USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume I, pt1 > Part 11
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Let us now see who were to pay for this large and expensive building, and what preparations were made to meet the demands that it would necessarily create. The parish is composed of one hundred and twenty, or, at most, one hundred and fifty families, and by far the greater number of them depending on their daily labor for support. To meet this large expense only six thousand one hundred dollars ($6,100), to be paid in two seasons, were sub- scribed ; while in the treasury of the church there was not more than one hundred dollars ($100), that is, if the demands on the congregation, which should have been met before, had been paid. This subscription and the amount paid in, when compared with the cost of the intended building, shows there was a misunder- standing somewhere, and that something was concealed which should have been made known.
Another point connected with the affair, and what, no doubt, helps the gentlemen's "zeal" to have the work go on, is, that the leading men in the building committee became the contractors, and that at prices much higher than those for which other parties equally responsible proposed to do the work. For this statement I have the sworn affidavits of one or two of the building com- mittee who are conversant with the facts. And these are the men, and not the congregation, who have created this trouble, and those whose liberal views are so much extolled in the public press. In nearly all municipal laws there are special statutes prohibiting those intrusted with the care of affairs from becoming contractors in such matters, and, if I mistake not, punishing them with fine if they do. It does not, then, sound well for the leading members of a building committee to become contractors themselves, and that for prices much greater than those for which other parties equally responsible proposed to do the work. I did not therefore prohibit the congregation from building any church edifice which
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their means, as shown to me, would justify them to commence; neither did I ever prescribe the style of architecture, nor would I. as I wish every congregation in this matter to be free; and any statements to the contrary are false, and were made for the purpose of misrepresenting me, and placing me in a wrong light before the public. I only. for reasons above stated, told the con- gregation, or rather the few who were so anxious to build the church in question, that they should commence a less expensive one, or wait until they could show by the amount of money raised .. that they were able to put up the building they had in contempla- tion. But what added to the folly, and therefore made it still greater, is that before commencing the new church one-half of the old had to be torn down to make room for the new one, leaving only a portion of it, 40 x 35, standing, and this portion, with an entrance only from a filthy alley sixteen feet wide, is the only place of worship the congregation would have during the many years it would take to build the new church.
The statement that they had the permission of Bishop Rappe is also untrue. Bishop Rappe left for Rome to attend the Council in October, 1869, fully eighteen months before the plans of the new church were made. The fact is, Bishop Rappe never gave permission to build the church in question. He knew, as all knew, that a church was wanted, but a "need" never justifies an "extreme." The fact of not having a suitable church did not justify the commencement of a church that could not be built ; and Bishop Rappe is a man of too much practical sense to indulge in visionary projects. It is equally true that my permission was never given. The first I knew of the building was when by chance I went on the ground on the 17th or 18th of March, nearly one month after the contracts were made. There were then no build- ing materials on the grounds, neither were there for two weeks after. A meeting of the congregation was called on the day following. I explained to them the work they were about to commence, the years and amounts of money it would take to accomplish it, amounts from their number and circumstances they would not be able to meet, and as a necessary consequence the loss of the church property would be the result. This was the first time the congregation learned the true state of affairs, for before that time it was not inade known to them what the church would cost. On receiving this information they expressed a strong opposition to the commencement or prosecution of the work, and all, with the exception of five or six above referred to, are pleased with the turn events have taken, looking on it as for their benefit and protecting their interests, so much so that there is not in the diocese a people better reconciled than those of
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St. Bridget's parish. The statement, therefore, that St. Bridget's congregation is creating this trouble, or that I am at variance with it, is utterly untrue. It is only five or six of its members that are displeased, and this displeasure arises from the causes I have assigned. E. HANNIN,
Administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland.
The following editorial was published in the Catholic Telegraph of February 22, 1872, in reference to the Rev. E. M. O'Callaghan's subjoined card of retraction for the part he had taken in the case of St. Bridget's church, Cleveland, as explained in Father Hannin's letter above quoted :
"IT IS HUMAN TO ERR."
