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Scope and Contents Beauprez has just learned of Blanc's arrival in New Orleans after a long, difficult trip. He will give some details of the situation at Lafayette. Everything is very badly organized and it is ten times worse than New Iberia. Here he has only a little shanty of a house; the trustees promised to furnish one but have done nothing. What discourages him most is the great ignorance here; it is almost as if there had never been a priest there. The children who made their First Communion last year...

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Theodule Hebert wishing to marry the widow of J. Bergeron neé Else Guedry, first cousins, they ask for a dispensation., A.L.S. French :: V-4-m A.L.S. French 4pp. 4to.

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Receipt for $300 received from Father Auguste Jeanjean for the account of the bishopric. :: V-4-l A.D.S. French 1p. 16mo.

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Villeneuve Bergeron and Adeline St. Cyr ask a dispensation from second degree relationship in order to be validly married. P.S. The reason Beauprez cannot go to the retreat is that he has a service and a marriage that week that cannot be put off. :: V-5-d A.L.S. French 2pp. 8vo.

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Beauprez received the altar stone. It seems that the discussion concerning Rousselon's appointment as pastor of St. Louis Cathedral has calmed down since the trustees appealed to the court of Rome. Rousselon is to let him know if he got rid of Beauprez's notes on Municipality No. 3 or not when they would be discounted at 20 per cent. He asks Rousselon to ask Father Joseph Billon if he has carried out Beauprez's commission at Attakapas. :: V-4-m A.L.S. French 2pp. 8vo.

Scope and Contents Beauprez just received Blanc's letter in which he asked Beauprez to take a trip to Avoyelles to make arrangements with Father N. Francais. Beauprez cannot accept the post because, on the advice of his director, he would be too far from a confrere and the roads are impassable for 4 or 5 months of the year. Also he would be obliged to see his servant Hannah who followed him to Attakapas only with the consent of her husband. Father J. Priour, who ought to know Thibodeauxville well, told...

Scope and Contents Beauprez has waited to let Blanc know the result of his letter to the trustees in the hope of writing something satisfactory but there is nothing. They have not only not taken into consideration what Blanc proposes about the building of a new church and the enclosing of a cemetery for the Protestants but they are determined to make no change for the better according to what Father Charles Henry Boutelou de St. Aubin told him a few days ago. Blanc saw that everything was in ruins. He fears...

Scope and Contents Beauprez received Blanc's letter of September 1. He has perhaps humored the trustees too much as for 8 months he has not spoken of a new church except on the occasion of Blanc's letter. There is no one in the parish except a few evil ones who have any serious complaint against Beauprez. Blanc also says in his letter that he cannot be of Beauprez' opinion about leaving this parish without a pastor for some months, to interdict it and to ask the neighboring pastors to visit from one time to...

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He permits his mulatress Francoise to marry a mulatto named Jean. Attached to letter from Lanna, Annette. A.D.S. French :: VI-2-a A.D.S. French 3pp. 16mo.

Scope and Contents The petition of Pierre Brindjonc and Joseph Chapuis: Charles Gerard is indebted to the petitioner for $1800 for the following causes and by privilege upon the sums or notes he has to receive from Mr. Depouilly, principal contractor of St. Augustine Church at the corner of Bayou and St. Claude Streets or from Bishop Anthony Blanc for balance due. By the contract, a copy of which is annexed, they contracted with Gerard to make all the joiner work for $2800, payable $1000 on the two notes of...

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He takes the greatest pleasure in addressing Edwards to enclose the address of Mac. Burney's Medicine, which, he is satisfied will completely restore Edwards to his former good health. He was saved and restored to perfect health by the use of this medicine in lieu of a serious malady. :: XI-2-k L.S. (Typed) 1p.

Scope and Contents Beccard apologizes for writing in the midst of a meeting which is no doubt a holiday for Blanc. But Blanc's kindness, even in his reproaches, encourages him not to wait for Blanc's return. After 17 months of interior pushing and goading, which has always advised him not to be discouraged and to keep on in his vocation and to regard it only as an expiation, he no longer knows where to put his hopes. But God will not permit him to abandon the state to which He has called him. On his departure...

