Archbishop Peter Kenrick Letters
Bishop Richard Peter Kenrick arrives from Philadelphia where he was President of the Seminary, Rector of the Cathedral and Vicar General of the diocese--a true scholar and erudite speaker to become co-adjutor of the Diocese of St. Louis. He is confronted with deplorable conditions in St. Louis as co-adjutor of the Diocese. The diocese is enormous in size (the entire state of Missouri and Arkansas and 1/2 of Illinois), the debt on the cathedral is heavy ($50,000), there are not enough priests or churches and Bishop Rosati is out of the country. His brother, Francis, Bishop of Baltimore provides solace in the following excerpt from his letter dated January 10, 1842.
January 10, 1842
"I am pleased to know that you reached St. Louis safely, but sorry to learn that sadness mingles with your joy. Indeed it is the all-wise arrangement of Providence to keep us humble in the very enjoyment of success. As to the burden of debt, it will not appear so great if you consider what has been done and that almost without the aid of the faithful: though just now it may seem to press very heavily, when many things are out of harmony, by reason of the absence of the good bishop."
"That some buildings were destroyed by fire; that a certain German, whom the bishop kindly recommended by going his security, had absconded; and that a collector had failed to turn in the money which he received: All this the bishop himself told me before I received your letter: and he expressed much regret that you have to take up the administration of the diocese in the midst of these difficulties.
Bishop Kenrick continues with his struggle as is evidence in his letter of June 3, 1842 to Bishop Rosati.
June 3, 1842
Your esteemed favours of the 20th February was by some mischance delayed, and reached St. Louis about a fortnight since, where I found it on my return from a visit of five weeks to some of the southern portions of your vast diocese. Although I cannot but rejoice at the bright prospects which your visit to Haiti has opened for religion, and can easily conceive the necessity which compelled your second return to Europe, yet your presence is wanted here so much for the adjustment of some affairs, that the disappointment was likely to have an unfavorable affect on the state of your temporal concerns… Your liabilities amount to upwards of $55,000 ...for the greater part of which you are paying 10 percent interest. All the income of the various properties you hold, together with the pew rents of the Cathedral, do not do more than cover your annual expenditure for interest or the debts; and were it not for the improvement in the collections of the Church on Sundays, we should be without means of supplying the ordinary expenses of the house.