^p' ■: f' \- CIHM Microfiche Series ^ tA/lonographs) i --■::: . ' ■ v' . V- m ' • \ '■ t - ■■■■■- . . ' - ■ ■ % •/ : ., • .'■ ICMH Collection de (monographies) / ■ .!» [ i Canadian Instituta for Hiaiorical Microraproductions / Inatltut Canadian da microraproductiona historiquaa ■ ' "■ . ■ ■ . " . '■ . * ■ ■•■-.' ■ . , . • ■:'■■-'*■-■' "■■.'. . • ■ "■ V ■ [ 1^ 1- ■■- ■■*-"■ / . ■' ■ / Technical' ami Biblio^aphic NoMt / Hotm tfchniquat at btbliograpliKmas iques Tha Inttituta hat attamptad to obtain tha Imt original copy awailabia for filming. Faaturts of ttiis copy virhicli ntay ba bibliographicaHy unique, which may altar any of tha iQi^gas in tha raprochiction, or which may significantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara checked balow. Coloured covers/ Couverture de coulettf CoverVfl4,magad/ pouverture endommagie □ - r 1 Covers restored and/qr laminated/ I I Couverture restaurie at/ou pellicula □ Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque □ a B Coloured maps/ '■'''':' y -'.'':' Cartes gfographiquas en couleur ' Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que Meue. pu noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/pu illustrations en couleur. Bound wfth other material/ Ralie avec d'autres documents □ tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliura serrte peut causer da Tombra ou de la distorsion la long de la marge interieure '' ■ Blank leaves Mldad during restoration may appear within the telt. Whenever possible, these have bean omitted from lilmingi^ Hie peut que certainas pages blanches ajoutiar trs d'une restauration apparaissant dans le texte, ais, lorsque cala iuix possible, ces pagesjn'ont pas at^ f ilmies. . ^ 7 Additional comments:/ Commantaires supplamentairas: his item is filmed at the reduction ratio chiscked below/ '« document est f iime au taux de rMuction indiqui ci-dessous. tlOi ■^— '— — -MX — -^- MX. — — f L'Institut a microf ilm4 le meilleur axemplaira qu'il lui a M possible de sc procurer, tat details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut4tre uniques du point de viie bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier una image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normala de f ilmage sont indiqufc ci-dessous. >^ □ Coloured pagys/ Pages de coifleur ' □ Pages damaged/ Pages artdommagtes □ Pages restored and/or laihinatad/ Pages restaurias et/ou pellicuMes I A Pages discoloured, stained or foxad/ Li— 1 Pages dicolor^, iacheties ou piquees □ Pages detached/ ' "T- Pages d^tachtes ■■ ■ ■ ■** r~^ Showthrough/ L__J Transparence Quality of print varies/ Qualita in^le de Vimpression -'' □ Continuous pagination/ .□ ^Mmation contmue Includes indexles)/ Comprenjl un(des) index' Title on hegder taken from:/ Le titre de ren-t#te provient: |~**n Title page of issue/ Page de titre de la livraison a Caption of issue/ Titre de depart de la livraison □ Masthead/ Generique (periodiques) de la livraison" ^2^ -2ex- 12X 16 f 171 20X -30Tr 24X 28 X □ 32 X Th« copy fllmtd h«r« hat bMn r«produc«d thanks to tha vanarotity of : St. MIchaal '$ Col laga Library Torontp / / Tha Ima^as appaaring hara ara tha bast quality posflbia conaldaring tha condition and laglbillty of tha original, copy and In kaaiaing with tha filming contract apaolficationa. ' Original copiaa in printad papar covara ara filmad baglnhing with tha front covir and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- aion, Or .tha back povar whan appropriata. All othar original copiaa nf f ilmad^baginnihg on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad innpras' sion» and anding on tha last paga with a printad or llluatratad imprauion. Tha laat racordad f rama on aach mjcrof icha ahall contain tha symbol -h^C moaning "CON* TINUED"). or tha symbol V (maaning'"EMO"l. whichavar appliaa. L'axami>laira film* f ut raproduit grica A la gAnirosit* da: •-■■■•■: i« St. MIchaal 's College Library Toronto Laa Images suiytntaa ont 4t* raproduitas avac la plus grand sOin. compta tanu da la condition at de la nattat* da raxampiaira film*, at an conformit* avac las conditions du ebntrat da filmaga. Lea axamplairas originaux dont la couvartura an papier est imprim*e sont f ifKi*s en commeMlnt par la premier plat at en teiminant soit parTa darniire page qui colnporte uneempreinte d'impression ou d'illustratlon. aoit par la secdhd plat, aalon le cas. Tous las autrea exemplairea originaux scat f ilm*s en commenpant par la prami*re paga qui comporta una empreii|te : d'impression pu d'illustratlon at en terminant par la darhi*re page qui comporte line telle empreinte. ■■■■'.