Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

In connection with the Observance Of this
birthday of Abraham Lincoln there was
some discussion in this city as 10 the reliE-
ious belief Of that great statesman. II has
been declared by several Catholics that MI.
Lincoln was a member of that church, but
according to a letter written some months
ago by Archbishop John ireland Of s.
Paul he was not and never had been Z
Catholic
Writing to the editor of the American
Catholic Researches he says:
You report Rev. John w. Moore, {. NJ.
as affirming on the authority of the pioneer
missionary of southern Illinois, Rev. }. NJ
7. st. Cyr that Abraham Lincoln was at
one period of his life a Catholic; and IN re-
buttal of Father Moore's statement YOU
publish a letter from an Intimate acguaint-
ance of Mr.. Lincoln. Miss Ida NJ farbell.
to the effect that Mr. Lincoln was never L
Catholic.
Miss TaTbell writes:
His father. Thomas Lincoln. was \
Baptist according to the best authorities,
and Lincoln attended the church OF that de-
nomination IN his early days III INDIANA.
In Springfield he attended the Presbyterian
Church, although he was never member
Of any denomination
Il happen to be able TO furnish a Slight
contribution to the discussion, by repeating.
beyond peril of mistake, what the old mis-
sionary. Father St. Cyr. was wont actually
to say touching CathOlicity in the Lincoln
household.
..Fa Their St Cyr was a priest of the dio-
cese of ST. Louis from which IN early days
the scattered Catholics of southern Illinois
received ministerial attention. He was
rcma rkable man, intelligent TO very high
degree most Jealous in work, most holy
in life. | knew him when IN later years
he was chaplain to the Sisters or 81. Jo-
seph OF Carondeiet. He held in vivid recol-
lection the story of the church in old times
through Missouri and Illinois. IL was
delight and a means of most valuable n
formation to sit by and converse with hia.
In 1866 he spent a month visiting me IN
St Paul Here is his statement as l then
took 1T down in writing, regarding the Lin
coin family: I visited several times the
Lincolns in their home in southern ILLINOIS,.
The father and the stepmother OF Aora-
ham Lincoln both We're Catholics. HOW
they had become Catholics / do not know.
They were not well instructed i'll their re-
lgion, but they were strong and sincere IN
their profession OF II. l said mass re-
peatedly in their house. Abraham was not
a Catholic: he never had been one, and he
never led me TO believe that he would De
come one. At the time. Abraham was
twenty years old Whereabouts, thin.
tall young fellow, kind and sood-natured
He used to assist me in preparing the altar
for mass. Once he made me a present or
a half dozen of chairs. He had made thoSs
chairs with his own hands, expressly tor
me; they were simple IN form and fashion,
as chairs used in country places then would
be-
nose are Father 81 VI = WINE -
Father st. Cyr Is again referred to, let him
be quoted for what he was wont to say
neither more nor less.
What reliance is to be put on the state
ment as made TO me by Father ST. Cyr
and now repeated by me. the reader Will
decide as he thinks best For my part.
cannot allow myself to doubt It's absolute
correctness.
as not the supposition permissible that
the second wife of Thomas Lincoln, a Ken
tuckIan If not a Catholic from the first.
brought with her to the west tendencies
which afterward led her to become Cath
Ole, and that she drew her husband INTO
the fold. without being able to Influence
her stepson Abraham And Is not this
other superstition 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 s..
Cyr as Catholics without being afterward
known as such tosother priests, or at least
without being ever reported as such ny
others, or even that they were remembered
by some pers1tns as attending afterw9rd
now and then non-Catholic churches. Rs
firing from his labors in Illinois, Father
ST Cyr returned to Missouri and lost sight
of the people whom he had been ATTENDING
In Illinois. among them the Lincoln fam
fly. When he spoke with me he was ROT
able to say whether the parents of AhFa-
ham peirsevered not until death Ia tie
Catholic Church.