ALS. The writer, 65, reports on his visitation to Cape Breton Island [July-October 1823], where there are two Scottish [A. MacDonell 1782-1841, Fraser], two Canadian [Blanchet, Hudon] and one Irish [McKeagney] priests, and where he confirmed thousands of people. He will visit New Brunswick this year, and will then report to PF, enclosing maps of Nova Scotia and of the islands of the St. Lawrence. He also reports on his November [1823]-July [1824] visitation around Prince Edward Island, where he has two priests, the Scot [B.]D. Macdonald and the Irish FitzGerald, is trying to build a church in St. Andrew's, has no difficulties with the Calvinists, and penal laws are not enforced. The writer describes the difficulties caused by language problems. The [a]bp. of [Québec in] Canada [Plessis] and his missionaries have no knowledge of Celtic and English nor are they acquainted with Scottish or Irish institutions.
In fact, the bp.'s visitation of 1812 to Prince Edward Island was the first since the Conquest [1760]; there a priest must know English, French and Celtic. In that period, only two Scottish priests were educated [in Québec, B.D. Macdonald, Ronald Macdonald], one of whom is currently in Cape Breton [B.D. Macdonald], the other still in Canada. To date, all Scottish missionaries who preached in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island were sent from the Scottish Highlands, eight of whom accompanied emigrants. The writer suggests that the new vicar apostolic in Nova Scotia be Fraser, a missionary fluent in Celtic and English, with experience in the Scottish Highlands, in Cape Breton (the writer's companion of the previous year [1823]), currently in Nova Scotia. The bp. of Arindela, vicar apostolic [in the Highland district of Scotland, Reginald MacDonald], must be consulted on the candidate.
A letter from the abp. of Québec to the writer of 12 January 1824 is profusely cited. The writer complains that the spiritual powers (marriage dispensations) received from the abp. cannot be delegated, and asks that in future marriage dispensations and indulgences for New Brunswick, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, be granted by the Holy See directly to him and that they be communicable. PF S. Re PF [i.e., Caprano]'s letter to [the abp. of] Québec [of 4 December 1824; see Lettere 179], PF [i.e., Della Somaglia]'s letter to MacEachern of 4 December 1824 [see Lettere 178].
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