■ '■ ■■ ■ . ■■'»:"■■,■ On ,des symbole^aulvants apparattra aur la derni*re imag» de cheque microfiche, aaior^ le cas: le symbols — »> signif le "A 8UIVRE",Te symbols y signifie "FIN'*. Maps, plateSr charts, ete.,-^may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in ohe e)tposure are filnted beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. 14to9 USA (716) 482 -0300- Phorw ^ (7t8) 288 -5989 -Fax i" I- \ ^ ^ , , ■ ■■.■;»• ■ .■ ■■ ■ ■ J ., • . ■ . ■ \ ■■■ ■ ■ • 1 .>••■ , ■.'.;' V ■ ■ / ■ k ■X V..- / /•■ ' -■A' PASTORAL LETTER tOF- HIS GRAGE THE AReHBISHDP OF TORONTO ■TOTHB- CLBEaT AND LAITY OP THE ARCHDIOOESB. REI.ATIVE TfrXHE ANNUAL DIOCESAN CONTUIBUTION TOWAtinH ' JoHK, by the Grace of God and the^^ appointment, of the Hoiy See, Archbishop of Toronto, to the Clergy and Laity of the Archdiocese,: - Dearly Beloved Brethren: iu Z^?"" *'"^^ *^ conjo for taking up, in the various missions of the diocese, the annual collection for the purpose of ecclesias- tical education. I need hardly urge the Rev. Clergy to impress upon their people the duty of contributing generously towards this praiseworthy and holy object. The faithful can- not contribute their means towards a more necessary, and at' the snme time a more meritorious work. Without a sufficieiit number of priests religion would decay and pei ish. and immortal souls would starve for want of . the bread of life. Now, we cannot have a suflScient number of priests in this country without the means of educating them, and these means must come from the generou^fferings pf.our ever-faithful people. It takes from eight to ten yea^s to educate a young m^ in College and Seminary, before he ■.■■■'■ >.."■- ^F^ . . ■■ :/•- ■N- \; (.• I ■■V 2 ia nualified by science and eecleBiastical training, for the efficient diflcharge of the high and hol.v duties of the Hacred Ministry. This one fact serves to show tjbat a very large ex- penditure of money mtist necessarily be incurred in tlie edu- cation of young men for the holy ministry in this diocese. All who have at heart the good of. our holy religion ; all who desire the solid establishment of the bbly Church of God in this free and happy country ; all wbo value the Balvatron of immortal bouIs purchased by the |)refiiouB blood of our Redeemer, will not hesitate to give laxgely of their worldly means to enable the Archbishop to educate a holy and efficient priesthood for this large and growing diocese. Local improvements, such as the building of churches, presbyteries, etc., are no reasons why the priest and ^ieople of each mission should not do their utmost to promote this sacred caluse, and to do their' duty by the Archbishop and the diocesan institutions, ,• Our fathers in the faith in Europe f«r It the pressure on their consciences of the great duty of helping to edu ate the priestho^di and herice they founded and endowed great and renowned Seminaries, in which young aspirants to the holy ' ministry have been trained in learning and piety. Our Irish forefathers, even in the midst of the persecutions of the penal ' times. i)ut of the scanty means spared them by wholesale confiscjitions. founded and endowed on the continent of Europe renowned Seminaries, which are still flouriHhing, and which for several centuries failed not to send forth holy misBionaries of the iross to preach the Gospel of Christ to their persecuted -countrymen kt home, to administer to them the consolations of our boly religion, and to keep the sacred fire of Catliolic faith bbrning through lung ages of darkness and storm, until • the advent of these better and more peaceful times, when the light df our holy faith has expanded into the calm splendors of a perfdcMay. •1 V- ..;,^J.,.,., \v,.; ^» -: \ •1 4 • 8 . ;, Now, what is the secret of this strong innate desire of a Catholic people to help in the creation of a Catholic priest- hood. This desite spTings from a principle of Catholic faith. The priest is a representative of Jesus Christ on earth. '* He that heareth you lieareth me." Luke, x. c, 10 v. He is the official public teacher of Christ'S' saving ttuths. " Oo teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Mathew, xxviii. c, lJ>-'2() v. He is the ambassador of Clurist and