Free Lamy of Santa Fe by Paul Horgan Page A

about. It was a quality to be kept in mind by Cincinnati for what the future might bring.
    It was satisfying to report in the midsummer of 1845 that the burned-out church at Mt Vernon was under roof again. To rebuild it, everyone had “struggled very hard, but especially our warm friend little Mr Brophy. his zeal which he proves ‘by the act’ cannot be praised enough.” But the problems at Newark were still nagging, and a priest with whom he alternated one Sunday a month proved to be disinterested in “the temporal concerns of the church,” such as building, care for the property, the finances. Possibly the Dominicans, who had many priests, might take over the place, if he might make a suggestion? After all, they had once controlled Newark, and would probably be glad to assume even Louisville. But of course, “Bishop, you know yourself what is best to be done.” He still blamed himself for perhaps assuming more at Newark than could be redeemed, and he felt so unhappy about it, and so responsible, that he would gladly pledge a substantial portion of his inheritance in France, whenever it should come to him, to help with the problem. It was a comfort, however, to be able to be frank with Purcell. “It is to you, Revd Bishopthat I must open my heart. You have always been a father to me, and I bless the divine providence that I am in this diocese” and “I have the honour to be your devoted child, J. Lamy.”
    But the materials of his work were first of all the men, women, children who looked to him through the years for what they could not achieve by themselves. In his four principal stations, he had three hundred families for which he was directly responsible, and there were many more in the missions to which he rode, often swimming his horse across unbridged or swollen rivers. Once crossing in an inadequate boat, he almost drowned with fourteen other persons. People knew the bothers he undertook for their sake; and when they came together with him on some great day, such as Christmas in Danville, all sighed with satisfaction. He wrote the bishop the day after Epiphany 1844 that though their hard times were not so great compared to those in “some other country, I have great deal of consolation for a missionary, our little church of Danville was ornamented at Christmas with garlands of evergreen all around with a kind of lustre où [ sic ] bien chandelier fixed also with evergreen hanging from the ceiling with the lights on it. we had a great illumination for Christmas, quoique ce ne fut pas merveille our good catholics in their simplicity thought there could be nothing better, nor more handsome. I have heard some say that at the first mass which was at 5 o’clock, they were almost transported to heaven. These three holy-days and these three Sundays our church has been very much crowded,” For graces in the wilderness, all gave thanks, including the pastor, who could measure their simple ardors against splendors he had seen long ago, far away, in the same purpose.

vii .
    Private Concerns
    F ROM THE FIRST it was comforting to Lamy to receive much help in the building of his churches and the making of his communities from numbers of non-Catholic settlers. Yet there were always others who glowered hot-eyed from the periphery, hissing of “priest-craft,” and rejoicing in the national “Know-Nothing” movement which sought to discredit Catholicism in the growing society. Convents were burnedin various sections of the country, and lurid books, such as that by “Maria Monk” which professed to describe horrors of every sort in the conventual life, were popular among those who feared “popery.” Lamy and his colleagues were aware from the first of such a hostile climate in certain quarters, and had to meet it face to face now and then. The only answer was to go on modestly and calmly in the work of the Church, without mounting counter-attacks