24. Corrigan to Scalabrini⁵⁴

         Newburgh, N.Y., May 8, 1889

Most Reverend Excellency:

Since I wrote you today in a great hurry, it seems to me opportune to add a couple of more words for a better explanation.

            1. Regarding the Salesian Sisters, I opposed the project of an Italian orphanage as premature and with good reason fearing we would not be able to support it. But without waiting for my answer on this matter, Mother Superior⁵⁵ came to America. It was then that I personally explained to her the difficulties of the project. But since five thousand dollars had already been collected for this purpose, I gave permission to try as long as that money would last.           

            Once arrived, the Sisters were lodged in our kindergarten near the Cathedral. They could have stayed there until Fr. Felice would have provided a convenient residence, that he had hoped to do by May 1, in the property recently bought. In fact, he showed some rooms to Mother and promised to have them cleaned and put in order for the Sisters (5). Later, he decided to rent these rooms and to give instead to the Sisters two holes with low ceilings, dirty, very narrow and barely sufficient for two persons instead of five. The Mother absolutely refused to go there. Then he promised to give them the house where he himself was living, at least for two to three months, until he could have a few rooms built for them. The Mother Superior, seeing Father’s not so practical ideas, fears that these rooms will also be unsuitable for her Sisters. The holes, as the Superior called them, are so low that Father Felice could not enter without taking his hat off.

            When the Sisters stay in the school all day, breathing foul air, they should at least be able to breathe clean air during the night and not stay in rooms too small. Therefore, it will be my duty to provide this. With time everything will go well. At the beginning, one must expect some difficulties.

            Father Felice is now conducting a Mission in Paterson, twenty miles away from New York, in my former diocese of Newark. I begged him to go this week also to Saugarties, one hundred miles away from the city, in this diocese, where there are many Italians.

            2. I don’t know how to resolve the difficulties existing between Northern and Southern Italians. Some zealous priests who would be “personae gratae” to the Southerners would do a lot of good. I know very well that this is an old sore which existed long before Father Marcellino; but he never ceased talking and writing to me about this topic. Before him, Father Giulio,⁵⁶ a Franciscan from Naples, worked with good success for eleven years among the Italians. The children came to our schools and their parents came to the Sacraments. Later on, almost all of these people attended the Church of the Resurrection. The new Missionaries had everything ready at hand. Now things seem promising well for the future. I am happy about it and always very grateful to Your Most Reverend Excellency.

            I hope to see you some day in the United States.

            I am very pleased with your Missionaries. They have a good spirit and work very hard. They only lack the knowledge of the country; but this will come about every day. The Sisters will be effective auxiliaries.

            The Pallottine Sisters arrived recently. They teach in the school of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel where there are nearly 5,000 Italians.⁵⁷

            There are also very many Italians in the City who belong to the Masons. How sorry I have been seeing them by the thousands in recent festivities.⁵⁸

Recommending myself always to your prayers, I am, dear Bishop,

your most humble and devoted servant,

Michael Augustine, Archbishop