Letter from Fr. Joseph Fenelon OFM Cap. to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, giving news of missionary and parish work in California.
He writes ‘A school [in Watts, Los Angeles] is the first consideration here. I have seen two architects already about the matter, and I have received a conditional promise of a very substantial bequest towards the school.
The people though not exceptionally well-to-do, are very kind, and appreciative, and ever thank God for the blessing of a Religious Order in the Parish. At present the Mexican portion of the Parish is very hard to define, they do not come very generously to Mass or the Sacraments, with of course some exceptions but as for Baptisms and sick-calls, they keep us on the constant go. We have not many Italians in the Parish, and I am not sorry for that, as they are no good wherever they are found; but to these also there are good exceptions, v. g. in Ukiah Fr. Herb. [Fr. Reginald O’Hanlon OFM Cap.] has a few splendid families who are doing nearly all the working of the new Church for him. I should say that there are about 150 pretty good families here, who help well by the duplex-envelope collection system on the Sundays. Our receipts all told on the Sundays, including collection, seat collection of ten cents each, Baptisms, Shrines, Papers, are about $100. Expenses go to the House account. They don’t amount to much. Since we came, I put in a Shrine to St. Anthony, and got some Catholic Papers, and the doing away of Pew-rent, and substituting the 10¢ seat our collections have gone up considerably. All disbursements are made out of the Church collections, and we only provide ourselves with clothes. The Pastor's salary is $1000. per annum, and the Assistant’s is $500. We don’t take this. I think I have given you a detailed account of the Capuchin Parish of Watts’.
