III

Diocese of Kansas City

1. Hogan to Scalabrini²¹

         Kansas City, December 30, 1888

Most Esteemed and Reverend Sir:

In your charity please forgive me if I take the liberty to call to your attention an issue of great importance. About two thousand Italians have recently emigrated to this city from which I write. These immigrants work long hours to earn their daily bread and so far are still poor. Greater still, however, is the spiritual poverty that afflicts them. In fact they do not have a church or Catholic school or a priest who could speak their language, who might be able to instruct them and serve them. No doubt, with the lack of good, pious and devout Italian priests, all these Italian Catholic faithful who have come here, together with their many good and beautiful children, will abandon the Catholic faith and in a short time will lapse into depraved customs.

            Saddened by such a scarcity of Italian priests, I turned to His Eminence Cardinal Simeoni, Prefect of the S.C. of the Propagation of the Faith. His Eminence indicated I should write to you so that you might help me in this work of truly apostolic charity.

            Asking for this greatest of favors from your generosity, I pray that God might keep you safe and protect you during the new year and always.

            Your most humble servant in the Lord,

John Joseph Hogan, Bishop of Kansas City and

Administrator of St. Joseph