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Silvano Tomasi – Gianfausto Rosoli
For the Love of Immigrants
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II

Archdiocese of New Orleans

 

 

1.    Janssens to Scalabrini14

         New Orleans, November 10, 1888

 

Your Excellency:

Permit me to write to you about the twelve thousand Italians living in New Orleans. We have an Italian church but for some reason, Italians do

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not frequent it. We had another which thrived for a while, but later it was sold. This happened before my arrival here as Archbishop. There are many Italians here who will lose the faith within a few years if we do not find a priest dedicated to them alone. Parents do not go to Church and children do not go to Catholic schools.

            You have the faith of Italian immigrants greatly at heart and I beg Your Grace, if possible, to send us a priest who wants to dedicate himself to this task. It is a very thankless job, so the priests tell me. I am convinced, however, that a priest with the spirit of prayer, sacrifice and prudence will succeed in doing a lot of good.15

            Believe me to be,

Yours Devoted in Christ,

F. Janssens, Archbishop of New Orleans

 



14 AGS, 663/1. Francis Janssens, Bishop of Natchez since 1881, was appointed Archbishop of New Orleans in 1888. Born in Holland in 1843, after his priestly ordination in 1867 he emigrated to the United States. While Archbishop of New Orleans, he called both the Missionaries of Bishop Scalabrini and the Sisters of St. Francis X. Cabrini to minister to the Italian immigrants, fishermen, gardeners and daily laborers, in the city and its suburbs. He began the diocesan seminary, provided for Black Americans, and concluded a very active life on board steamer Creole where he died on his way to New York and Europe in June 1897.



15 Bishop Scalabrini’s response has not been found, but he wrote to Father Zaboglio on December 3, 1888: “I am enclosing a letter that the Archbishop of New Orleans sent me. I replied that I will arrange to send him two priests and one or two catechists, but in order to have the proper persons I informed him that it would be necessary to wait about a year. ‘In the meantime,’ I am quoting my own words, ‘I shall write to Father Zaboglio, General Secretary of the Congregation, that as soon as he concludes his affairs with the venerable Bishops of Hartford and Providence, he should come to see Your Excellency to make the necessary arrangements. See him, Archbishop; listen to what he has to say. Make use of his services and come to a final decision about establishing a house there. When I am informed about this, I shall set a definite date for the priests’ departure and I shall immediately inform Your Excellency.’ Here we have, my dear Francesco, a new field of action. From fifteen to twenty thousand Italians live in New Orleans. Even the Archbishop of Monreale in Sicily has written, warmly recommending that place where there are a great number of his children. You must write to the Bishop of New Orleans and then go to see him as soon as possible. What a long trip, poor son! But take courage, God will reward you for everything. I embrace you in Domino and affectionately bless you.” (AGS).





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