"We have had, months past, to allude in this paper to the action of the V. Rev. Administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland, in preventing the demolition of St. Bridget's church, in that city and the erection of another on the same site, when it was evident to him, on most mature reflection and consultation with compe- tent advisers, that the undertaking was beyond the means of the congregation. On this occasion the Administrator, who had nothing in view but the good of the congregation, was unexpect- edly and unwisely opposed by persons who had no responsibility to incur in the inevitable result of the failure of the enterprise. That opposition is now regretted, and the following reparation of the fault submitted to the public. We trust that three or four clergymen, who shared in the fault, will participate in the honor- able expiation."
"Cincinnati, February 22, 1872.
"Editors Catholic Telegraph :
"Dear Sirs :- As your journal is the organ of the Archdiocese of this Ecclesiastical Province, I desire that the following com- munication from me should be published in it. I desire this the more earnestly, and without loss of time, so that any scandal I may have occasioned may be corrected, at least as far as is in my power. "In an affidavit made by me, on or about the 5th of June, 1871, relative to the affair of St. Bridget's congregation, of Cleveland, Ohio, the Very Rev. E. Hannin being Administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland, I made many statements relative to church authority, and the powers and duties of bishops and administrators, which I then believed to be correct, and which I made in good faith, but which being submitted to an ecclesiastical tribunal, according to the direction of the Holy See, I now know and believe to be false, and the tendency of which is injurious to
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religion; and I hereby fully and freely retract the same, and desire that this retraction be made public.
"I further desire to say that I never intended or desired that my affidavit should appear in the public press, and I declare that it was published without my knowledge or consent.
(REV.) E. M. O'CALLAGHAN."
From the above account it will be readily seen that Father Hannin's administration was anything but peaceful, or what the good of religion demanded. And no one was better pleased than he when, by the advent of Bishop Gilmour, in April, 1872, he was relieved of his responsible position, and of the onerous duties connected with the administratorship of the Diocese of Cleveland.
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CHAPTER III THE RT. REV. BISHOP GILMOUR'S ADMINISTRATION. 1872-1891
THE RT. REV. RICHARD GILMOUR CONSECRATED SECOND BISHOP OF CLEVE- LAND, APRIL 14, 1872-CONVOKED FIFTH DIOCESAN SYNOD IN 1872-FULL TEXT OF HIS FIRST PASTORAL LETTER, PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 26, 1873- CLEVELAND LEADER ATTACKS PASTORAL LETTER-BISHOP GILMOUR ANSWERS ATTACKS ON HIS PASTORAL LETTER.
T HE Rt. Rev. Richard Gilmour, second Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, was consecrated at Cincinnati, on April 14, 1872. Within two weeks after his consecration he took possession of his Episcopal See.
He soon found that the disturbance and opposition which had caused many a heart-ache to his predecessor, Bishop Rappe, and which had made the administration of the Very Rev. Father Hannin anything but pleasant, had to a great extent permeated the whole diocese. Firmness and judgment were needed to put the disturbed and disturbing elements to rights. Bishop Gilmour felt the difficulty of his position, as well as the gravity of the impending work, which lay before him. At the very outset of his administra- tion he firmly resolved to "let the past be past," and to deal with men and conditions as he found them. In a word, he refused to discuss the past in any way, and determined to deal only with the present. Guided by this self-imposed rule of action he set man- fully and courageously to work, putting his trust in God. Soon after his arrival, he learned that he had in the diocese at large as his spiritual subjects a willing, energetic clergy, and a generous, well-disposed laity, with an eager readiness to second every effort of his for the advancement of the diocesan interests. Oftener he had to repress, rather than foster, activity in matters pertaining to the material growth of the diocese.
In November, 1872, he convoked a synod of his clergy-the first during his administration, and the fifth since the organization of the diocese. In this synod much of the legislation in force at present was enacted. It also embodied considerable of the legisla-
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lation of the previous synods, notably that of 1868. Among the diocesan laws enacted, were those urging anew the necessity of parochial schools, regulating the financial affairs of congregations, assessing congregations for the support of seminary, etc., (Diocesan Fund), and for the support of sick and disabled priests, (Infirm Priests' Fund). The latter fund had been established some years previous, but it was now found necessary to modify and change many of the regulations governing it, so as to place it on a firm basis. This it has maintained ever since. With additional changes made as needed from time to time in its management, the Infirm Priests' Fund is now in excellent condition.
