The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-12-16
PRIEST WARNED
TO RESIGN POST
Committee Warns Father
Perardi to Resign in
FOrty-eight Hours.
COLONY Is in UPROAR
Italian Colony Torn with Dis
sensions over Crisis which
Has Arisen in Parish.

A warning that he had but forty
eight hours to resign as pastor of the
Holy Rosary parish was alleged to
have been delivered to the Rev. Peter
Perardi by a committee of four from
the Italian colony of Kenosha at eight
thirty o'clock Tuesday evening. The
action was taken following meeting
of some Of the members of the parish
who are opposed to the continuance of
the Rev. Perardi as the priest of the
parish and after a discussion of the
situation. This meeting named the
committee to wait upon the Rev.
Perardi and to inform him of their
action. They had no official connec-
ton with the church and it was stated
that the meeting could not be styled
meeting of trustees of the church
organization" although there were
some important members of the con-
gregation in it's ranks.
Received at Priests Home.
The committee, it was alleged, was
courteously received by the Rev.
Perardi in the parlors of the priests
home, according to the story told by
one of the persons who attended the
meeting.
"We were sent here" said their
spokesman, "to warn you that you
have forty-eight hours to resign as
priest Of the Holy Rosary parish"
"We can settle all these things
quietly" the Rev. Perardi is reported
to have answered.
eve were sent to warn you and that
is all-good night" said the commit
tee as they left the home.
Attempts to secure information in
the Italian colony as to the prob
able action in the event that the Rev.
Perardi did not resign by Thursday
evening resulted in little. 1t was
stated that the committee would then
try to place formal charges against
Rev. Perardi and attempt to GUST him
through the legal channels of the
church. 1t is known that petition
is now in circulation to be sent to
the archbishop and it is said that a
letter has been written to the arch
bishop but that no answer has been
received. Further than that they have
no comment to make.
Priest Goes to Milwaukee.
The Rev. Perardi could not be found
at the priests home this morning. 1t
was explained that he was temporarily
away from the parish and would re-
turn shortly. The priest from Chicago
who was at the parsonage, declared
that he knew nothing regarding the
visit of any committee to the priest
on Tuesday evening.
1t was explained that no action in
the affair could be taken except by
orders of the archbishop.
Little Italy, in Uproar.
Kenosha's Italian colony was buzz
Zing with excitement over the crisis
that has arisen in the parish. 1t is
said that the parish is divided into
two factions over the affair Friends
of the Rev. Perardi insist that many
of those who are making trouble are not
regular attendants of the church and
that the great majority of the mem
bers Of the parish have no complaint
against the pastor. On the other hand,
the compliments insist thai there will
be serious detection from the ranks
of the church in the event that a
settlement is not secured in the church
trouble.
While no definite announcement
could be secured regarding the cause
of the trouble, it is admitted by all
that it has arisen over the finances
of the church. This dissension was
augmented on Sunday when police
were sent to the church to stand guard
while masses were being read.
May Have Started Over Dance.
One faction of the church declares
that the entire trouble started over
the fact that the Rev. Perardi in keep
ing with the rules of the church, re-
fused to allow some younger people
Of the church the use of the church
hall for a dance during Advent. This
refusal brought their displeasure, it
is said, and started the trouble. This
rumor is denied absolutely by those
who admit that they are opposed to
the priest continuing as pastor of
the parish.
The fire of dissatfaction was famed
to fury by the fact that police were
called to the church on Sunday. A
letter was received by the "News"
this morning from a we'll known
Italian complaining because "polce"
had stood guard at the church just
like German soldiers had guarded the
French border" It asked for the of
ficials to make thorough investiga-
tion of the affair and let the blame
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