USA > Michigan > Marquette County > Marquette > History Of The Diocese Of Sault Ste, Marie And Marquette; Containing A Full And Accurate Account Of The Development Of The Catholic Church In Upper Michigan, With Portraits Of Bishops, Priests And Illustrations Of Churches Old And New, Volume 1 > Part 24
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Holy Spirit who is eternal, but to the all things. His fundamental idea and Evil one, the prince and ruler of the world. (John XII., 31.)
"With many it is want of a LIVELY and FIRM faith. Why were our Chris- tian forefathers able to accomplish so much? See the magnificient cathedrals, the commodious asylums, and the vast educational structures that cover the Catholic Old World and pass before the view of the traveler, monuments of the faith of our ancestors, and ask why we do comparatively so little in the cause of religion? It is because the lively faith that animated them is wanting in our day. 'This is the victory, which over- cometh the world, our Faith.' (I. John V. 4.)
"Others imagine that if they do not speak against religion, if they say their prayers, attend Mass on Sundays and approach the sacraments that they are perfect Christians and do quite enough for salvation; but the Holy Ghost lays down as a characteristic sign of true and genuine piety, 'to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep oneself undefiled from this world.' (James I. 27.) Both should be done; like accomplished artisans, Christians should be perfect in every respect, and not perform a part, leaving the rest un- done.
"Avarice, this inordinate desire of tem- poral goods which St. Paul calls the root of all evil (I Tim. VI. 10), is another principal cause of our doing so little for God and His Church. Avarice is idol- atry; for it is virtually the same whether an IMAGE OR GOLD is the object of adoration. Money, not God, is the stand- ard by which the avaricious man weighs
standard of value is EARTH. He is worth the number of his dollars, and no more. He estimates his fellow man ac- cording to his money and not on account of his virtue, good qualities and moral worth. Does he ask in all his actions : Is it lawful? just? what does God say? No! but how much does it pay? He values churches, schools, asylums and all other religious institutions by their in- trinsic value, and he is wholly earthly in his inclinations and views. Number being his standard and his heart a multiplica- tion table, he cannot understand their utility and necessity, consequently, he never contributes towards them, unless he is absolutely compelled to do so.
"What low and debasing sentiments in an image of God, destined to live dur- ing all eternity, not among the PERISH- ABLE TREASURES of this earth, but with the IMPERISHABLE ones in heaven. Therefore, the scripture sayeth : 'Nothing is more wicked than the covet- ous man.' (Eccli. X. 9.)
"Listen to what all money and property is for: It is the traveling expenses which your heavenly Father has placed in your hands to accomplish your journey from the cradle to the grave. If you have more than required, make friends for your- selves of the poor and needy, whose prayers will accompany you on your journey, and prepare you mansions in the next life. Doing this you will not lose your treasures, but will secure them for- ever, since God regards what you give to the church, the orphans, the poor and for religious purposes as so much given to Him. He himself says: 'He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth to the Lord:
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would restrict their benefits to nation and kindred He calls heathen. ( Math. V. 47.) 'Be ye therefore perfect, as also your heavenly father is perfect.' (Math. V. 48.) Make only the distinction which He makes between the good and the bad, but at the same time, 'be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good,' ( Rom. XII. 21 and like our holy Mother, the Church, be one, holy, Catholic and apos- tolic.
"Exhorting finally, in spirit of our pastoral duty, all the faithful under our charge to remain obedient children of their mother, the Church, we sincerely wish them to be imbued with a spirit of true, unfeigned charity in word and in deed." 6
Anxious to promote temporal well-be- ing in his diocese, Bishop Vertin did not forget the spiritual. In the above quoted Pastoral he most emphatically enjoins upon his priests to gather the children around themselves, imparting to them religious instruction as best they see fit, threatening at the same time the parent who will not send his children to these instructions with a denial of absolution. There was no uniform catechism adopted in those days for the United States. To obviate this want he laid down, in a Pas- toral of May 13, 1883, the following rule : "For uniformity sake there shall be in- troduced: For the French speaking : Le Petit Catechisme de Quebec; the smaller part to be used in the instruction of chil- dren before their first holy Communion, and pro rudibus for the first holy Com- munion, and the larger part preparatory
to the first holy Communion and two years thereafter.
