Letter from Fr. Joseph Fenelon

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St. Michael's Church Rectory - 352 Forty - second St. Brooklyn, New York MAY 31ST. 1928. ----- MY DEAR FATHER VICAR-PROVINCIAL/ YOUR TWO LETTERS OF THE 19TH. AND 21ST. INST. HAVE JUST REACHED ME. MANY THANKS. RE THE PROVINCIAL CHAPTER, AND THE APPOINTMENT OF REV. FATHER LUKE AS PROVINCIAL- SUPERIOR IN THE STATES, UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED BY THE PROV. CHAPTER, I AM TODAY WRITING TO THE HOUSES. WHEN YOUR CONVOCATION - LETTER ARRIVES, I WILL HAVE IT SENT TO THE HOUSES ALSO, REGARDING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS OF VISITING ST. PAUL, WITH A VIEW TO OBTAIN DEFINITE INFORMATION RE A FOUNDATION IN THE ARCHDIOCESE, I HAVE ALREADY A LETTER FROM HIS GRACE, WHICH I ENCLOSE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I CALLED TO ST. PAUL ON MY WAY HERE FROM THE WEST, AND FOUND HIS GRACE AWAY; BUT I SPOKE TO HIS V.G. MSGR. P. O'NEIL REGARDING THE MATTER, AND HE TOLD ME HE WOULD PUT THE MATTER BEFORE THE ARCHBISHOP, ON HIS RETURN. DESIRING TO HAVE SOME DEFINITE INFORM- ATION IN WRITING, FOR THE COMING CHAPTER, I WROTE HIS GRACE FROM HERE, AND THE ENCLOSED LETTER IS HIS REPLY. HAVING RECEIVED THIS NOTE, I TAKE IT, THAT IT IS YOUR MIND, THAT ANOTHER VISIT TO ST. PAUL WOULD BE QUITE UNNECESSARY, AT THE PRESENT TIME. IN REGARD TO WILLMINGTON DIOCESE, FR. BRENDAN AND I ARE ENDEAVOURING TO GET INTO TOUCH WITH BISHOP FITZMAURICE, TO WHOM WE WROTE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, AND SEEMINGLY HE MUST BE ABSENT, AS NO REPLY HAS COME YET. WE ARE AGAIN TRYING TO MEET HIM, BEFORE I START FOR THE CHAPTER, TO OBTAIN A FINAL WORD. WHEN WE DO, I WILL CABLE YOU RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED TO YOU, I THINK, THE WISH OF BISHOP CANTWELL, THAT WE TAKE OVER THE PARISH OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI IN L.A. IN SEPTEMBER NEXT, ABOUT WHICH I WILL St. Michael's Church Rectory - 352 Forty - second St. Brooklyn, New York GIVE YOU ALL DETAILS, WHEN I GO HOME. IN REFERENCE TO YOUR DESIRE THAT THE PARISHES BE WELL SUPPLIED WITH PRIESTS, IN THE ABSENCE OF THOSE NOW GOING TO IRELAND, I HAVE ALREADY ATTENDED TO THAT MATTER, AND IN THE TWO CASES WHICH CAUSED ME WORRY AS TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF SUPERIORS, UKIAH AND SANTA INEZ, I FEEL CONFIDENT AS THE RESULT OF MY INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FATHER CONCERNED AT MY VISITATION, THAT THESE TWO HOUSES WILL BE O.K. HENCE THE NON-NECESSITY OF A TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF A SUPERIOR IN THOSE PLACES, WHICH WAS MY FIRST INTENTION. FOR THE REST, I AM VERY HAPPY TO STATE, THAT OUR MISSION HERE HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL SUCCESS, AND HOWEVER HARD THE WORK FOR THREE MEN, THE PRIESTS AND PEOPLE ARE WELL PLEASED. FR. THOMAS ARRIVES ON MONDAY NEXT, AND FATHERS MARK, THOMAS AND I SAIL JUNE 9TH, BY THE "S.S. ADRIATIC" FOR THE HOMELAND. FR. RAPHAEL WROTE ME, ABOUT WANT OF FUNDS TO GO TO THE CHAPTER, AND AS HE ALSO WROTE YOU, I HAVE'NT REPLIED TO HIM. I WILL SEND FR. DOMINIC HIS HOME OBEDIENCE. GLAD YOU ARE VERY WELL. THE TEAM HERE STILL GOES STRONG, AND ALL THREE DESIRE TO GREET YOUR PATERNITY WARMLY. RESPECTFULLY AND FRATERNALLY YOURS, *****