who was sent to Annapolis, Md., returned to the Redemptorist house in Third Street, New York.  On the Tuesday after Easter, April 6, 1858, the official copy of the Pope’s decision reached them, and they bade farewell to their Redemptorist brethren and to the community in which they had spent so many happy years, and witnessed, as Father Hewit has written, “so many edifying examples of high virtue and devoted zeal, to enter upon a new and untried undertaking.”

Archbishop Kenrick, as soon as he heard of this, made a determined effort to secure Father Baker for the diocese of Baltimore, but the latter never for a moment faltered in his purpose to cast his lot with his brethren, and the archbishop gave up his claim upon him at the request of Cardinal Barnabo.

Their engagements called for two more missions before the season ended—­one at Watertown, N.Y., and the other at St. Bridget’s Church, New York City.  The first of these opened on the 18th of April, and while waiting for that date the Fathers lived with Mr. George Hecker in Rutger’s Place, saying Mass in his private chapel and following their religious rule as far as circumstances allowed, continuing meantime to obey Father Walworth, their former superior of the missions.  They journeyed to Watertown, fearful lest the faculties for giving the Papal blessing and the mission indulgences should not arrive there in time.  But late on Saturday night, April 19, they were received, much to the joy of the Fathers.

Here occurred a noteworthy coincidence.  Watertown was at that time in the diocese of Albany, of which Bishop McCloskey was then the ordinary.  He had received Father Hecker into the Church and had been his first guide in the spiritual life, and now he was the first to publicly welcome his brethren at the beginning of their new career.  The following is from a letter of his to Father Walworth in answer to one announcing the recent changes: 

“I am happy to hear that your difficulties have at length received their solution, and in a manner, I presume, as satisfactory as you could well expect.  The future must now in great measure depend upon yourselves.  You will, of course, have difficulties to surmount and prejudices to encounter, but I trust that with God’s blessing your new community when once organized will continue from day to day to gain increased stability and strength, and be enabled to carry out successfully all its laudable aims for the good of our holy religion.  The faculties already given you in this diocese you will not consider as being withdrawn by the act of your separation from the Redemptorist order, and there is nothing that I know of to interfere with your proposed mission in Watertown.”