The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-04-14

trustees, to determine how and for
what purposes the premises Of the par
pish, church, or school, or hall, may be
used. As regards in particular parish
halls the matter was fully explained
in my circular of December 80. 1916,
The rule there laid down is this:
Whether parish halls be separate
buildings or located in the school
building, they may be used only for
religious, charitable, educational, and
properly parish purposes. They may
never be used for political purposes,
nor should they be given for purely
secular purposes to any parties or So
cfeties except the people of the parish.
Where parish societies want to have
regular meetings in the parish hall.
they ought to pay fair rent Public
or advertised dancing is absolutely
forbidden; bazaars and sociables may
ish, or for some other religious or
charitable purpose, that may not be
conducted on Sunday. Only Catholic
society meetings may be held in the
parish hall on Sunday afternoon or
evenings, but not during the time of
public divine service in the church.
In all things the parish hall is under
the direct control of the parish priest
and can never be used without his con-
sent. On the other hand, the pastor
and trustees will be held responsible
for all that passes in the parish hall. "
The rule that societies should pay a
decent rent for the use of the parish
hall holds good especially in case of
societies which are not strictly parish
societies. 1t therefore applies also in
the case of the Italian music bands.
Second: A great deal of unnecessary
excitement and bad feeling has been
stirred up in your parish by false
statements regarding Father Perardi.
Refutes False Statements.
I. It was said that he had taken
parish money in order to pay for his
trip to Europe last fall. This is entire
ly false and malicious calumny.
2. 1t was said that Father Perardi
kept the Westerhoven property in his
own name instead of deciding it to the
Holy Rosary Congregation. This is
true, but it is not the whole truth.
When Mr.. Westerhoven gave that
property for an Italian mission on the
south side, l did not want it to be
decided either to the Holy Rosary Con-
gregation nor to the archdiocese, and
so l told Reverend Father Perardi to
hold it in his own personal name. This
was therefore done at my own orders
and for good reasons. Later on Father
Perardi decided the property to the
arch diocese although for reasons I
did not have the deed recorded. 1t is
not true that Mr.. Westerhoven gave
the property to the Holy Rosary con-
gregation. He gave it to me in trust
for an Italian mission. The reason
that this mission has not been kept up
to this day is simply because there was
not enough income to pay for it's
support.
3. The charge made against your
Reverend Pastor on account of the fire.
quent change of lay trustees is not
well founded in fact. There were many
various causes of these changes. 1t is
LIOI VI uG LIldC hSN0ISHu rdLHeE I0Fdful
elected or appointed those trustees
himself. He would always consult me.
Moreover the bylaws of our parishes
empower the bishop to accept a resig-
nation of any trustee and then APP
point his successor without an election
by the parish. If some of the trus-
tees during the past years were dis
satisfied with Father Perardi's rulings,
it was simply for the reason that they
themselves did not properly understand
the bylaws governing our parishes.
4. AS to the charge that your pastor
would sometimes at baptisms or fun
erals demand large amount of money
from the respective parties, the mat
ter has been explained above when
speaking of the duty of every mem
Der of the parish to do it's share in
supporting the parish.
5. AS to number of other charges
laid before me find upon examination
that they are based upon an entire
misunderstanding of the nature of the
respective case or transaction.
In conclusion, l wish to say that
after examining everything in partic-
ular,I find that absolutely no serious
charge can be brought against your