On February 26, 1873, Bishop Gilmour published his first Pastoral letter. It aroused the latent bigotry of the country, especially of Cleveland, then, and until within recent years, a hot-bed of Puritanism and hatred toward the Catholic church. Not that the Bishop published "doctrines strange and new," but that he dared to publish what he did. And for doing so he was denounced in unmeasured and bitter language by pulpit and press. Even the cartoonists did not spare him. Following is the full text of the famous pastoral letter :
LENTEN PASTORAL.
RICHARD, BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE APPOINTMENT OF THE APOS- TOLIC SEE, BISHOP OF CLEVELAND, TO THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAITY OF THE DIOCESE, HEALTH AND BENEDICTION.
Beloved Brethren of the Clergy and Dear Children of the Laity: With much anxiety and grave apprehension did we, in obedience to the will of Rome, assume the chief pastorship of the Diocese of Cleveland. The responsibilities of the episcopacy on the one hand, and our conscious inability on the other were causes sufficient. But the kindly welcome everywhere extended to us, your earnest faith, and the wonderful progress religion has made, have tended much to give us hope and rouse our courage. Twenty- five years ago, when our most worthy and hard-working predeces- sor was appointed first Bishop of Cleveland, there were but few churches and fewer priests, whilst the Catholics were but thinly scattered over the northern part of the State. Now churches are everywhere; every town and wayside station has its cross. Schools, hospitals, asylums, religious institutions, tell their own tale, and mark the sacrifices and living zeal of bishop and priest,
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and the unbounded liberality of the faithful. For all of which we thank God and those who have created them.
Though much has been done, much remains to be done; enemies are everywhere. Resistance to law is the order of the day; revolution is triumphant; and under the guise of progress, infidelity and disobedience is the religion of the hour. Liberty, which now means license, disorder, robbery, is in every one's mouth, whilst God and truth are forgotten. The Holy Father is a prisoner; the Church prosecuted and robbed, and her authority defied. Society is fast accepting the old Pagan doctrine that the individual is for the State, not the State for the individual. Under the specious plea of zeal for education, unless we make a bold stand for our rights, we shall soon see the child taken from the parent and compulsory education inaugurated. Few believe and fewer still care for religion. The Church cries aloud her warning note, but nobody listens ; whilst the devil goes on sowing the seeds of ruin. We must be up and doing, and shoulder to shoulder meet the enemy. Never was there a time when Catholics needed unity more, or when they had a more dangerous enemy to meet; dangerous, because he comes as an angel of light.
If we hold our own amid this universal war that is going on, we must be more united. There must be less petty jealousies amongst us, nationalities must be made subordinate to religion, and we must learn that we are Catholics first, and citizens next. Catholicity does not bring us in conflict with the State, yet it teaches that God is above man, and the Church above the State. To the Church as the representative of God, we owe a spiritual allegiance, yet in all that does not conflict with the law of God, we owe an unqualified obedience to the State.
The question of the day is no longer Catholicity and Protestantism, but Catholicity and rationalism or infidelity, which, under the cry of education, carries on the war. Educate the man and you make him good, say modern reformers. True, but the word educate has two meanings. In man there are two powers to direct-the mind and the heart. Forgetting that if you educate the head and neglect the heart, you have but half per- formed your task, and that without religion man cannot be moral. The inodern would-be-educators give man intellectual power indeed, but leave him without the moral training necessary to use it. Smartness to them is everything; goodness nothing. When you have developed the intellectual powers, you have put into the hands of man a dangerous weapon, much like a locomotive on a railroad. The machinery is powerful, the boiler is strong, and the steam at the proper gauge, and men exclaim What power! This is what the education of the
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intellect gives-power; power for evil, power for good; power to destroy, as well as to save. Like the locomotive that genius has created, education gives power, but cannot give skill to guide, any more than genius that may create, can, without experience, guide the power it has created. Who would trust himself aboard a rail- road car without a skilled man to guide the power that is to draw it? Yet, to guide the human mind, the most powerful and intricate of all machines, men insist that skill is not needed, and that this machine can be run without a guide.
