2.    Scalabrini to McMahon²

         Piacenza, November 17, 1888

Most Reverend Excellency:

I received your most worthly letter of October 30 and hasten to reply that

your wishes will be granted by me as soon as possible. Fr. Francesco Zaboglio of the Congregation for Italian Immigrants had already written to me from Boston about this matter and now that you have deigned to express your wishes directly to me, I will be very happy to render this service to a zealous bishop like Your Excellency. Would you, therefore, prepare in New Haven a modest residence as close as possible to the new church you acquired (for the use of the Italians in that city) and about which you wrote me. On my part, I will try to send at least one missionary priest with a brother catechist in a few months. I say “at least” because my intention would be to send two together with a catechist. In this way, they could assist not only the Italians of New Haven but from time to time they could also go to other places where there are Italians and where Your Excellency may want to send them. Let me know when everything is ready so that at the first opportunity I will arrange the desired departure.

            Thanking you for the solicitude you have for so many of my poor countrymen, I implore upon you abundant gifts from God and with feelings of the highest esteem and most profound veneration, I remain,

Your Reverend Excellency,

G. Battista, Bishop