"For those learning Christian doctrine in German, Father Weninger's small or large Catechism shall be adopted, suited to the personal and local circumstances of the pupils.
"For the English speaking children the Father Weninger series of Cate- chisms, published by P. O'Shea, 37 Bar- clay Str., New York, shall be used.
"For advanced classes we order Bishop Gilmour's Bible History, published by Benziger Bros., and recommend to the lay-Catechists, for their perusal, the Manual of Catholic Religion by the Very Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. J., D. D."
The building of the Cathedral, consid- ering that it was carried on by day-work under the superintendency of James Lo- renz, was progressing favorably enough, so that in the fall of 1883 the great church was under roof and enclosed. The basement was then finished and fitted for services; on Christmas eve, December 25th, 1883, the first "Gloria in excelsis" resounded in the new place of worship Assisted by Fathers Hass and Maurice, O. M. C., in the presence of Bishop Mrak, and of a congregation that filled the spacious basement to overflowing, Bishop Vertin celebrated a solemn Pontifical High Mass. The occasion melted the hearts of the people, the flood of com- mingled feelings of joy and happiness carried away the last vestige of antagon- ism against the Ordinary who, by his un- daunted energy, and impartial amiability, had won their respect and love.
The Bishop, too, was extremely happy that things had so agreeably composed themselves. Grateful to Divine Provi-
" Lenten Pastoral, dated on the Feast of St. Scholastica in the year of our Lord, 1882.
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tan church at Baltimore. Bishop Vertin attended this Council and served in the eighth deputation, whose duty it was to draw up decrees concerning the Christian doctrine. Under this heading was under- stood the matter pertaining to the office of preaching, of teaching Catechism, prayer books and Catholic journalism; to this was added the Catholic immigra- tion and colonization. Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati was president of the depu- tation; members thereof, together with Bishop Vertin, were Bishop Borgess of Detroit, Bishop Gilmour of Cleveland, Bishop Ireland of St. Paul and Bishop Wigger of Newark. Rev. Dr. Henry Moeller, the present Archbishop of Cin- cinnati, was secretary and there were eight theologians attached. Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. J., D. D., accompanied Bishop Vertin to the Council as his the- ologian.
The decrees of the Council were to take effect everywhere in the United States immediately after the promulgation of the papal approval of them, yet it was agreed among the bishops of the Council to hold, as soon as convenient after the promulgation, either a Provincial Coun- cil or a Diocesan Synod and promulgate them, again shaping local conditions for their observance. In the spirit of this resolution a Provincial Council was called by Archbishop Heiss for the Prov- ince of Milwaukee to meet in the Metro- politan church on the fourth Sunday af- ter Easter, it being the 23rd of May, 1886. All suffragans attended. Bishop Vertin's theologians were Revs. Edward Jacker and Frederick Eis.
The Third Plenary Council and sub- sequently the Provincial Council have
adopted a new legislation to meet the exigencies of the country at large and of the Province of Milwaukee in particular. To bring his occasional decrees, scattered throughout the Pastorals of many years, within the sense of the two Councils, Bishop Vertin framed the following :
"Rules and Regulations for the Dio- cese of Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette.
"Dispensations from the 'Banns' shall not be granted by any of our Mission- aries except for most important and urg- ent reasons, and then those of one pub- lication only, which dispensation must be recorded with the marriage in the mar- riage record. For any other dispensation the Bishop's permission must be asked in writing by the respective priest-but in no case by telegram, or sending the part- les to us. For each dispensation two dollars must be demanded (for three $5.00) and forwarded immediately to the Bishop to be applied toward some good work, and for payment of this the priest shall be held responsible.
