Jewels from Jane, Sept. 25

Lyons, Iowa Sept. 25th 1868

Academy of Sisters of St. Joseph
Carondelet
Mother St. John [Facemaz] Supr.

Honored & dear Mother,

Perhaps you will recollect that a little over a year ago, I had the honor to write to you with regard to a formation of your good Sisters in this thriving place. At the time you answered me that then you could not possibly furnish subjects for the new colony, but that in one year from that time you would endeavor to comply with our wishes. Since then a great many changes have happened hereabouts. My congregation has been subdivided a second time, & a new church erected within two miles at a place called Clinton which is as large, if not larger than Lyons, there being about ten thousand inhabitants [of] the two places, of which one third, or at least one fourth are Catholics. Now in Lyons our new church if not the largest at least the finest in Iowa, is approaching completion. The old frame Church which is nearly one hundred feet long by 30 wide will make fine school rooms. We shall occupy the new church towards the early part of next summer. Therefore we wish to prepare the way for our schools, of which we are in a sad need. Since I wrote to you last, the Sisters of Mercy from Chicago have opened a Day and a Boarding school in DeWitt twenty miles from here, & it is near but to say that they have already a [?]school, & yet it is only a country town. But I want the Sisters of St. Joseph. I shall never forget their kindness in receiving into their Asylum without almost any remuneration an orphan boy who was entirely forsaken. Therefore dear Mother, should you give me any encouragement, I would set about preparing things, [?] your suggestions for opening a school here during the course of the coming year.

Hoping then that you will favorably receive my request, I remain
With a sincere and profound respect
Your humble [servant] in Christ
Fr. C. Jean

Handwritten letter
This request, among many others, was not able to be filled by Mother St. John Facemaz.