Tunbridge Wells,
September 9th 1887
Dear Very Rev. Father Provincial,
You will think me troublesome and obstinate in again bringing up the subject of Boscombe when you had settled it not many months ago, but I hope you will excuse me when I tell you one or two of the reasons - The first is a parocual one. I have this sum of money to dispose of. I think I can spend it on no better work than on a chapel of some kind. Bournemouth being my home, and my owing a great debt of gratitude to the Jesuits would make me prefer to spend it there to any other place.
Therefore I have kept the money still, hoping that circumstances might make it possible to do something for Boscombe. Father de Lapasture knows nothing of my writing and who I believable surprised at my boldness and dissuade me from doing so.
A good religious no doubt submits his judgement as well as his outward acts to his superior, but as I am not a religious I must say quite honestly and simply that I think the Jesuits are throwing away a good, though buy no means a brilliant offer.
I beg of you very earnestly to give me no decided answer now, in fact not to answer my letter at all, but when you go down to Bournemouth to look into the matter for yourself. I write now because I believe this is about the time of the year when you usually visit Bournemouth.
Father Birch is a good and kind man, but he knows comparatively little about the parish, ill health etc, giving him little time or opportunity, and he is very conservative - whatever is and was, must be right.
This demand for a chapel as Boscombe has been coming up at intervals for years, but Father Birch has I believe always said "vair - when it becomes a real need something will turn up and bring it about" - a very wise answer, only people have waited and something has turned up, and nothing has been brought about.
Before, I judged of things as an eyewitness. I used to say "it's all nonsense, of course a Chapel is not needed, there are not many Catholics and abroad they have to walk greatest distances. "But now I have seen and know for myself. The Catholics are increasing, although slowly compared to what will be the case if there were a Chapel. Boscombe itself is a rising place.
Our London Doctor told us he far preferred it as a health resort to Bournemouth. As Boscombe is becoming a little centre for itself with it's own shops station etc, Catholics are settling near it, but even beyond it still further from the church. No doubt people walk further in Catholic countries, but in Rome one must do like the Romans.
The Protestant churches in Bournemouth see the need for these chapels of ease and are establishing them all over the place. It seems hard that only the true religion should remain under presented.
Moreover the Church at Bournemouth is growing too small. Some of our poor have to stand the whole of a long service after a long walk, others cannot get beyond the porch. It would cost a very large sum to enlarge that strangely built church, it would cost a very much smaller one to start a little mission at Boscombe, and do far more good.
|