"When a dispensation from the im- pediments mixtae religionis, disparitatis cultus, primi and secundi gradus affini- tatis, 2di gradus consanguinitatis, and in radice, is required, application must be made to the Bishop. The names of the parties and their standing in society must be given ; whether poor, in moderate cir- cumstances, or well to do in the world, that the Bishop may determine the amount of Alms, required by Rome, to be remitted to him toward some good work.
"For each of the above dispensations two dollars must be invariably de- manded for the chancery of the diocese. "In all cases of dispensation, canonical
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admitting of no apology, with which the dues and by the collections, principally, consciences of the presiding priest and so well recommended by the Apostle ( I Cor. c. 16, v. 1-3) ; any other manner of raising funds for said purposes must first be proposed to, and then approved of by the Ordinary of the Diocese. the people are charged, and both must answer to God for the guilt, if they have neglected their duty toward the immortal souls of the children entrusted to their charge.
"Any careless parents, who will not send their children to Christian instruc- tions preparatory to first holy commun- ion, particularly when the children have completed the 12th year, shall be denied absolution by the presiding priest.
""If any man have no care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.'-I Tim. v. 8.
"The presiding priest shall have the entire control of the school and the teachers, and engage them according to the income of the congregation, or dis- charge the same according to the dictates of his conscience, subject only to the judgment of the Bishop. But religious shall neither be introduced into any par- ish, nor dismissed without the written consent of the Bishop.
"In every congregation in this Diocese there must be a council for the adminis- tration of the temporal affairs, to be either elected by the people or appointed by the Bishop.
"The pew rents, Sunday collections, extra collections, subscriptions, donations, rents, sales and exchanges for the benefit of the church, constitute the revenues of the church, for the administration of which the Missionaries shall be respons- ible.
"All expenses for the church and schools will be defrayed by the ordinary means, coming from pew rent, monthly
"The congregation will henceforth provide for the necessaries of the altar, as the penny collection is taken by the priest on account of their salary.
"As it is the privileged right of the Diocesan Bishop alone to determine a certain sum of contribution toward the priest's support-see C. of Balt., P. 118, No. 4-it is herewith forbidden laymen to increase, lessen or retain any fixed con- tribution thus allowed.
"The priests' support-contributions shall range in each mission according to the income of the pews as follows :
"It shall not exceed $800 in missions where-the necessary yearly expenses to- ward the divine worship in the same church being deducted-the rent of the pews shall amount to that sum; in mis- sions, on the other hand, where the pew rent is not so high, the Missionary-after deducting the ordinary expenses of the church-shall have the balance remain -- ing : and finally, where there is no pew rent income, a customary collection shall be taken up monthly or quarterly in every station of the mission, by some appointed and reliable men of the place, of which amount due account shall be forwarded to the Bishop at the prescribed time for inspection, that he may be able to judge of the incoming support given to the priest, and make due remarks to the con- gregation at his pastoral visit.
"The congregation shall henceforth furnish the fuel for the priests, in mis-
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day within the octava of the Saints Peter and Paul, for the Cathedral; and, this year being the Holy Father's Golden Jubilee, the clergy and laymen, young and old, will contribute toward a special collection for the Pope, on the Sunday within the octava of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"Before the last day of January of each year, the Missionary shall forward to the Bishop the annual financial report of the administration of the revenues and ex- penses of the church, signed by himself and countersigned by at least two lay- members of the congregation, not be- longing to the committee, who have ex- amined the accounts. This annual financial report shall be published by the Missionary to the congregation on the first Sunday of February of each year.
"In every case the ordinary expenses of the church must be paid before any of the revenues may be appropriated for any other purpose; and no expenses shall be made that would exceed each year's in- come.
"Upon occasion of the Episcopal visit, whether of confirmation or any other, the priest shall place before the Bishop the account books of the church and congre- gation, and in no case shall he feel justi- fied in neglecting this rule. The same account books shall always be open for the examination of the Bishop, or any priest delegated by the Bishop for that purpose.