the disponsdr of His mysteries ; he is the guardian of tbc body and blood of Christ in the Euchf|.rist. In his consecrated hands, as he standi at the 4iltar and repeats the ^tvord^ of consecration, the Son of God becomes, ai^jt were, incarnate, and offers Himsdf as a victim of propitiation to His eternal Father tor the sink of men, and applies to immortal souU the saving merits of th6 bloody sac- riflce of Calvary. T^/e ministry of the Catholic priest is linked with the ileaiefijt associations of^ Patholic life.. The priest baptizes the newj bdrn infant, aliHbus makes^it a child of God, and an heir of lihe Kingdom of H^veh : he unfolds to the young mind the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and teaches it those great truths, that flame out like beacons of salvation on the darksome journey of life ; he causes th^child to be enrolled, through confirmation, amongst the soldiers of Jesus Christ, and thus equips him for warfare against\the enemies of salvation. When the sinner comes heavy-laden with the burden ofguilt and of sorrow, which is ever its coi panion. the priest of God receives him like the Father of th\ Prodigal, forgives him his sins through the Sacrament of Pen- ance, and through this won(2rous mystery of reconciliation, restores him to the friendsmp of his heavenly Father and to the peace and protection and privileges of his Father's house. But the priest not only tajltes up this poor wounded traveller of life, whom he finds robbed and wounded by the wayside of sin and error; he cares tenderly for him; he pours the oil and wine of Christ's healing merits into hi& wounded soul ^' iL ■;,..--i ; .;/ . : "ik\ he feeds Urn A^ith the bread of- life— the body and 1 lord of Christ— and tluB enables him to reach the land of promise— the kingdom i.rOodVternal hapiMness. The priest comforts and Relieves theWf ^e consoles the. i^fflicted and sorrow- stricken ; he brings the peace of iJhrist i^to families torn by dissensions J he reconciles neighb3r« who had become estranged ; he admonishes and reproves the erring ; he encourages the wavering ; and by word and example he points out to all his Hock the road that leads to Heaven and to hap- piness. And when sickness enters the homestead, and when medical aid is impotent to stay the ravages of disease, and to / assuage the pains of illness, the priest, the physician of the soul, comes and ministers to the mind diseased, heals the \ infirmities of the soul, consoles and fortifies the dying Chris- tian with the Sacraments of Christ, reconciles him to death as coming from the will of God, and thW by his Christiatt ministrations makes death a sacred and holy thing, and the gate that opens into a happy eternity. When the poor body, cold and lifeless, is borne to the Church, amid the tears of friends and the sympathetic regreta of neighbors, the pnfst is there' to offer up the holy sacrifice for the soul that is gone, to beseech for it eUrnal rest and light perpetual, and with holy prayers and solemn benedictions to commit the mortal remains to the guardianship of the consecrated grave. Thus, from the cradle to the grave, in our joys and sorrows, in t he epochs that mark the pathway of our existence, the ministry of the Cath die priest is most intimately connected and inter- twined with the dearest associations and the deepest interests of our lives. 0, what an unspeakable treasure, then is the good and holy priest! What a happiness to the Chui^ch ! What a priceless blessing to the parish or remote mission in tyhich he ministers ! Such a priest is one of the greatest gifts that God can bestow on a Christian people. 1 unng life his ministry is fruitful in untold blessings, and even after de^th, his memory, his words, his example, his works remain ; •J A ,.Jt 'V, "m ^l of ■J ■I to cdneole, to bless, to fortjfy and to sanctify innumerable souls. jp 0, Supreme PaRtor, the author and finisher of our faith, have pity on Thy [leoplo and send forth priests according to Thy Divine heart into Thy vineyard. This country is already white with an abundant harvest of precious souls ; deign in^ T^y iufinite mercy, to send forth worthy and numerous work- men to gather up this rich harvest ; inspire Catholic mothers with the holy resolution of rearing sons for the service of Thy holy altar and ihe ministry of salvation ; speak to the hearts of generous youths, and call them to the ranks of Thy