Now, what is this guide? Religion, says the Catholic church; religion, says experience, and religion, begin to say wiser men of the age. The Greeks and Romans were highly educated, but they were not moral: what of morality they had, came from their reli- gion. Pagan though they were, they made religion part of their education, and the better to impress the laws of their gods upon the citizen, they united priest and emperor in the Cæsar.
On the school question we have nothing to hope from the State, at present. Yet, we must not therefore cease to insist upon our rights, and if needs be, demand them at the polls. Were Catholics alive and united on the school question; were they to demand from every man who asks their vote, a pledge that he would vote for our just share of the school fund, legislatures would learn to respect the Catholic vote, and give us our just rights. Catholics are too timid, they seem to go upon the principle that if they are tolerated they are doing well. This is a mistake; if we let our rights go by default, we should not wonder if we lose them. We must be decided in our demands and present a bolder front to our enemies. It is unjust to so organize the public schools that we cannot in conscience send our children to them, and then tax us for their support. As well create a State Church, and tax us for its support. The honesty of the American mind will no doubt in time see this, and give us our just demands. But in the meantime what are we to do? Fold our arms and sit idle? Let our children grow up in ignorance, and so be beaten in the race of life? Send them to the public schools, where not only their faith will be endangered, but their virtues exposed? No, a hundred times no. We must build Catholic schools everywhere, and at whatever cost, support and lift them up till they are equal to the best. It is our solemn injunction and most positive command, that every church in the diocese have its school. Where a con- gregation cannot at once build both church and school, let them build the school house and wait for the church. There is little danger of the old losing their faith, but there is every danger that the young will.
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On the school question there can be, and must be no divi-
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(The Vaults), CLEVELAND.
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sion. Either we are Catholics or we are not? If we are Catholics we must leave after us a Catholic youth. And experience has clearly proved this cannot be done unless the children are early taught, and daily taught that they are Catholics. We must not sleep while our enemies are working. Nor must we forget that the public schools are organized and managed, for, and in, the interests of Protestantism.
We solemnly charge and most positively require every Catholic in the diocese to support and send his children to a Catholic school. Where good Catholic schools exist, and where it may be honestly said, a child will get a fair, common school education; if parents, either through contempt for the priest or disregard for the laws of the Church, or for trifling and insufficient reasons, refuse to send their children to a Catholic school, then, in such cases, but in such cases only, we authorize confessors to refuse the sacraments to such parents as thus despise the laws of the Church, and disobey the command of both priest and bishop.
Parents sin, who in.their pride send their children to the public schools, because they think it more genteel to associate with Protestants than with Catholics. No gentility will compensate for the danger to their faith, to which they thus expose their children. Catholics thus acting have but little faith, and if, against every warning, they will persevere in thus wantonly and unwarrantably exposing their children to danger, they will render themselves un- worthy of the sacraments, and they need not wonder if they be denied them. We cannot serve God and the devil. In this age of infidelity, when the world is at war with the church, and every hand turned against us, we must stand by our faith, mindful of what Christ has said: "Whosoever shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven."
Let every church have a well organized Sunday school, and, if possible, a library for the use of the young. Thank God, Catholic books are not now so scarce or so dear, but at moderate cost a healthy reading may be supplied for home and school. If pastors will draw the attention of their flocks to this, we are sure our ever-generous people will supply the means, the more so as they and their children receive the benefits.
We were much pleased on our visitation of the diocese to see the kindly feeling that almost everywhere existed between the priests and the people, and the zeal that animated all in the cause of God. But we are pained to note in some places that laymen failed to know their duty, and the rights of the priests. There is a false notion amongst some of our people; they assume powers which they have not, and undertake to do what they were never appointed for.
