“The second, is a chalice from your hands to offer the holy sacrifice of mass the rest of my life.”
“I will grant your request with the utmost pleasure,” answered the bishop; and without losing a moment, he wrote the following letter, which I reproduce here, on account of its importance.
TRANSLATION.
Montreal. Oct. 13th, 1851.
Sir:—You request me to give you permission to leave my diocese in order to go and offer your services to the Bishop of Chicago. As you still belong to the Diocese of Quebec, I think you ought to address yourself to my lord of Quebec, to get the extract you want. As for me, I cannot but thank you for what you have done in our midst; and in my gratitude towards you, I wish you the most abundant blessing from heaven. Every day of my life, I will remember you. You will always be in my heart, and I hope that on some future day, the providence of God will give me some opportunity of showing you all the feelings of gratitude I feel towards you.
I remain, your most obedient servant,
✠Ignace.
Bishop of Montreal.
Rev. C. Chiniquy.
Though that letter was a most perfect recantation of all he had said and done against me, and was of immense value to me in such circumstances, the bishop added to its importance by the exceedingly kind manner in which he handed it to me.