Lüers John H., Bishop of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1863 June 27

Lüers wrote to Purcell from Union, which is on the border. Three-fourths of the inhabitants live in Indiana and the town will grow in that direction. Some 20 of the 50 families live in Ohio. Judge Smith has donated a lot on the Indiana side and Lüers believes he obtained two more for him. They are waiting on Purcell's consent to start building a church on one of these lots because one is needed and Lüers promises that if ever the population on the Ohio side warrants a church that he will contribute. The only reason Lüers wants the church built on the Indiana side is that it may act as a convenient place from which to serve the 8 or 9 mission stations under his jurisdiction. Even then the priest stationed there would have a hard time. Father J. McMahon who goes to Union from Anderson Indiana cannot attend all the stations, so Lüers decides to station a second priest along the line at Union as soon as the church is built so as to serve all the places. He informs Purcell that he and his clergy will always have full jurisdiction wherever they care to exercise it. The church will be started as soon as they hear from Purcell. :: II-5-b A.L.S. 3pp. 12mo.