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| Silvano Tomasi – Gianfausto Rosoli For the Love of Immigrants IntraText CT - Text |
1. Ireland to Scalabrini11
St. Paul, Minnesota, December 21, 1888
Dear Bishop:
Permit me to thank you for sending me your pamphlet The Parliamentary Bill on Italian Emigration. I read it attentively, profitably and with pleasure.
This problem of emigration, in one form or another, has already concerned me for many years. I have had to pay attention especially to Irish immigration and to German as well, though to a lesser degree.12 But during this time I have had several occasions to look at Italian immigration to the United States and to observe the deplorable neglect of which were victims thousands of your poor countrymen.
Since I had to spend the Winter of 1886–87 in Rome, I spoke a number of times with Archbishop Jacobini, with Card. Simeoni and with the Holy Father himself about the importance of organizing some form of assistance on behalf of Italian emigrants. It was then that I was informed for the first time of your generous plans and I have followed with interest the progress of your Institute ever since.13
In my eyes, your Institute is the most beautiful and the most useful form that Catholic Apostolate could take today. It will be for me a source of great surprise if the Church in Italy did not give you all the cooperation and support you desire.
May Heaven lead democratic Italy, if not in the name of the faith of Peter, at least for in the name of patriotism, come to your aid and grant to the members of your Institute the modest favors you ask for in your pamphlet, but others even much greater.
Five months ago, I paid a visit to the fine priests you have sent to New York and I had to take note of the great good they are already doing in that city. I hope that in a short time you will place some priests to several other cities of our Republic.
Bishop Elder of Cincinnati told me that he desires very much to have two of your priests and I am certain that as your Institute becomes known, other bishops will beg you to send them some of your priests.
There will be a considerable gap to fill in the project of the Italian missions to the United States as long as some measure is not taken to reach the small groups of Italian immigrants, scattered throughout these
States, among whom it will be impossible to support two priests, and impossible also to support ony one on a stable base, who nontheless will lose their faith, if they are forgotten.
How best to come to the help of the immigrants found in such circumstances, I will not start discussing in this letter.
It seems to me that you should have as your great representative, residing in the United States, an intelligent and devoted priest who would have the high mission to take note of all groups of Italians in all the United States, and of studying on the spot the best means to bring help to each place and of keeping you constantly informed of the needs and conditions of the Italians in the various parts of the country.14
It is a critical question for the honor of the Church that Italian immigrants should not be neglected. I relied on this point when I had the honor of an audience with the Holy Father. In the eyes of Americans, Catholics and Protestants alike, Italian immigrants represent a people on whom the Church has lavished her activity for many centuries and certainly bishops, priests and religious were not lacking to them. Italian emigrants judged, the Catholic Church finds itself judged with regard to its moral and civilizing power. I often had to respond to objections provoked by the conditions of Italian immigrants and not always was I able to suppress some thoughts of resentment and scorn against the two hundred and fifty bishops of Italy who were forgetful of their flock across the seas, no matter what diligent care they might lavish on them in Italy.
For these reasons I feel I owe you, as an American bishop, a debt of gratitude for what Your Excellency is doing and I pray the Lord with all my heart to bless your work.
I take the liberty to write you in French. I know this language is rather common in Italy. Even though I can read Italian rather easily, I wouldn’t know to write it, and Latin would flow too slowly from my American pen.
Please accept, Excellency, the sentiments of my high esteem.
Your devoted confrere,
+John Ireland,
Archbishop of St. Paul
Most Reverend Bishop, You know very well how many Italians are forced by necessity each year to emigrate from their country and to how many evils and dangers they are often exposed in the regions where they had hoped to find a better life. The Holy Father, because of his fatherly care through which he seeks the true welfare, especially spiritual, of all the Christian faithful in every part of the world, cannot avoid worrying and feeling compassion for the children who find themselves in such distress, in part because they are Italian, but above all because they are poor and abandoned. In searching for effective and timely remedies, he has considered as a very first measure, for the time being, warmly recommending the immigrants to the American bishops under whose jurisdiction they reside in large numbers and where not infrequently, while looking for bread, lose their Catholic faith due to lack of priests.
Since many of them know their native language and are therefore in dire need of the ministry of Italian priests, His Holiness recently approved a new Institute to be established in Piacenza. Good and zealous priests from various parts of Italy could be gathered there for the purpose of going to America and there offer spiritual care to the immigrants by means of missions and other forms priestly ministry in the best and most stable manner possible.
By mandate of the Supreme Pontiff, Your Excellency has now been granted by Divine Providence a new help in your pastoral service so that you may more effectively provide for the care of souls entrusted to you. It will be your responsibility to avail yourself of this help in such a great need so as to obtain certain and abundant fruit. To this end and taking into account all circumstances, it is the intention of the Supreme Pontiff that you grant the necessary faculties directly to the missionaries who must be requested from the Sacred Congregation and sent from the above mentioned Institute. In this way, their ministry will be exercised freely and independently from every parochial jurisdiction, but only under your direction, for the great good of the Mission to which they are dedicated. Moreover, understand that you are given apostolic authority, when the case occurs, to detach as opportune from the parish boundaries that territory where the Italian immigrants reside and there constitute new parishes to be entrusted to the direction of the mentioned Missionaries. To implement this decision of the Supreme Pontiff, the Sacred Congregation trusts greatly in your active zeal, since this remedy has appeared to you also to be most useful in these regions in removing the major difficulties that until now have impeded priestly ministry to bear fruit among the Italians. It will, therefore, be your duty to provide the means with all your resources so that a house may be opened in an appropriate place as soon as possible which will serve as a center for the salvation of the Italians scattered in that immense Republic. It also will be your responsibility to keep this Sacred Congregation informed about all that pertains to this undertaking for which God’s help and the cooperation of the bishops and faithful of the United States will certainly not be lacking.
As I dutifully communicate these matters, I wish to express my highest esteem. Your devoted servant, Cardinal Simeoni, Prefect.”
A few months later, in 1888, with the consolidation of the initiative of Bishop Scalabrini, Archbishop Ireland’s suggestions will find a way into implementation.