Scope and Contents Beccard received from Father Blaise Raho, .M. the letter Blanc wrote. The interior troubles Beccard has had for the past 19 months, of which he spoke in his letter to Blanc, are beyond what Blanc suspects. Not mentioning Blanc's letter before last which was not an indifferent sorrow. For several months he has been almost in a decline, unable to sing two notes and unable to apply himself to study. However he has not seen reason to give up, persuaded that he ought to go on to the subdiaconate....

Scope and Contents Beccard is the sacristan of St. Martin Church who once had dinner with Blanc. The last time he saw Blanc, he broached the subject of the diocesan seminary with the idea of making a request. He had never consulted Father James Fontbonne . He never dared formulate his request and would probably have been dismissed if he had not told Beccard that Blanc intended to send an assistant capable of fulfilling Beccard's functions as chanter. Beccard studied at Lyons, at Alix, and a year and a half of...

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Beccard will have been here 5 years in May. He has endured many trials and thought that, as in a regiment, he might go from corporal to sergeant. It is hard to serve this ungrateful mission of St. Andrew at Canal Fields . He thinks that the post of Assumption would not be above his capacity. He would come toward the end of March to collect his epaulets. At this time there is not a cent of debt on the establishment. :: VI-1-n A.L.S. French 2pp. 4to.

Scope and Contents Despite Béccard's desire to be at the retreat he believes it will be impossible for him to be there. For the past month he has been having the interior of his church painted and repaired and it is only half done. It is hard to get the workers as long as the heat lasts. Some are working on the presbytery, repairing it from top to bottom. He has to direct the workers and be with them. That week he went to Father Charles M. Menard 's several people pillaged the place. It is necessary that he...

Scope and Contents Beccard supposes Leray knows of the two long letters he wrote to Father Hyacinthe Marie Lecozic to be communicated to Archbishop Napoleon Joseph Perché and Father Gustave A. Rouxel and, in turn, to Leray. Now he is going to heed the old saying, "It is better to address God than the saints." Today, it is to Leray that he writes these lines and briefly traces his tribulations with the pastor of Biloxi, Father Peter Chevalier . He left that illustrious priest last Monday, not being able to...

Scope and Contents Arriving at Bay St. Louis was, for him, like entering a terrestrial paradise and leaving a prison. He has been able to confess and frequent the Sacrament, and he has had more food in one week than he had in a month at Biloxi. The indignities of Father Peter Chevalier reached a supreme peak last Sunday, when after some angry words between them Chevalier punched him in the stomach and knocked him down. Chevalier had pretended that Beccard had gone into a grocery to drink, but he had actually...

Scope and Contents Beccard hopes to be able to resume his ministry after Easter. A sister whom he has at Lyons has had many prayers said for him. Towards the beginning of May, Beccard will ask a committee of three confreres to consider his affairs with the pastor of Biloxi. The injustices of Father Peter Chevalier demand redress, even restitution. For 22 years Beccard has borne a terrible evil. His misfortunes led him to Biloxi to Chevalier but his true place was at the home of Father Henry Leduc . Leduc's...

Scope and Contents The bearer of this letter is Eugéne Folse ; his family is one of the most edifying of the parish. He has been widowed for 2 or 3 years, with young daughters. He wishes to marry his first wife's sister Marcélite Wagespack . If they go to the judge it will be a disaster for the congregation. Marcélite is about 40. On his return to New Orleans Blanc will find a letter containing 10 piastres. Beccard will do his best to arrive at Father Menard's on Wednesday. He has business at St. Andrew's 8 or...

Scope and Contents Since October something, an evil or good spirit, has taken hold of his waking hours and sometimes of the night. If Father Etienne Rousselon still has the letter in which Beccard tried to tell him about it, Blanc is to ask him for it. Three-fourths of these 8 months have been passed in crying out and weeping. Several miles from Father Charles M. Menard's house, coming here, he stopped three times to beg it to leave him. On the 23rd of this month he left for the chapel at Fields Lake ; he fell...

