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Show THAT BALTIMORE INCIDENT EXPLAINED. Immaculate Conception Rectory, 532 Mosher st. ' Baltimore, Md., July 26. Editor Intermountain Catholic: Politeness requires that I thankfully acknowledge your "complimentary" number of the 23rd instant. And the fact that you quote approvingly the words of Fathers Phelan and Lambert In re, the Immaculate Conception church occurrence, Sunday, July 3, urges me to give you the case as it really was. In passing, I may mention that I know and esteem both the reverend gentlemen; but, as they, in common com-mon with us all, know how sensational and even misleading mis-leading newspaper statements often are, I am surprised sur-prised that they .write as giving unqualified belief to the one-sided published accounts. Possibly my silence is to blame. - Be that as it may. The facts are these: New pews put in this church, nearly two years ago reduced the seating capacity about 100. Consequently, of the four Masses on Sunday, at 6, 8, 9:15 and High Mass at 10:30, the 8 o'clock Mass, (all pewholders), is now so crowded, and the 9:15 or children's Mass affords space for so few adults, that last Passion Sunday, March 20, I felt myself compelled to make this announcement: "The rfrrc flafhnliro n-h?lt frp nnH welrntriB to hoar Mass at 6 o'clock and at'the High Mass, cannot continue con-tinue to attend the 8 and 9:15 Masses for want of room." Only necessity seen and understood here demanded de-manded the announcement. v Color had nothing to do with it, else why Would they be allowed and I might add, encouraged, to at-' at-' tend the first and the last or High Mass. As I stated In writing, to His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, who knows the whole case, "We are so pressed for space at the two Masses, 8 and 9:15 o'clock, that were a like number from St Pius' or Corpus Christi church, right and left of this Chureh, to come and continue to assist at those two Masses, justice to our own pew "holders would force me to request them to stay and attend their own church, at the said hours. Is it necessary to say, referring now to some printed accounts of the affair that the door of our church was never closed in any one's face, that a person once in the church, was told to go out. True, indeed, three colored ladies, unknown un-known to me then as now, did actually leave the church, by misunderstanding my request, to exchange ' the pew they had entered for another, which I offered them. When all is said, this much remains. With no real privation to our colored Catholics, who have their own' parish churches; justice to the rights of our pew holders Bimply demanded the announcement I made last March,-namely, that colored Catholics always a very limited number come hereafter only to the 6 o'clock and the 10:30 o'clock Masses. And with all respect to Fathers Phelan and Lambert, I feel certain, that in the same situation, a sense of justice would prompt them to do in like manner. Their printed words, right I admit in the abstract, leave untouched this concrete case. No fearjf ' any priest, attempting to draw1 the color line in our churches! Outside of those in immediate charge of - ' ;' ".' V -. " Jii'iuiii ii" mo . in in u iiiiipi 111 Jim 111 am iu. piiuiiihiii.iii wi,m.(. ... i un i, . . colored Catholics, I rrjoic to thlnTT I God, that few priests, if anv. bav0 " to f cherished - experience in doalins nK'-v'l nv, J through a period of more than forty-nn lamnfa!i:- I our colored Catholics in most pads ,.r ,.ar itii f I country. Very sincerelv- vours, " sWr:o!i; THOS. M. Mebd.NOGHCE c M p I |
