Harnais, Father Mathurin, Buras, Louisiana, to Archbishop John Mary Odin, C.M., New Orleans, Louisiana, 1866 December 5

In order to persuade Odin that it was not money or temporal motives that made Harnais act as he did last Friday, he gives his reasons. When Odin sent him here, he was the fourth priest assigned to this place. One was changed before being sent; two saw it and did not wish to stay. With all the hardships here another would perhaps have stayed two months; Harnais has been here two years. During that time he has validated 19 marriages; last year there were 97 Easter Communions where there had been 2 or 3. He has built a church, a kitchen, a room for the priest and bought a cistern, doors, windows and pews for the church, fenced the cemetery and repaired the levee. He has spent $1400 freely and willingly. He has $300 in debts and it is only natural that he ask for 2 weeks to arrange his affairs before leaving the parish. He does not ask for a parish but an assistantship in a parish where English is spoken; he is convinced that in 10 years a priest will be almost useless without it.. If, in their last interview, he made cutting remarks, as Odin calls them, it was because he was forced to by an offer it was impossible to accept. :: VI-2-l A.L.S. French 3pp. folio