"Neither the church, nor church prop- erty, nor any building of the said prop- erty, shall be held responsible or become liable for any debt contracted, or for any sum of money borrowed by the priest, or by the committee, or by both the priest
and the committee, except the written permission of the Bishop has been given for such debt, or loan, and only and solely for that sum and amount specified in and by said permission of the Bishop. And such debt, if made, or such loan negoti- ated, shall be at once entered in the regu- lar accounts of the church, and registered on a separate page, with the time when due, and what interest, if any, it calls for ; and in such a case each congregation is held responsible for their own debts thus contracted.
"No priest in this Diocese is authorized to receive any sum of money on deposit. It is, and must be distinctly understood, that if any person deposits money into the hands of any priest, he alone is responsi- ble for the money.
"Any real estate bought or donated for the use or the benefit of any church in this Diocese must be deeded in 'fee simple' to the Bishop, i.e., in the Bishop's name, without any prefix of title, and without any conditions whatever in the instrument. If these conditions are not complied with, the deed cannot be ac- cepted and the missionary cannot allow the deed to be recorded. If deeds are obtained and recorded, they must be for- warded immediately to the Bishop.
"Every congregation in the Diocese, where there is a resident priest, must have the pastoral residence provided with the necessary furniture, according to their means, and no priest shall, upon any ex- cuse, be permitted to claim the furniture which was purchased by the congregation for the parochial residence as his personal property.
"Every presiding priest in our Diocese shall keep the books of 'status animarum'
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of his respective mission, wherein the necessary annotations regarding the con- tributions, etc., and the general govern- ment, shall be made according to above regulations. This book shall be placed before the Bishop at the time of his pas- toral visit.
"A society not approved of by the Bish- op as a religious one, cannot be permitted in the church, wearing the regalia of the association upon occasion of any religious ceremony ; all other societies, though composed of Catholics, are only tolerated, and they must therefore have especial permission from the Ordinary of the Diocese to turn out officially on the occasion of any religious ceremony. All societies now existing in our Diocese
must send in their constitutions for ap- probation by the Bishop.
"These rules and regulations shall be explained by the officiating priest in the different languages spoken by the con- gregation; and they shall be published to the respective congregations on one Sunday in January of each year. A copy of same shall be framed and hung in some conspicuous place in every church.
"The above rules and regulations shall remain in force until by us amended or revoked.
JOHN VERTIN, Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie and Mar- quette, Mich.,
Marquette, on the Feast of the Purifi- cation B. V. M., the 2nd of February, A. D. 1887."
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Chapter XII.
Bishop Vertin's pastoral on education .- Pastoral on religious societies and holy Communion of reparation .- The first Pro-Synodal Conference .- His Silver Jubilee .- His second visit ad limina .- His sickness and his death.
Moulding his diocese, Bishop Vertin well understood that its future progress depended not so much on the external laws he was framing as upon the internal dispositions of those whom they con- cerned. He took the utmost pains to make his diocesans understand that they are not calculated to destroy the least of their civil liberties but rather to further their happiness and prosperity, because true liberty and obligations to the state and God are inseparable, and man is never freer than when he moves within the limit of the law of the state in which he lives, and since every state is within the domain of God, man is evidently not bound only by the laws of the state, but of God as well. The Bishop pointed out at every opportunity that only a faithful performance of one's duties leads to a sweet repose. "One of the chief duties," he used to say, "are those of the parents towards their children, and of the chil- dren towards their parents." The latter will always follow the former as a con- sequence. If parents accomplish their duty, the children will do theirs as a mat-
ter of course. Hence, in his Lenten Pas- toral for 1884, he says: "Impressed with the obligation of speaking to you on the duties to be fulfilled and the dangers to salvation to be avoided, we deem it best to address you at the approach of the holy Lenten season, on the most import- ant subject, Christian Education.
"Education is a vital question of our times. In this matter the Supreme Pontiff has sounded the key-note, and bishops and priests are in duty bound to echo his voice, calling for religious in- struction as the only effectual safeguard for the preservation of the rising genera- tion from the dangers that imperil their faith and morals. Popular existing errors regarding religious education arise only from the incorrect idea of the term. The verb to educate, derived from the Latin, means to bring out-to develop the in- tellectual, the moral, and the religious faculties of the soul.