Priest- hood, an.l finally put it into the hearts of our faithful people to be nob'e and generous in their contributions, so as to help in the holy work of educating the Priesthood. St. Dionysius justly remarks, that it is the most divine of all divine works, to cooperate with God in the salvation of souls ; and our people thus co-operate when they dedicate their sons to God, in the holy offifee of the Priesthood ; or when, by their gen- erous offering||ihey contribute to the advancement of eccles- iastical educOT|p. ^ W There are some parents in this country who will make any sacrifices to enable their sons to study law or medicine, or to enter into commercial business, but who will do iittle or nothing for the sons who may be willing to study for the holy Priesthood. ' The faith and charity of such parents must be very weak and cold. In the agos of faith, and still, in many European countries, Catholic mothers would prefer seeing their sons ministering at God's altar in the office of the Pj iest- hood than plaqed iu the highest positions of worldly honor. Can it be said that it is the dearest wish of the mother's heart, in this country, to see her son apriest ? It is a Very bad sign of the spiritual life of a people when tjiey dc/not supply a Priesthood drawn from their own sons. The iest and most fruitful seed must decay and die if it gets little or no nourish^ ment from the soil into which it is cast. A > - f^ti iisji^'a;^^;.-- 'S-. It can truly bo aftlrmoa tl/at tho Church will never ho firmly eBtiibliHhod in this country until it posBoBBos a native PrioBthood— until it is interlaced with tho fooUngB, afTection», and national hnbits and traditions of tho people— until, in fine, it iB made " racy of the Hoil," like Bome giant oak that ha8'git)wn gradually up in our forcBts, spreading itH roots abroad, and driving them deep into the soil and deriving therefrom itH sap and nourishment, until it has acMiuired the sturdy strength and magniticont projiortions that bid defiance to the ttercest stormH. > We, therefore, most earnestly entreat Christian parents to encourage in their holy puri)OHe tlioso of their children wliom God may call to the high and holy life of tho I'rioHthood and to help them according to their meanBto reach that cherished object of their hearts. We exhort the pastors of souls to have special care of the young boys who, in their opinion, give signs of a diviue-voca- tion to tlie Holy Ministry t to encourage and befriend them, and lead them on to piety and the love of God. • Finally we call on pastors and people to co-operate in making the annual collection for ecelesi^Btical education a generous one. Each fai^ily in the Archdio^e ought to con- tribute, at least, one dollar annually for this puri)08e. This sum is, in itself, insignificant, and would not be oppressive to the poorest families, but yet, in the aggregate, it would create a fund which would enable the Archbishop, not only to educate theological students, but also to encourage and help deserving students who are not so far advanced, and who have little or na means of prosecuting their studies ; and there are several such in the Archdiocese. - -. - _ : We confidently count upon priests and people to co-operate loyally and heartily with us in this important matter, and thus enable us to discharge efficiently one of the weightiest and most essential duties of our episcopal office. - T l.H i iH!Mri.'.i.-'C!.' levcr 1)0 a native • fections, intil, in oak that Uh TOOtB deriving ired the detianco nrents to (n whom lood and herisht'd kve of tho lue-voca- nd them, perato in ication a lit to con- se. This ppressive it would ot only to and help who have there are To show how gonerouily iind nobly CathoUcB in other placed do their duty in this roBpoct, it will suftioo to state that in the dioceHo of Koohester, N. Y., according to tho printe«i report iust come to hand, the sum of nine thouHand four hun- dred and thirty-Boven dollars was raised last year for the purpose of eoclesiastioal 43ducation. ^- We trust, therefore, thaV in a uuitter of hMi extreme importance our Catholic people will do their duty, and thus bring upon iheraHolves and families the abundant blessings of f " ' : .' " ■'".■' " ■ ■" . ' . ■.^- ' J - :' -■ y . ;:--r-7^. '-■ ; :'• • ■^^■^-^ -...•«:. ' -iT- • '"■---■' ■*.,.. ■■: i ■ .• ' c - t ■*■' >:;..; jm '■.^ ,-"•■:'■ ■: •»• . ■* a • ^ .■ .■'•.•■'■'■.■