The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-04
PASTORAL LETTER OF BISHOP McNICH0LAS

pressive of good will, friendship and
love- Let us include the Holy Father
in our national custom. Let our Of
fering be first, token Of our love and
support of the spiritual and moral po-
sition of the Holy See. The Holy
Father has few personal needs but
he has fathers heart that goes out
to every needy work and charity. The
demands made on him are almost in
Vulnerable. 1t will afford His Holiness
great pleasure to be able to help by
the means we place in his hands
worthy causes and charities Crying
out to him for assistance. The gen
crosby of the present Holy Father
knows no bounds. We think of His
Holiness with his splendid intellectual
gifts but many do not know his great
native generosity.
Gift for Holy Father.
For the Holy Fathers Offering on
the fortieth anniversary of his priest
hood which will also be your Christ
mas gift we ask:
J.. That every priest of our Diocese
send his own personal offering TO us.
No one must think that he cannot
have part in this testimonial because
his means will not permit him to give
the amount he would wish Let the
whole idea of the offering be an ex-
preston of our filial love. Let the
simple norm be-generosity according
to ones means, which will imply some
sacrifice in the giving.
2. That every religious community
of the Diocese make community Of
fering.
3. That all persons of means in
the Diocese send us directly their per-
sonal cheques which they intend as
their Christmas and anniversary of
fering to His Holiness. We ask our
priests to make this announcement
very clear. Each parish will be cred
tied with offerings received in this
way.
4. That all the faithful OF every
parish be given the opportunity
through a collection of making an Of
fering to the Holy Father. Let the
simple idea be made clear to all that
every Catholic has the privilege of
giving a Christmas present to the
Pope. No offering given in love and
in a spirit of sacrifice is too small to
send to His Holiness.
Owing to the little time that re-
mains before Christmas, and also be-
cause many churches are still closed
by the civil authorities during the
epidemic, it will not be possible to
have all our offerings for Christmas.
We shall in the name of the clergy
and faithful of Duluth send a cable
message of greeting to His Holiness
for the anniversary and Christmas
feasts and state that our offering will
follow. We ask that all returns be
made to us not later than 14th of JAN
uary.
For the Christmas feast which is
the anniversary of the birth of the
Prince of Peace we beseech our
priests and people to return thanks to
Almighty God for the blessing of peace
and in thanksgiving for the generosity
of divine Providence to us as Nation.
In prosperity and in the days of our
abundance let us not fail to thank God,
the Giver of all good things. Wher-
ever conditions permit the celebration
of parochial midnight Mass, we hope
that all the faithful who attend will
show their proper and truly Catholic
observance of the Feast by receiving
Holy Communion
Let the TIE Deum be sung or chanted
after the parochial midnight Mass.
In conclusion we commend ourselves
to the prayers of priests and faithful.
May we labor together in harmony
and may the blessing of God be not
withheld from our efforts.
In the Name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
+, JOHN T. McNICHOLAS,
Bishop of Duluth.
Given at Duluth on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception, in the year
of our Lord one thousand nine hun
dred and eighteen.