Year: 1878

| which often ipjure his health and unit him 1or
| his duties to your souls. Does any one wlsn 70
! have God hold him guilty, by his negiect, u
| destroying the health and shortening the lie
| of Priest of God, and thus robbing other souls
of the services he would have rendered them
Sometimes the Bishop gives the Priest some
| assistance for his support but this is growing
more difficult every year, because the otner
wants of the diocese are increasing, while its
means do rot increase. What we rely on for
the expenses of the diocese is donation sent
| to ms every year from the Society of the Pro-
pagation of the Faith OF ourselves we own
absolutely nothing. What little we had when
we first came here was spent in few months
for urgent needs of the Church. We have no
salary we rely ourselves on this donation from
the Propaganda for part Of our personal e1-
penses. The Easter collection for the eduoa-
tion of Priests commonly gives about as muoh
ss the regular expenses Of one student. bnt
we must have q number of students, in order
to keep up the necessary number OF Priests.
At present we are paying for five, besides three
who are supported by themselves or their
friends.


The number of Priests is threefold greater
| than it was some years ago, and the number OF
stn dents should increase in the same proper
tion. But our donation from the Propagation
does not increase. 1t varies according as their
| receipts are greater or less, and we have reason
t to expect it may sometime be withdrawn en-
| tirely.


| 1t is the fruit of collections made from poor
people, chiefly in France, Ireland and Germany


"a cent a week given out of their scansy
wages, and intended chiefly to support religion
| in heather and savage countries, and in others
! where the Church is yet young and struggling
| The Directors may naturally think that when
| for thirty years they have been helping us to
build up the Church in this diocese, we ought
| soon to be able to provide for ourselves and
| leave their means to be sent to new and more
needy places. And how unfair in us ii, being


able to support our Pastors, we neglect to pay


th at Just debt, and let them live on the aims OF


those poor people!


And this is very injurious to yourselves
With all the Bishop can give, your Priests are
too few, and they have too wide tract OF
country to attend. They cannot instruo5 nor
give the Sacraments as often as your souls
REQUIRE, and in sickness they are 50 far distant
that they often cannot arrive until the person
is senseless, or 80 far spent as to grievously


lessen the benefits of their ministration. How


often, alas is the Priest entirely too late, and


the soul is gone before it's Judge!


When person has done during his life all
that God expected of him in this regard, if he
cannot have the Sacraments at his death, he


may count on Gods helping him with extraor-
dinary graces. But if, through his own negl-


gence or closeness he is himself to blame that


there is not Priest living nearer to him, how


can he expect that God will send extraordinary


helps to remedy the evil he has brought upon
himself7


And yet this is not the worst. When per-


son is dying, and no Priest is near, if he knows
his religion well, you can help him, by your
DIT ayers and good words, to make an act of per-
feet contrition that may obtain his pardon


without actually receiving the sacrsments.
Bat what if your children grow mp without
instruction and religion, and, perhaps, when


they come to die do not even care to receive


the Sacraments3 No one can tell the multi
!. tudes of children of Catholic parents in this
country who have lost the faith for want OF


Priests enough to preserve them in their holy


religion: and your own children, even if they


keep the faith, yet faith alone will not save


them, They need instruction, training, the
Sacram ents, ETC., to enable them to save theil
souls,


N Now to obtain all this for them it is vel
q | worth new efforts on your part to support
a. your Pastor, 80 that he may be able to devote
= more time to smaller district and 80 Civ,
! more attention to you and your children.
e You that have always done your share, AM


mora than your share, be assured that on
y Lord has noted well how much you have don
70 for the souls that cost His Precious Blood
10 He sees, too, what has been accomplished wit
<. your assistance the increased number o
% priests and churches and schools and religion
10 houses. Like st. Paul, you know whom yo
G. have trusted, and that He is able to keep you
8. deposits just Judge who will give you you
ID crown of Justice on that day. QI. Tim. l. 2)
10 Labor to infuse into your neighbors lik
er zeal to do their own portion of the work.


After all, dearly beloved, whatever worldl
to goods you possess-whatever strength an