The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-23
VINCENT WEHRLE, o. S. B., BY
THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE
FAVOR OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE,
BISHOP OF BISMARCK.

FAVOR OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE
BISHOP OF BISMARCK.
To the Priests and All the Faithful o.
the Diocese, Greeting and Benedic
tion:
According to the laws of our Holy
Church and following the example ei
the Bishops of Apostolic times, will
make this year pilgrimage to the
tombs of the Holy Apostles, Peter and
Paul, and at the same time give the
Pope, as the successor of ST. Peter, a
detailed account of the conditions of
my diocese and of the manner in which
| have fulfilled my duty as your
Bishop. l hope to enter upon this pill
grimage within few weeks. | will
not go as a private person, but as
your Bishop and spiritual father;
therefore, it is just that you take some
interest therein and accompany me
at least in spirit.
This visit to Rome made by your
Bishop is a public profession of the
unity which binds the Bishop, priests
and people of the Diocese of Bismarck
with the Pope and, through him, with
the Catholics of the whole world.
This unity is first of all a unity of
faith. Jesus Christ who gave to the
world the eternal truths as the founda-
tion of salvation made St. Peter and
his successor the rock upon which He
built His Church. For Peter Jesus
prayed that his faith fail not, and that,
being once converted, he should con-
firm his brethren. Therefore, in all
questions of faith, we turn towards
Rome and hear the voice of Peter,
knowing that by obeying his decisions
and directions we shall be free from
errors against faith.
For the same reason the Bishop
must give to the successor of st. Peter
an account of the faith as it is in his
diocese and of the dangers to which
that faith is exposed.
Thanks to God, you all, priests and
people of my Diocese, love your holy
Catholic faith; but we should not hide
from ourselves the. fact that constant
I.contact with people of false belief ol
total unbelief has its blighting effect
upon those Catholics who are not con
tinually upon their guard. We are
too prone to forget that wilful unbelie
and religious Indifference is a mos
grievous sin, and that living in re
. ligious error, even without ones owr
fault, is one of the greatest misfor
tunes, because it deprives men of 81
many graces and endangers their i'm
mortal souls.
To counteract these dangers, deal
brethren, consider your holy faith al
the most precious gift of God, a hid
den treasure to be preferred to all tht
) riches of this world, treasure TO,
which we must always be ready tt
; make sacrifices. Have also trul.
! apostolic spirit, anxious to work fo
, the spread of Christian truth accord
: ing to your ability and condition o
| life.
2 Jesus Christ has united us by tht
unity of the Sacrifice and of the Sac
!, raments. ST. Peter thus addresses tht
I Catholic people: "You are chosel
5 generation, kingly priesthood, a hol.
3 nation, purchased people; that yo1
5 may declare his virtues who hast call
l ed you out of darkness into His mar
Y vellous light" q Pet. II-9). Th
9 sacraments, especially Baptism AM
s the Holy Eucharist, make us all on
: living body of Jesus Christ the eterna
Y High Priest.
: We, Bishops and priests, partake o
the priesthood of Jesus Christ; but
: as the Apostle says, no one takes t
himself the honor of the priesthoot
unless he is called like Aaron. 1t
+ through His Vicar on earth, the Pope
3 that Bishops are called to their sui
: lime Office; it is through the Bishop
: that men are called into the sanctuar
: to minister as priests of the Mos
: High. Therefore, it is meet and jus
that the Bishop must give to the Pope
as Christ's Vicar on earth, an accoun
of the way in which he and his priest
InCIl S1C6IuOLdl c1hu VI
to the faithful the Bread of Life. III
\ must also give an account of the yea
I of the people in regard to the divin
mysteries.
1 In general, I can give satisfactor
report The number of priests ha
been increased and nearly everywher
in the diocese the people have now a
e opportunity to hear Mass and receiv
Il the sacraments, IL not every Sunda.
:, at least at certain regular times. TIL
|. receiving of Holy Communion has b.
# come more frequent and bears fruit !
:. greater fervor and devotion.
# But, dear brethren, our Lord al
o monishes US: "Be perfect as your F;
ther in heaven is perfect" and again
j. fWho is just, let him become NOR
8 just, and who is holy, let him becom
p more holy" The more we come
l. contact with our Lord in the Hol
Eucharist, the more we grow in grac
/, and virtue; therefore let us all, priest
n and people, do what lies in our powe
L to bring ourselves and our fellowme
n nearer to Jesus who is our truth, OF
way and our life. This the more nece
s sary because the unbelieving Worl
Il denies the supernatural life of grac