Lüers John H., Bishop of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1863 August 12

When Purcell comes to Greenville, he should go over to Union City, Ohio to examine the situation for himself. Lüers thinks it can be arranged to avoid the building of two churches at present. Both churches would have to be of sufficient size to accommodate all the Catholics in and around Union City. Lüers suggests that each priest attend to his own side as far as baptisms, sick calls, etc. are concerned, say Mass an equal number of Sundays and divide the income; but have joint jurisdiction for the confessions. Father Edward O'Flaherty died at Crawfordsville. Lüers is much obliged to Purcell for permitting the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor to come to his diocese. According to "Gotham" who writes in the Telegraph, priests were to blame for the later riots in New York. To blame or praise priests in this matter is equally pernicious. If Catholic papers will confine themselves to religion, the Church will steer through the crisis about as safely as it can. Lüers is told that about half of the Irish in New York do not attend to them. It is an injustice to blame the few priests. It is best to let the slavery question alone. Most look upon the agitations of the slavery question as the authors of all the present troubles; they are too excited to make distinction. ` Note: there is a clipping attached from the New York World praising the Roman Catholic clergy for checking the riots in New York. :: II-5-b A.L.S. 4pp. 12mo.