6. Scalabrini to Corrigan²²

         Piacenza, February 27, 1888

Most Reverend Excellency,

I received your most cordial letter of February 10 accompanied by the generous offering of one thousand lire for our Institute. I feel powerless to thank you as much as I would like; but affection and gratitude are also good currency and with these, Your Excellency, I intend to pay you.

            I hope that by now the good Father Marcellino will have presented to you my ideas regarding the Missionaries to be sent to New York. Within a few months I plan to send you three and in addition a brother Cathechist. But it would be necessary that a house be made available there as a residence since they should lead a life in common as far as possible; and a church too, for now even a basement or an underground hall, where they could freely exercise the sacred ministry, but always under the absolute dependence on Your Excellency. If it were possible, convenient and prudent to remove Italians from the (territorial) parish jurisdiction and entrust their spiritual care to our Missionaries everything would succeed marvelously. But evaluation of this matter rests with Your Excellency, who will do what is considered opportune in Domino (in the Lord).²³

            As far as I am concerned, I would really like that you, Venerable Monsignor, who deservingly enjoy so much esteem on the part of the Holy See, were the first of the American bishops to open a house of our priests. It is a project that we have almost accomplished together, since it was you who encouraged me from the beginning and promised me your high patronage. From the house in New York, the Missionaries, increasing in numbers as time goes on, could spread out, as from a coordinating center, into other dioceses requesting them. Then in New York, in my opinion, some schools for the children of Italians could be started, including some kindergartens under the direction of nuns. Committees

for assistance to our emigrants could be established on the example of the St. Raphael Society for the Germans,²⁴ and as it is also done for the Irish.

            At your convenience, Excellency, please let me know, if and when the founding of such a house could be implemented so that I might have a good idea of when the first priests could be sent. This undertaking is being received very favorably even by the Italian episcopate. I hope that the Lord will help us.

            I commend myself to your prayers, Venerable Archbishop, and renewing my sentiments of deep gratitude I remain,

Your Excellency’s Most Devoted Servant and Affectionate Confrere,

John Baptist, Bishop of Piacenza