Codex Lethbridge
Transcription: 16
Transcription:
{[Left page]
Lately, I counted how many different nationalities I had in my church. I counted fourteen.
Irish – English – Scotch – Americans – French – Belgians – Germans – Italians – Slavonic – Hungarians – Spaniards – Canadians – Halfbreeds Indian Blackfoot – besides a mulato
But we are alone to have all these different nationalities
The Protestants have only a few. Which is a glaring proof of our title Catholic
Credo – in Ecclesiam Catholicam !
As there were over one hundred of Slavonic Catholics I thought they should have their own address to our good Bishop. They offered His Lordship also one of their old country prayer books, in the Slavish language, with wooden covers and iron clasps. It is a specimen of curiosity.
The Slavonic Catholics belong to the Greek United Church and have preserved up to this day, the holy simplicity of our first Christians. They are sincerely attached to their religion and to their priest. They will almost blindly follow his Commands and directions.
To give only one illustration: Last Spring when we had the church pews publicly rented, an old man came to me the next day, with his grandson, and asked me to rent a pew also, for him and his family.
I was aware that the old man was somewhat neglectful and seldom came to the church, and before renting the pew I told him my satisfaction and my hopes to see him in the church regularly in the future. In fact, said I, you must be there: Cazdy dzen, which means, every day. While I should have said Cazdy Nedzela every Sunday.
He rented the pew.
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The next morning, while ringing the Angelus, I observed the old man coming across the public square
Taking off his hat and making three times the sign of the cross at the three pulls of the bell.
From that day, till late in the Fall when the Wh [crossed out] Weather became too cold to say mass in church the good old father Kranyak, occupied his rented pew every morning.
These Slavonic Catholics make the sign of the cross in the very primitive manner…: instead of signing from the left to the right side, as we do, they sign from the right to the left side.
When, and where our forefathers have changed this manner of making the sign of the cross, and why they have changed it, my small library has failed to satisfy my researches [sic].
The presence of so many Catholic Slavish, obliged me to prepare for hearing their confessions.
Some good young fellows, having been in the United States for several years, could speak fluently the English language. With their assistance I made immediately a complete interogatory [sic], as also a few short exhortations, and ever since, I have heard their confessions, baptized, married, and attended to their spiritual wants.
1890 [written in the front margin]
The year 1890 was memorable to Lethbridge, on account of a new railroad from this place to Great Falls in Montana.
It was thought that the large smelters of Great Falls would demand a great quantity of our Lethbridge coal. But the two years which have passed since
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Lately, I counted how many different nationalities I had in my church. I counted fourteen.
Irish – English – Scotch – Americans – French – Belgians – Germans – Italians – Slavonic – Hungarians – Spaniards – Canadians – Halfbreeds Indian Blackfoot – besides a mulato
But we are alone to have all these different nationalities
The Protestants have only a few. Which is a glaring proof of our title Catholic
Credo – in Ecclesiam Catholicam !
As there were over one hundred of Slavonic Catholics I thought they should have their own address to our good Bishop. They offered His Lordship also one of their old country prayer books, in the Slavish language, with wooden covers and iron clasps. It is a specimen of curiosity.
The Slavonic Catholics belong to the Greek United Church and have preserved up to this day, the holy simplicity of our first Christians. They are sincerely attached to their religion and to their priest. They will almost blindly follow his Commands and directions.
To give only one illustration: Last Spring when we had the church pews publicly rented, an old man came to me the next day, with his grandson, and asked me to rent a pew also, for him and his family.
I was aware that the old man was somewhat neglectful and seldom came to the church, and before renting the pew I told him my satisfaction and my hopes to see him in the church regularly in the future. In fact, said I, you must be there: Cazdy dzen, which means, every day. While I should have said Cazdy Nedzela every Sunday.
He rented the pew.
[End page]
[Right page]
The next morning, while ringing the Angelus, I observed the old man coming across the public square
Taking off his hat and making three times the sign of the cross at the three pulls of the bell.
From that day, till late in the Fall when the Wh [crossed out] Weather became too cold to say mass in church the good old father Kranyak, occupied his rented pew every morning.
These Slavonic Catholics make the sign of the cross in the very primitive manner…: instead of signing from the left to the right side, as we do, they sign from the right to the left side.
When, and where our forefathers have changed this manner of making the sign of the cross, and why they have changed it, my small library has failed to satisfy my researches [sic].
The presence of so many Catholic Slavish, obliged me to prepare for hearing their confessions.
Some good young fellows, having been in the United States for several years, could speak fluently the English language. With their assistance I made immediately a complete interogatory [sic], as also a few short exhortations, and ever since, I have heard their confessions, baptized, married, and attended to their spiritual wants.
1890 [written in the front margin]
The year 1890 was memorable to Lethbridge, on account of a new railroad from this place to Great Falls in Montana.
It was thought that the large smelters of Great Falls would demand a great quantity of our Lethbridge coal. But the two years which have passed since
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