Lebel acknowledges Lefevere's letter of June 4 in which Lefevere addresses severe reproaches about certain complaints he has received against Lebel. These reproaches are unexpected and untrue. Lebel has tried to receive Lefevere's charitable admonitions with all humility and accepts them on the 21st anniversary of his ordination in expiation of his sins. The repeated clamours made to Lefevere about certain legitimate debts of his own from Illinois are unjust. The difficulties about the French Church of Chicago are the source of these complaints. When Lebel was removed from Chicago to Bourbonnais Grove and Kankakee, Illinois , there was a debt of $400 or $500 which Bishop Anthony O'Regan and the French Committee thought a very small matter to settle, considering all Lebel had done - the building of the church and of the priest's house, the purchasing of a $1,000 organ and of sacred vessels and vestments for about the same sum. No sooner had he left than the French church was moved and the French committee dissolved; the responsibility fell on Lebel. Mr. Venderpoole Father Theodore Vande Pael informed Lefevere on March 26 and on May 22, Lebel was in the French-Canadian settlement of L'Erable, Illinois , and that while there Lebel's conduct and language against the Pastor were very shameful. Since he has been in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Lebel has visited twice a year his only sister in Illinois in the new settlement of L'Erable, 18 miles west of Kankakee and Bourbonnais. Most of the time he was in the company of the clergy of those places, and made his sister's house a home for them, and never was there any scandal. The very young pastor of L'Erable has alienated all the clergy of his neighborhood by unwisely taking sides against all the friends of his predecessor, Father C. Brissard . Lebel was specially compromised in his denunciations; for this reason Lebel did not wish to visit the pastor and hence his displeasure. Lebel made an incautious remark in French to only one individual. This, under the circumstances was not so criminal, although uncharitable. Vanderpoole is inexperienced, and the pastor of L'Erable is only about one year ordained. The three priests who are the immediate neighbors of L'Erable's pastor and who have come from Canada to combat principally Charles Chiniquy and "his infernal work" are Father Alexis Mailloux, Father Louis Gingras and Father Lapointe . These good men knew Lebel in Canada; they can inform Lefevere if Lebel has misconducted himself there. Lebel will comply with Lefevere's request not to communicate with any person in regard to Vanderpoole, but wishes occasionally to contact his sister and nephew, to be a young doctor. Lebel has some little debts on what he has done since coming to these poor missions, but in spite of hard times all seems to go on quietly. He expects by summer and autumn to liquidate the church and missions debt. Also to promote catholicity in Kalamazoo and other little missions. It will soon be 12 years since he left Canada with the good recommendations of the Archbishop and at the special demand of Bishop James O. Van de Velde. :: III-2-i A.L.S. 6pp. 8vo. 12