The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-15
LETTER OF THE MOST REVEREND ARCHBISHOP

willingness in subjects of the civil
it's maintenance is the measure OF
their loyalty: so the willingness in
subjects of the spiritual government
of the Church to do their share
towards it's maintenance is the mea-
sure of their devotion to it's mission
and it's prosperity.
In the interests Of the Sovereign
Pontifcate Catholics see the interests
that are the most precious, the most
holy-those of the Saviour himself
ton of the souls of men, the triumph
amid humanity of the eternal prin-
ciples of truth and of righteousness.
To the Almighty God directly and
Immediately go the the offerings they
make to him who is His Vicar and
visible representative, whose govern
ment has as its one purpose the per-
petuatiOn and the extension of the
divine reign over the peoples of the
earth. The opportunity allowed to
Catholics to be the helpers in the tenn
poral needs of the Holy See, is the
souled adhesion to God and the
Saviour: it should be taken hold of in
readiest and most generous response
The Sovereign Pontificate today is
Benedict XIV For the first time since
his election, the Catholics of the Dio-
nf Dol to1 hn
forthcoming Pentecost Sunday, to pre-
sent collectively to His Holiness their
love and allegiance. The offerings
made on that day will be forwarded in
their name to the Holy Father, as a
testimonial of their devotion to him
nest of their wishes and prayers that
his reign be long and felicitous. Let
the offerings be of such note as to
merit his attention and his special
blessing. Recently Benedict XIV was
pleased to send his gracious greetings
to the Catholics of the Diocese of St.
Paul, in the letter written by him on
the occasion of the dedication of their
new Cathedral: let them now give
proof of gratitude for the signal honor
he was pleased to confer upon them.
3
Appended to this present letter is
the list of contributions from the sew
'eraI parishes of the Diocese made in
the year 1914 to the benefit of the
Holy See. The list should be carefully
read. 1t makes only too plain the fact
that in some parishes contributors did
not properly understand the purpose
of their offerings, or did not properly
realize their debt of justice and of
faith towards the Holy See. Else,
those parishes would not have been
so parsimonious in their giving. In
not a few places the amount for
warded to the Diocesan Chancery
barely equalled the average collection
taken up for their own treasury on or
dinary Sundays-an evidence that the
special intent of the Pentecostal col
lection was either overlooked, or ig-
nored. On next Pentecost Sunday
there must be no recurrence of pre-
vious mistakes.
We recall the statute of the Diocese,
ordering that the full sum of collec-
tions taken UP at all the masses on
Pentecost Sunday be set aside as be-
| longing to the Holy See-no deduc
tions, whatever, being made for the
| benefit of local parish treasures. In
some places, | have reason to believe
trustees deduct from the sums col
lected the equivalent of the average
Sunday collection, to the intent that
the parish treasury lose nothing of its
regular receipts. This custom, where
ever and however introduced, is here
by formally prohibited. The collective
parish, as we'll as its individual mem
bership, should pay it's tribute to the
Holy See.
This present letter will be read a
the several masses in all the churche!
of the Diocese on the Sunday preced
ing Pentecost Sunday-May 10Th; ant
on Pentecost Sunday ITSELF refer
ence to it will be made, and words o
fervent appeal will be spoken by tn,
preacher himself.
| l pray God to bless the clergy AM
the faithful people of the Diocese o
st. Paul.
i. JOHN IRELAND,
Archbishop of ST. Paul
st. Paul, May 10th, 1915.