expressly for me; they were
simple IN form and fashion as chairs used in coun-
try places then would be-
Those are Father St. Cyr's words If Father
St Cyr is again referred to- let him be quoted for
what ne was wont to say-neither less.
What reliance is to be put on the statement as
made to me by Father ST. Cyr and now repeated
by me- the reader will decide as he thinks best For
my part l cannot allow myself to doubt its ab5o-
lutte correctness.
Is not the supposition permissible that the sec
ond wife OF Thomas Lincoln, Kentuckian, if not
a Catholic from the first, brought with her to the
west tendencies which afterwards led her to be-
come a Catholic and that she drew her husband
into the fold, without being able to influence her
stepson, Abraham! And is not this other suppo-
stion equally permissible in view of the religious
conditions at the time in southern Illinois that
Thomas Lincoln and his wife had been known to
Father Cyr as Catholics without being afterwards
known as such to other priests or at least without
being ever reported such by Others or even that
they were remembered by some persons as attend
ing afterwards and then non Catholic
churches Retiring from his labors in Illinois, Fa-
fhpr( frt.ra r,oIt Z IL.
people whom he had been attending in Illinois
among them the Lincoln family. When he spoke
with me he was not able to say whether the par
ents of Abraham Lincoln persevered or not until
death in the Catholic church
JOHN IRELAND.