Elder, William Henry, Bishop of, Natchez, Mississippi, to Archbishop John Mary Odin, C.M., New Orleans, Louisiana, 1866 December 22

He reached home Wednesday. For 2 weeks after the Council he was engaged in some writing and then remained 2 weeks longer. From Baltimore he went to Mt. St. Mary's, then stopped at Wheeling, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. He blessed a new church at Aberdeen, Mississippi and confirmed two converts. At Jackson he found that Father Philip Huber had been ill; he was able to say Mass Sunday. Father Stephen Rousselon' s unexpected death was a shock. Archbishop John Baptist Purcell read Elder a letter from a gentleman in the Treasury Department telling him that the 5 percent tax on legacies would not be collected from the Church property a Bishop leaves to his successor. Elder finds here the papers of renewal of his faculties from Rome. He wrote in August for faculties to absolve several parties excommunicated by marriage before a minister. He finds no clause referring especially to the case but concludes it is embraced in the general faculty. If so he presumes that faculty is held by all their Bishops. He had asked a dispensation also for a time as to his ad limina visit and it was granted. If the O'Donnell legacy is now payable Odin is to have it deposited with Thomas Layton, deducting what Elder owes Odin. Elder has not yet succeeded in obtaining Sisters for Holly Springs ; he has written to Bishop Bourget of Montreal. Elder spent a couple of hours with Bishop -Elect Edward Fitzgerald at Columbus. Elder expected to find here an announcement of his appointment being confirmed. :: VI-2-l A.L.S. 3pp. 4to.