"An education, therefore, which im- ' proves the mind only, and neglects the moral and the religious training, is at best an imperfect and mutilated system, simi-
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and where the inculcation of these prin- ciples demands the requisition of the rod, it should not be spared according to that of Solomon: 'He that spareth the rod neglecteth his son, but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes.' The same author elsewhere says: 'Bow down his neck whilst he is young, lest he grow stubborn and regard thee not, and so be a sorrow of heart to thee.'
"Following the advice of the same wise man, we say: 'Instruct thy son and he shall refresh thee, and shall give de- light to thy soul,' and thus shall Christian parents see the blessings descend upon themselves and upon their children's chil- dren, and the Christian home education will be easily perfected in the Catholic schools and by the Church at large.
"The Catholic Church has always been the great educator of nations and of in- dividuals. She has been the fostering mother, the munificent patroness of secu- lar education, and from the sixth to the sixteenth century, she was looked upon as the light of nations, when her priests and monks were the only educators and teachers uniting secular science with the religious, in establishing free schools throughout Europe for the education of the great masses. Bishops and priests throughout Christendom founded schools, which in due course of time developed into academies, colleges, seminaries, and universities; this undeniable fact more than sufficiently repudiates the prejudice arising from ignorance or malice of our adversaries, when they say that our Holy Church does not foster universal instruc- tion. As in those days, so in our own, the church everywhere cares for the es- tablishment of suitable institutions; and
we must commit the education of our youth to this spiritual mother, that the principle of home education may be de- veloped, and your children fitted, accord- ing to their talents, to follow the various avocations of life, that they may live and die as good citizens, and faithful Chris- tians. For this end, the Church has the right and duty to direct the faithful to contribute towards establishing Catholic schools as soon as possible and conven- ient in every parish ; schools under man- agement of capable religious teachers; schools which will be able to compete in all grades with other secular institutions. It is, therefore, a sacred duty incumbent upon all Catholic parents, not only to send their children to such institutions, but to contribute towards their establish- ment and maintenance.
"It is not for us here to discuss the question whether it is right or wrong on the part of the state to tax Catholics for the support of public schools while they maintain their own, but we admonish you by means of this Pastoral, as well as through your pastors, to whose spiritual care we have committed you, to spare no means in order to give your children a thorough Catholic education, which in this Country is far more necessary than in Catholic countries, on account of the many sects by which we are surrounded, and whose influence, which, indeed, may not endanger the loss of faith, does at least lead the youth to imbibe a spirit of indifference in the practice of their relig- ious duties, and engenders a sinful lax- ity, which not seldom leads such Catho- lics to sin and crime and their downfall ; instead of being traced to the neglect of their parents, and lack of Christian edu-
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education, you know in your declining years that your children will not only in- herit your name and your fortune, but as well your faith, with its works and vir- tues? How gratifying will it be to you to know that when you shall be no more, the place in the community and in the church, vacated by you, will be filled by your sons and daughters, who will per- petuate your memory throughout the coming generations. When your chil- dren enter the temple of God, and re- member that under Him they owe to you not only their existence but also their faith, and, likewise, following your ex- ample, your good works, and wishes, praying for the repose of your soul, 'will rise up and call you blessed.' ( Prov. XXXI. 28.)"
This appeal did not fall on deaf ears. Wherever a school was at all possible, efforts were made to erect one. In Ish- peming the St. John's school opened doors that same year. But still there were many more places which could not afford a school. Of these the Bishop was not forgetful either. He enjoined it upon the pastors to give regular Catechetical instruction on Saturdays and Sundays; and to exercise good care that children of their parishes and dependent missions receive an opportunity to learn the Chris- tian doctrine. Priests were also obliged to hear children's confessions every Em- ber week. This unaccustomed activity stirred many an indifferent Catholic from his spiritual lethargy, and, for all of that, evoked adverse remarks, to which the Bishop replied, in the next year's Pas- toral: "As of right, we are reminding you again of the spiritual education of your children, which subject should claim
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