Pierz, back from his trip to Grand Traverse, received Lefevere's letter of October 7, in which Lefevere refused to accept his resignation from the diocese of Detroit. His demand is not an illusion or a joke but he is decided to stay in the mission until next spring when the navigation opens. If Lefevere does not want to agree with Pierz concerning the resignation, he will return to his native country. Before he left his country, Pierz decided to dedicate his life to God and to apply himself to the conversion of the pagans. But now this mission does not fulfill any more this purpose and he desires to establish a mission among the savages of the Mississippi. If Pierz cannot establish such a mission he will retire and prepare himself for death. In his recent letter, Lefevere wrote that Pierz had a great mission, in which he could do a lot of good to the Indians. This is true but the mission is too big for only one priest. His mission is a subject of sorrow and trouble for his soul without any spiritual pleasure. In the last payment of the Indians at Mackinac, the Indians spent all their money in drink and this was very scandalous. The Indians of Mackinac and Arbre Croche do not believe anymore that drunkeness is a sin. The Indians of the affiliated mission of Cheboygan drink every cent of their payments. The savages of Grand Traverse were the ones Pierz loved very much, because he baptized more than 200 of them and now they are all corrupted. Indeed until the 1st of the year they collected wood to build two churches, but ever since Pierz got sick, everything is going wrong. Indeed, the savages asked Father Ignatius Mrak asked why the old priest did not come to see them, and Mrak answered that Lefevere had stopped Pierz from coming to visit the Indians of Grand Traverse. This caused the Indians great consternation. Before this, Pierz was able to baptize 10 to 15 adults but this year, Pierz only baptized two adults last spring and one this fall. The old chief started to learn the catechism and now he does not have any more religion. They do not talk anymore of building a church. In the Catholic village, the Catholics came to Pierz for permission to take a Protestant teacher for the education of their children, because they heard that the Catholic school is not allowed anymore; a Protestant teachers offered to stay among them. This is a great sorrow for Pierz because they were the best Catholics of his mission. After this, Pierz established a Catholic school and gave 22 pupils to a young man, very well educated - Joseph Aninins. Pierz will pay him two dollars in pure silver. In the great village there are 40 children without any school. In the other stations along Lake Michigan up to Muskegon there is a terrible situation, since many die without a priest or the last Sacraments. Considering these circumstances, Lefevere can imagine how disagreeable the situation is for Pierz. God does not want Pierz to get old prematurely and his life shortened without any spiritual consolations. However, Pierz believes that he could do a lot of good to the poor savages if the circumstances were different. These circumstances and others he does not mention, press Pierz to demand a demission from his mission. At the same time he asks Lefevere to send him his French catechsim which will allow him to understand better the Indian translation. Pierz, however, knows that the jealousy of Mrak and Father Frederick Baraga inspired Lefevere with some prejudice against the printing of his Indian catechism. However, he will be satisfied if God rewards him for his fatigues and good will, even if his catechism is not used among the savages. He begs Lefevere to send him the first quarter of his salary before naviagtion closes, so that he will be able to pay the teacher at the end of December. He asks Lefevere to take out $35.40 to pay back a debt to Mr. Blom. He also asks Lefevere to pay $2 to Kaminsky for the German Cazette and to pay the price of 50 pounds of nails that Moore sent to the savages. Finally, he begs Lefevere not to reject his petition and to accept his resignation with a good heart. :: III-2-h A.L.S. French 4pp. 8vo.