IN FAVOUR OF THE SCHOOLS OF THE NORTH-WEST

APRIL 3rd, 1883.

PASTORAL LETTER

OF THE

BISHOPS OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE

OF QUEBEC

We, by the Grâce of God, and of the Apostolic See, Archbishop and Eishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Québec,

To the Clergy Secular and Regular, and to ail the Faithful of the Ecclesiastical Province of Québec, Greeting and Bénédiction in Our Lord.

Dearly Beloved Blethren,

Charity, so frequently recommended by Our Lord, as the spécial virtue of christians, has ever been practiced in our midst. Even when obliged to gain a living by constant toil and hardship, the catholics of Canada hâve always found the means of helping their poorer neighbours and of contributing to the érection of the many azylums, hospitals and refuges which to-day, are our glory and the crown of our churches. For the sacrifices thus made in behalf of the suffering members of Christ, God has repaid them a hundred foid.

Fully persuaded that the charity of the fathers still lives in the children, and wishing to secure for each one of you, its merits and reward, we do not hesitate to make a new appeal to your charity to-day, O. D. B. B. Although it is not for any diocesan work of ours, nevertheless it is worthy of our rnost lively interest, for it is in f'avour of a considérable portion of our Dominion, for an object as patriotric as it is catholic.

As many among you are aware, the Indians of the North-West will soon, be reduced to the most pitiable condition. In spite of ail the efforts of our Government,

the ever increasing influx of strangers deprives them of their means of hunting and exposes them unprepared to the pernicious example of a number of men, who, though calling themselves christians, trample on ail the laws of christianity. The Indians are justly alarmed, and indignant at this intrusion and raised to anger, may become one day a standing danger for our colonists of the North-West.

Foreseeing this, the Catholic Bishops and missionaries of that immense territory ask themselves a question which is as honorable to humanity as to the religion which inspires it. Is there no possible means of coming to the rescue of thèse poor threatened Indians ? Would it not be possible to make them useful members of society ?

And under the impulse of charity the church has undertaken this work, With the adults, ail efforts hâve failed, as well those of the Church as of the Government, though the priest by persevering efforts, has succeeded in rooting out their pagan superstitions and infusing into their minds and hearts the knowledge and love of the one true God. Many tribes hâve received with joy the glad tidings of the Gospel and practice .their religion with the fervor of néophytes. But as to changing thèse wandering tribes into an agricultural peopie, as to training them to labour, to economy, and to habits of civilization, the attempt has proved useless.

This however did not damp apostolic zeal. Having failed with the adults, the question was, what could be doue with the children. Under the direction of the Bishops, the Grey Nuns of Montréal did not hesitate to open asylums for the little girls ; they took in as many and as even more than the ressources of the mission allowed, and God blessed their devotedness. They hâve had the consolation to see thèse little indian girls brought up thus, separated from the influence of their tribes, become not only excellent christians but industrious

Wives and mothers whose families accustomed to work from tîieir childood are able to provide for their own wants.

A like zeal and devotedness on the part of the Révérend Oblate Fathers in favour of the îittle bovs, was crowned with a like success. They became industrious, thanks to the lessons in agriculture or in différent trades, given tliem by the excellent lay brothers of the Oblates Congrégation, and to-day some of the orphans thus brought up, hâve on the farm, or in the work-shop, gained an honest livelihood.

His Lordship Bishop Grandin, of St. Albert, after having given us a statement of the results of his work, made a remark which you Dearly Beloved Brethren, will take to heart as well as we : " Ah ! said he, " had we but sufîicient means, not only how many lives " we could save, but, how many soûls we could send to " heaven ! ' Those words écho the feelings, not only of the Missionaries, but of ail the Christians of the North- West.

Now, Dearly Beloved Brethren, letus endeavour to furnish thèse means to the Bishops, the priests and the missionary ISisters of thèse régions : they hâve a right to such assistance, for, after ail, is not their country ours? If, as it is hoped, Canada reap therefrom immense riches of différent sorts, is it not our advantage ? Further more, let it not be forgotten, thèse missions were begun by Canadian priests and bishops, and those who still labour and toil there are our brothers. Of the two religions Congrégations devoted to this good work, one sprung into existence, and the other prospered, on our soil. Finally, if not we ourselves, some of our descendants will benefit by the hardships endured by thèse gênerons soûls, and will praise and blesa our charity upon earth, whilst we receive it8 reward in heaven. We then, more than othors, are bound lo lend an attentive

ear to their most just pétition, and to offer them our libéral help. We owe it as a compensation to those poor Indians, who are deprived of their resources of hunting ; we owe it as a mark of Christian charity towards brothers and sisters who by their fervent prayers, will draw down upon us the blessings of heaven ; the zeal which every child of the Church mnst hâve for the extension of the kingdom of Jesus-Christ, does not allow us to remain indiffèrent to their fate ; we owe it as an act of pure and high minded patiiotism.