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Hereafter there are and will be no trustees. The Bishop is the only trustee in the diocese, and in his name all property is held. Under no circumstances shall we allow laymen to hold the title to church property, or in any way control it. Titles to church prop- erty, whether in the form of deeds or land contracts, shall be made directly to the Bishop, "his heirs and assigns," without qualification or condition. Nearly all the troubles we have noted in the diocese have arisen from a failure to strictly comply with the orders laid down in the "Rules and regulations for the administration of the temporal affairs of the Church in the diocese." We hereby require every priest to have a copy of them read, and explain them to their congregations, and then follow-them.
We have said there are no trustees, but, according to the "Rules and Regulations" above quoted, councilmen shall be elected in every congregation, whose duty it will be to assist the priest-not govern him. Councilmen must not forget that they are elected to counsel and assist, not to direct or govern the priest; that is the Bishop's business; nor will they assume the right to control and manage the money matters of the church independent of, or against the will of, the priest. The priest and councilmen must be one, and when a difference of opinion arises the priest must be obeyed. till the matter in dispute can be referred to the Bishop, whose decision is final. Pastors will carefully explain this article to their congregations, and see that its provisions are carried out.
We are much in want of priests. Many missions and congre- gations have but half attendance, and, in consequence, young and old are growing careless. Thank God there is no want of vocations to the priesthood. Everywhere, bright, intelligent boys are ready to give themselves to the altar, but alas! they are poor, and have not the means necessary to bear the expense of the long and laborious course needed to prepare a priest for the duties of his office.
At the Synod held last summer at the close of the Retreat for the clergy, it was resolved to build a new seminary, better suited to the ends and growing wants of the diocese, and at the same time make proper provision for its support. For this purpose it was resolved to raise for the building of the new seminary ten thousand dollars annually for the next ten years, and ten thousand annually for its support ; this sum to be raised by a tax levied upon each congregation, according to the number of families in it. It was also resolved to raise a fitting support for the Bishop; and for those priests whose health has failed, or may fail, from the labors and fatigues of the missions ; these sums to be raised in the same man- ner as above.
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Perhaps these sums may appear large-the more so as each congregation generally finds its home duties pressing enough. But, my beloved brethren, you must not forget that nearly every- thing is just now in its beginning, consequently the burden is so heavy. Yet, if you compare the past with its limited means and what was done, with the present, and its increase of numbers and wealth, you will not find the burden so heavy. Besides, the sum to be raised is not all at once, but yearly ; so it will not be so heavily felt. When, therefore, your pastors will present this matter to you, give of your means-remembering that others gave to supply you with the priests that now minister to you.
There is some confusion and a good deal of misapprehension relative to some of the societies in the diocese. Some of them claim to be Catholic societies, simply because their members are Catholic, and they insist on being so recognized by the Church, claiming all the privileges usually accorded to Catholic societies; such as the right to wear their regalia in the church and have solemn funerals for their dead. Yet, strange to say, such societies organize and manage their societies without the priest, and only seek the priest when they want to make a show. If they have claims upon the priest, the priest has also claims upon them; and if they wish the priest to recognize them, they must recognize him. Priest and Catholic are inseparable: the one contains and ever accompanies the other. So, if societies claim to be Catholic, or wish to enjoy the privileges usually accorded to Catholic societies; if they will enter the Church as societies; wearing their regalia and claiming honors and attention. they must do as Catholic societies do-put a priest at their head. If they ignore the priest, they need not wonder if he ignores them. Nor is it enough to say because, individually, the members are Catholic, then that, collectively, the society is Catholic. There is a vast difference between a society of Catholics and a Catholic society. The latter always has a priest at its head, the former may, or may not. There is no desire to inter- fere with the management of any society. The more Catholics are united in healthy societies, the better. The Church will place no obstacle to any measure that will unite Catholics, either for literary or beneficial purposes. But societies cannot be one day with the Church, and the next independent of her. Either as societies they are Catholic, or they are not. If they are Catholic, they must do as Catholic societies do-put a priest at their head ; if they are not Catholic societies, they should not wonder if they are refused the privileges accorded to Catholic societies.
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