\nJanuary 6, 1830\n
\n-\n
\nMost honored Sir and Father,\n
\n-\n
\nI have delayed for a long time in responding to your letter. The packet entrusted to Mr. De Neckere, who had been charged with its delivery, only arrived at the Seminary after my departure for the Provincial Committee of Baltimore. That journey occasioned an absence of more than four months from my diocese. Upon my return, I resumed the ordinary course of my occupations, answering your letter before all others.\n
\n-\n
\nI learned with inexpressible joy of the happy outcome of the General Assembly: that our Congregation has once again regained its first vigor under the government of a Superior General elected according to the ancient usages and the constitutions left to us by our holy founder. Our missions in America will certainly feel the effects of this special protection that God in His mercy deigns to grant to the entire Congregation. For our part, we shall not fail to do all that lies within our power to become worthy children of Saint Vincent, respecting his authority in the person of his worthy successor.\n
\n-\n
\nProvidence continues to give us marks of its special protection. Our house prospers more and more. We have 60 secular students at the College, 25 seminarians, 5 young ecclesiastics of our Congregation, and 5 priests, including Mr. De Neckere, who continues to enjoy good health; 9 brothers; 3 postulants to become brothers; 3 orphan apprentices who work alongside our brothers; and about twenty servants, both great and small—in all, more than 130 persons. We also have two other priests who do not belong to the Congregation: one, more than seventy years of age, we have received here since he could no longer remain in his mission because of his age. He edifies us all by his truly apostolic virtues. The other is a young priest raised in the seminary, who, on account of his health, has been obliged to abandon his mission.
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Upon my return to the Seminary, I found letters from the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, along with a Brief from Our Holy Father the Pope, naming Mr. De Neckere Bishop of New Orleans. It was I myself who had proposed him, believing that the good of the Church in general must outweigh that of the Congregation. I know no one more suited to this important post than he, nor better able to administer it with fruit. He possesses in eminent degree the gift of eloquence, speaks perfectly the three languages required of a bishop in this country, is very learned, very pious, well known in this land to his advantage, and much loved and respected by the clergy and a great portion of the people. Providence will surely make use of him to work wonders in this mission. It is true that our house here will feel his departure keenly, and my diocese will suffer much from it. Yet the greatest glory of God must come before all. Our confrères here are inconsolable. Mr. Odin has been ill; Mr. Timon, ever since he learned this news, has been extremely afflicted. They reproach me bitterly for having urged Monsignor De Neckere to accept. But once again, the interests of God must be our only interest. Assuredly the Seminary needs a Superior; it could not go on long in its present state. Everything would suffer, and these gentlemen would finally sink beneath a labor beyond their strength. Immediately after my return I resumed my theology class, and I strive to do what I can to lighten their burdens. But these are not the only duties I must fulfill. I am charged with a Vicariate, which I must visit. My presence is also necessary in St. Louis, where I cannot be easily replaced. And after Easter I must go to New Orleans to consecrate Monsignor De Neckere."}]}],"thumbnail":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/depaul/iiif/5aa3946c-6861-4156-9968-93fc7d1ffc52/full/500,500/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","height":500,"width":500}},{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/depaul/iiif/f7777ddd-66f8-4659-8910-22b8b86357ef/canvas/_3","@type":"sc:Canvas","label":"CMC0565_02_017_005_p013","height":4775,"width":3915,"images":[{"@type":"oa:Annotation","motivation":"sc:painting","resource":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/depaul/iiif/10723cca-af8e-4c1b-a6a3-160ff8d34c9c/full/full/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","format":"image/tif","service":{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/depaul/iiif/10723cca-af8e-4c1b-a6a3-160ff8d34c9c","profile":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level2.json","tiles":[{"width":2048,"scaleFactors":[1,2,4]}]},"height":4775,"width":3915},"on":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/depaul/iiif/f7777ddd-66f8-4659-8910-22b8b86357ef/canvas/_3","metadata":[{"label":"Translations","value":"We have fixed this ceremony for the second Sunday after Easter. The Congregation will also derive a great benefit from what now appears, at present, to be a great loss. We have four of our priests in the diocese of New Orleans: Messrs. Borgna and Permoli, vicars at the parish of that city; Mr. Tichitoli at the Ascension; and Mr. Rosté at St. Charles du Grand Coteau. For a long time we have had the intention of establishing a seminary at Ascension. Mr. Bigeschi, formerly curate of the Assumption and now a canon of the Metropolitan Church of Florence, has worked successfully to establish an Association modeled on that of France, to provide the means for founding a seminary; and he hopes, according to what he has written me, to succeed in executing this project. Our confrères might be gathered together at the Ascension, and with a few others would be in a position to maintain the seminary; but this will require still some time. Meanwhile, the Bishop of New Orleans could, as he found suitable subjects, replace the confrères serving in the parishes, and begin to gather them together. This would be a blessing for them, allowing them to live in community and to fulfill all the duties of their vocation.\n\n-\n
\nIn the meantime, I beg you, Most Honored Father, to come to the aid of our poor house of St. Mary’s. We are in need here of a local Superior. Mr. Tornatore would be the man of Providence for us. Our Fathers in Rome should make yet this further effort, which would crown all that has been done up to now; otherwise, the fruit of all the sacrifices made in the past would be lost. Our novices have no one to inspire them with hope in their vocation; our brothers cannot receive the proper instruction; the entire house needs a man who may serve as the center of all who compose it.\n
\n-\n
\nI will write you again in a few days to give you a more detailed account of our Mission. I commend myself to your prayers, and to those of all our confrères, and I remain sincerely, Monsieur and most honored Father,\n
\n-\n
\nYour very humble and very obedient servant,\n
\nJoseph B. of St. Louis
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