We will add another reason, which relates in a particular manner to the présent circumstances. Formerly, France could do a great deal in favour of thèse missions ; she not only sent there her devoted missionaries, but also tbe gold of her marvellous charity. To-day, owing to the lamentable circumstances in which, as ail know, she is pîaced, she can no longer give the same help and perhaps the day is not far distant, when the Oblate Missionnaries of the North-West will hâve to dépend solely on the Catholics of Canada. Let us make up for what our mother-country can no longer accomplish, by adopting the good custom of laying aside from our abundance, the share of the missionary and of the Indian.

His Lordship Bishop Grandin, in the name of ail the Bishops of the North-West also expresses the hope that in Canada scme good young men may be found désirons of joining in the work of missionaries as lay-brothers. If after having tried their vocation, the Farish Priests find thèse young men possess sufficient courage, energy and virtue to fulfil this humble but most meritorious ministry, they are requested to direct them to the novitiate of the Bev. Oblate Fathers in Lachine, where thèse young elect of the Lord will receive a cordial welcome and leain the practiseof silence, humility and abnégation, to dévote their lives to the salvation of the poor Indian. After spending a year in this blessed abode, they will be sent to the isorth-West,

where they will be valuable aids to the missionaries in teaching the child of the forest to work under the eye of God and thus become a benefit to himseîf and Society. How admirable to the eyes of faith such a mission ! How beautiful in the eyes of men such a vocation !

Furthermore, the Bishop of St Albert asks the aid of your prayers. Man can sow the seed, but God, and God alone, can naake it fructify.

Undoubtedly ail our diocesans will be happy to contribute to this admirable good work. The poor will give cheerfully the mite which Our Lord praises in the Gospel (Luke, XXI. 3.) ; we would see with pleasure persons of means generously contribute by paying each year the price of an orphan's board, say sixty dollars, or even the half or quarter of that amount according to their wealth. To ail the benefactors of this good work, Our Lord shall one day speak thus : Amen 1 say to you9 as long as y ou did it to one of thèse my least brethren, y ou did it to me : Amen dico vobis, quamdiu fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis minimis, mihi fecistis (Mat. XXV. 40.). And, subjoins the Gospel, the just, that is to say, those who shall hâve done this mercifui act, shall go into life everlasting ; justi autem in vitam œternam (46.) .

But that no one in our diocèses may be deprived of participating in this patriotic, civilizing and christianizing work, we hâve ordained and decreed as follows :

1°. Every year on Pentecost Suntlay, or in any other Sunday fixed upon by the Ordinary of the diocèse, there shall be taken up at High Mass, in ail the Churches and chapels of our ecclesiastical province, a collection for the purpose of defraying the expenses of edacating Indian children in the North-West.

2°. The money taken up at thèse collections shall be handed over to the secretary of the respective Biàhoprics, to be distributed by the bishops of the Province of Québec to tho^e of the North-West, who are engaged in securing a catholic éducation for the Indian children.

3°. The said collection shall be announced this year on the sunday preceding that on which it is to take place, by the reading of the présent pastoral, and on the following years according to the herein-joined formula.

In return, His Lordship the Bishop of St. Albert promises that a mass shall be celebrated yearly in ail the orphanages or asylums of his diocèse on the 24th of May, feast of Our Lady of Good Help, for ail the benefactors, both living and dead, of thèse poor missions.

Given under our signatures, the seal of the Archdiocese, and the counter-signature of the secretary of the Archdiocese, on the third of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighty three, on the day in which is celebrated this year the office of Saint Joseph, patron ofthe catholic church and first patron of Canada.

E.-A., ARCH. OF QUEBEC, L.-F., BISH. OF THREE-RIVERS, JEAN, BISH. OF S. G. DE RIMOUSKI,

^ EDOUARD- CHS., bish. of montreal, $4 ANTOINE, bish. of Sherbrooke,