Item 40 - Petition to Fr. Joseph Fenelon from the parishioners of Mendocino, California

7 pp; typescript, manuscript and clipping

Letter for Fr. Joseph Fenelon OFM Cap. enclosing a petition from the parishioners of Mendocino, California, for a resident priest to remain in the Parish of Mendocino. The parishioners express a deep need for consistent spiritual guidance and supervision, particularly for the youth of the community. The petitioners highlight that most parishioners are sawmill workers earning only $2.25 per day, working five days a week, making it difficult to support the parish despite their devotion. The letter emphasizes the impact on Catholic children in grammar and high schools, specifically mentioning a newly organized Catholic Club called the ‘Twentieth Century Crusaders’. It also notes the parish is composed mostly of second-generation Portuguese and Italians. Several pages of signatures are attached to the letter along with a related newspaper clipping.