Gaudet, O.M.I., Father Augustine, Brownsville, Texas, to Archbishop John Mary Odin, C.M., New Orleans, Louisiana, 1864 December 19

He takes the occasion of the trip of Father Karel, a German priest who is going to New York through New Orleans, to send his greetings. He hopes the next year will be better than the last four. Their mission is a vast solitude. On the other hand they have more work on the other side than they can do. Matamoros at present has more than 25,000 souls who have no chapels. All their Texas families are there; they tell of their hardships and their desire to come back across the river. Some go outside every day to look at the steeple of their church from France, established the Archconfraternity of the Heart of Mary; there are already 500 members. The Bishop of Monterey Mexico, Pelagius Antonio Lavastida? at last returned to his episcopal city on December 4 after so many years of exile. On his trip to Rome he had his diocese divided. Now all of Tamaulipas is under the jurisdiction of a vicar apostolic, Bishop Francisco Ramirez, one of the religious who accompanied him in Europe. This Bishop-elect has not yet appeared in his vicariate although he returned to Mexico more than two years ago; he is replaced by a priest to whom he has given his powers. When will the Bishops of Mexico understand that the real way to do good is to visit their flocks who need them so much. At last Gaudet has heard from Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis; he wrote from Galveston on November 16. Distress is at its height in Galveston. In Brownsville the cotton trade goes on; everything is high priced. They are all well; the Convent is doing well; they do not know where to lodge so many children. :: VI-2-h A.L.S. French 4pp. 12mo.