Scope and Contents Beccard sends 10 piastres, 5 for the Mass intentions and 5 to Father Rousselon for a debt Beccard owes him. Father Charles M. Mènard has tried hard to persuade Beccard to attend his celebration on the 11th. But it is impossible. 1. On the 10th Beccard must be at St. Andrew's chapel for an anniversary service. 2. Sometimes his health is such that 25 miles over jolting roads is worse than death. Beccard will have only a dozen children for First Communion so he has not thought of Confirmation....

Scope and Contents C. Rouyer keeps writing to Beccard to send him $30 for the ostensorium sent him last May. Beccard is busy with workmen and building, the railroad is under water and will be for 2 months. No one dares go into the city because of the epidemic. So Beccard asks Rousselon to pay the bill; he will repay soon. Rouyer asks 1 piastre extra for packing and shipping. He cannot collect it. The glass was broken. P.S. Beccard's postoffice is under water; Rousselon is to write him at Father Ménard's. ::...

Scope and Contents For 37 days there has been a box in customs addressed to Mr. Benoit, violin maker, containing several articles which Beccard asked for at Lyons and then cancelled as he found them at a cheaper price. They finally arrived and Beccard would like to put them in other hands at cost as he would be hard put to find this amount. If Rousselon could sell all or part the amount could be given to Benoit who must send the cost of the invoice to France. Beccard hopes that Rousselon can arrange it. ::...

Scope and Contents At the beginning of this long horror of over a year if Beccard thought he could have done away with himself, he would have done it. The days are so long and frightening. He has written to a bishop in France to return to his diocese. The last time he was at the bishop's house all went well until he went to say Mass when ready to leave. On the ferry boat if they had not prevented him he would have thrown himself into the water. 10 years of despair! P.S. May 28. He decided to write to Blanc to...

Scope and Contents Blanc has no doubt received Beccard's letter with the two dates which he sent yesterday. He arrived at his little church at Lockport on Lake Fields. At Pentecost he spent three days finishing up the question of Easter Duty and selling the pews. The moments when he needs all his composure is when he becomes paralyzed. However since yesterday he has taken courage and said to himself: In two months there has been a notable improvement in his condition. So they will not talk about his leaving...

Scope and Contents He has received Blanc's letter of the 14th which made him very happy. Isolation in the middle of such long and difficult tortures is hard to bear. Father Charles M. Menard' s curt and uncaring character makes it difficult to talk to him. Furthermore it was to Father Etienne Rousselon rather than to Menard that he spoke on the first of March. In any event he noticed some improvement yesterday and today. Until now he has thought that it would be impractical to have a priest at his poor chapel...

Scope and Contents Beccard is back from Chenière Caminada where he spent 3 or 4 days. He succeeded well for a first visit. Part of the men were out on the oyster banks and he had little to do with them for Confessions. He had 33 baptisms, a certain number of marriages, 4 First Communions, some prayers in their cemetery which is very well placed on a sandy knoll planted with lemon trees. There is good to be done for a resident priest. Presqu'Ile is also inhabited as much as it can be; several have found...

Scope and Contents Beccard asks for a dispensation for first cousins for some persons of color Negroes . These people form a society apart and believing themselves offended by some procedures of white people, have stopped coming to church and read the Protestant bible. Beccard won them over by some visits although he has never seen any of them approach the sacraments. The parties are Pierre and Louisa. Beccard needs the power of attorney from Blanc as owner of the church land at Canal Fields, St. Andrews ....

Scope and Contents Beccard learned through Father Rousselon that Blanc judged Beccard to be in error if he thought he had the faculty to dispense in mixed marriages and disparity of cult. Beccard quotes in Latin the faculties he received four years ago. Blanc will recall a request for a dispensation addressed to Blanc personally at the time of his pastoral visit three years ago. A near relative came today also to marry his first cousin. If the priest makes it difficult, the justice of the peace will do it. The...