Nickels, Father Nicholas, Nazareth, Ohio, to Archbishop John Baptist Purcell of, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1874 March 27

He writes Purcell to obtain certainty and instruction. First, he asks for the deed to the Church at Dodson, Ohio as a woman in the heighborhood insists that only the ground upon which the church stands is owned by the congregation, thus making it impossible to erect a fence, for which preparations have been made. Secondly, a man was married to an unbaptized woman by a Dunker preacher. She will not join the Church; two children have already been born. He refused the man absolution and desires to know how further to act. In another case, the husband is not baptized but they pretend they received dispensation from Archbishop Martin John Spalding. Receiving their promise in the presence of a Catholic priest, he administered the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. The husband intends to become a Catholic and frequently assists at Mass. He acted in both cases according to his conscience and now seeks Purcell's decision. :: II-5-f A.L.S. 3pp. 12mo.